In a guest blog, Fiona from Yellow Tree Wellbeing talks about what emotional needs have to be met in order to find balance and how team building can help:
It is a challenging time for many teams to stay connected right now. The good news is that effective team working, supported by team building activities, can maintain our wellbeing as it can help us to get our emotional needs met.
With people working remotely, all our one to ones and team meetings are now virtual; via either phone calls or video calling platforms. That of course brings its own challenges and the lack of in person interaction can be upsetting for some. Combined with the added pressures from having children and spouses at home and concerns about health and loved ones, it can all take its toll on our wellbeing.
Our emotional needs, as outlined by the Human Givens approach, are a driving force and its important these “needs are met in a balanced way”.
We have 9 Emotional needs:
- Security
- Attention (to give and receive it)
- Sense of autonomy and control
- Emotional intimacy
- Feeling part of a wider community
- Privacy
- Sense of status within social groupings
- Sense of competence and achievement
- Meaning and purpose
Taking part in team building activities, even remotely, can help maintain a sense of community. That feeling that we belong to something bigger than ourselves has been shown to improve motivation, as well as, our general sense of happiness. When we feel connected to others we can find comfort in the knowledge that we are not alone. This is especially important during these challenging times.
When we take part in team building activities we are also tapping into our potential to achieve and feel that we are competent and capable. Doing well in a fun but meaningful exercise can encourage feelings of pride and of adding value to our teams. This in turn adds to our sense of status in the group – another emotional need fulfilled.
Team building activities can also give us a sense of meaning and purpose not just for the task at hand but by stretching us in terms of what we think and how we behave, helping us learn and grow as individuals.
It is also important to highlight that though we can gain so much from continuing to keep our teams connected while we may not be physically together, it is also vital that we respect individual needs for privacy. If team members don’t want to join every social event we organise, that’s okay. And if they need to be reminded to take that lunch break or some alone time, then that is okay too!
To remain healthy, as individuals and as a team, all our needs must be met and in balance. You can find out where you’re at with these by completing the Emotional Needs Audit available from the Human Givens Institute.
If you are thinking how to bring your people together for a remote team building activity during this difficult time, Teamscapes has solutions to enable you to come together as a team. Whether you are in need of coaching, facilitation, self-awareness or navigation of each individual’s emotional needs, we will work with you to ensure balance.
Fiona has worked in Learning and Development since 2002 and is a qualified Trainer and an ILM Level 7 Executive Coach. Since qualifying in Emotional Intelligence and the MSCEIT (EI test) in 2008 she has worked extensively in the area of Wellbeing and co-founded Yellow Tree Wellbeing in 2015. She now helps organisations to improve, maintain and develop their employees’ wellbeing and mental health to see powerful results for individuals and the business.