Creating a reading group

Corporate well-being is directly linked to the well-being of employees: the higher their level of satisfaction, the higher their productivity.

Italian companies are beginning to realize that successful managers and entrepreneurs have realized that their greatest asset is the strength of their team. That is why, now more than ever, investing in your team means investing in your company’s development. With this in mind, we would like to tell you about our experience and our future plans, with an in-depth look at an activity that is in the pipeline right now and that we believe could be inspirational.

Starting with a cohesive team

In one of our previous articles, we gave an overview of the impact of training and corporate culture. According to recent studies, corporate culture is the factor that most influences employee well-being. Team building is a systematic process designed and tested precisely to improve working relationships and team functioning, especially with regard to problem and conflict resolution, and the subsequent achievement of goals. The benefits are numerous and tangible, and the practical activities associated with this approach serve to make each member of the group develop specific skills, strengthen their sense of identity and belonging. In a nutshell, enhancing the corporate culture of each employee.

Let's proceed step by step

The following steps are necessary for activating a value process among the members of a working group: 

1. Training Stage: this is the phase in which the group’s objectives are defined, such as aligning the group towards common goals or increasing team cohesion so that it begins to perceive itself as a team, sharing and embracing a corporate value system.
2. Storming Stage: this is the brainstorming phase of the process. In addition to the previously introduced objectives, additional objectives will be introduced at this stage, such as generating new ideas, introducing new processes to integrate workflow, but also creating positive links and working relationships based on cooperation rather than competition among the various team members.
3. Norming Stage: this is the moment when the entire team is aligned and processes have become part of the work routine. At this point, each member of the team will have discovered their place in the organization and will be well aware of their skills and abilities, as well as their role within the organization.

This allows us to highlight talents so that they can be available to the group, without stifling individualism.
Thanks to Lorenzo Massacci of Flowing, our team is also training on these topics, because in addition to working properly, we would like to create the right conditions and climate to inspire creativity, without ever giving up specific training on technical skills.

Let's create the Tonidilibro

The improvement of communication and dialogue between colleagues is linked to the exchange, contamination, and dissemination of skills. From July 2019 an activity suggested by our coach Lorenzo will start: the Tonidigrigio reading group. Booklist in hand, once a month the fixed appointment includes a book discussion.

• The topic? The first proposals concern the lean method and business organization.
• The rules? Very simple: every month a book is chosen, which will be read by several people. On the day of the meeting, each reader will present a useful, interesting, and noteworthy topic read from the book in question. However, there is just one main rule: no one is obliged, everyone can freely choose whether to participate or to spend their free time on other activities.
• And then what? Then a debate between readers and listeners will take place.
• The goal? Reading, assimilating new concepts and, above all, sharing with the team everything we were able to learn through reading: circulating knowledge to encourage new ideas and work better as a cohesive group.

There are many team building techniques, but this time Tonidigrigio chooses the reading group. What about you? Do you know any others? Write to us at info@tonidigrigio.it and we will be happy to gather new ideas.