Last Sept. 2, the Office of the City Agriculturist proved to all and sundry that a government agency can push through with its initiatives even when not backed by government budget. All it takes is concerted effort, the will and the drive to move forward, and practical resourcefulness for an organization to proceed with its plans.
The participants simply contributed voluntarily their personal resources for the resource person, food, venue, and transportation expenses for a noble undertaking.
At Kakisa Beach Resort in the town of Bacong, the interactive workshop on teambuilding was successfully conducted, which was designed to involve all members of the divisions in the Office of the City Agriculturist: Crops, Livestock, Fisheries, Research & Development, and Administrative Support.
Participated in by 26 technical and administrative personnel, the workshop was facilitated by Rev. Fr. Tonton Arnaiz, chaplain of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, and initiator of Dugo Ko, Kinabuhi Mo of the Diocese of Dumaguete.
The workshop aimed to teach the team members to develop a shared vision/understanding to create high performing teams. It also aspires to promote the practice on key skills necessary to address the inevitable challenges that usually crop up within teams.
On top of these, the workshop targeted to teach every participant on how to appreciate and be tolerant with individual differences, learn how to communicate collaboratively, and manage conflict.
The teambuilding workshop was prompted by the awareness and realization that “team development” is something that is usually overlooked in the field of governance and almost always ignored within organizations or projects.
Within local government units, employees usually have little cognizance of the skills and tools imperative to the nurturing of supportive collegial relationships.
Likewise, leaders and managers are seldom prepared and fully equipped in understanding the dynamics of team formation and staff motivation or respond appropriately to the emerging needs of a team.
Because of this lack of awareness, conflicts within organizations are either ignored or suppressed, which correspondingly lead to lower productivity, high turnover of workers, low morale, and negligible rapport between and among the rank and file.
But with heightened awareness of innate skills and tools for addressing common challenges, these same dynamics can readily be turned into a source of continued team enhancement.
With the completion of our teambuilding efforts, it is expected that the staff of the agency can work more harmoniously with each other, produce better outcomes, and generate a happier environment for everyone.
All these, in the long run, will create cheerful and more productive City government employees to the benefit of all Dumagueteños.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
