GEMA trains heads of departments in team building, emotional intelligence

By Hafsa Obeng

Accra, May 12, GNA – The Human Resource Department of the Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA) has organized a two-day training workshop on team-building and emotional intelligence for some selected staff.

The training, facilitated by Macro Mix Limited, was aimed at helping the participants to understand characteristics of effective team work, identify factors that hamper team work, develop skills of a team player, and be able to provide constructive feedback.

Participants, numbering about 40, comprised of mainly Heads of Departments and Units and Senior Officers of the Assembly.

Addressing the participants, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mrs Elizabeth Kaakie Mann, commended the HRD for the training workshop, as well as the facilitators for the good job done, saying “from the comments I have heard so far from my staff who have come to my office within the workshop period, I know you have imparted them with so much knowledge.”

She further urged the participants not to sleep on the knowledge acquired but demonstrate it in their daily work.

“I hope this will translate into improvement in our work so that the money and other resources spent in organizing this training will not be a waste,” she stated.

Mrs Marianne Aba Abraham, Human Resource Manager, GEMA, indicated that the training followed needs assessment conducted and recommendations by external assessors.

She said although the training was important for all staff, due to resource constraints, it was held for Departmental and Unit Heads, saying she was hopeful that others would benefit from the same soon.

Dr. Bashiru Shani, Lead Consultant, Macro Mix Limited, said the challenge regarding teamwork was with lack of appreciation for the role team work played in motivating personnel to put in their best, adding that Management had a crucial role in teamwork efforts to maximize the collective efforts for success.

“There are cases of lack of top management support for team-work, as lack of equity can also hinder teamwork at the workplace,” he stated.

He was optimistic of the outcome of the training, urging Heads to pass on the knowledge acquired to their subordinates and make conscious efforts to include them in their operations.

“The impact of this training is that participants will assimilate the need for team work to energize themselves to work towards a common goal.”

“The training expected impact is for the Heads to learn how to bring all their subordinates on board in their work. Every single person plays a role which then dissipates negative behavior towards the team”, he added.

Participants were taken through various topics in Team-Building including, meaning of team, team-building, stages of team formation, characteristics of an effective team, symptoms of weak team spirit, skills of a team player, emotional intelligence and team leader’s role.

GNA