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Nation Media’s mandatory team-building causes friction

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Nation Media Group (NMG) today held a staff team-building event in Nairobi amid grumbling by some employees that it was being pushed down their throats. The event, held at Safari Park Hotel, involved various activities, including games aimed at easing the tension created among staff by the recent restructuring that saw over 50 people, including nearly 30 journalists, lose their jobs.

The management made the team-building mandatory for all staff at the head office in Nairobi, except those working for the Sunday Nation when it emerged that a section of the employees were not very keen on it. An internal memo yesterday directed staff to attend the team-building or else face unspecified consequences. The HR office issued a thinly-veiled warning, stating that it will keep a database of those who attend for “future use”.

Those working on Sunday were, nonetheless, “expected to attend after work,” according to the memo, since the event was scheduled between 6am and 10pm.

At Nation, that could mean missing a pay rise, bonus or even a promotion. What was supposed to to make everyone happy could leave some wearing ugly faces and cause more tension. According to HR experts, team-building is supposed to be voluntary and forcing people could ruin, rather than build, relations. In such a case as Nation is where managers push for “team building best practices” for the sake of the practices, without considering the effect on the team.

Related >> Team-building can actually ruin your team

Apart from easing tension, the outdoor event was also designed to bridge the gap between management and the employees. Since he took over in 2015, Nation Media Group CEO is said to have been aloof, creating less time to interact and understand the editorial department, which is the engine of the media house.

He also came in with a lot of changes – from the closure of radio stations and one TV to implementing convergence, climaxing with the retrenchment of workers at the beginning of this year, earning himself the tag ‘Magufuli’ after the Tanzania President.

See Also >> How to get staff to love their job

All along, it has been the typical master-servant relationship that is counterproductive in a communication businesses where people need to consult more and more.

The event was partially covered live on NTV, which is owned by NMG, in an effort to appease its clients and audience who have been wondering about the happenings at Nation Centre lately.

At the event was Nation Media Editor in Chief Tom Mshindi, who said on TV the team building exercise was aimed at bringing staff and management together in an informal setting where they can laugh and play together. A HR officer at the event who spoke said the team-building was held to internalize the company’s corporate values among employees.

It was not immediately clear whether everyone attended as directed.

Next Read >> This is how to fire your best employee

 

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BT Reporter
BT Reporterhttp://www.businesstoday.co.ke
editor [at] businesstoday.co.ke
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