When a company in Ortigas called me, their HR manager sounded frustrated.
“We’ve been doing team building every year,” she said, “but nothing really changes. People have fun, they bond, they laugh together… but come Monday, it’s the same old issues.”
I asked her what they wanted this time.
“We want collaboration,” she said quickly.
“Alright,” I replied. “What does collaboration look like in your team? If I walked into your office, how would I know they were collaborating?”
She paused. After a long silence, she admitted, “I’m not sure. Maybe… more communication?”
This happens more often than you’d think. Leaders want better culture—collaboration, accountability, trust—but they don’t define the behaviors that bring these words to life. And that’s the hidden reason many team building programs fail.
You see, values like “teamwork” or “respect” are important, but they’re too vague to practice. Unless you translate them into visible, repeatable actions, your team building will be nothing more than a one-day outing.
The good news? Once you identify the vital behaviors—the small, specific actions that make the biggest difference—you can design a program that doesn’t just entertain, but transforms.
That’s what we’ll explore here: how to identify vital behaviors before your next team building, so you get results that last long after the program ends.
What Are Vital Behaviors?
Vital behaviors are the few, observable actions that drive the biggest results in your team. They’re not concepts or abstract values. They’re things you can actually see and measure.
Think of it this way: if trust is the value, the vital behavior might be “admitting mistakes quickly.” If collaboration is the value, the behavior might be “sharing unfinished ideas in meetings.”
Here’s a simple way to visualize it:
| Concept / Value | Vital Behavior (Observable) | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Collaboration | Sharing unfinished ideas in meetings | Builds innovation & reduces silos |
| Accountability | Admitting mistakes within 24 hours | Prevents blame and accelerates recovery |
| Support | Offering help without being asked | Strengthens trust and connection |
When you define behaviors this clearly, participants know what success looks like. Instead of saying “we need accountability,” you can say, “we need people to own mistakes faster so the team can move forward.” That’s actionable.
Why Identifying Vital Behaviors Matters
I once facilitated for a company that told me their issue was “lack of teamwork.” They booked an outdoor package with relay races, tug-of-war, and obstacle courses. The team had fun—lots of laughter and cheering. But when I visited them a few weeks later, their problems were still there: people hoarded information, managers avoided giving feedback, and deadlines slipped.
Why? Because they never defined what “teamwork” meant for them. They treated the symptom with activities but ignored the root.
On the other hand, when another client identified just three vital behaviors—speak up in meetings, admit mistakes quickly, and offer help before being asked—their team building program became laser-focused. Every activity was designed to let them practice these behaviors. Afterward, they created small projects to apply them. Ninety days later, meetings were more open, mistakes were addressed faster, and people supported each other more freely.
The difference between those two companies was not the activities—it was clarity. One guessed. The other identified vital behaviors.
The 4-Step Process to Identify Vital Behaviors
Over the years, my process for helping teams evolved. It’s simple, but powerful.
1. Listen First
The truth about your team isn’t found in the employee handbook—it’s in the hallways, the meetings, and the coffee breaks. Before every program, I talk to HR, managers, and sometimes frontline staff.
I ask:
- What frustrates you most in how the team interacts?
- What small actions, if done consistently, would make the biggest difference?
- What’s one thing you wish people stopped doing?
The answers are often surprising. HR might say “lack of initiative,” while employees reveal “we don’t feel safe speaking up.” Both perspectives matter.
2. Look for Crucial Moments
Behaviors often break down in small, repeatable moments. Meetings. Deadlines. Conflicts. These are the pressure points where culture shows itself.
In one client, the problem wasn’t skills—it was silence in meetings. People had ideas but kept quiet. Identifying that crucial moment allowed us to target the right behavior: encouraging unfinished ideas.
Without identifying these moments, you’ll end up treating surface issues and miss the real turning points.
3. Translate Concepts into Behaviors
This is where the magic happens. Leaders love big words like “respect” and “ownership,” but those words are too abstract. You need to turn them into actions you can see.
For example:
- Respect → Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking.
- Ownership → Give status updates before being asked.
- Collaboration → Ask one clarifying question before rejecting an idea.
When concepts become behaviors, they stop being posters on a wall and start becoming habits.
4. Test and Prioritize
Not every behavior is vital. You don’t need ten. You just need two or three that will create the biggest ripple.
One company tried to change twelve behaviors at once. They got overwhelmed, and nothing stuck. Another focused on just three—and the difference was dramatic. Meetings improved, accountability rose, and morale lifted.
The lesson: less is more. Choose the few behaviors that matter most.
Stories from the Field
I’ve seen the impact of vital behaviors across industries.
- In a BPO team, we focused on the behavior of admitting mistakes quickly. Before, errors were hidden until clients complained. After the program, agents started flagging mistakes early. The result? Faster recovery, happier clients.
- In a school staff, we practiced offering help before being asked. Teachers began supporting each other without waiting for formal requests. The culture of malasakit (deep care) grew stronger, and students felt the difference too.
These aren’t theories. They’re lived experiences from teams who shifted because they focused on behaviors, not buzzwords.
I’ve written about these lessons in books like Culture That Sticks, Play As One, and Team First. Each reinforces the same principle: transformation starts when you make values visible through behavior.
Common Mistakes When Identifying Behaviors
Here are the traps many teams fall into:
| Mistake | Why It Fails | Better Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing too many behaviors | Teams can’t focus, nothing sticks | Narrow down to 2–3 vital behaviors |
| Staying at abstract level | “Collaboration” means different things to everyone | Translate into specific, observable actions |
| Excluding managers | Leaders don’t model behaviors, so change collapses | Involve managers in defining and practicing |
| Treating behaviors as one-time | People forget after the event | Embed them into daily rituals and projects |
I’ve seen companies waste millions on “fun” programs because they ignored these basics. Don’t repeat their mistake.
FAQs
Can’t we just focus on values instead of behaviors?
Values are important, but they’re too abstract. Without behaviors, values are just words on the wall. Behaviors make values real.
How many vital behaviors should we identify?
Two or three. More than that, and focus is lost.
Who should be involved in identifying them?
Both managers and team members. Leaders give perspective, but frontline employees reveal the real culture.
How do we know if we chose the right behaviors?
Test them in crucial moments. If practicing them would solve real problems, you’re on the right track.
Can vital behaviors change over time?
Yes. As your team evolves, so should the behaviors. The key is to keep them visible and relevant.
The Bayanihan Difference
This is where Team Bayanihan stands apart. Many facilitators sell packages—charged per head, per activity, per hour. They bring the same games to every client. It’s entertaining, but it rarely transforms.
We don’t deliver packages. We design journeys.
We start by aligning with your goals, identifying vital behaviors, designing immersive experiences, facilitating deep reflection, and sustaining the change with 30/60/90 projects and nudges. This isn’t theory—it’s a process shaped by more than 20 years of facilitating across the Philippines and Asia.
When you work with us, you don’t just get activities. You get transformation—the kind that sticks because it’s built on behaviors.
Conclusion
Before you plan your next team building, ask yourself: Have we identified our vital behaviors?
If the answer is no, then no matter how fun or creative the activities are, Monday will look the same. But if the answer is yes—if you can point to the two or three actions that will make the biggest difference—then your program has the power to change not just a day, but your entire culture.
That’s the secret: identify vital behaviors before you play—or you’ll just play.
If you’re ready to create a team building program that goes beyond entertainment and sparks real transformation, explore our Team Building Workshops at Team Bayanihan. Together, we’ll design your next program the Bayanihan Way—where values become behaviors, and behaviors become culture.
