I have had many managers over the years ask for my help in developing their leadership teams. I usually ask them what they have in mind, what they have tried and what they want to accomplish. Invariably, there is some mention of a previous afternoon at a bowling alley eating pizza in order to build camaraderie between the team members. Now, I have nothing against bowling or pizza. I, in fact, have participated in many of these team outings over the years. Whether they take place at a spa, a miniature golf course, a real golf course or a bowling alley, these events are all aimed at building a sense of team. Managers are just trying to get their people to drop their guards and get to know each other, in order to facilitate better partnering at work.
Is an afternoon out to blow off some steam with your team the same thing as learning how to work better as a team?
The most effective leadership teams have learned how to get work done together. They are efficient and effective. They are honest with each other and not afraid of disagreement. They know how to get to the meat of issues quickly, debate the options and make decisions. They are not paralyzed by fear nor are they hasty to make decisions without getting input. They know how to hold each other accountable to behaviors that deliver results. These teams have learned how to really work together.
Building effective leadership teams is critical to building a successful organization. If you want to help your leadership team learn how to work better together, give us a call. We can partner with you to build a plan to help your team develop the capacity to work better together in service of your mission. Then, maybe, we can all go out for some pizza and fun at the bowling alley to celebrate.
At Dorsey Management Consulting, we help our clients learn new skills and expand their leadership capacity to better lead their organizations into the future. We help leadership teams learn how to work together more effectively and efficiently, enabling them to make sound and timely decisions in pursuit of achieving greater success. We partner with our clients to design and build succession plans and develop their future leaders. We coach executives to achieve higher self-awareness and better leaders of people. We do this in service of learning, helping each of our clients become better versions of themselves and achieving organizational goals.