Jack Sullivan is a team leader in the engineering department of a Boston based corporation. The past few years can only be described as tumultuous for Jack and his team. The company was experiencing tough times two years ago when it was acquired by a competitor. Soon after the acquisition, a substantial number of employees were laid off. Since that time, the engineering department has been reorganized and the manager changed on at least two occasions. The company has recently experienced two excellent quarters and the future is starting to look bright. The changes of the past few years have, as one might expect, left Jack's team performing at less than optimum levels. Jack is looking for ways to revitalize the team members and refocus them on a plan that all can support.

The above scenario may be familiar to you. Team leaders like Jack Sullivan have an excellent opportunity to accelerate team performance now that some degree of stability has been achieved. Jack is quite aware of the impact the changes of the past few years have had on his team. He believes that team building is an approach that is timely and will give employees the necessary skills and structure they need to move ahead.

Leaders like Jack know that there are specific cues that indicate an opportunity for team building. These signs include: team members having different perspectives on team purpose, lack of clarity about team roles and responsibilities, inadequate approaches for managing conflict and increased complaints from customers. Jack also knows that team building is not appropriate for every situation. The following are situations where team building should not be used:

• The team leaders style is a problem

• Organizational issues beyond control of the team are an issue

• Skills training is needed by team members

• Reorganizations or layoffs are pending

• The team leader is not open to personally changing

The good news is that by committing to a team building process, Jack and his team will have the potential to achieve many positive goals. Some of the tasks that they can accomplish include:

• Clarify team mission and goals

• Increase trust among team members

• Agree on roles and responsibilities

• Improve communication

• Increase ability to meet business objectives

A skilled internal or external organizational consultant can also help Jack and the team create a safe, structured environment for examining difficult issues. The consultant can help design the team building process so that the power dynamics that exist in every team can be channeled into positive action. He or she can help develop an environment that facilitates risk taking and significant improvement in team performance.

If you would like to take your team to the next level, consider team building. Properly designed and executed, it can elevate performance and enhance relationships with a minimum investment of time.

M. J. Campbell Associates offers a variety of team building services for organizations. Contact us for more information at 617-969-4159.

This article was originally published in a paper version of "Management Challenge" in the Winter Issue of 1998. We believe that it remains especially relative to our readers in today's business environment.