The Team Boost™ – a story

Thomas rang.

“We are a good team, we’ve worked well together for years and we all know each other and get on. Yes there are a few personalities, nothing major, though there is always some of that going on isn’t there? It’s just we seem to have lost our way a bit, the energy is down and trivial differences seem to blow up into a big drama. We are sending out mixed messages, I’m picking up on that. We could do with a bit of a coming together, Dave, nothing major, get back to what we are here for, we just need a boost”.

Tough times bend us out of shape

No matter how well we get on there are external forces acting on our endeavor all the time, interfering and blocking – bending us out of shape. “Why won’t they just leave us alone to get on with this and get it done, after all we are doing it for them” …… the board or the shareholders, or the workers, the client, the Regulator, society, one of the 28 member countries.

Face it, they are not going to let you get on and even if they did there are lots of other things coming at you and your team. This is how it is, we operate in a complex and interconnected world. Stuff over there hits us over here. Sometimes, like Thomas and his team, we need a boost, just to get us through this next phase.

And the times are tough right now: Brexit, a perceived weak government and opposition and resignations; the construction industry has officially dipped into recession, major players have been caught out by price inflation on contracts won in better times; the Grenfell Tower tragedy and aftermath and much more.

It’s not your fault

Most of this is remote, you can’t directly influence it but it is influencing you and your team. It’s not like you are in a bubble, isolated from the world and allowed to get on unimpeded – you know it doesn’t work like that. There is huge uncertainty out there and confidence is down; this seeps into your team and magnifies all the other stuff, tenfold. Like Thomas and his team you occasionally get bent out of shape; it’s not your fault though you can do something about it.

The response

“Thanks for the call Thomas, I understand. How about we take half a day out with your team to regroup, get clear on the team’s purpose so everyone is working “on purpose” and together you all work out the team’s priorities for the next few months. It probably won’t solve all the problems but it will get everyone back on track, reconnected with each other and heading in the same direction with clear priorities.”

And the outcome

“Dave that was just what we needed at this time, a few hours together, away from it all, come up for air, get clear on why we are here and agree our priorities. I sensed we were out of shape though hadn’t realised how much and also how easy it was to get back into shape. The mapping we did around our team purpose was amazing, I have never done that before, nor seen the dynamic with such clarity. It’s great we had a few laughs as well, I think we really needed this and everyone appreciated it. I left feeling reenergised and we’ve got our buzz back, what a great team boost! Thank you, regards, Thomas.