Rebuilding Teambuilding

Building a team from scratch is a rare privilege that few CEOs get to experience. Inheriting an executive team is more the norm. The functioning state of a team can be ubiquitous.  A newly acquired team could be at any stage of the forming, storming, or norming process. It could consist mostly of people who like to take action, or people who are skeptical. It could include a majority of those who like to analyze every detail, or those who chase the next shiny, new management fashion, process, or business trend.  Not every leader has the ability of accurately judging others. How can a CEO build on such chaos?

It used to be that teambuilding was composed of exercises just to help everyone get along and tolerate one another. For example, one exercise might be for each team member to tell two truths and a lie about oneself. Then, everyone else has to guess which fact is the lie. Another exercise is to tell the team about some item you brought with you and explain why you brought it and what it means to you thus providing “deep” insight into your psyche or personality. Obviously, this is a facetious observation. The point is that while these types of exercises might have their place and purpose, cultivating a highly functioning team with true insight and understanding requires a more scientific approach.