The most common team building opportunity that I have is between the afternoon shift and morning shift. Either one or the other is always pointing fingers — “it’s the afternoon shift or it’s the day shift.” How can I solve this once and for all?
The Team Doc Says…
This problem can be fixed with a simple solution. Have the shifts overlap by 30 minutes. Use that 30 minutes to allow the teams to talk about issues encountered during the day, unresolved situations, things to watch out for.
When the afternoon shift is getting ready to end at night, have them spend the last 30 minutes of the shift recapping what happened and offering the same information they received from the day shift in the overlap meeting. This can be as simple as posting the information on a flip chart that everyone can see or by using a group blog, wiki or email system.
With today’s communication tools, there is no reason for shifts to point fingers at each other. As a team leader, you have to make sure you set the tone for open communication and give them the time to make that happen.
What do you think reader? Please leave a comment.
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This is a great solution. If the teams can see themselves as one entity with a common goal this opportunity may help them to perform as such. The key is the briefings. These can be a time where growth and advancement come or it can quietly provide ammunition to an already segmented organization. Those managing the teams need to stay very aware of tone and lead in a positive direction.