When The Problem Is Not Building The Team

I am working with a manager who does not put any real effort into building his team. When we talk about things he can do, he always has an excuse. The team is too busy, it is hard to get them together because of the shifts, or when I do have “meetings” they don’t speak up. Recently the turnover has been very high and he needs to ensure the staff that are left stay. Any suggestions on what type of team building activities we could undertake that could help?

The Team Doc Says…

The solution is screaming at you loud and clear and you are not hearing a single word. No amount of team building will save this team. The problem with this team is the manager.

The best thing you can do is to work with this manager to help him become a good leader before he drives off all of the team members. Remember that old adage — People don’t leave companies, they leave managers? That’s what’s happening here.

This manager needs to be held accountable for what is happening with his team. It would be a good idea to do an intervention that includes interviewing each team member to get their view of how the team is working together and what the real issues are. Then you’ll have a basis for your work.

You also need to do a feedback assessment on this manager, identify his strengths and areas for improvement. Once that’s done, you can develop an action plan to leverage his strengths and minimize his weaknesses so he can build this team into the powerhouse it should be.

But act quickly, it may already be too late.