Making change: why a corporate retreat, by itself, won't fix a broken team.

• Author: Kinder, Peri
• Position: Corporate Meetings

For corporate leaders, the quick answer to fixing a broken team is to drag them offsite for a team-building retreat. Not so fast! A morning of fun games and strategic planning won't solve deep-rooted issues.

Before hitting the road for a special retreat, you'll need to put in the hard work to address problems within the team--and get everyone onboard with making changes, because if employees aren't invested in making things better, no amount of team building will heal the rifts.

Put in the Time

His team called him the "Black Panther." He would sit in meetings, silently watching his co-workers as they debated various solutions for the situation at hand. He didn't comment or make observations-he just waited for the perfect moment.

Then he pounced--springing his idea on the team once they thought a decision had already been made.

The Black Panther had only good intentions. He wanted to present the perfect solution when the time was right, and he was floored when he learned his behavior was loathed by all who worked with him.

As members of a European leadership team, the Black Panther and his co-workers were dynamic, all-star individuals--but each had their own way of doing things that contradicted or unintentionally undermined the group's efforts. This type of work environment is all too common, but there are ways to improve trust and communication.

Linda Unfield, director of consulting services at DecisionWise, worked with this European team for six months, coaching them in overcoming mistrust, recognizing manipulation and addressing generational issues. In order to take a group of coworkers to the next level, the team has to be willing to put in the time.

It took months of personality assessments, individual reports and behavior analysis before Linfield took the European team offsite to practice the skills they were learning.

"When I relate to the group at a team-building seminar, it's with an interest to help the team become what they can become,' Linfield says. "We have to bring to the surface the issues that people want to sweep away. They need to ask themselves what's really at stake if they don't find a way to work together.'

Managers shouldn't think a corporate retreat or team getaway will solve productivity problems or heal personnel issues. Plan on lots of dedicated work before a team is ready to go offsite for training. Plus, all the players need to be invested in a good outcome.

Pinpoint the Problems

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