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500 words on… bringing teams back together

By Nigel Robinson

It’s been a long time … and hopefully the end is in sight. Appreciating that the timeline will vary depending on where you sit in the world, it will soon be time for you and your teams to explore what the ‘new normal’ will look like. Will you stick with remote working, all head back to the office or explore what a hybrid solution might look like? Either way, your team has suffered during the pandemic both at a personal level which is often discussed but at a team level also. We became very proficient at transactional leadership in a virtual world and indeed many companies saw increased productivity levels but in other areas team performance has suffered. We missed the in-person challenging debate, the ideation and the social bonding that happens when we come together as a species and solve problems that move our business and society forward.

Soon, leaders will have the opportunity to bring their teams together. I distinctly remember from my time in the military what these moments felt like – operating independently for a while and then coming back together as a collective to reenergize, plan, reconnect and share experiences and learning. These events were precious and always structured to maximize the opportunity before teams departed for the next mission, forced to rely on radio communications until face-to-face meetings were again possible. I feel there are many similarities to the experience that many business teams are about to go through.

So, what are the implications for leaders in this moment? Really, it is to be thoughtful and deliberate in how you bring your team back together. This is a seminal moment that will be emotional for some people and represents a unique opportunity to begin the next chapter. A thoughtfully planned and well executed meeting will be critical for teams to focus on the important aspects of business execution and to remind ourselves of the human spirit that holds teams together. Our point of view is that experienced facilitators will be an important asset for such meetings, working collaboratively with leaders to shape and deliver outcomes and provide fun, compassion and challenging debate in equal measure. Here at www.beperpetual.com we are stood by to support teams in this area and help leaders who are looking to inspire and engage their teams as we begin the move beyond the impact of the pandemic. Please reach out – we would be happy to hear about your team and share some ideas from our side.