Silos and Turf Wars

Often the structure of organizations, separate locations, different work tracks, varying work hours, can make it hard to work together effectively. Cross-functional teams have more than just physical barriers separating them. While the individuals within might share the same goal, each attacks in different ways, from different perspectives, with different agendas and at different points along the timeline.

Sometimes these differences are further exacerbated by territorialism or departmentalism. Accounting vs. Marketing…Product Development vs. Sales. Many conflicts arise along organizational lines, from minor competition to major sabotage. Do the teams in your organization unite or fight? Is your team falling prey to silo-thinking?

• Do your customers experience gaps, errors or overlap in service due to clumsy internal coordination?
• Are team leaders and managers spending more time thwarting each other than beating the competition?
• Are new revenue streams untapped because of poor communication and collaboration across departments?
• When problems span several departments, is it impossible to effect solutions? 
• Do employees blame and point fingers (sometimes in front of customers) rather than take accountability for improving the situation?
• Are tense interactions hurting morale and causing talented people to leave?

To address these challenges, we’ve developed a series of team building adventures and training workshops that can be combined and customized to meet the unique needs of your group.

We recommend a two-day retreat using the following sample agenda:

Day One

Adventure Challenge Ropes Course or Team Performance Challenges combined with Build a Bridge.

Day Two

The Emissary Process