The Yellow-Brick Road of Teamwork - Lessons From the Wizard of Oz

The Yellow-Brick Road of Teamwork - Lessons From the Wizard of Oz

Nothing evokes more nostalgia than a family tradition. My fiance's family, for example, had a tradition of manufacture cherry cheesecake on her dad's birthday. They also had an entertaining tradition of putting their holiday cards right into the Christmas tree, sort of like ornaments. In my house one of our big traditions was to make predictions on New Year's Eve of what was going to happen in the upcoming year, not only in the nation and the world but also in the family. (I recall all the time predicting that this would be the year my dad would get his book published and my brother, Brian, would finally get a girlfriend.) On birthdays in my house, it was former to get your choice of whether an egg morning meal with sausage or bacon, or a lunch out at our favorite dim sum restaurant. Ah, sweet caloric memories.

Most family traditions seem to be yearly in nature (birthdays, holidays, etc.), fixed to the calendar, but one of my all-time favorite traditions was relatively random in nature: the ritual watching of "The Wizard of Oz" on Tv. Back in the day (before Dvds, Netflix and TiVo), you relied on the networks for your small-screen entertainment When one of the big three (was it Nbc?) deemed it time to show "The Wizard of Oz", the Blum family would cancel all other plans, collect around the boob tube and spend the next 4 hours watching Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger and all those munchkins tripping down the Yellow Brick Road. Could all those repeat viewings of the The Wizard of Oz be responsible for my current occupation as a trainer and teambuilder? It's no ifs ands or buts possible, because the 1939 classic is, quite simply, the best teambuilding parable in movie history!

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Think about it. Here you have your typical low-level "manager", Dorothy Gale, under the thumb of the benevolent but controlling Auntie Em. Upon request, she's transferred (in something of a whirlwind) from her comfortable-yet-boring position in the monochrome Kansas department to the new and colorful Oz Department. It's an extravagant place, this Oz, with a very dissimilar culture from her former division. People talk differently here; they have a dissimilar dress code. Adjusting to her new surroundings will take some time and effort, and to top it all off, Dorothy is accidentally responsible for the discharge of her predecessor, a definite Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy's new colleagues seem mostly happy about the changing of the guard, but Dorothy discovers she's made a few distinguished enemies as well. It doesn't take her long to conclude that this over-the-rainbow place is not for her. But transferring back to Kansas isn't that easy. It seems that all applications for exchange need to be approved by Corporate, way down the road at Emerald City. So off Dorothy goes to take her invite to the big boss, a definite Mr. Wizard - accompanied as all the time by her loyal assistant, Toto.

As Dorothy soon discovers, it's a long and twisty road to the executive offices, fraught with yellow tape at every turn. She's going to need some allies: a few like-minded colleagues who have their own requests to take up with management. So Dorothy puts together her team, a group of wildly diverse individuals with complementary talents and abilities. There's Scarecrow, a flexible, instinctive fellow - not much of a thinker, but with the stuff of greatness in him - person you undoubtedly want on your side. And there's Tin Man, a bit stiff at first but full of heart when you loosen him up. And finally there's Lion, full of bluster on the outside, but deep down a real pussycat, with hidden depths of courage. Together, the team will overcome expected odds, fighting through a forest of prickly phone-trees and bureaucratic obstacles until finally they reach the Emerald City commercial Complex, the offices of the Wizard himself.

Like many Ceos, the Wizard hides behind a veil of wealth and power, never no ifs ands or buts showing his true face. His mouthpiece, a frightening visage full of sound and fury, insists the team must achieve an impossible project before their requests will be approved. Dorothy and her colleagues will need to sweep away the competition and get the inventory of their industry's most entertaining client - Wicked West Unlimited. The task is perilous; the resources minimal. But with guts and grit and the valiant efforts of Dorothy's assistant, the team accomplishes its mission, on time and under budget.

But still, the Wizard is recalcitrant. It seems he's far less distinguished than he claimed, holed up in his ivory tower, clinging to his position with smoke and mirrors. In the end, the team realizes that placing all their hopes in administration was a mistake. Rather, getting their needs met was only going to be ended through their own efforts and resolve. Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion all leave to found the start-up of Brain, Heart & Courage, depending only on their own innate abilities. And Dorothy, well, she pulls a few strings, draws on her own group capital, and manifests a exchange back to her old department. But with all the perceive she's gained from the journey, things are dissimilar in Kansas. Now Dorothy's the boss - and Auntie Em had better watch her back.

At least that's how I remember it, back at the Blum household. There's no place like home.

Oz lessons for team leaders:

1. Put together as diverse a team as possible.

2. Encourage greatness in colleagues.

3. Keep moving, even when you'd rather stop and smell the poppies

4. Trust your teams' extra abilities; even your most entry-level worker may be able to turn a witch into a puddle of water if given the opportunity

5. Be rigorous of burning bridges (or dropping houses); you can make distinguished enemies.

6. Think the resources at your disposal; you may just be able to work around management.

The Yellow-Brick Road of Teamwork - Lessons From the Wizard of Oz

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