Do you allow yourself balcony time?

And afford the same to your team too?

Balcony time, the deliberate act of stepping back and observing, offers tremendous value for teams by fostering a vibrant organizational culture and maintaining engagement.

Here’s why it matters:

• Broader Perspective: Balcony time allows team members to detach from daily tasks and gain a wider view of the organization’s goals, strategies, and progress. This broader perspective enhances decision-making and enables individuals to see the bigger picture, aligning their efforts towards shared objectives.
• Reflection and Learning: Taking a moment to retreat to the balcony encourages reflection on past experiences, successes, and failures. This introspection enables teams to learn from their collective wisdom, identify areas for improvement, and make more informed choices moving forward. It becomes a catalyst for continuous growth and innovation.
• Building Empathy: Stepping back from the immediate action and actively observing the dynamics within the organization builds empathy. Balcony time allows individuals to understand different perspectives, challenges, and achievements of their colleagues. This empathy fosters stronger collaboration, trust, and support among team members, leading to a healthier and more inclusive work environment.
• Cultivating Organizational Culture: Balcony time creates space for teams to reflect on the shared values, norms, and behaviors that define their organizational culture. It provides an opportunity to reinforce and align with those cultural aspects, reinforcing a sense of belonging, purpose, and identity within the team. This, in turn, nurtures a positive and motivational work atmosphere.
• Maintaining Engagement: Regular balcony time helps prevent burnout and disengagement by allowing individuals to periodically recharge and gain fresh perspectives. It encourages creativity, inspiration, and new ideas to emerge, keeping team members invested and enthusiastic about their work. The resulting engagement fuels productivity and enhances overall team performance.

By embracing this intentional pause, teams can elevate their collaboration, foster a thriving work environment, and achieve remarkable outcomes.

I have been supporting teams to take a step away from BAU for years through Team Health Sessions. Reach out to learn how I can help you.

One activity I highly recommend to them is outlined below. Ideally, you have a seasoned facilitator run this for you as you as the leader ought to be involved in the conversation rather than leading it:

For more resources and assistance to change your workplace culture to ensure you have no lousy leaders, no toxic teams and no crappy cultures, sign up to my newsletter.

Extra Resources:

Watch the YouTube training video for this activity.

Tune in to the Ways to Change the Workplace Podcast.

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