Team Day

Say ‘I’ not ‘we’, don’t interrupt,
Respond with care, don’t be abrupt
Lets keep this confidential, so
Relationships between us go
From strength to strength, and we will be
Effective in our strategy

Forgot to say – the lunch here’s nice
I’ve booked for tea and coffee twice
Oh, mobiles off please, for today
We need the space and time away
If there’s a fire, through the doors
And down the stairs – just two floors

What do you think?  I’d like to know
Your views on how this team should grow,
And what should form our corporate vision,
Action plans, our core decision-
Making process re our goals
And how this impacts on our roles

Let’s brainstorm, force-field, do a swot,
Or use a Gantt chart, then let’s dot
The key drivers, using these sticky
Things, or post-its – nothing tricky
Make a thingy on the wall
Which simply clarifies it all.

Hand out the dots, pens, paper too
Break into groups (numbers will do)
You have an hour, choose a chair,
A scribe and someone who will share
Your feedback, then we’ll all agree
The next steps,

Into purgatory

These empty words, these pointless dots,
These sticky things, these stupid pots
Of sweets, the bloody choice of still
Or sparkling water - will
The goujons come with spicy sauce?
At lunch, a veggie choice of course

God, let me out, for pity’s sake
Another day to creep and fake
I know the rules, I know the game
I know to smile and not to blame
I know to make a contribution
To come up with a good solution

I know that none of this will hurt
That all that matters stays covert
I know that nothing much will change
Perhaps a gentle re-arrange
I know that life will carry on
And this day will have come and gone

Pick up the yellow dots and go
To ‘Dickens Room’ – the floor below
Avoid eye contact, or I’ll be
The chair, or scribe, or visionary
Go through the motions, with my team

Did I just hear a distant scream?



Jenny Knight
January 2005

I try not to do it this way....