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Fifteen years ago, Maria Cortez was working as a free-

lance writer of technical manuals for a variety of com-

panies. The manuals supported a number of products,

including household appliances, alarm systems, lawn-

mowers, and tractors. Soon Cortez’s freelance activity

became more than she could handle, so she subcon-

tracted work to one other freelancer, and then another,

and then another. Two years later, Cortez founded

Tymco, and the firm has grown steadily. The company

now provides technical manuals, training and develop-

ment, and foreign-language translation and interpreting.

Tymco now employs 75 full-time employees, as well

as about 45 freelancers who help the company with peak

loads as well as specialized services. For example, one

freelancer translates software into Japanese. Another

specializes in preparing user guides for digital cameras

and digital video cameras.

Cortez recently became concerned that the unit heads

and other key personnel in the company were not work-

ing particularly well as a team. She explained to Tim

Atkins, a training specialist on the staff, “We all work

for a company called Tymco, yet we function like in-

dependent units and freelancers. I notice that our staff

members hardly even have lunch together. I’ve arranged

a couple of group dinners, but other than having a nice

meal, no team spirit seems to develop.

“I think that if we had better teamwork, our units could

help each other. We might even be able to cross-sell

better. I’ll give you an example. A person in the techni-

cal manual group might have an assignment to prepare a

manual for an appliance. He or she should immediately

mention that Tymco has another group that could do

the foreign-language translations for the manual. A lot

of manuals for U.S. distribution are written in English,

Spanish, and French.”

Atkins replied, “Look, I’ve been eager to run a

team-development activity that has worked well for

dozens of companies, and it is so simple. We first desig-

nate who you think should be included in the group that

requires the most development as a team. You choose

one work day for the team-building activity. It involves

targeting an old house badly in need of repair in a poor

neighborhood. Abandoned houses don’t count. We need

a house with a family living in it. Working with churches

in the neighborhood, it’s easy to find a suitable house

and a family willing to be helped.

“About a week before the team-building date, a

handyperson and I visit the house to get some idea of the

type of work that needs to be done. We then purchase

all the needed supplies, such as paint, roofing shingles,

and wood. We also round up the ladders, paintbrushes,

and tools.

“On team-building day, the group descends on the

house and starts the rehab process. Two days is usually

needed. If we start the job on Friday, it could be finished

on Saturday. In this way the group would receive 1 day

off from work, and the members would contribute 1 day

of their time.”

Cortez was so enthused about Atkins’s idea that she

agreed on the spot on Friday, May 19, as the team-

building day. She suggested that the day be called Tymco

Home Rehab. Cortez made up a list of 10 key employ-

ees, including her, to participate in the team-building

activity.

Friday morning at 7, the first of five different cars and

trucks filled with Tymco staff members, ladders, tools,

and home-building supplies arrived at 47 Blodgett Street.

Teena Jones, supervisor of technical manuals, shouted to

the group, “We can’t get anywhere until we start getting

rid of the debris around the house and in the hallway. So

let’s get shoveling. The dumpster is on the way.”

“Grab a few people and do what you want,” re-

sponded Larry Boudreau, supervisor of technical doc-

umentation. “If we don’t patch up that torn-apart roof

first, nothing else will matter. I need two warm bodies

that aren’t acrophobic [afraid of heights] to help me.”

Two other staffers agreed to work with Boudreau, while

the seven other staff members, including Cortez, formed

the clean-up brigade.

“Carpentry is my thing,” said Mary Benito from

translations services. “Let’s get out the hammers, saws,

nails, and screws and start repairing this broken porch

first. I want us to be ready for painting the house by

noon tomorrow.”

“Do what you want, Mary,” said Dale Jenkins, a

technical-training team leader. “I’m good at home

plumbing, and the toilets and sinks here are leaking

more than the Titanic. I need a skilled pair of hands to

help me. Any volunteers?”

Cortez said, “While you folks are shoveling debris

and fixing, I’ll run out and get us the food for snacks and

lunch, and I’ll order pizza for a supper break.”

“That’s the most sensible idea I’ve heard today,”

commented Larry Boudreau.

The Tymco team-building participants had supper to-

gether at 5 that evening, and went home at 8 to return at

7 the next morning. By 1 p.m., painting the house began,

with all 10 people on the team participating. By 7:30,

the house at 47 Blodgett Street was painted. The family

members, who were staying with neighbors, came by to

cheer and weep with joy.

The Tymco team members exchanged smiles, high-

fives, and hugs. “We can all go home now feeling that

we’ve accomplished something really important as a

team. And we can come back to the office on Monday

morning knowing that we can work well as a team de-

spite a few bumps and bruises.”

“Good comment, Mary,” said Ian Graham from the

technical manual group. “Yet, I’m not so sure that re-

placing shingles on an old roof has made me a better

team player.”

Case Questions

1. What evidence was presented in this case that the

staff members from different units at Tymco might

have become better acquainted with each other?

2. What should Maria Cortez do next to improve the

chances that the home-rehab day might result in

genuine team development?

3. What evidence is presented in this case that the

home-rehab day did give a boost to team spirit?

4. How valid is Graham’s comment about replacing

shingles having no particular impact on becoming a

better team player?

(for each question write 100-150 words)