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How can I strengthen my bench over time?

Home » Leadership » Building Your Bench » How can I strengthen my bench over time?

While selecting and organizing your bench are the first vital parts of building your bench; you need to continually be strengthening and building your bench. Your bench is not like a watch that you wind once and then leave to do its job; instead, it is similar to a tree that you plant, water, and prune over the years in order to strengthen.

Your bench is built through a combination of strong leadership on your part and strong teamwork among your team. Your leadership can make or break your team, so perhaps the most important step in building your bench is improving your leadership. Keep an open door of communication with your bench, so that you recognize the strengths, weaknesses, and morale of your team. If you don�t recognize what your bench needs, you won�t know how to best build your bench.

The other part of open communication is ensuring that your bench can come to you with questions and concerns. Ask your bench for feedback on your leadership, on individual projects, and on team dynamics.

Many companies attempt to foster teamwork through team-building retreats or activities. Sometimes, these may be simply social events, such as company parties or group tickets to sporting events. Other times, companies require employees to take part in retreats�doing activities, such as a ropes course, which are designed to build trust and teamwork on your bench. If you choose to hold these events, don�t assume that they will be adequate to create perfect harmony on your team. Instead, design them and carry them out as part of a long-term strategy to build your bench. Just because employees are able to have fun together twice a year does not mean they will work well together day in and day out.

Next Page: What are some common bench-building errors?

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