Hi Sandra

Team building is appropriate when people need to get to know each other better and build a working relationship. That's not what you're dealing with here. If you try any kind of team building activity with these two people present, they are just going to bring all their resentment with them.

If their grievances have been heard, then they need to be told that those matters are closed and they must interact professionally with each other or disciplinary action will follow. The new manager needs to deliver this message before any attempt at the 1/2 day sessions. I've made it sound very hard line, but having a new person in post is an opportunity for someone without baggage to talk to them and talk about how they want things to be, the values they want to see team members living up to - it will depend on the way the new manager feels comfortable delivering the message but a line needs to be drawn and they both move on or face the consequences.

I suspect that as manager has followed manager (what's going on there? 8 in 2 years???) there have been no consequences to their refusal to speak to each other. The new manager can start on a positive, but make it clear that this stops now.

In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

Hi Sandra,

I fully agree with Elizabeth's approach above.

I would also add that it will be clearer for you what to do if you either talk to those 10 people or make a short survey on what their needs and expectations are from the new manager and you can start building from there. On the other hand, those people will automatically realize you care about them and you hear them.

In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

I do agree also with Elizabeth here - but it is does depend upon the type of 'team' being discussed? In what way are they a team? A friend of mine was also told to work as a team but he never sees the others at all due to changes in working hours - this obviously causes various irritation about the so-called team. My husband was also told this but his 'team' is a variety of people who he will never know for more than about 3 hours. The 'team' philosophy is generally, in my opinion, the way each individual contributes to the success of the company as opposed to the people they work with. Ergo, it can become a company success situation as opposed to any success by any individual that benefits others who work there as a whole. All I think is that, especially in this day and age, the company itself does not really care too much about individuals as long as the target figures and the like are met. Thus, I do think that it does often feel to many that one is one one's own to save their own job and the others around them are competing. Maybe I am just cynical now.

Thank you for the suggestions everyone, it has given me food for thought!

One other comment:-

IF two members of staff refuse to speak to each other and I assume they need to or should be speaking to each other at work for whatever reason, then there refusal is a disciplinary matter and cannot be ignored. These may be 'grown ups' but grown ups should be able to talk to people they do not like, especially when they work with each other.

No amount of team building will ever cure this. It needs tackling directly and without kid gloves as I've assumed you tried to reason with their 'better' natures before.