The Leadership Letters is a business and social-science Journal dedicated to advancing multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary understanding of leadership.
Editor Robert M. Yawson
Aaron Dombroski, Robert Yawson
The need to increase organizational effectiveness is an ever-present challenge faced by leaders. Building the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills of teams within the organization is a way to increase effectiveness in meeting dynamic opportunities in pursuit of a strategic vision and alignment. This paper addresses the use of ROPES courses by organizational development practitioners as an intervention strategy to achieve greater synergy. The central question relates to the effectiveness of such an intervention and if it is a meaningful and effective use of time and resources. A literature review examines the historical use of ROPES courses as a means of developing teams, the advantages and disadvantages of use, and opportunities for successful implementation. The key takeaway is that with a methodical approach that conforms to the needs of the organization, a ROPES course-based team development intervention can be successful but only if the lessons learned on the course are properly reflected on and implemented in the organization.