By TD Smyers

When I took the helm at United Way of Tarrant County in 2016, the organization had a serious problem hiding in plain sight. It wasn’t just funding shortfalls, donor fatigue and program challenges every UW was facing. It was something far more fundamental: the two largest departments of the organization didn’t speak to each other.

The Development (fundraising) team and the Program team operated in separate worlds. The Program folks believed the fundraisers weren’t bringing in enough money to support their important work. The Development team, in turn, felt the programs weren’t compelling enough to inspire donors to give.

Tension simmered. Collaboration was non-existent.

I had shaped a pretty clear vision for the future; these two teams needed to work hand-in-hand. Prospective donors should hear authentic stories from the people doing the work, paired directly with a compelling ask. But that could never happen until the teams first came together as one unified organization.

And the toughest part? The divide was literally built into the building.

Both teams occupied the southern end of our facility, separated by a long, imposing wall that ran the length of the space. As you walked down the hallway heading south, you hit a flat wall that forced you to choose; turn right into Programs or left into Development. The physical barrier perfectly symbolized the cultural one.

As I headed back to my office after a visit in that divided territory, I stopped in for a quick visit with my facilities guy.
“Is that wall down there a load-bearing wall?”
“You mean the one between the fundraisers and programs?”
“Yep, that one.”
“Nope. It’s been there since we moved in, but it doesn’t hold anything up.”
“Awesome. Thanks.”

If we were going to succeed, that wall had to come down—figuratively and literally.

I pulled in Safety and HR to help orchestrate something memorable. We scheduled an all-hands event ­—building a team by smashing a building­—complete with hard hats, gloves and sledgehammers! Team members took turns swinging at the wall. Some drew pictures and wrote messages on it before the hammers flew: messages of frustration, hope, humor and unity. Laughter mixed with the sound of breaking drywall. It was physical, cathartic and surprisingly emotional.

A professional renovation crew finished the job, then created an attractive, open, well-lit collaborative workspace. It wound up being exactly what we needed to unify, but the unification started the moment everyone swung that hammer…together.

The experience gave the team ownership of the culture we were building. People who had quietly suffered under the old divide found it especially healing. Suddenly, the “us vs. them” mentality began to fade.

The results spoke for themselves. With the physical wall down, members of both teams interacted more, shared challenges, heard the other “side” working through similar challenges to their own, learned about each other, and began forging real relationships. Our new integrated approach—program staff and fundraisers visiting donors together—became a major factor in turning around revenue. We achieved the first year of growth in about 12 years and set the organization on a strong upward trajectory.

The leadership lesson

Sometimes, the biggest barriers aren’t budget or strategy; they’re the invisible (or very visible) walls we allow to exist between people who should be on the same team. As leaders, we have to be willing to identify those divides and address them head-on, even when it feels uncomfortable or might appear theatrical. Here are three takeaways from this experience that apply to any organization:

Symbols matter

A dramatic, shared experience can accelerate cultural change faster than memos or meetings. Give your team something it can see, touch, smell…and remember.

Ownership beats buy-in

When people participate in tearing down the old and building the new, they’re far more invested in making it work.

Alignment drives results

When fundraising stories and program impact are delivered together, donors don’t just give, they connect, and that fuels sustainable support.

In today’s competitive environment, especially in the non-profit sector where mission and margin must co-exist, unified teams win where divided ones fail.

What walls—physical or cultural—might still be dividing your organization? Sometimes the boldest move is one that looks bold.

Bring your people together to swing the hammer.

TD Smyers is an executive coach and leadership consultant. Learn more at aboldleader.com