A team-based approach is fundamental to most modern organisations. The reliance upon project teams to drive change and innovation is but one example! Now more than ever, people need to have "Teamship Skills" which are on par with their functional/technical skill sets, however many have had little training and coaching in this important core area. When the fundamental outcomes of team building have been achieved, the second phase of team development will accelerate your team's journey toward peak performance. A team development program will provide the teamship skills and operational framework for individuals and the team to reach its full potential.

Whilst every program is designed specifically to match the needs of each team, some key components of our team development programs include:

1. A Process for Teamwork - The Team Wheel
2. The Team Make Up - Work Style Preferences
3. Working with Difference - Interpersonal Skills
4. Team Balance
5. Operational Framework - The Team's Charter

1. A Process for Teamwork - The Team Wheel
Motivation to achieve is not enough! Teams need a process to help them work together more effectively in solving problems and making the best decisions. The Team Wheel has nine key functions that are critical for achieving high performance. The wheel ensures that the team takes a balanced approach in all that it does, avoiding costly rework and frustration.

2. The Team Make Up
At the teambuilding stage people are just getting to know each other. They will be aware of different personalities in the team, but will lack a framework by which they can understand these differences in more depth. Using a work style diagnostic questionnaire, the second phase of the Team Wheel identifies the preferences an individual has for the key functions. Coupled with another diagnostic which measures people's approach to change (QO2) these comprehensive personal profiles raise self-awareness and provide a common language whereby team members may openly express and celebrate the diversity within their team.

3. Working with Difference - Interpersonal Skills
Awareness of difference is the first step, the challenge is to develop the skills to connect with people of quite different styles/approaches to your own. Equipping people with Pacing Skills ensures that misunderstanding and conflict is replaced with synergy and support.

4. Team Balance
By combining individual profiles we can produce an overall team profile which when reviewed within the context the team's purpose, will highlight team strengths and weaknesses. With the assistance of a skilled facilitator, the team will develop strategies to address weaknesses and maximize strengths.

5. Operational Framework - The Team's Charter
Okay, we now have good understanding of who we are and how to pace each other plus the team wheel to give us a systematic approach to problem solving and decision making, but how will the team operate? Through a series of workshops the team develops its own Team Charter. Content may vary according to each team, however areas typically included are:

• What's our role? - Team Role Statement
• What are we trying to achieve? - Team Vision/Mission Statement
• How will we treat each other? - Team Values/Supporting Behaviours
• How and with whom shall we communicate? - Communication Strategy
• How will we track our performance? - Performance Management System

Duration/Format

Teams will be at different stages of development and hence have different needs. Following an assessment with you we will design a program ranging from 1 - 3 days. An offsite residential format is preferable for the two and three day programs which use an indoor/outdoor format incorporating experiential activities to assist comprehension of the Team Wheel Concepts. Outdoor activities also have a strong bonding effect and accelerate the teambuilding process.

FOCUS ON TEAMS - "ROI TEAMSHIP TRAINING"

Rationale

• Do you feel your organisation's performance reflects the true capability of the people it employs?
• Is there too much reliance on leaders to deliver the results instead of teams?
• Do you use project teams to drive organizational improvement?
• Do the teamship skills of your people match their technical skills?
• Do your people feel engaged and behave in a manner consistent with company values?
• Does your organization have a common process and language for teamwork?
• Are all new employees equipped with teamship skills as part of their induction?
• Are people appraised on their on teamship skills as well as their technical skills & performance?

Typically organisations place a strong emphasis on leadership training for their managers in the hope that these chosen few will create a work environment where people feel engaged, enjoy coming to work and are delivering results. This is a big "ask" given that most managers have a "hands on" component to their job and don't enjoy the luxury of being a full time manager/leader enabling them to coach their teams and individuals towards high performance.

Another consideration is the growing trend of forming project teams to drive organisational improvement. It is not uncommon for an employee to be a member of several teams at once and for teams to have a short to medium life span. As a consequence employees may have several different leaders and there may well be a shortage of leaders to manage the number of improvement projects identified. Would it not make sense to equip all employees with core teamship skills that are transferable from team to team, rather than just rely on a smaller number of leaders to deliver projects as well as upskill any deficiencies in the team?

What do we mean by teamship skills?

In broad terms there are three components:

• Team Process Skills - a process for problem solving and decision making and managing projects e.g. TMS - Types of Work Wheel & Linking Skills
• Interpersonal Skills - understanding of one's own preferred working style and the ability to "pace" or complement people of contrasting styles. eg.TMS - Personal Work Style profile (TMP)
• Behaving in a manner that is consistent with company values.

The Process for Upskilling

Step 1 : ROI TEAMSHIP TRAINING - (Two Day Workshop)

Attendees: Intact Teams/Team Leader (max 20 people)

Content:

• Team Wheel process for problem solving and managing improvement projects (TOW) - includes experiential activities.
• Interpersonal skills - understanding diversity in work styles and learning how to "pace" people of different styles to your own.(TMP profiles)
• Linking Skills - 11 key skills for high performance teamwork
• Initial planning for a "ROI Workplace Improvement Project."

Step 2: VALUES WORKSHOP - Half Day Workshop (4 Weeks Later)

Attendees: Intact Teams/Team Leader

Content:

• Progress report on improvement project
• Values Workshop - behavioural alignment to company values.

Step 3: FINAL PROJECT REPORT - Half Day Workshop (4 Weeks Later)

Attendees: GM/ CEO + Intact Teams/Team Leader

Content:

• Bottom line return to the business
• Lessons learned
• Planning for next project

IF THE QUESTIONS ABOVE GOT YOU THINKING THEN DON'T DELAY - CONTACT US NOW FOR AN OBLIGATION FREE ASSESSMENT!