The Challenge
This was a new Leadership Executive team, with only the MD transferring from the existing business. This team are leading this start up joint venture business.
The client wanted the solution to focus on the following outcomes:
Develop group effectiveness
Identify personal strengths and how they play into the overall team dynamic
Team building to strengthen relationships and awareness
Develop a team understanding
Getting to know one another
Identify team strengths
In addition to these outcomes the client also wished event to have an out of the box/creative theme or style to it, and be both fun and challenging.
The Solution
This was be made to up of two separate days.
Day 1: Team Build – Developing a team understanding & getting to know the dynamics of the team
Day 2: Action Planning – Planning future actions based on the teams needs and core strengths
We used Morten Hansen’s T-shape principle to build a theme around the event. This allowed us to represent the Executive in following way.
A T-shaped person has two characteristics. It is somebody who can do their own job really well. That’s a vertical stroke, your own units and or personal contribution. But that is not enough. You also need a horizontal stroke of a T, which is that disposition for collaboration, for teamwork, having the right attitude, and being able to work with others. You need to know enough about what they do.
We also used DiSC® Work of Leaders profiles These connected to the real demands and pressures faced by the leaders, and provided opportunities for leadership development and a clear path for action.
Using the framework of Vision, Alignment, and Execution, Work of Leaders encouraged these leaders to understand their own leadership behaviours and how they impact upon their effectiveness.
Finally we also used a series of play based learning games to draw out team challenges and to lighten the intensity of the session content.
The Result
We have since this initial programme run sessions for the clients European Team as well as their UK business. We established a series of suggested action area for the team to focus on:
Strategies of how to test assumptions
How to achieve team clarity
Means to generate greater dialogue
How to inspire other outwith the team
Provide a plan for better structure
Gaining and offering more frequent and effective feedback
Each of these areas was complemented by a short list of specific tasks that were established throughout the event and the psychometric tool informed.
