Pulling Together
A senior group of twenty IT experts coming from production, development and planning, knew that their division was not doing well. The main focus was on relationships between departments, personality clashes, under performance of some individuals and user dissatisfaction.

1. We gathered information from each individual about the business issues and asked for their candid views of each of the other members, both positive and negative. (This can be done using 360 degree profiles). These were written up in a non-attributable way and formed part of the discussion during the team event.  It was decided to run the workshop largely indoors and business focussed with some outdoor activities.
    
2. We wanted to establish what vision they all had of a good team. So one of the early  exercises was for the group to define an effective team. This discussion and presentation was recorded by cctv and reviewed in depth.
    
3. Most of the issues that were facing the group became evident at this stage of review. For example, feelings were generally kept under wraps even though:
    
• Some people got impatient with the styles and behaviours of others.
• Most wanted to avoid making a presentation in front of their colleagues.
• Several thought the whole thing a waste of time, that there was no definition of purpose, outcomes and no time management.
• Everyone had different views of what the priorities were
• And no one really wanted to go for excellence!
• We helped to get this expressed in ways that:
• Maintained straight forward communication
• Did not invalidate others and
• Gradually built trust
   
4. More complex exercises were used as vehicles to examine relationships, leadership styles and interdepartmental co-operation. For example, they were asked to build a bridge across a stretch of water against cost and resource constraints. They had to negotiate resources, were each measured against different criteria, had to come within a budget and the building crews had to meet in the middle!
    
5. On this exercise, observers from within their own group were used to help provide the review. This in itself was a good learning opportunity on how to give praise and constructive criticism.
    
6. One of the key elements they had all agreed upon for teams to be effective, was a procedure for giving and receiving feedback. We helped them create their own methods for doing this in a way that developed trust, openness and a sense of excitement.
    
7. Improvisational exercises drawn mainly from experimental theatre were used to help develop a sense of fun, flexibility and creative risk taking that enhanced their sense of empowerment.
    
8. Individuals also worked on personal goals and each was coached and supported by a colleague in a method of 'mutual mentoring' to really 'go for it'.
    
9. A final follow-on day, one month later, established and ratified the new values, behaviours and working methods that the group had previously decided on.

On return to work the team supported each other with a much greater sense of mutual accountablity and the user community noticed a much more cohesive team.

As a result of the open feedback method they incorporated back into the workplace, one individual moved on. And others, whose style of communicating used to rub people up the wrong way, started to introduce changes in the context that produced those behaviours in the first place.

This was a never to be forgotten experience that really made a positive difference to the individuals, the team and their work practices.

More about Team Building

Please note: case studies have been changed slightly where necessary to protect the identity of the individuals concerned.