How to make the sum greater than the parts…

A team is a group of people working towards a shared goal.

Teams come in many different forms.  Some work in shared space, others are ‘virtual’ teams, working from disparate locations.  Some teams require collaboration but in others each person has distinct objectives to contribute their individual pieces of the jigsaw.

Some teams are short-lived because they come together for just one project and others work together for years.

Because teams are different from each other, you might think that they all need different kinds of development.

Well, yes.  And no.

There are a few fundamentals that every team needs.  The way they get there depends on the type of team, the personalities involved and the attitude and experience of individuals.

Every team is unique.  The way we approach the development of a team means that you benefit from both tried-and-tested methods and the programme refinements that cater to the exact needs of your team.

We have a basic programme structure and these are the stages:

Before we begin, it’s important that every person in the team understands the reasons for undertaking the development programme and how it’s going to work.  It’s good to give people the opportunity to ask questions and satisfy themselves that the programme will be a good use of their time and will deliver benefits to the team.

You might want to brief the team one your own or you might prefer to have your trainer (usually me) involved.  We’ll discuss the right option for you as part of the planning for the programme.  I like to have the opportunity to meet everyone as a group at the start of the programme because it means I can set the tone straight away.

It also makes the next stage easier…

A key part of this approach to developing your team is the Language and Behaviour profile.  In a one-to-one meeting, I profile each person in the team.  This is usually done via zoom and takes about one hour per person.

The LAB Profile interview is essentially a conversation.  I have a standard set of questions that most people find engaging and interesting.  There are no right or wrong answers and the entire conversation is confidential.  By listening to the way a person answers the questions I compile the profile.

Then comes the fun part – each person receives some ‘off the top of the head’ feedback on their profile as part of their one-to-one session.  It often surprises people how much I can tell about them in such a short time!

The Team Profile report is a written document that explains the different aspects of the LAB Profile and shows how each pattern is represented in the team.

There are two kinds of patterns highlighted in the LAB Profile:  Motivation patterns and Productivity patterns.  When you understand these patterns and your own preferences – or your colleagues’ preferences – it becomes easier to get motivated and productive.  Using the patterns, you can organise your work and plan your day to fit your natural style.

When you’re not attempting to work ‘against the grain’ of your natural approach, you’ll get more done and enjoy it more.

When you have a similar understanding of your colleagues, your working relationships will go up a notch too.

It isn’t released to the team until after the workshop, but at this stage the Team Profile informs the design of the workshop.  By looking at the patterns and preferences in the team, we can predict what will be the most engaging and motivating activities to include.

The workshop is the heart of the programme.  As with any group workshop, it provides a shared, positive experience and common frameworks and models for making sense of what goes on in the team and for discussing ways to get the best out of each other.

Depending on the development goals of the programme, the workshop might be as little as half a day or it might be several days.  The keys are to have the whole team together and completely focused on the experience.  For this reason, I recommend that this part of the programme is conducted in person.

Regardless of the additional content, the workshop always includes a look at the LAB Profile in general and the Team Profile on particular.  We usually select 5-6 key areas of interest rather than work through the whole of the fourteen patterns and this makes the insights more memorable.

The Team Profile report is given to everyone after the workshop.

Knowing the impact of the diversity in the team is one thing.  Capitalising on it is another thing entirely.  Coaching for the team leader ensures that there are ongoing opportunities to spot the patterns and encourage team members to bring out the best in other.

It’s also a whole lot easier to lead your team when you know precisely what motivates each person and where they will b most productive.

Coaching for all team members is usually the favoured option when the team is a leadership team and each person has his or her own team to lead.

Of course, people who are not leaders benefit from coaching as well.  It all depends on how much development individuals need on top of the development of the team.

The coaching phase of a programme puts the emphasis on making use of the insights about self and others and using the Team Profile to improve motivation and productivity without increased effort.

Where coaching has been a part of the programme, I always like to bring the team back together and let everyone learn from each others’ experience and insights.

Here, at a glance, is a summary of our standard team development packages.  We can always customise a package to suit your team, this is just a guide.

To arrange a free consultation:

Call Sharon Smith on 01480 861569

or complete our Contact Form

or if you prefer book direct into Dianne’s calendar here

• It’s fun and interesting!  There are no forms to complete, no lengthy questionnaires and no personality pigeon-holes.  Just fascinating insights into what makes people ‘tick’.  Your people.
• It’s practical.  Because we’re looking at patterns in language and behaviour, every member of the team is ‘doing their patterns’ throughout the programme.  We can see them in real time.
• It’s memorable.  I constantly receive feedback about how teams continue to spot the patterns in everyday situations and respond to each other in light of  what they notice.
• It works.  Differences between people stop being a problem and start being an asset.  Team members appreciate the diversity and thee stress levels go down.
• It applies to all relationships.  Once you’ve been introduced to the patterns, they pop up all over the place.  It’s not just your colleagues that do it – it’s customers, suppliers, friends, family members.  All your relationships benefit.

The cost of this kind of programme depends on the number of people in the team.  As a guide, here’s the minimum cost of each of our three types of programme for a team of eight – that’s a team leader plus seven direct reports.

Team only (includes briefing, LAB Profiles, Team Profile and half-day workshop)  –  £6750 + VAT

Team plus leadership coaching (includes briefing, LAB Profiles, Team Profile,  half-day workshop and 3 coaching sessions) – £9,750 + VAT

Leadership team (includes briefing, LAB Profiles, Team Profile, half-day workshop, 3 coaching sessions each and a review session) – £32,500 + VAT

There are other options.  for a group of junior staff we might include group coaching, which is less intense for individuals and offers an opportunity to learn from each other.

For a Leadership Team, we would probably include other content in the workshop, making it a longer event and increasing the benefits.

To arrange a free consultation:

Call Sharon Smith on 01480 861569

or complete our Contact Form

or if you prefer book direct into Dianne’s calendar here