Data analysed by Team Coaching International shows that less than 10% of the 200+ teams studied consider themselves as ‘High Performing’. But after following a team development trajectory, an improvement of an average of 20% on the scores on productivity and positivity can be seen. How does your team rank and what is its potential?
Why team development
Today’s organisations are facing tremendous pressure to achieve more with less. Organisational structures are becoming flatter and organisations are increasingly being managed from a distance. Additionally, virtual collaborations are being formed so that worldwide market needs can be met more easily. And this results in more emphasis being placed on the team as a medium for enhancing the productivity and effectiveness of the organisation.
Unfortunately, the majority of team members and team leaders lack the training and experience needed to enable a team to perform well. So it should come as no surprise that the majority of teams perform with mediocrity. But this doesn’t have to be the case. We can teach you what high-performance teams consistently do and we will transfer this knowledge to your team so that the team achieves the results expected of it.
The team as a system
We view the team as a system that is able to achieve results that are better than the sum of the results of the separate components. This system has its own unvoiced and implicit rules of behaviour that – in normal circumstances – should be strictly complied with. By making these rules of behaviour explicit, team members will understand how their system actually works, thereby creating a foundation for learning how the team can collaborate better as a system. And the ultimate goal is then to increase the productivity (the functional side) and the positivity (the relational side) of your teams.
Our approach to team development
Our approach to team development is based on the system approach. This means that we acknowledge that individuals influence other team members, while believing that the culture of the team has an even stronger influence on the individual. You’ve probably experienced this yourself when you were a member of a team that had a low or even hostile morale, or perhaps even a team that seemed to take flight. Think back to the time when you were a member of such a team: what caused the atmosphere of the team to be what it was and what influence did that have on the results and on your way of thinking, acting and communicating?
The basic starting point within this modern form of team development is that the culture that the team creates within itself has an enormous influence on the individual team members, their interaction and – consequently – the results. So we can conclude: change the team culture and the result of the team will change with it (either positively or negatively). Once the culture has been changed to such an extent that, for example, sufficient mutual trust and respect has been created, and that diversity has become a valued entity, it is then possible to zoom in on the individual qualities, in addition to further developing the culture.
If you want to learn more about the traditional and new approaches to team development, and about the 6 principles that govern them, then read the article we have written about team development.
What our approach achieves
Our aim is a high-performance culture with a natural balance between productivity and positivity. These are just some of the results that have been achieved using this approach.
- On average 20% improvement with respect to the team factors of productivity and positivity.
- The team is able to adapt quickly and with agility to changing circumstances.
- Common goals are generated and the team members pledge commitment to achieving those goals.
- An atmosphere is created in which conflicts can be effectively used to realise the team goals.
- Team members become aware that the team consists of a broad mix of skills that transcend the skills of a single individual.
- Team members feel that they are supported and challenged, and dare to take decisions better and more quickly.
- More stability and sustainability in the team results in a more pleasant atmosphere and motivated staff.
What value can we bring to your team?
Curious to know what we can add to your organisation or team? Contact us for a ‘no-obligations’ discussion about where you are now, where you want to get to, and how we can design a trajectory to achieve your aims.