Our client team had been through huge transition over the previous 12 months and had reduced in size from 28 to 8 members. They had a new team leader and had not previously worked so closely together as one small unit. Morale was low and there was a strong feeling of negativity about the future. We felt that the team would benefit from taking some time to reflect on recent changes and to get to know newer team members, as well as begin to build for the future.
The use of a strengths approach to team building provided a positive framework for understanding each others’strengths and putting together a plan for how best to use the team strengths in achieving objectives for the coming year. By strengths we mean pre-existing capacities that are authentic and energising to the user, and allow optimal performance. This is a move away from more traditional team building approaches using competency levels or personality preferences.
Solution
All team members completed the ©Strengthscope instrument online, each nominating a number of colleagues to provide feedback. This allowed individuals to identify their significant strengths as well as receive feedback on the visibility of their strengths at work. Individual’s ©Strengthscope reports were sent to them in advance of the team building event. They were also sent some short exercises to help them start to think about their strengths and any challenges that inhibit use of their strengths at work.
The team building event itself kicked off with an introduction by the team leader – acknowledging recent transition and crystallising the objectives moving forward. An overview of positive psychology, strengths based development and the ©Strengthscope instrument allowed familiarisation with the approach.
The bulk of the session involved individuals working in pairs to identify their stand out strengths. Once comfortable with these, individuals shared their standout strengths with the rest of the team; other team members were provided the opportunity to acknowledge/ comment upon these strengths.
Once individuals were comfortable with the stand out strengths, we used appreciative inquiry techniques to explore where the team wanted to be in 6/12 months time and how they could use their strengths in helping them to get there. An important part of this session involved identifying the key gaps in the strengths that were required by the team and potential strategies for filling those gaps to allow optimal team performance. The final session involved gaining commitment to an action plan that would allow the team to move forward in achieving their objectives. This was to be revisited in a team follow up event planned for 8-weeks time.
Benefits
Feedback has been extremely positive, with the new team leader commenting that the next day felt like “a light had been switched on“, and team members busy coming up with names for each other that reflected their most prominent stand out strength.
All either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that they had learnt something both about their own strengths and the strengths of other team members.
All ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that the session would allow them to better meet their objectives as a team, and improve how they work
with internal and external customers.
Comments included, “very positive approach – good to hear the teams strengths identifies and discussed and gives us something to work with moving forwards“. The team leader commented, “Absolutely spot on in terms of giving me an insight into the team and their thoughts on the current team dynamics and challenges they face“.
For more information about TMP Assessment Services and our work please contact Claire Parkin on claire.parkin@tmpw.co.uk or on 020 7268 9010.