Top Team Building is one of the most demanding facilitation tasks that can be undertaken. After more than 20 years of experience we have found that the 'sensing interviews' approach is highly reliable and perceived to be beneficial by the most demanding Top Teams.

 

The 'sensing interviews' approach has three key elements: (1) exploring the current degree of alignment between team members; (2) identifying what the key stakeholders (including (a) the organisation that is being led by the team, (b) those who provide inputs and (c) those that receive outputs) want and need from the top team; (3) determining what blockages are reducing or preventing the team from being a good example of type.

 

In order to determine the degree of alignment between team members, we use a ‘sensing interview’ approach, interviewing every team member before any intervention and asking questions about how the team is operating at the moment. These interviews can take up to one and a half hours and are conducted on the basis that what is said may be shared with the other team members on a non-attributed basis.

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Also, we interview a cross-section of stakeholders or those who could become stakeholders, (i.e, this could include investors, potential beneficiaries, support staff etc.). These interviews enable insights to be gained as to how the team is operating at the moment and what stakeholders hope will be provided in the future. Again, interview data is collected on the basis that it can be shared with the team on a non-attributed basis.

 

These data are organised into categories and provide the raw material for the agenda for a Top Team Workshop. In advance, all data are shared with the leader(s), who prepares to direct the workshop (it is the team leader, not the facilitator, who ‘owns’ the workshop).

 

A Top Team Workshop works best when it is for an evening and two days although other formats are possible.At the start of the workshop data will be shared and discussed, leading to (1) the identification of strengths, (2) issues requiring team development and (3) (any) factors that are blocking progress. These issues will be worked through to a resolution systematically.

 

Another component of the workshop is a comparative assessment. In preparation, every participant is expected to find an example of a team successfully undertaking similar tasks and to present its key features in a workshop session. These cases of are consolidated and help to clarify what the team needs to do to become a good example of type.

 

The workshop concludes with each participant (1) identifying how s/he will behave over the next 6 months; (2) collectively, the team decides what capabilities need to be acquired or shed and (3) prepares a ’High Performing Team Checklist’ that will be completed monthly.

 

After the workshop our facilitator will write a candid and personal report about the team’s development needs that can be used as the leader wishes (this opinion is not to be consider as expert advice, from a legal perspective).