Late November saw the Bramley Lakes team at Dorney Lake, Windsor to work with the Beazley Insurance Finance team. We were stationed in the Eton Suite – the finish tower for the 2012 Olympic rowing events. It is inspirational to think that in just over six months gold, silver and bronze medals will be decided from that spot. 

The day was focused on enhancing team performance within the various functions that make up the department, and gaining some synergy for the group as a whole. Although the weather was a little blustery the mix of outdoor practical team tasks and indoor analysis using the Table Group Team Assessment Report proved useful with the venue providing the stimulation to really consider what factors are needed to perform at an even higher level.

Strategic Planning

November saw us working with the Royal Sun Alliance Strategic Sales Team who are preparing their 2012 strategic plan. Using their Team Assesment Report from the Lencioni Team Model we were able to conduct some engaging discussions around how the team is going to align to their collective goals, support each other and, most importantly, hold each other accountable to not only the standards of the team but the performance of the function. There was a real drive and sense of clarity around team meetings and getting the basics right. We were lucky with the weather as the team took on an outdoor challenge or two in the afternoon. It will be interesting to see how their first quarter plays out.

Improving Relationships with SDI

A leading insurance company engaged us to deliver a one day programme around the relationship awareness theory (SDI) for their customer managers. Working in a contact centre requires those delicate skills of dealing with customers and managing employees. The SDI tool helped the customer managers understand more about themselves and appreciate what drives people (their motivation). The team looked into different behaviours and practised how to prepare for meetings, write emails and make calls using different styles.

Through experiential learning each person learnt to appreciate how perception can sometimes create the wrong impression of what people are trying to achieve. By examining their own perceptions and looking at how motivation drives behaviour the managers felt equipped to ask the right questions using the appropriate language. An important part of any learning process is that the attendees enjoy the process while recognising that people need to learn for themselves and not from each other.

A Five Star Service

Bramley Lakes welcomed the Executive Management Team from the Mandarin Hotel, London to our team development centre in Norfolk for an intensive two day leadership offsite. The top hotel in London is a constantly changing environment, launching new restaurants and services while also supporting the One Hyde Park development.

The team, comprised of experienced hotel professionals, spent two days understanding more about “Organisational Health” and the key concepts around building a leadership team that is behaviorally cohesive and intellectually aligned. They explored learning more about themselves and each other through the concepts in ‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team’. They also leveraged the ‘Strength Deployment Inventory’  to appreciate theirs and the strengths of others, how they react under conflict and what alternatives there are to exploring more productive relationships. During the two days the team experienced and started to overcome their ‘fear of conflict’ by successfully debating some key business topics – with a great outcome! Since returning to the business the team has put into practice their new concepts and are already reaping the benefits.

Transitioning from High School to Sixth Form

Oakwood Park visited us again this autumn as part of their induction for new 6^th formers.  The group stayed at the University of East Anglia to get a feel for university life with the aim of galvanizing their studies for the next two years. 

The event at Bramley Lakes Norfolk integrates existing students with new and is a hectic round of raft building, zip, abseiling, high ropes, low ropes, archery and team tasks – all in an afternoon!  The students are good fun and it is a great way to make the transition from High School to the very different demands of further education and 6^th Form College.

Alignment and Cohesion in Teams

An important part of any team development culture is the cascading of understanding. Through our relationship with Barclays we supported Tina and the rollout of the Lencioni concepts to her team. After describing the benefits of being a more cohesive team each person  shared some insight into their preferences and frustrations. We had a number of healthy debates around personal interactions and organisational clarity which helped the team align. Maintaining focus on team development is done by adopting a disciplined approach and time was spent on how we make this happen on a daily basis. Holding each other to account is fundamentally important and the team discussed how they would support and encourage each other through this journey.

Masters Make a Difference

Since its inception two years ago Bramley Lakes Norfolk was once again hosting the masters students from Regents Business School. This year we had nearly thirty students covering over seventeen different nationalities.

The group was split into four teams with each one representing a geographical division of a global pharmaceutical company – their challenge was to assign roles, work out their customer strategy and execution plans. As always the numbers play an important part in charting success; each team was given a clear target and had to report several times to their shareholders. The teams learnt to appreciate that operating in a global economy requires good teamwork and an appreciation of diversity – the ability to leverage and embrace other cultures and values.

At the end of the weekend all the students discussed their individual reflections – their own personal journeys. You can see their comments and thoughts on our Facebook page. We look forward to welcoming the cohort from 2012. Well done to all the Masters Students!

Teamwork...It's All About You

Our ongoing relationship with the leading specialist insurer Hiscox saw us working with the entire Underwriting Centre (HUC) team this month. The centre, led by Keeley Goding, has delivered excellently this year and are ready for the challenge of stretching themselves further.

A day, based at the Belstead Brook Hotel in Ipswich gave the HUC clarity around the current status and desired goals of the business going forwards. With this sense of clarity we focused our time on the topic of Teamwork. Using the trusted Lencioni Team Model as a framework for performance improvement, the teams were challenged to engage in frank and open debate (passionate, unfiltered) around where they could improve in their interactions. Some of the solutions were simple to explain, however they require courage and persistence to implement. The main focus was around a change in behaviour when being part of the team and the ability to really enter into the practice of being a high performing team.  

Each team had a chance to practice new behaviours as we also delved into the art of practical problem solving. A real opportunity to become comfortable in pushing each other to a better level of team performance.

Speaking with Keeley two days after the event there is already good evidence of change happening in the HUC. A team prepared to be accountable for the difference, not just party to it.

Boswell Board Leading the Way

September saw us working for the first time with the board team from local insurance firm Boswell Group. The company is growing fast and the board recognise that good leadership is essential in this growth phase. Using the Lencioni Team Assessment Report (TAR) as a setting for conversations we spent the day looking at the effectiveness of the senior team and how they are leading the company. A clear outcome was called for and the directors are already communicating more effectively with the wider audience. It was great to see the passion and drive in the individuals that make up the board and we are really pleased to be supporting them for future growth.

Knowledge is Power

2011 has been an exciting year for us in terms of the new relationship we have with Knowledge Pool, the UK and Europe's leading provider of managed learning services. As a provider to Knowledge Pool we have an unique opportunity to service a wide range of their clients, who are looking for solutions for developing lasting leadership capability and highly effective teams. In turn Knowledge Pool know that their clients are in expert hands when recommending them to us for their organisation development and leadership programmes. We look forward to seeing what 2012 has in store for both of our companies.

Continuing our Team Journey around the World

Through our ongoing relationship with Agendia, we facilitated their Executive Board Meeting in San Francisco. By continuing the development of the Smart & Healthy approach through the implementation of new behaviours the team are now holding each other more accountable for their joint responsibilities.  Over the last twelve months the team has really developed their skills around challenging each other and this approach ensures complete clarity over decisions.

The first few times that people develop and practice new skills is not always the most comfortable, it requires strong leadership, vulnerability and courage. The Agendia team continues to make progress in all the 5 Dysfunctions. The effect that this is having on the business is that the Executive team are aligned and consistent in their decision making.

AVIVA is Putting in the Miles

October saw us working with the Group Investigations and Forensic Audit team for AVIVA. Some had travelled to Bramley Lakes Norfolk from as far as Singapore and the US!  

Looking specifically at the first stage of organisational health, building a cohesive leadership team, the day with us focused on reviewing the results from their Team Assessment Report, which provided some good content for passionate, unfiltered debate about the level of interaction between the teams. Combining this with the experiential challenges here at the centre we spent the remainder of the day looking at the changes that are possible both individually and as a team. This takes courage and personal accountability, topped with a little bit of persistence. The team went straight into an internal follow up session the next day with a sense of purpose and drive to get clarity of the goal going forwards. Michelle Green, Audit Director, had this to say about the overall process: "Our internal follow up session was very productive. In my opinion this was due to increased teamwork and personal acceptance of individual responsibility following the day at Bramley Lakes."

Strengthening Teams

The Hiscox Event Insurance Team undertook a two stage offsite team development programme to increase awareness of individual strengths and to grasp areas where enhanced co-operation would propel them past their targets. 

A large portion of the events section revenue is new business – often events are one-offs – and so constant renewal and innovation is essential. The team development programme allowed them to identify the characteristics and culture of the team that are helpful, and areas where new behaviours outside their comfort zone were essential. A productive time.