IndyTeams™ was developed as a team development program for a small business owner who needed to resolve issues preventing a shared vision for the future. They were trying to operate with 'white elephant' issues arising from unresolved communication and commitment issues. These issues bred mistrust, tribalism and an 'us & them' mentality. The IndyTeams™ approach provided a safe environment for issues to be raised and resolved. It built trust and cleared a pathway for the team to start creating a shared vision for the business.

Purpose

The purpose of the IndyTeams program was to remove any 'noise' that is getting in the way of the owner and his team developing a shared vision for the business. It fostered greater openness, trust, accountability, communication and creativity among the team members as they work towards their shared vision. It also freed the owner to work on growing the business.

Structure

Building trust was key to the effective introduction of IndyTeams™. Instead of forcing IndyTeams upon the team, we started with a general meeting to make introductions and gain initial buy-in to the process.

We facilitated one-to-one sessions with each team member. These sessions helped each individual gain a better understanding of themselves and provided a non-judgemental space to explore any challenges they were facing. These were issues within the team or challenges in their personal life, that were impacting their work. This whole-person approach was key to the effectiveness of IndyTeams™.

Once trust had been established, the team came together to identify their shared vision for the business. This vision aimed for a win-win outcome, whereby each individual's personal goals were met while achieving the business goals.

Ongoing support was provided to make sure that everyone stayed aligned with the shared vision.  Support was at hand whenever additional help was needed to resolve new issues during the application of the shared vision. This took the form of coaching, mediation or creative problem solving, as needs dictated.

Results

Following the IndyTeams™ programme, the team reported...

• Increased profitability of business
• A greater understanding of interpersonal conflict and how to resolve it quickly and effectively
• Greater appreciation of team dynamics and what everyone contributes
• A greater sense of shared ownership of business
• Greater levels of creativity and innovation
• A better working environment
• More effective decision-making and greater accountability
• More time for the owner or manager to focus on leading and growing the business