BUILDING A HIGH PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE TEAM

How do we enhance our team’s performance – in an unconventional way?

THE CHALLENGE

After a year of merging and restructuring two business units, which together provide 80% of the revenue, the challenge was to develop the new team and define a common vision and strategy for the way ahead.

OUR APPROACH

After an initial interview with the department heads, and the development of our hypotheses, we designed an approach combining traditional team building elements, working on the hard facts of the current situation and some incentive elements. As the executives were used to working in a high speed, trouble shooting environment, we took them on two sailing boats in the Aegean Sea far off the office.

During a first preparation workshop, where we presented our analysis and the hypotheses, the team decided to work on four topics during the sailing workshop:

• Role & positioning of the team
• Organization of the team
• Personal perspectives and fluctuation
• Standardization and evaluation of synergies

The main workshop was a mixture of self organization, sailing, reflection, individual work, work in small groups and work of the whole team. Our design was very modular and allowed for adaptation to the local situation and need of the team.

Back at the office the results of the workshop were presented and discussed in several meetings with the employees, and the roadmap for implementation was further developed.

The goals of our approach were to:

• Take time to discuss important strategic topics away from the daily routine
• Work on the positioning of the finance team
• Define the vision & strategy
• Define standards and find synergies of working together
• Get to know each other better and become a team

 

THE RESULTS

The strong focus during the workshop and the preparation of the implementation on our return, proved to be fruitful. An additional evaluation after 3 months shows that the working style of the leaders has considerably changed to the better. And it is not only the participants of the workshop saying so, but employees share the view. The drive to go on and the high energy from the Aegean Sea was brought home.