For the summer months I thought I would like to share with you some of the great articles written by my Alliance Members.  Please enjoy the following article submitted by Robin Kennedy:

The Power of Teams ~  Increasing Engagement & Results

Engaged teams – the lifeblood of sustainable organizations

A recent study of 150 teams revealed that highly effective teams are the lifeblood of the most successful, innovative and sustainable organizations in the world.

• The Royal Bank of Scotland manages everything in 30, 60 or 90 day cycles; working on teams is part of the culture.
• Google encourages employees to spend 20% of their time contributing to a team whose purpose excites them, keeping them engaged and at the edge of innovation.
• Consultants at professional services firms move from one project team to another, generating fresh ideas and offering new perspectives almost daily.

Teams drive results

We overestimate the power of a company and underestimate the power of teams. Teams are the engines that drive leading organizations, producing results that individuals simply can’t. Statistics report that we currently spend approximately 30% of our time working in teams. Forecasted to rise to 60%, mastering team performance is a key strategy for organizational growth and sustainability.

Engage the team as a system

A team is a living and dynamic system – a living organism that has characteristics that transcend those of individual members. Seen as its own entity, the team system has spoken and unspoken rules, blind spots, vision, expectations and moods. The way team members treat each other influences the quality and output of results, while the environment plays a crucial role in defining the sustainability of productivity. The team mood, whether energized and motivated – or fearful and disengaged, is the air that the team breathes and is created through relationships within the team.

Extraordinary teams have the mindset and skillset essential for creating and sustaining high engagement and top performance. Powerful team contracts are created with input from every voice in the system.  Desirable behaviour and ways to diffuse negativity are clearly defined. Relationships flourish and results grow.

Team Coaching is gaining prominence

A t the leading edge of the coaching profession, team coaching is gaining prominence as global organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, Unilever, ING, State Farm, Aventis, McDonald’s and others, use this approach to build the performance capacity of their teams . Team coaching helps teams strengthen and sustain performance by equipping them with practical skills and tools to generate positive engagement and neutralize negativity. Team coaching is not about coaching individuals to be better team performers, although that often happens. The team is coached as its own system, independent of the needs of any single member. This advanced coaching methodology was developed by The Center for Right Relationship who trains coaches in Organizational and Relationship Coaching (ORSC).

Measure results

A baseline measurement is obtained using Team Diagnostics™, a next generation team assessment developed by Team Coaching International.  Drawn from a proven model that defines the necessary strengths for high-performing, sustainable, inspired teams, the assessment is repeated at the end of the coaching process to gauge progress and define clear next steps in further team development.

The question is not if teams are the wave of the future; the writing is on the wall.  The bigger question is what will you do to ensure that your teams thrive in turbulent times? Give them the blueprint to success. Invest in team coaching. It’s dynamic. It’s engaging. And, it works.