Creating a Unified Team: Local Health

The situation and brief 

The client had merged two teams into one large team of 25 and restructured some roles to adjust to the new set up. The technical work had been done but the team was still operating as two distinct teams. What was needed was a program that helped change behaviours and mindsets and shape a genuinely unified team. The challenges were that the team worked across 6 locations, rarely managed to get together as a full team and were very busy delivering on a wide range of tasks and initiatives.

Solution

This was never going to be a simple solution. Genuine teamwork is not achieved through a single event. The budget was limited so a program that built internal capability was needed: one that did not rely on external input every month. 

We designed a program that built over time and had multiple touch points, with some element of learning and development happening every month. The facilitator spent time talking to everyone in small groups before the start. This built a relationship and allowed us to consult with and get input and ideas from the team. 

An initial workshop was run and while some “content” was delivered, this was an opportunity for people to talk, share and develop trust amongst each other. We used a team specific survey tool called Squadify that allowed us to measure how clear people were on the goals and roles in the team, the climate and culture and the skills and competencies needed to be successful. 

The workshops and Squadify were scheduled 4 times in the first year and tracked progress and decided specific actions to address issue in the following 3 months.

Coaching was set up for the 3 senior leaders and that allowed each to focus on specific development they needed to undertake to support the team. 

The Actionable Habit Builder was used after each workshop and that supported behaviour change, tracked engagement and measured impact. 

Leader led conversations were run during the year, which allowed the 3 leaders to deepen the discussions around some of the content covered in the workshop sessions and get the team looking at who to implement ideas. Finally, internally led support circles – groups of 4 people from different locations and different parts of the previous two teams  – to meet monthly and talk about collaboration, their behaviours and the team generally.    

Results

1 year in the team has seen a significant improvement in the scores around whether people feel they are a unified team, collaboration, trust and honest conversations. The Squadify and Actionable methodologies allow all parties to have a genuine measure on the impact of this program. There is still plenty to be done but the feedback is unanimous that even in a busy year, this has been a great investment and one that has been done on a tight budget and been led internally as much as by Wentworth. Which is as it should be.