Groups that work
Groups that work
Enabling people to work effectively together is a critical factor in most successful organisations and enterprises. We’ve helped all kinds of governance, representative, membership, customer, partnership and project groups to improve the way they pull together to achieve their purpose, and/or improve others’ understanding of their purpose and work.
We offer insight, coaching, training and review to help workplace groups perform better at three crucial levels:
• Strategic – establishing and sticking to a shared view of what they want to accomplish and why
• Functional – advancing through the different stages of group development to work together, and with other stakeholders, in stimulating and constructive ways
• Psychological – accommodating the individual and collective dynamics that dictate how well groups work in the short and longer terms.
We can help both new and established groups to navigate the complexities of individual and collective dynamics, building psychological safety that encourages open communication, constructive challenge, active listening and reducing unconscious bias.
Avoiding common pitfalls
It’s very easy for groups (especially those charged with ongoing or long-lasting tasks) to lose sight of their original intent and drift into gradual decline. Turnover in group membership, shifts in organisational priorities and clashes of role, personality or style can also undermine productivity.
In our experience, time taken to assess progress, check the direction of travel and adjust working methods is never wasted. This sort of regular, planned review is a positive investment in the continuing effectiveness and reputation of any group.
It’s important for groups to distinguish between some key terms that often become muddled:
• Aims – long-term, open-ended purpose
• Objectives – medium-term outcomes to match the aims
• Goals and targets – short-term actions and performance to deliver objectives
• Measures – indicators and evidence of impact/success.
With this clear and universally understood hierarchy in place and subject to constant scrutiny, groups stand a much better chance of achieving what they set out to do. And groups that are consciously improving are far less likely to find themselves stalled, frustrated or going backwards.
Group work in action
This kind of support has formed part of our projects with dozens of clients, including housing providers, NHS Trusts, local authorities and emergency services.
We use a variety of proven methods to boost groups’ effectiveness, including peer appraisal, personal profiling, action learning, focus groups, and stakeholder research.
Our psychology-informed approach uses evidence-based personality profiling, trust assessments, workshops and benchmarking to foster mutual understanding within teams.
We also offer training in motivational interviewing, conflict resolution, change management and strategies to support effective communication and inclusive team dynamics.
Respected, high-performing groups rarely come together or sustain their success by accident. We can help you make it happen by design.