Ready for "Next Level Team Work"?

How a kick-start program makes your team fit for action, performance and the future

Welcome to the new reality of the working world: we are currently experiencing a rollercoaster of moods between euphoria and frustration. It's great how much more concentrated we can work when we don't spend the whole day in meeting dominoes and how flexibly and quickly decisions are suddenly made in the team because everyone is so focused! If only it weren't for the economic uncertainty. ... the technical hiccups ... and the misunderstandings and communication gaps between colleagues who have only been seen in video chat for weeks (if they turn on their camera). ... plus, last but not least, the nagging suspicion that one or two colleagues equate working from home with paid vacation.

In a recent GoTo study by LogMeIn, 55% of Germans stated that they would like to work from home permanently. However valid these figures may be, we can't help but wonder how teams, which were previously largely characterized by presence and proximity, can function under these new conditions. The majority of work in organizations is not done by individuals, but by teams. Working together with others inspires people to be more productive. The team is probably the most powerful organizational unit: this is where ideas are born, problems are solved and concepts are planned and tested.

Every team is a system, complex, with many interlocking gears. This system has developed with all its dimensions over weeks, months and years. It is highly likely that this is an unconscious development process. In day-to-day work, common goals, values and rules are often lost sight of. However, especially in times of serious change, these are crucial for a well-functioning team to be able to act and be fit for the future.

High time for a pit stop to take a close look at the team's operating system, create clarity, define goals and strategies, close gaps and resolve contradictions.

Potential and result: "Next Level Team Work" program

"Next Level Team Work" is a kick-start program for teams. The holistic team development program is modular and virtual.

Your benefit:

• The team system is improved iteratively by involving all team members and bringing everyone up to the same level. The factual level, group dynamics and individual personalities are systematically linked.
• Following the joint development of the "Next Level Team Work" program, the team has clarity, unity and commitment for all relevant key dimensions of the team culture.
• The team has developed and adopted joint goals and strategies and has developed and initialized specific project concepts.
• In addition, the team has already tried out and internalized the working methods of "Next Level Team Work" in concrete project work.
• The team is capable of action, performance and future viability.

Program schedule and content

The program consists of four virtual modules that build on each other plus accompanying transfer work individually and in small groups. The modules can be used individually. Together, however, they develop their full synergetic effect.

• Module 1: Team Health Check
  As an initial assessment, 1:1 interviews are conducted with the team members. This results in a holistic team diagnosis that provides information about the current team development phase, values, culture, processes and behavioral norms. The results are shared in a consolidated form and serve as the basis for further customized teamwork.
  
  
• Module 2: Team culture
  In the interactive kick-off workshop, the team examines and defines all relevant dimensions of the team system: purpose, values, common goals, personal goals, roles / responsibilities / interfaces, needs, strengths and weaknesses.

• Module 3: Team strategy
  The following virtual workshop builds on the developed team culture and focuses on the team's content-related topics and tasks. Strategically important goals are collected and prioritized. A project group is formed for each priority goal, which uses a predefined structure to develop a concept for achieving the goal over the next four weeks and to plan and initialize its concrete implementation.

• Module 4: Working methods in the team
  The next workshop focuses on the transfer of practical experience. This is where the rules and activities in operational collaboration, communication and decision-making are defined.
  
  
• Module 5: Final presentation of the project concepts
  In the final workshop, the concepts developed by the groups defined in Module 3 are presented, discussed and celebrated.
  
  

While Module 1 is essentially 1:1 interviews, Modules 2 to 5 consist of interactive live workshops (virtual or face-to-face) of approx. 3 hours each.

Between the modules, there is reflection and practical work - under the guidance and on the team members' own initiative. The aim is to deepen the aspects developed in the live modules - individually and/or in collaboration with others - to anchor them in practice and thus systematically gain altitude. Tried and tested formats are used, such as working-out-loud, masterminds, deep-dive input sessions, buddy work and on-demand coaching. The transfer work is designed as a blended learning concept: Processing, deepening and further development takes place both via digital collaboration platforms and in personal exchange.

At the end of the "Next Level Team Work" program, the team is empowered to continue the team development process on its own.

Participants

The program is suitable for teams and departments of between 6 and 30 people.

Time frame

Ideally, there should be no more than 2 weeks between modules, so that the overall program lasts approx. 8 weeks with an average time investment of approx. 3 hours per week per team member. The start and duration of the program can be flexibly adapted to individual requirements.