In organizations, groups of people complete interdependent tasks to achieve common goals. For the organization to flourish, these teams should work together in a supportive, productive environment where they feel heard and can collaborate effectively. Building high-performing teams are essential to a successful organization but how exactly do you do this? Crosworks recently held a workshop for IGS Energy to address this exact question.
IGS Energy (Interstate Gas Supply, Inc.) is an independent natural gas and electric supplier based in Dublin, Ohio. With a clear mission and commitment to making the planet a better and cleaner place, IGS Energy employs 1,200+ individuals who encourage the use of clean energy to create a positive impact on our threatened environment. With such an important mission and so many employees, building and sustaining high-performing teams is paramount to IGS Energy.
When IGS Energy contacted Crosworks to help with their team performance, we worked closely with their HR team to tailor a program specific to their brand and vision. We introduced tools that IGS could internalize and put into motion.
The Three Pillars
The foundation of high-performing teams is three strong pillars:
1. Purpose. This is the team’s uniting factor for why it exists. High-performing teams know their driving purpose and understand the important role they play in the bigger picture of their organization.
2. Clarity. It requires an environment in which you continuously strive to create alignment between the team’s people and tasks. Clarity allows teams to work, collaborate, and make decisions with greater focus and intention.
3. Psychological Safety. For there to be safety, team members must feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other. Psychological Safety allows individuals to feel comfortable sharing out-of-the-box ideas and creative solutions.
A team is only as strong as each of the three pillars. Fully understanding the importance of each pillar provides stability and cultivates growth, fostering high-performing outcomes.
Birkman Method in High-Performing Teams
Another necessity in building high-performing teams is to understand each individual’s strengths. The team must realize and appreciate that team members may use a variety of behavioral approaches to achieve success. The best teams intentionally leverage their diverse strengths. Through the use of the Birkman Assessment, Crosworks can measure in individuals three different personality dimensions that greatly impact high-performing teams: Usual Behavior, Interests, and Needs. Crosworks worked with IGS Energy to execute these assessments with team members, explained the results, and discussed how to use this information to maximize success.
We took a deep dive into ways to balance the strengths and personality traits of team members and how to build their own, team-specific Birkman map to facilitate roles and encourage high-performance.
Creating a Development Plan
Coupled with exercises and real-life examples from the workshop, IGS Energy has been able to put what was learned into motion. Their HR team, armed with the understanding and tools of Birkman science, now knows how to create a development plan for their teams. They have a vision for how each piece fits into the larger puzzle. By customizing this workshop to IGS Energy’s needs and culture, Crosworks was able to provide them with clear and concise instruction, education, and action items. Ultimately, IGS Energy was empowered to develop and maintain high-performing teams to reach its organizational goals.
Workshop Feedback
At the conclusion of our workshop, we asked IGS about their experience:
What did you like most about the workshop?
“Our conversation and vulnerability. This allowed us to discuss topics we needed to discuss in a safe space.”
Crosworks has a century of combined executive experience across a phenomenal team of certified coaches to help your organization maximize its talent and improve team engagement. Our focus is on helping every employee, at any level, do work that both moves the business forward and provides personal fulfillment. Contact us and see how we can help take your organization to the next level.