HDS for Team Building

pcl case study

HDS for Team Building

the issue

The IT infrastructure division of a global financial institution was once seen as the ‘underdog’ by other departments but now is seen as an efficient and valuable resource. Despite this shift, the team did not perceive themselves this positively and were not capitalising on their solid reputation within the organisation. At times they seemed lacking in assertiveness and confidence, deferring judgment to the team leader rather than being autonomous and self-assured in their decisions. In addition they were not always working together as a unit but working more independently within the group context.

the solution

The Hogan personality tools were used to explore these issues. The Hogan questionnaires are designed to elicit personal reflection about one’s interaction style, behavioural patterns, areas of strengths and weaknesses and development opportunities. When individuals know themselves better they can set themselves clear goals, drive their learning and adapt to others better. Each participant had an independent feedback session with a Psychologist to explore their own style of interaction, to consider when they were effective and what they might do to improve. These individual sessions were followed by a team event.

The profiles from the Hogan Development Survey (HDS) were the focus of the team event.

Based on research on the derailment of managers, the HDS identifies an individual’s most distinctive characteristics - often the reason for their career success. However, under times of pressure or stress these normally positive characteristics may become increasingly dysfunctional and are likely to interfere with working relationships, team effectiveness, and the achievement of the organisation’s objectives.

The HDS trend analysis revealed two prevalent areas across the entire group. As a whole the group had a tendency to be suspicious of others motives and would delay action for fear of getting it wrong or being embarrassed. These HDS results brought useful insight into some of the initial issues highlighted, allowing us to investigate them and generate discussion among the team. For example, the analysis revealed that a lack of trust was a core reason for the reluctance to work closely together. To address this, peer feedback sessions were conducted during the team event to show the benefits of constructive and honest feedback.

As well as learning more about each other, the group analysis allowed the entire team to consider the impact their personality profiles had on the team and how they might contribute to increase the team effectiveness.

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pcl case study

HDS for Team Building

the results

Following the team development event the participants reported that they were reassured about their ability to become more autonomous and to make decisions independently, rather than referring everything up to the Team Leader. The Director of Talent and Leadership also noted the positive impact the event had on the team. The Hogan session provided a common framework and encouraged a more open feedback culture within the group. The session highlighted the importance of working to their strengths and focusing on how they can achieve more if they work together rather than focusing solely on independent objectives.

Some particular action points that arose from the event were: - The importance of working in collaboration and sharing knowledge - The value of providing direct, open and constructive feedback to each other - Celebration of successes and efforts to raise the profile of the department across the organisation ‘Thanks again for the great session in London which definitely had impact on the team. Each of them came back with some interesting insights into the team and reflections on their role within the team.’ – The Team Leader ‘I found the event fascinating! And I think the group really benefited from having a common language and framework in which to understand each other.’ – Independent Coach of the Team Members

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