For Moira by Richard Vahrman

Give Time

• Individual Volunteering • Team-building • Leadership Development • Individual Needs and/or Secondment • Hit Squads

INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERING What’s the objective To encourage Virgin staff to volunteer support for our partner organisations by ‘giving’ one day of their time per annum in order to undertake an unpaid activity as part of a wider engagement and awareness raising strategy.

How will we deliver Individuals can ‘search’ for a relevant opportunity via the Virgin Unite website. The search can be conducted via postcode and partner, and ‘live’ opportunities will be presented in date order. The applicant can select to apply for an opportunity, and the partner organisation is notified of the application and contact details. The partner organisation will respond to the interested individual within an agreed timeframe, and if suitable, the volunteering opportunity is agreed together with details of date/time/location and any special instructions eg appropriate clothing. Should the opportunity already be resourced, or have ‘timed out’ the partner will inform the applicant who can then search again. If the applicant does not find a suitable opportunity, they can be redirected to other volunteering websites such as BITC.

Timings Self-serve ability to be available from 1 January 2009

Dependencies/Assumptions Website functionality delivers as above. Website functionality communicated to and within the Virgin operating companies during December. Partners ensure volunteering opportunities are up to date, and respond to applications in an agreed timeframe. Partner records volunteering and agrees to monthly reporting to BC and/or Virgin Unite for Credit 360 purposes.

INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERING – process map

Individual decides to volunteer

Goes to VU website ‘get involved’

Searches for opportunity by location/postcode, issue and time window

Find suitable opportunity

YES

Hits ‘apply’ for opportunity Email application goes to dedicated partner inbox Partner responds within 7 days to explain next steps

Applicant is prompted to look at other locations or other website BITC TIMEBANK

IMPLICATIONS: Partner agrees to response process and timings

Partner sets up opportunity within a further 7 days Applicant receives joining instructions by email Volunteering takes place

QUESTIONS: Is it possible to search/log opportunity for multiple numbers e.g. 3 colleagues

Partner informs OpCo BC for accounting purposes

TEAM-BUILDING What’s the objective To deliver a team-building product to Virgin operating companies which makes use of volunteering opportunities with partners, and allows for a focus on more effective team-working and examination of team roles. How will we deliver The team-building activity will be delivered via a combination of the automated application and setup of a team activity, as for individual volunteering, and the use of a team-building toolkit. The toolkit is a resource which will help manager and team plan how best to use the activity to meet team goals. In planning for the activity, the manager and team in using the toolkit will be able to make use of theories and models of team-working. They will have the opportunity to reflect on their own effectiveness and therefore clarify how best to make use of the team-building activity. L&D professionals and/or team managers can ‘search’ for a relevant opportunity via the Virgin Unite website. The search can be conducted via postcode and partner, and ‘live’ opportunities will be presented in date order. The applicant can select to apply for an opportunity, and the partner organisation is notified of the application and contact details. The partner organisation will respond to the interested individual within an agreed timeframe, and if suitable, the volunteering opportunity is agreed together with details of date/time/location and any special instructions eg appropriate clothing. Should the opportunity already be resourced, or have ‘timed out’ the partner will inform the applicant who will then be prompted to refer back to other L&D suppliers. Timings Toolkit now available for trial. Kids Company and Foyer willing to provide opportunities in November. Self-serve ability to be available from 1 January 2009. Dependencies/Assumptions Website functionality delivers. Website functionality communicated to and within the Virgin operating companies Partners ensure the opportunities for which Virgin staff can volunteer are up to date, and respond to applications in an agreed timeframe. Partner understanding of team ‘toolkit’. Partner records volunteering and agrees to monthly reporting to BC and/or Virgin Unite for Credit 360 purposes. Resource Requirement Oversight of Credit 360 reporting and any partner feedback necessary, should sit comfortably within Business Mobilisation Manager role.

TEAM BUILDING - process map Team Manager or L & D decide on need for teambuilding Manager goes to VU website ‘get involved’ and selects teambuilding Is prompted to download TEAMBUILD TOOLKIT Searches for opportunity by location/postcode, issue and date

YES Finds suitable opportunity Hits ‘apply’ for opportunity

Email application goes to dedicated partner inbox Message prompting applicant to refer back to OpCp L&D

Partner responds within 7 days to explain next steps

Partner sets up opportunity within a further 7 days

Manager receives joining instructions by email

IMPLICATIONS: Partner agrees to response process and timings QUESTIONS: How to use TEAMBUILD TOOLKIT as a sales opportunity

Manager works with L & D facilitator to prepare team objectives Teambuild takes place

Partner informs OpCo BC for accounting purposes Manager and team review application of learning to 6 workplace and plan actions

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT What’s the objective To deliver a leadership development product to Virgin operating companies which makes use of volunteering opportunities with partners. The leadership product to meet an agreed set of behavioural development aims situated within a broader Virgin Group set of leadership ‘competencies’ How will we deliver For 2009, a number of leadership development opportunities which involve working with/within partner organisations will be ‘calendarised’. It is likely that these will be group activities that involve timebound challenges over a 2-3 day period, outside of the normal working environment which require that participants demonstrate the ability to lead beyond authority, and achieve ‘followership’. Timings A subset of the HRD/L&D community have met to agree product ‘specification’ based on leadership models currently in existence across Group. Initial discussions with partner organisations have taken place. Partner organisations propose more detail regarding possible opportunities w/ 3 November. Agreement to trial activity and dates during December. Dependencies/Assumptions That OpCo’s currently have a leadership framework in place which enables them to define their leadership ‘community’, and therefore target audience. That aggregate development needs of the agreed community are made available. That there is a willingness to ‘pilot’ the leadership development product. That there is budget in place 2009/2010 for leadership development. Resource Requirement The resource requirement for Virgin Unite is minimal if the product is ‘calendarised’ for 2009. Resource will be required to oversee and monitor usage and feedback across Group, to ‘prompt’ take-up if necessary ahead of events, and to manage the partner relationship and delivery of agreed opportunities. The oversight, prompting and monitoring could sit within VML in their role of managing talent across Group. If not, this could sit with Business Mobilisation Manager and it is envisaged this could take one day per month.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT – process map

OpCo L & D decide to access leadership product for individual/group

L & D go to VU website ‘get involved’ and select ‘Leadership Development’

L & D directed to a calendar of opportunities for 2009 L & D review development objectives, 360 or performance data and decide if opportunity is good match If appropriate match L & D ‘applies’ for place(s) on an event Relevant partner responds within 7 days regarding availability

YES Space available

OpCo L & D consider other suppliers/resourcing

Individual/team confirmed on event and sent joining instructions within 7 days L & D meet with manager & individual(s) to confirm development objectives

IMPLICATIONS: Partners agree to ‘calendarise’ specific events. There is an OpCo framework in place QUESTIONS: Whether to use other providers e.g. BITC, Three Hands, Arrival Education

Leadership event takes place L & D meet with manager and individual(s) to review learning and agree plan for skills transfer

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND/OR SECONDMENT What’s the objective To enable individuals the opportunity to develop specific skills agreed as part of a review and personal development planning process. This could take the place of a short-term intensive piece of work with a partner, or a longer-term secondment as part of a career development plan. How will we deliver The premise is that these types of placements start with a partner need. Individuals and/or L&D professionals can ‘search’ for, or elect to be informed about, possible development and secondment opportunities. Partners can ‘place’ a request for help as they do a normal volunteering opportunity, making clear that this is a development/secondment opportunity and specifying the role and skills needed. Individuals can then apply direct to the partner, and the partner selection process kicks in. Should the individual be successful, a secondment contract will be agreed between the OpCo and the partner. Alternatively, partners can ‘place’ the opportunity on the VML recruitment portal as a vacancy, which is accessible across Virgin Group, and as above, the partner selection process kicks in and a contract is agreed.. Timings Draft secondment contract available for comment now, sign-off in principle with HRD community 10 November. Educate partners re access and process by end November. New process ready for trial during December. Available to go live from January 2009. Dependencies/Assumptions VML recruitment portal available from December. Partners have rigorous internal processes eg role specification and recruitment and selection. Resource Requirement Oversight placements/secondments for reporting and feedback purposes. Liaison with VML and OpCo’s if necessary. Could sit with Business Mobilisation Manager role and could take up to one day per month.

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT OR SECONDMENT – process map Partner has a need for particular skill, or has vacancy – specifies role and person spec

Partner loads onto VU website in format of job ‘ad’

Partner places opportunity on VML recruitment portal

O R

Virgin Unite or VML notify HR community

Opco L & D can communicate to business and/or individuals

Individuals see or are alerted to opportunity

Individual ‘applies’ direct to partner

IMPLICATIONS: Website, opportunity can flash on front page QUESTIONS: How/who will protect T’s and C’s if necessary?

Partner carries out selection process

YES Offer of opportunity OpCo HR & partner negotiate terms and conditions

Feedback to individual – ads stays ‘live’ in website

HR proposes secondment contract to partner with L & D objectives

YES All parties reach agreement Ad removed from website

Ad stays ‘live’ on website

Placement takes place L & D and partner review success

HIT SQUADS What’s the objective Enable Virgin Unite partners to benefit from the range of skills within Virgin Group operating companies. To help partners resolve a particular issue or challenge, or progress an area of strategy which they are currently not skilled in, and establish solutions or plans within a short timeframe. How will we deliver a) Individual Experts – a database of ‘consultants’ that can work with partners for short hits or long term primarily in the area of professional skills eg PR, Marketing, HR, Finance, IT b) as ‘Hit Squads’ – groups of headhunted experts across Virgin businesses (or groups from within one business) that can work with a partner on a particular issue or element of strategy for 1 – 5 days.

Options for delivery Constructing The Database of consultants/experts 1. Can be assembled, owned and managed manually by Virgin Unite by requesting OpCo HRD’s as part of Give Time launch to publish the need for ‘expert’ volunteers who agree to be contacted at short notice. Volunteers email Unite direct to go on manual list. 2. Can be assembled, owned and managed manually by VML as part of the Group-wide talent management process ie VML hold data about skills and capabilities of the top 2-3 layers of management within each OpCo, to include interests and mobility. Volunteers may not know they are on a list but could be notified/asked for permission. 3. Can be constructed through the VML recruitment portal by ‘experts’ electing to go on a ‘standby’ list for the purpose of skilled volunteering, again communicated as part of the Give Time launch

How the partner asks for help 1.

Partners can ‘place’ a request for help as they do a normal volunteering opportunity. This placement can be flagged as urgent so that a Virgin Unite member of staff is notified. VU staff member can then review the manual list constructed as at 1 above, or pass to VML as at 2 above, or access the standby list as at 3 above

Partners can ‘place’ a request for help as they do a normal volunteering opportunity. They are then prompted to provide further information in the form of a short ‘diagnostic’

template, so that some scoping information is already available to help start the search for expert help. Diagnostic information is then accessed and VU staff member can review the manual list constructed as at 1 above, or pass to VML as at 2 above, or access the standby list as at 3 above 3.

Partner can place the opportunity through the VML recruitment portal, which can then be accessed across Virgin Group, and applicants can contact partner direct.

‘Scrambling’ the team/individual(s) Once database is reviewed, co-ordinator can call/email likely candidates to set up. At this point, short ToR for group/individual is also agreed with partner together with any information regarding timings, location and expenses. Timings Agree preferred process(es) asap. Agree any website requirements/VML recruitment portal requirements and aim to have in place by 31 December 2008. Process available for internal trial beginning January 2009. Dependencies/Assumptions VML ability and resource to engage – this has already been checked in principle. Partner organisations’ ability to articulate specific needs, outcomes and possible person spec. Partner availability to engage with Hit Squad. Resource Requirement Resource to oversee the process from being alerted to a need to possible scoping conversations and scanning relevant database(s), and agreeing ToR. Whilst likely to happen on an irregular basis, a degree of consultancy/contracting skills required so VML may be well placed to resource.

HIT SQUADS – process map

Partner has an issue to solve that requires expertise

Goes into partner section of VU website to log request for help

O R

Goes into VML recruitment portal to register need

Is directed to complete and email diagnostic questionnaire to VU

Optional step

Questionnaire reviewed and send to relevant person (at VML?) to scope in more detail

Optional step

VML review standby bank of volunteers and contact appropriate people

YES Hit squad identified

Refer to bank of low cost consultants

Agree ToR, timings, venue etc and feedback process

TEAM-BUILDING TOOLKIT

Contents Individual Volunteering..................................................................2 Team-building................................................................................2 Leadership Development................................................................2 Individual Needs and/or Secondment.............................................2 Hit Squads......................................................................................2 INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERING...........................................................3 INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERING – process map....................................4 TEAM-BUILDING ............................................................................5 TEAM BUILDING - process map.......................................................6 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ..........................................................7 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT – process map....................................8 INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND/OR SECONDMENT ......................9 INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT OR SECONDMENT – process map......10 HIT SQUADS..................................................................................11 HIT SQUADS – process map...........................................................13 TEAM-BUILDING TOOLKIT.............................................................14 Welcome...................................................................................17 How to use this guide.................................................................19 So what is a team?.....................................................................21 So are you a team?....................................................................22 Characteristics of high-performing teams...................................24 Objectives for team-building activity..........................................25 Stages of Team Development – The Tuckman Model..................27 Forming - Stage 1.......................................................................28 Storming - Stage 2......................................................................28 Norming - Stage 3......................................................................29 Performing - Stage 4..................................................................29 Understanding team roles and how to play to our strengths......30 Planning how to use this opportunity.........................................41 Sample agendas for team-building activity.................................43 Worksheet One – How Are We Doing?.......................................50 Worksheet Two – How Did We Do?............................................54 15

Next Steps.................................................................................59 Well Done .................................................................................59 The Challenge You Will Be helping To Undertake.......................64 Six young people living in a Foyer facility in Peterborough took part in a Dragon’s Den style competition to generate ideas for an innovative project, and to secure a budget. As a result, they have been given a small piece of land and a budget of £600. Their challenge is to turn this land into an attractive garden area for the use of residents, and in doing so, to find ways of interacting with, and establishing themselves in the local community, perhaps by hosting an event to ‘open’ the garden........................................64

Welcome

This toolkit is designed to help you get the most out of your teambuilding activity. It encourages you to think about how you can use your team-building opportunity to learn and reflect on the types of roles needed in order for a team to be successful, and the stages that teams tend to go through when faced with a task. It will enable you to plan how to tackle your team task, how to identify how well the team is working, and what you can apply back in the workplace. All too often, team-building activities are designed to enable a team to have fun with very little learning involved. Whilst an element of fun is always important, well planned , your teambuilding activity can have a long-lasting effect over and above an adrenalin ‘high’ that soon gets overshadowed by the realities of the workplace. Good teamwork has a number of benefits in business: • A greater variety of complex issues can be tackled by pooling expertise and resources • Problems are exposed to a greater diversity of knowledge, skill and experience • The approach boosts morale and ownership through participative decision making • Improvement opportunities that cross departmental or functional boundaries can be more easily addressed

Teamwork must be driven by a common purpose or goal, have a structure and be implemented thoughtfully and effectively. When properly managed and developed, teamwork can improve processes and produce results quickly and economically through 17

the free exchange of ideas, information, knowledge and data. It is an essential component of a successful business, building trust, improving communication and developing a culture of interdependence, rather than one of independence.

How to use this guide

This guide can help by first of all defining what a team is, and telling you what good teams look like. The early days of trying to form a team, agree goals, and think about the process of team-working are often the hardest. It’s the time when people can be anxious about being accepted by others, wondering how they will all get on, maybe even jostling for position. Once these initial stages are over, it’s important for team members to know what they are expected to do, and how best to work together, and play to one another’s strengths. When the team is clear about what is to be achieved, who is in the team, and what the roles are, they can start to work together effectively. Teams also need to be able to talk to one another about their expectations, their differences and how they can support one another. Sometimes knowledge of team models and roles can give them a language with which to talk about their differences. This guide is written in a way that helps you navigate team-working by following a logical process: thinking about what a team is, what a good team is, what stage your team is at in it’s development, what roles you have in the team, and helps you plan how to use a team-building opportunity to get the most benefit. Here is how to work your way through this toolkit: To reflect on your team, and what you are accountable to deliver, turn to pages 6 and 7. If you want to know more about what good teams look like, and check your own thinking about your team, turn to page 8. If you want to skip this, a start thinking about how to use your team building activity then turn to page 9 and then to page 24.

If you want to know more about the roles necessary for teams to deliver successfully, you can read about Belbin team roles on page 13, and if you want to check who you’ve got on the team, and what roles might need covering, you may want your team to take the Belbin test on page 15.

If you know about team roles, but want to know more about the stages that groups tend to go through, then you may be interested in the Tuckman model of group life on page 10.

If you are already knowledgeable about teams, and team-working models, you may just want to use this guide to help you clarify objectives for team-building, in which case, you can turn straight to page 25.

Or, you can work your way through the whole guide as a comprehensive way of becoming more knowledgeable about theory and practice in team-working, and to ensure you take a wellplanned approach to your team-building activity.

Good Luck and have fun!

So what is a team?

Teams differ from other type of groups in that members are focused on a joint goal or product, such as making a presentation, organising an event, discussing a topic, producing a report, or creating a new design or product. Here is one of the most commonly cited definitions: "A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they are mutually accountable." (Katzenbach and Smith, 1993) Similar definitions of a team include: "People working together in a committed way to achieve a common goal or mission. The work is interdependent and team members share responsibility and hold themselves accountable for attaining the results." (MIT Information Services and Technology) "A team is a group of people working together towards a common goal." (Team Technology, 1995-2006) "A group in which members work together intensively to achieve a common group goal." (Lewis-McClear & Taylor 1998)

So are you a team?

What is your goal or purpose?

What will you be held accountable for?

How effective are you?

How good is the mix of skills and experience in the team?

What needs to change?

How would you know you were working well together?

Now you have had a chance to think about your own team, let’s explore what good teams look like......................

Characteristics of high-performing teams

If you lead a team, you know that the journey to high-performance is ongoing. It’s the rare team that achieves high-performance and just stays there. Team members come and go, driven by the needs of the organization and their own career goals. And every time the members of a team changes, the team needs to regroup and refocus. What’s a team leader to do? For starters, focus on the characteristics of a high-performing team :

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Shared purpose and direction. Motivating goals. Commitment to Individual and Team Roles Multi-Directional Communication Authority to Decide or Act Reliance on Diverse Talents Mutual Support and Trust

REVIEW your team – how do you stack up?

Shared purpose and direction. Motivating goals. Commitment to Individual and Team Roles Multi-Directional Communication Authority to Decide or Act Reliance on Diverse Talents Mutual Support and Trust

Now you can start thinking about what a team-building activity can help you achieve… Objectives for team-building activity

What do you want to achieve through the teambuilding activity?

What outcomes do you need to deliver?

What do you want to see, and hear your team doing differently?

What does success look like, and what’s realistic?

It’s also worth reflecting on what stage your team is at, one theory about the ‘life’ of a team holds that teams go through a number of phases before they can perform effectively. It can be useful to think about the team from this point of view, and therefore what they might need from you.

Stages of Team Development – The Tuckman Model

Tuckman's model explains that as the team develops maturity and ability, and relationships become established, the leader may need to change the way in which she or he deals with the team.

The progression that teams tend to go through is described as:

►

Forming Storming

►

Norming

►

Performing

►

When teams are forming, they need clarity of purpose, to understand their role and what they need to deliver. At this early stage, the leader will need to be fairly directive. As the team develops, the leader may

Source: www.veebs.com - Poll completed 01/02/2008

Team Development – The Tuckman Model Forming - Stage 1

High dependence on leader for guidance and direction. Little agreement on team aims other than received from leader. Individual roles and responsibilities are unclear. Leader must be prepared to answer lots of questions about the team's purpose, objectives and external relationships. Processes are often ignored. Members will often test the boundaries, and ask ‘difficult questions’ in doing so they are testing the test tolerance of system and leader. Leader takes a directive approach to establish clarity. Storming - Stage 2

Decisions don't come easily within group. Team members vie for position as they attempt to establish themselves in relation to other team members and the leader, who might receive challenges from team members. Clarity of purpose increases but plenty of uncertainties persist. Cliques and factions form and there may be power struggles. The team needs to be focused on its goals to avoid becoming distracted by relationships and emotional issues. Compromises may be required to enable progress.

Norming - Stage 3

Agreement and consensus is largely formed among team, who respond well to facilitation by leader. Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted. Big decisions are made by group agreement. Smaller decisions may be delegated to individuals or small teams within group. Commitment and unity is strong. The team may engage in fun and social activities. The team discusses and develops its processes and working style. There is general respect for the leader and some of leadership is shared within the team. Leader facilitates and enables. Performing - Stage 4

The team is more strategically aware; knowing clearly why it is doing what it is doing. The team has a shared vision and is able to stand on its own feet with little participation from the leader. There is a focus on over-achieving goals, and the team makes most of the decisions against agreed criteria. There is a high degree of autonomy. Disagreements occur but now they are resolved within the team positively and the team makes necessary changes to processes and structure. The team is able to work towards achieving the goal, and also to attend to relationship, style and process issues along the way. Team members look after each other. The team accepts delegated tasks and projects from the leader, and does not need to be instructed or assisted. Team members might need assistance from the leader with personal and interpersonal development. Leader delegates and oversees. So now we know about stages of team development, let’s look at roles within a team........

Understanding team roles and how to play to our strengths

The Belbin Team Inventory is a test used to gain insight into an individual's behavioural type.

It was developed by Dr. Meredith Belbin. It assesses how an individual behaves in a team environment. It is therefore a BEHAVIOURAL TOOL, not a psychometric instrument…

The test includes 360-degree feedback from observers as well as the individual's own assessment of their behaviour, and contrasts how they see their behaviour versus how their colleagues do.

Belbin suggests that, by understanding your team role within a particular team, you can develop your strengths and manage your weaknesses as a team member, and so improve how you contribute to the team.

Team leaders can use the Belbin model to help create more balanced teams. Teams can become unbalanced if all team members have similar styles of behaviour or team roles. If team members have similar weaknesses, the team as a whole may tend to have that weakness.

You can use the model with your team to help ensure that necessary team roles are covered, and that potential behavioural tensions or weaknesses among the team members are addressed.

Components of a WELL-BALANCED team…

For a team to function at OPTIMUM levels, you need a balanced mix of all team roles.

By understanding which BELBIN ROLE you & your team members fall into, you can proactively change yourself and manage/recruit a team accordingly…

ASSESSING yourself & your team – The Belbin Test Belbin tests are a simple multiple-choice type, which can be completed in twenty minutes or so – and it’s right here in this pack for you  The output from the Belbin tests is a detailed report showing team role profiles for an individual.  In addition, the report can also compare the individual's profile to an ideal profile for a job role - this has proven a successful recruitment tool, and may help with your team’s personal development needs.  The Belbin tests can also be used to produce a profile for a complete team, highlighting strengths and weaknesses within the team  The test is easy to complete and requires the allocation of points across a number of statements.  Research shows that people are concerned when asked to complete any type of test, in case the results expose a significant weakness that could affect their future. The Belbin Test reports on BEHAVIOUR ONLY and is not a psychological analysis of the individual. The Belbin Test is interested in teams and the roles individuals play when they are members of different teams.

READY to take the test? It’s all here for you - turn the page… 32

Let’s Do It… The Belbin Team Roles Test Please spend about 15-20 minutes completing the test. There aren’t any right or wrong answers; try to respond on the basis of who you are, not who you would like to be! It consists of SEVEN sections – within each section you have to allocate points to the statements based on how you feel they apply to you; the total of points for the section must be 10. For example: if a statement doesn’t apply to you, don’t give it any points. If you think one statement applies strongly and two others apply just a little, you might distribute the points as 6 for “strongly applies” and 2 for the other two statements. Or if two statements apply equally strongly, you might allocate 5 points to each.

The Belbin Team Roles Test – Sections A & B SECTION A

SECTION B

WHEN INVOLVED IN A PROJECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE…

IN SEEKING SATISFACTION THROUGH MY WORK…

POINTS

POINTS 1

I can be relied upon to see that work that needs to be done is organised.

I pick up slips and omissions that others fail to notice.

I like to have a strong influence on decisions.

I feel in my element where work requires a high degree of attention and concentration.

I react strongly when meetings look like losing track of the main objective.

I am concerned to help colleagues with their problems.

I produce original suggestions.

I analyse other people’s ideas objectively, for both merits and failings.

I like to make critical discrimination between alternatives.

I tend to have a creative approach to problem solving.

I am keen to find out the latest ideas and developments.

I enjoy reconciling different points of view.

I have an aptitude for organising people.

I am more interested in practicalities than new ideas.

Remember: try to respond on the basis of who you ARE, not who you would like to be! 34

I particularly enjoy exploring different views and

The Belbin Team Roles Test – Sections C & D SECTION C

SECTION D

WHEN THE TEAM IS TRYING TO SOLVE A PARTICULARLY COMPLEX PROBLEM…

IN CARRYING OUT MY DAY-TO-DAY WORK…

POINTS

I keep a watching eye on areas where difficulty may arise.

I am keen to see there is nothing vague about my task and objectives.

I explore ideas that may have a wider application than in the immediate task.

I am not reluctant to emphasise my own point of view in meetings.

I like to weigh up and evaluate a range of suggestions thoroughly before choosing.

I can work with all srts of people provided that they have got something worthwhile to contribute.

I can co-ordinate and use productively other people’s abilities and talents.

I make a point of following up interesting ideas and/or people.

I maintain a steady systematic approach, whatever the pressures.

I can usually find the argument to refute unsound propositions.

I often produce a new approach to a long continuing problem.

I tend to see patterns where others would see items as unconnected.

I am ready to make my personal views known in a forceful way if necessary.

Being busy gives me real satisfaction.

The Belbin Team Roles Test – Sections E & F SECTION E

SECTION F

IF I AM SUDDENLY GIVEN A DIFFICULT TASK WITH LIMITED TIME AND UNFAMILIAR PEOPLE…

WHEN SUDDENLY ASKED TO CONSIDER A NEW PROJECT…

POINTS POINTS 1

I often find my imagination frustrated by working in a group.

I find my personal skill particularly appropriate in achieving agreement.

My feelings seldom interfere with my judgement.

I strive to build up an effective structure.

I can work with people who vary widely in their personal qualities and outlook.

I feel it is sometimes worth incurring some temporary unpopularity if one is to succeed in getting one’s views across in a group.

I start to look around for possible ideas and openings.

I am concerned to finish and perfect current work before I start.

I approach the problem in a carefully analytical way.

I am able to assert myself to get other people involved if necessary.

I am able to take an independent and innovative look at most situations.

I am happy to take the lead when action is required.

I can respond positively to my collegues and their initiatives.

The Belbin Team Roles Test – Section G

SECTION G

IN CONTRIBUTING TI GROUP PROJECTS IN GENERAL…

POINTS 1

I think I have a talent for sorting out the concrete steps that need to be taken given a broad brief.

My considered judgement may take time but is usually near the mark.

A broad range of personal contacts is important to my style of working.

I have an eye for getting the details right.

I try to make my mark in group meetings.

I can see how ideas and techniques can be used in new relationships.

I see both sides of a problem and take a decision acceptable to all.

Done? 37

Time to ANALYSE your results…

THE BELBIN TEST: SCORING KEY Transfer your points allocation from the seven sections above into the appropriate boxes below. The pre-printed numbers in the grid refer to the question numbers of each section. For example if for Section A you scored seven points for question 6 and three points for question 1, you would allocate them in the columns RI and IMP respectively...

IMP

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8 ____

4 ____

TOTAL

So which team role do YOU fulfill?

Overall

Action Orientated Roles

Thought Orientated Roles

People

Belbin Roles

Description

IMP = Implementer

Well organised and predictable. Takes basic ideas and makes them work in practice. Can be slow.

SH = Shaper

Lots of energy and action, challenging others to move forwards. Can be insensitive.

CF = Completer/Finisher

Reliably sees things through to the end, ironing out the wrinkles and ensuring everything works well. Can worry too much and not trust others.

PL = Plant

Solves difficult problems with original and creative ideas. Can be poor communicator and may ignore the details.

ME = Monitor/Evaluator

Sees the big picture. Thinks carefully and accurately about things. May lack energy or ability to inspire others.

SP = Specialist

Has expert knowledge/skills in key areas and will solve many problems here. Can be disinterested in all other areas.

CO = Coordinator

Respected leader who helps everyone focus on their task. Can be seen as excessively controlling.

TW = Team Worker

Cares for individuals and the team. Good listener and works to resolve social problems. Can have problems making difficult decisions.

RI = Resource/Investigator

Explores new ideas and possibilities with energy and with others. Good networker. Can be too optimistic and lose energy after the initial flush.

Orientated Roles

Well balanced Belbin-conscious teams… Good teams work best when there is a balance of roles and when team members know their roles, work to their strengths and actively manage weaknesses.

 To achieve the best balance, there should be:  One Coordinator or Shaper for leader  A Plant to stimulate ideas  A Monitor/Evaluator to maintain clarity and check that things are on track  One or more Implementer, Team worker, Resource Investigator or Completer/Finisher to make things happen

 Roles are not static and can change with time and awareness eg if an individual needs to change behaviour in order to take on a more senior role. If you and your team complete the Belbin test, it is well worth mapping onto a piece of flipchart paper the roles you have within the team, and any gaps that you need to think about. Being aware of 40

Planning how to use this opportunity

By now, you should have reflected upon your team, the reasons for engaging in a team-building activity, and what you want to achieve....so let’s think about how best to use the opportunity:

What is the activity you have planned? How will this activity help you develop your team? What needs to happen BEFORE the team-build event, for instance, do you need to brief the team, do you have Belbin results to share, do you need to talk about why you are a team and what you need to achieve?

What will you do DURING the team-build event, for instance, you can break to reflect upon how the task is going, what roles you are playing, and how you can play to your strengths. There is a worksheet attached that you can use DURING the event to help you, you will find this at page 30.

What needs to happen AFTER the team-build event, for instance, will you hold a debrief with the team to reflect on key insights, will you refer back to team roles, will you construct an action plan for the future. There is a worksheet attached that you can use AFTER the event to help you, you will find this at page 33.

Finally, you will find some sample agendas for your team-building and preparatory meeting with the team on the pages that follow....................

Sample agendas for team-building activity

By now, it’s likely that you will have worked your way through this pack, and have a good idea of what you need to achieve during your teambuild activity.

Below are some sample agendas which may help you plan both the preparation of your team before the event, and the actual day itself.

OPTION 1 – a team-build day that uses the various models of team-working, team roles and stages of team development, but which doesn’t require a team-build ‘event’ away from base.

OPTION 2 – an agenda for a preparatory meeting with your team, to discuss the objectives of a team-build event away from the workplace, and to understand more about the team

OPTION 3 – a team-build day away from the workplace for which some pre-work has already been done, using Belbin team roles.

TEAM-BUILDING DAY – option one

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

WHAT WE NEED TO ACHIEVE - Our goals – TEAM LEADER - How we are doing right now – TEAM DISCUSSION - What’s working/what’s not – TEAM BRAINSTORM

CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS - What do good teams look like – TEAM LEADER - How do we stack up – TEAM EXERCISE USING TEAM CHECKLIST - What could we do differently – TEAM DISCUSSION

ROLES NEEDED IN ORDER FOR TEAMS TO FUNCTION WELL - The concept of team roles – TEAM LEADER - Belbin questionnaire & feedback - TEAM - What roles do we have covered – TEAM LEADER - How are we likely to relate to one another – TEAM DISCUSSION - What gaps do we need to worry about - TEAM DISCUSSION - What actions do we need to take - TEAM DISCUSSION

STAGES THAT TEAMS GO THROUGH - Tuckman model of team stages – TEAM LEADER - Where is this team- TEAM DISCUSSION - What actions do we need to take – TEAM LEADER

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

- Back to our goals – TEAM LEADER - How can we ensure success – TEAM LEADER - What can we do differently tomorrow - TEAM DISCUSSION

TEAM-BUILDING PREP MEETING – option two

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

WHAT WE NEED TO ACHIEVE - Our goals – TEAM LEADER - How we are doing right now – TEAM DISCUSSION - What’s working/what’s not – TEAM BRAINSTORM - Objectives of team-building event – TEAM LEADER - The team-build event, what we will be doing – TEAM LEADER

ROLES NEEDED IN ORDER FOR TEAMS TO FUNCTION WELL - The concept of team roles – TEAM LEADER - Belbin questionnaire & feedback - TEAM - What roles do we have covered – TEAM LEADER

- How are we likely to relate to one another – TEAM DISCUSSION - What gaps do we need to worry about - TEAM DISCUSSION - What actions do we need to take - TEAM DISCUSSION

PLANNING FOR THE EVENT - How can the event help us – TEAM LEADER - How should we organise the day – TEAM DISCUSSION - What can we do to make it a success - TEAM DISCUSSION CLOSE

TEAM-BUILDING DAY – option three

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

WHAT WE NEED TO ACHIEVE (at start of event) - Our task for today – TEAM LEADER - How we will know we have succeeded – TEAM BRAINSTORM - Planning how to tackle the task – TEAM DISCUSSION

TIME FOR REFLECTION (some way through event) - How are we doing – time and task – TEAM DISCUSSION - What roles do we have covered – TEAM LEADER - What actions do we need to take - TEAM DISCUSSION

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER (at end of event)

- How did we do – TEAM LEADER - How does this relate to the workplace - TEAM DISCUSSION - What can we do differently tomorrow – TEAM DISCUSSION

Worksheet One – How Are We Doing?

How are you progressing with your team goal?

How clear were you at the outset about the team goal?

What planning took place about how to approach the goal?

What is going well?

What could have gone better?

What team roles are well covered, and what team roles might need to be covered?

What do you need to do to complete the goal successfully?

What have you noticed about how you are working together?

How does this relate to how you work together on a day to day basis?

What could you do differently in the workplace?

Worksheet Two – How Did We Do?

How well did you meet the team goal?

How clear were you at the outset about the team goal?

What planning took place about how to approach the goal?

What went well?

What could have gone better?

What did you learn about the roles you play within the team?

What else did you notice about how you worked together?

How does this relate to how you work together on a day to day basis?

Is there anything you need to do differently in the workplace?

How could you make that happen. Who needs to do what and by when?

How will you review your performance on a regular basis?

Next Steps Well Done

By now you will be a lot clearer about who you have in the team, what the team need to deliver, and how team performance can be improved. Keep going with your journey, and do give us any feedback about what else you would like to see in this pack. You can continue to access individual and team volunteering opportunities via the Virgin Unite website. It is also possible to undertake Leadership Development with Virgin Unites partners, to find out more, contact the Learning and Development team within your business.

Virgin Leadership Development in association with Foyer

What We Know About Leadership Development At Virgin Group, we firmly believe that the ‘people’ element of leadership is at the heart of everything we do. It's really important to have smart people who can plan for the future, and even better when they have that priceless knack of being able to take people with them. The ability to excite people around a common vision and to inspire them to want to deliver our goals is critical to success. Whilst our products are ground-breaking, they are all too easily copied by our competitors. It’s our people that really make the difference, and good leadership is vital to enable us to stay ahead. In terms of developing great leadership, i t is well accepted that most behavioural skills

are best learned by involvement in practical experiences away from the classroom. People often learn the most about themselves when they are challenged to think and behave differently, and when they are required to operate outside of their normal ‘comfort zone’. With this in mind, Virgin Unite has been working with social partners for some time now to help raise funds and/or transfer skills back and forth where we can. In this way, the relationships benefit all parties, and we can make sure that business is a force for good. In this instance, we have worked with The Foyer Federation to provide a leadership development experience for Virgin people based around a practical outcome-oriented time-bound project. The project involves working with young people who live in Foyer accommodation, and who are tasked with reaching a tangible outcome to be delivered within a tight timeframe and budget. More importantly, the project aims to prepare young people for the world of work, to stimulate their thinking and self-awareness, and help inspire them to be the best they can be. This work will demand that Virgin Group participants can communicate well, and can demonstrate the ability to inspire, motivate and influence others, as well as taking a collaborative approach to reach a win/win outcome.

So Who are Foyer and what do they do?

The Foyer Federation is a national charity which transforms young people’s experiences of disadvantage into solutions that support their transition into adult independence. Working with over 130 integrated learning and accommodation centres across the UK, known as Foyers, Foyer develop transformational services, programmes and campaigns that fill gaps in community services and inspire policy and decision makers to make a more effective investment in young people.

Their programmes use a range of innovative approaches, which currently include:

• • •

tackling worklessness by investing in young people’s skills and resource base to become more enterprising; addressing young peoples’ physical and emotional well-being by applying life coaching techniques to support healthy living goals; developing the role of volunteering to engage young people in education, training and employment pathways.

The Foyer network offers opportunities to over 10,000 16-25 year-olds each year, ensuring they have the right choices and chances to fulfil their goals, raise their aspirations and sustain their independence. Foyers provide accommodation linked with education, training and support services for young people whose journey to adulthood has been particularly challenging – such as care leavers, young offenders, teenage parents and other vulnerable young people.

What Foyers offer by way of support is just as important as the commitment required of the young person. Foyers offer a genuine exchange whereby the young person can access a range of skills, resources and opportunities in return for their commitment and engagement in the local community.

How Do These Projects Benefit Young People

Working Assets is an initiative designed to open up routes to employment for Foyer residents and support them into education, training and employment. Foyer residents work with Foyer staff to develop and implement their own enterprising initiative; this can range from developing a communal garden or vegetable patch for the Foyer and the local community, to setting up and running a community cafe. The aim of any project is to engage residents in activities which stimulate their interest in the world of work, develop the skills and attitudes they need to work and prepare them practically to cope with the physical and emotional demands of a busy workplace. The practical projects will be monitored, evaluated and filmed – in order to capture learning as a model for youth engagement. The aim is to work with a variety of delivery partners to create a sustainable model, with the first pilot site being Peterborough Foyer.

The Challenge You Will Be helping To Undertake Six young people living in a Foyer facility in Peterborough took part in a Dragon’s Den style competition to generate ideas for an innovative project, and to secure a budget. As a result, they have been given a small piece of land and a budget of £600. Their challenge is to turn this land into an attractive garden area for the use of residents, and in doing so, to find ways of interacting with, and establishing themselves in the local community, perhaps by hosting an event to ‘open’ the garden. What Help Is Required From Virgin Group Participants?  

Helping the young people develop the garden, from design to delivery Fundraising, budgeting and project management



Help with recruiting and motivating other residents who live in the Foyer but who aren’t on the core steering group to take part in the project



Supporting the residents to approach local businesses to generate support with funds, equipment and PR



Physical ground work needed to ‘deliver’ the garden



Planning for an innovative and inspiring launch event in the spring, which creates a positive image within the community



Filming the project – help with constructing a narrative for a DVD, filming and editing the DVD.



Producing a report detailing a sustainable ‘model’ for youth engagement in this way – using our learning from the Peterborough Foyer pilot



Presentation back to funders and other key stakeholders to measure success of pilot. Spring 2009

How Can You Make The Most Of This Opportunity? When undertaking any form of learning and development, it’s often advised to reflect on where you are now, where you want to get to, and how you are going to get there. As the emphasis in this instance is on leadership development, it makes sense to get a ‘fix’ on how proficient you currently are in terms of skills like inspiring, motivating and influencing others. The more senior you become in business, the more you will need to rely on these skills as you move away from your technical expertise to lead and manage others. If you reflect on your performance in leading, inspiring and motivating others, it can help you plan for what types of skills and behaviours you might want to explore, try out, or, a little like

‘turning up the volume’, simply do more of! For this reason, we’ve included a short selfassessment based around the skills of communicating, inspiring and influencing. You will find this below, together with some more general questions about any patterns you see in your answer and any thoughts you have about how to practise these skills whilst working on this project with young people, who will undoubtedly look to you to help lead!

Leadership Behaviours – self assessment Communicative Delivering all messages with clarity and impact, ensuring everyone is kept fully informed of and engaged with changing business priorities, direction, challenges and outcomes.

Communicative To what extent do I create and demonstrate a culture of clear, open communication, for others to follow and be inspired by, influencing effectively at all levels by doing the following: Quality Rating Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Usually

Actively support others in developing their skills in effective communication Proactively network across business areas at all levels to enhance communication across the business Implement innovative, best practice approaches to communication to engage and influence all audiences Demonstrate best practice communication skills which others identify with and value Build win-win relationships through a positive and constructive negotiating style Project messages vividly and with vitality, radiating experience and self confidence 1. In what situations have I demonstrated good communication skills, what was it that I did or said that made a difference?

2. In what way do I need to improve my communication skills?

3. How can I use the opportunity with Foyer to develop and practise my communication skills?

4. How will I know I have been successful?

Additional comments:

Always

Inspirational Exciting people around a purpose, providing clear, consistent direction creating a sense of belonging, instilling confidence and inspiring people to contribute to business success. Inspirational To what extent do I contribute to the strategic leadership of the business, creating an organisational culture that inspires all employees by doing the following: Quality Rating Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Usually

Always

Establish ongoing events to enable others to share successes and build confidence in the future Show a track record of success that inspires others to believe Create a spirit of excitement and positive motivation where people feel emotionally committed to the team not just the task Communicate a compelling vision that generates meaning, enthusiasm and energy Maintain a powerful, motivating vision for all affected by change, encouraging a positive, ‘can do attitude’ across the business Demonstrate confidence in taking decisions that require political / organisational interpretation and that could cause controversy 1. In what situations have I inspired people recently, either within or outside of my team, what was it that I did or said that made a difference?

2. In what way do I need to improve my ability to inspire others?

3. In what way can I use the opportunity with Foyer to practice my ability to inspire others, what thoughts come to mind?

4. How will I know I have been successful?

Additional comments:

Influential Influencing others to secure buy-in and support for strategies, plans, ideas and projects. Building networks inside and outside of the business to achieve win-win outcomes. Raising the profile of business issues and getting buy-in to plans and ideas.

Influential To what extent do I build an ethos of win-win and networking by doing the following: Quality Rating Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Usually

Always

Establish long term in/formal partnerships inside and outside of he business Encourages and develop others to establish long term win-win alliances to gain mutually beneficial resources and achieve goals Helps others to build networks inside and outside the business to enhance their capacity to influence Lobby effectively by accurately identifying key stakeholders and the benefit to them when needed, paying attention to organisational politics Influence business direction by identifying market trends and changes 1. In what situations have I demonstrated good influencing skills recently, what was it that I did or said that made a difference?

2. In what way do I need to improve my influencing skills.

3. In what way can I use the opportunity with Foyer to develop and practise my influencing skills? In thinking about the task, are there people who I will need to influence, and how would I go about doing so?

4. How will I know I have been successful?

Additional comments:

Planning how to make the most of this experience You will now have had a chance to reflect on your own experience and ability in terms of communicating with, inspiring and influencing others. At Virgin Group, we believe that these sorts of skills are at the heart of everything we do. It's really important to have smart people who can plan for the future, and even better when they have that priceless knack of being able to take people with them, exciting people around a common vision and inspiring them to commit to our goals. We need leaders who can help us retain our unique spirit of innovation, whilst helping our people be successful in their jobs, and making work fun!

Take a look back at your scoring over the last few pages –

Why did you score where you did?

How does the overall picture look, is there a general area for improvement, or a few things you'd like to tackle?

What are you most proud of, and how can you do more of the same?

Which areas would make most difference in your role of leading others, what's your sense of how you can become even more effective and play to your strengths?

What one, two or three things do you know you can do better than others, how could people learn from you?

What are you planning to play with and experiment with during this leadership event?

Is there anyone else you want to tell about your plans?

Having reflected on your current style of leadership, we’re now going to turn to other issues close to our heart, that of building sustainable businesses, whilst ensuring that in doing so, everybody is better off. We’ve added some of the things that Richard is currently focused on, and once again, asking you to reflect on what type of leadership we need for the future, what your own thoughts are, and again, how you can help us lead Virgin businesses. Happy reading and thinking!

Business as a force for good, a world where everybody is better off. Our world-view

Each individual Virgin business has to respond to the same ethical, social and environmental issues that the world faces. Richard has offered us the basis for a sustainable Virgin vision.

“Everyone expects fresh thinking from Virgin. And I believe we owe it to our customers and our staff to make sure that our future growth is built on the principle of living within our means. Businesses need to be bold and creative, to develop radical new products and find alternative ways of doing business. Since innovation is at the heart of the Virgin culture we feel that our group of businesses are well placed to take advantage of the opportunity to lead the way. I am an optimist: sustainability is possible. If each and every one of us has that let’s do it attitude, then we will see a way through these challenges.”

Richard Branson

Planning our journey Richard has shown us a vision of the brand Virgin is shaping up to become. Here’s the journey we’re on together.

Fresh thinking Everyone expects our brand to provide products and services that will help them lead more sustainable lives. We know there are incredibly complex issues to solve first. Yet Richard’s work with Virgin Unite demonstrates that entrepreneurship can begin to drive change – it provides the inspiration for us all to reassess the way we do business.

What is it that you can do in your role to drive fresh thinking about the way we do business. How can your business, and the people you lead and manage, contribute to becoming a force for good. Are there different products we can imagine, different ways of doing business, different ways of interacting with those we serve? What thoughts do you have about the future of the Virgin Brand? In what way can you play a leadership role?

Our customers and our staff If we are to accelerate the pace of change, we must involve and include everyone: our vision needs to be supported by senior management, respected by opinion formers and understood by our staff before it can be communicated to our customers and beyond.

How can we accelerate the pace of change, involving all stakeholders? Who are the opinion formers and how can we work with them? How can you contribute to shaping the debate about social responsibility, what do you believe, and how can you engage your people?

Future growth Growth can contribute to helping people live fuller lives. So let’s continue to focus on delivering the growth that has made Virgin strong, and which ensures the future success of our businesses, while acknowledging we have to make money in a different way.

How can we deliver growth, and make money in a way that ensures everybody benefits, and it is possible for everybody to lead fuller lives? How can we ensure our businesses can be successful both now and in the future, what sort of leadership will it take, and what sort of leader are you? In what way can you contribute as a business leader, and how can you engage your people? How could you get people excited about the future, and their role in business growth?

Living within our means These days, providing a better service to consumers means considering the wider impacts on people and the planet. If we accept that we can’t continue to consume resources at a faster rate than the planet can replenish them, then Virgin businesses need to get creative: how can we achieve growth without increasing consumption of resources?

How do we achieve growth without increasing consumption of resources? How can Virgin group lead the way in doing business differently, what role can we play and what style of leadership will it demand? How does that sit with your current way of leading, are there things you may want to try?

Creative, radical, alternative We must reinvent our products and services. That way, we make our vision tangible to people. First, there are tough questions to ask: what’s the biggest issue in each sector? What have we done about it? How are our companies challenging the best in class? And what does our more radical, sustainable version of a mobile phone or gym actually look like?

What’s the biggest issue in your sector? What do you know about it, how well informed are you? How much should you care and contribute? What alternatives come to mind for your business? What research should you be doing? How can you set aside time for you and your team to think about these issues? What does our most radical, sustainable version of your product or service look like?

Virgin culture We are determined to move beyond the paradox that living more sustainable lives is difficult and boring. Here’s where our unique spirit of innovation can establish the Virgin difference – by delivering tools that help people live more sustainable lifestyles in ways that are easier and more fun.

How do we apply our ‘let’s do it’ culture to these questions and issues? Living more sustainable lives shouldn’t be seen as difficult. How can we leverage our experience and spirit of innovation to crack some of these issues and create a world where everybody is better off. How do you ‘live’ the culture in your own leadership role, what could you do differently every day?

Our group of businesses The range of our activities means we are in a unique position to create change with ‘showstopping’ impact. We touch millions of consumers in all areas of their lives. Individually we’re strong and collectively, even stronger. So every business needs to consider, appraise and re-engineer their business against their competitors, but under a common group framework. Working together makes things more complicated but it’s our best chance to make a REAL difference.

As a leader within a Virgin operating company, what relationships do you have in place with other Virgin leaders? How could you extend your network in order to do your job more effectively? What fresh thinking could you bring in, how could you learn from others in similar roles across the Group? Individually we’re strong and collectively, even stronger. How can you go about establishing relationships for mutual benefit, how would you know you had been successful?

Opportunity to lead Delivering a vision for change means the Virgin brand can evolve to secure its position in a world where priorities are changing. Our continued success depends upon it.

In a world where priorities are constantly changing, how do you ensure your people have a vision for what is to be achieved, both for the business as a whole and in terms of how their own roles fit. How much time should you commit to doing this? How can you really inspire staff to want to create a successful future with you? What would you be doing or saying differently?

Let’s do it People are Virgin’s power source: the desire of each and every one of us to contribute will accelerate change. Richard Branson says: “I believe it is possible that one day we will live enjoyable and healthy lives at the same time as using only the resources of a single planet and only emitting small amounts of carbon… that poverty will be unusual and we will know where our next meal (and many more) will be coming from.”

The desire of each and every one of your people to contribute can accelerate change and contribute to results. What is it that you can do to ensure your people are ready to say ‘Let’s Do It’....and get on with the job? How would you need to behave, what might you do that’s different from your usual style, what would make people sit up and take notice, and what opportunities do you have eg at team meetings, to experiment with a different way of being? If you already do this well, who around you could you help coach?

That’s it for now! We will return to these themes again over the next three months as we work in partnership with Foyer, so keep in a safe place and do bring your thoughts on Thursday when we meet!