Recently I had the opportunity to work with a management team of food producing company. The owners of Tree Island Gourmet Yogurt wanted:
- The team to work more independently in the daily management of the company so that the owners could devote more time to growing the business, and
- As they trust that the team, they also wanted the team to be more confident in their own abilities.
I was engaged to facilitate a six hour workshop using the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology to:
- Help the team visualize and understand the overall system in which the business functions, and
- Simulate a few key “what-if” scenarios
The workshop journey started with understanding the individual roles within the team and within the general context of the company. The next step of the process was to define the actors that affect the business and their relative importance. This allowed us to create a system with which we could simulate through several key scenarios related to production and operational issues.
Building the actors that influence the business.
So, what did we uncover? The team discovered for themselves how an event in one area of the business cascades into other areas and how it impacts the overall business cash flow. They arrived to simple guiding principles that will help them guide their decisions during any event in the future. These principles also included key values of the team and the business. Just as important, the team learned more about one another in a very short period of time.
The insight for me was the power of first sharing our individual ideas and then collaboratively constructing a shared story. This gives unity and purpose, thereby enhancing engagement and alignment with the organization’s purpose.
I wish all the success for such a wonderful team and company … and if you ever see a tub of Tree Island Gourmet Yogurt on the shelve at your local store, get it! you won’t regret it.
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