The Game of Teams

Introduction: Covid-19 struck like a thunderbolt and has thrown the world upside down. Many are still reeling as we grapple to right side for a new order. All of us have been forced to wake to a new reality, to pause and immediately assume a virtual reality for most of the population. Teams have been beset too. Episode one is an invitation to look at how teams can use this big pause to be with what the environment and threat is forcing upon us and to rethink our ways of working. Podcast episode summary: I spoke with Krister Lowe, Melissa Hughes and Alexander Caillet to hear their thoughts and ideas to support teams through Covid-19. Essentially the panel echoed the sentiments expressed by so many in different systems .We are all experiencing extraordinary levels of uncertainty and anxiety, oscillating between polarities simultaneously. Teams are no different. The panel suggested that teams  need to take stock, to reform & re-norm to  delight in the fact that our current levels of kindness & humaneness is not impacting productivity. There was an  acknowledgement that it took something like Covid-19 to stop 8bln people on a runaway train of 80+ hours of work, an erosion of the planet and consumption and travel at unstainable levels.  The gift of Covid-19 is the opportunity to transform.   Points made through the episode: It is normal to feel so discombobulated. There is huge variability in our state of minds, oscillating between despair and hope, action and rest, reflection and analysis. Mindfulness practices and centring practices can bring these polarities closer. Melissa suggested the book title “Permission to feel” and instead of beating ourselves up or feeling guilty about lack or gaps in productivity to instead get creative about stuff that is good for us right now. Remember from our evolutionary psychology that emotions are good for us. They serve, so it is important that we don’t resist what they are sharing as information hits & be with what is needed. There is a huge creative force being unleashed -The world is poised and pregnant with possibility. Krister, reminded us of a quote from Laozi- “Our highest virtue does nothing, yet nothing needs to be done, the lowest virtue does everything and much remains to be done” By doing nothing right now or very little by staying at home we are actually helping beat Covid-19 and similarly at work or virtually with our teams we can use this pause to think about what needs changing rather than trying to get into endless activity. Alexander pointed out that Teams need to first get familiar with the technology of working virtually, then consider the security and viability of various options as well as the ergonomics for remote working. Then teams need to consider ways of working given virtual , the nature of teaming and for a new identity There are silver linings to be had from this this extraordinary change, including our appreciation of humanity, the dynamic between task and relationships with a rebalancing of both- it is also challenging some previously unquestioned assumptions like working from home and what that can do for the planet, commercial real estate and a rebalancing of our personal needs One norm that is being appreciated by the panel that they wish not to be lost is the idea of slow is fast. How do we relish more with less? Forever forgetting the runaway train of relentless productivity and consumerism to which we were all attached. Danger that we will consume zoom like we used to consume meetings. Advice to be judicious with the forms of meetings we chose, to consider phone, email, IM along with zoom. To allow for a default for 15 minute meetings with an option to extend, or to consider ending zoom meetings at 25 mins or 50 to allow the brain to rest. Consider Agile practices like Kan-ban and options like Mural for team meetings. The panel shared some tips for teams including limiting number of things you attempt to get accomplished in a day, having four hours -worth of meetings in a day for example. Consider boundaries. Consider all the many informal ways people used to connect and approximate them in the virtual space. Replicate the physical space in a virtual reality with some obvious adjustments. Balance task and relationship orientation and consider getting support with conversation facilitation. Important to keep in mind the huge suffering happening in the world. Many of us with work are lucky. We are experiencing a VUCA world on steroids. The brain is less able to cope with uncertainty than it is with predicable threats. Aim to bring some structure and control into your daily rhythms We are in-between two ports. We continue to need to get stuff done and we have the opportunity to reflect and change. Encourage your teams to get innovative. The panel concluded by sharing some wisdom and hope for teams. We will emerge and we will figure this out. We are a creative species so allow for creativity. Teams are the unit of analysis so find a team. Get skilled in conversational facilitation, an imperative to navigate virtual teaming.          Quotable Quote: “the highest virtue does nothing, Yet nothing needs to be done. The Lowest virtue does everything. Yet much remains to be done” Laozi   Resources: the following include the resources I alluded to in this episode. “Why you should ignore all that Coronavirus inspired productivity pressure” Aisha Ahmad, Associate Professor Toronto University -The Chronicle of Higher Education March 27th 2020 Permission to feel: The power of Emotional Intelligence to achieve well -being and success.  

Introduction: Covid-19 struck like a thunderbolt and has thrown the world upside down. Many are still reeling as we grapple to right side for a new order. All of us have been forced to wake to a new reality, to pause and immediately assume a virtual reality for most of the population. Teams have been beset too. I noticed my immediate reaction was to want to support. I got into a frenetic productivity race with myself to convert my programs to be available online, to support teams think and be virtually minded, to reach out to my many clients to offer help. I was simultaneously feeling the underbelly of anxiety of worry. Would my small business survive? I only stopped when I read a very compelling article in the Chronicle of Higher Education written by Aisha Ahmed, an assistant professor at Toronto University. On reading I exhaled. I realised I too has succumbed to a  maladaptive response of delusion and denial to the enormous change I was battling. I stopped my frenetic productivity goals and stepped back. Instead I chose to do something I knew I could and decided to put out a series of podcasts dedicated to teams going through this unimaginable period of change. Podcast episode summary: This introduction episode is my introduction to a special series of podcasts for a limited period to support teams through Covid-19. I intend to interview 18 guests I have already interviewed on the Game of Teams Podcast but this time they will gather in a panel format. I will host 6 conversations to be published over six weeks starting on the 1st of May. I will interview 3 guests to comprise my panel. I intend to follow the schema introduced to me by Aisha in her article.  The six episodes will be chunked down into 3 segments.    EP1 will speak to  our current situation and the challenges teams are facing through Covid-19. I intend to interview Dr Krister Lowe, Dr Melissa Hughes and Alexander Caillet as my guests for this episode.  EP2 will speak to the emotional overwhelm & communication issues we as humans have and continue to experience by virtue of Covid-19 and what this means for teams. In this episode I will interview Dan Newby, Dr Paul Lawrence and Sue McDonnell EP3: This episode will discuss the mental models or mindsets teams need to adopt to thrive. I will interview Fin Gould, Dr Sari Van Poelje and Jennifer Britton.  EP4: As we shift to accept our new normal what are some of the Leadership challenges this crisis poses and how can adapt or practice for difference? I will interview Dr Ruth Wageman, Dr Simon Western and Connor Brennan  EP5 will consider how we begin to embrace our new condition. What does this mean for teams and Leaders? How will business respond? In this episode I will talk to John Baldoni, Richard Boston and John McCusker EP6: Bringing it all together. What is the one team response? How do we embrace our new normal? What is the opportunity exactly and how can teams move forward?    Points made through the episode:  It is normal to feel so discombobulated. This is a seismic shift.  We are moving on the change curve of a magnitude many of us have never experienced.  Aisha Ashmad helped me stop and catch myself succumbing to the seduction of productivity as an antidote to denial and delusion. We are going to go through 3 stages which requires of us to 1. Find Security, 2. Find new mental models and 3. Embrace the opportunity for creativity & innovation that this change provides  The six panel interviews are my offer to the world vis a vie teams and Covid-19    Resources: the following include the resources I alluded to in this episode.  “Why you should ignore all that Coronavirus inspired productivity pressure” Aisha Ahmad, Associate Professor Toronto University -The Chronicle of Higher Education March 27th 2020 

Introduction: Nadjeschda (Nadja) Taranczewski has a Master of Psychology accreditation, is a Master Certified Coach and works as a coach, author and keynote speaker. Nadja is the author of the book Conscious You: Become the hero of your own story and she is currently working on her second book the Conscious Tribe Playbook. Podcast episode summary: This episode talks about Nadja’s focus in the world to support leaders reinvent their organisations to become conscious tribes. 4 meta competencies infuse her work: Self Reflection, Self -Compassion, Ownership and Deep Dialogue. The conversation on the Game of Teams Podcast spoke predominantly to two of those competencies Self Reflection and Deep Dialogue. Nadja also described her blended learning program, a six-month program that cuts across boundaries and allows for individual and organisation learning simultaneously.   Points made through the episode: Nadja is fiercely independent and her strong value for freedom has informed how she navigates life and with whom she chooses to connect for meaningful relations. She transports this degree of clarity into her work helping clients become self-aware and conscious of the choices they are making Asking questions, reflecting back and listening are the tools to develop deep connection Nadja wants to ignite the “flame” buried deep in every individual to become the Heroes of our own narratives. She believes the principles of deep dialogue and listening to each other can fuel the flames of potential we have in each of us Any place where 2 or more people come together is complex. Relationships are messy and armed with our vulnerabilities we can fight proxy wars that mask what is truly going on for us inside. We need rituals and practices to stop hiding. Nadja helps teams by employing four “Meta-Competencies” Self-Reflection, Self-Compassion, Ownership and Deep Dialogue Nadja helps teams talk about what matters from a place of compassion, deep listening and co-creation principles In a world that can suffer ADD where we are impatient for results Nadja shares that it is important for us to reframe the work. Self-Reflection work takes time. Changing the structure of a team’s operating model or culture takes time. It is not a quick fix. Nadja and her company CU offer six -month programs of blended learning to afford individual development and organisational culture change simultaneously Deep Dialogue is supported by a principle of buddying, often across functions. Doing so affords immediate psychological safety and an opportunity to learn widely The same buddying system can be employed on teams where deep dialogue can support real understanding and removes the need to fix or provide solutions but instead allow team member really to see and hear each other. It is a transformative practice Nadja describes deep dialogue as a space where time slows down, where it is not about a destination but a conversation for understanding. She offers scripts to people to help with the practice but largely the advice is not to discuss, not to interrupt but to chew over a question for example and allow 3 mins each side to simply be received by another Source Energy: Nadja explains the origin and writer of this concept Peter Kreunig which explodes the myth that purpose is co-created. Principle of energy means there is someone who had the original spark for an idea or project and took the first risk. He/she is infused with the import or purpose and values of that same idea. Nadja describes her process in getting at collective buy in and shared understanding for the source energy. Leadership according to Nadja has a lot more to do with the willingness and capacity of a leader to do deep inner work more than what used to be regarded as leadership with a focus on technical work. Nadja describes her first book Conscious U: Become the here of your own story -How to have a self -authored life, which often entails rewriting an old narrative. Her new book that is soon to be released is called the Conscious Tribe Playbook. That book will share ideas about how to reinvent organisations to become a thriving community where people invest their inner work, understand the big picture, invest in deep relations and cultivate conscious rituals. Conscious U offers a blended learning coaching program which makes cultural transformation scalable by promoting employee engagement and conscious development across all levels of the organisation Covid 19 despite the obvious emotional field of fear, uncertainty and in some cases panic, offers the chance for all of us to adapt to a more digital knowing and appreciation that can allow for greater productivity over time and still allows for connection.     Resources: the following include the resources we alluded to over the course of our conversation   conscious-u.com CU*I a blended learning program for organisations Conscious You: Become the Hero of your own Story by Nadjeschda Taranczewski Chapter 4, The Transformation Map: https://www.conscious-u.com/podcast/CU_Become-the-Hero_C4_The-Transformation-Map.pdf Two free resources: https://www.conscious-u.com/1377-2/

Introduction: James O Callaghan is the Performance Director for the Irish Sailing Association a role he has held for over 14 years. In that time ,he has seen Irish sailing secure World Champion Medals, European Titles and of course an Olympic Silver Medal.  Podcast episode summary: This episode reveals the indomitable spirit, resilience and mental toughness required  by Irish Sailors to perform at World Class Sailing regattas and to qualify to participate at the Olympics. James O Callaghan shares his experience of being the performance director for the Irish Sailing Association, the role he has played in building the structure for ISA and in facilitating a performance environment in which the athletes can thrive. Lessons on learning, teaming, managing the mind, energy management, perspective making, priorities, decision making and the importance of self- awareness litter this very engaging conversation.    Points made through the episode:  James’ project at Trinity College Dublin –“how to manage peoples Olympic campaigns was instrumental in positioning him as a burgeoning entrepreneur. He set up Sail Coach straight out of college-where he coached two Olympic sailors from South Africa and the Seychelles -this project was hugely successful from a performance point of view and enabled James to learn loads-Joined ISA (Irish Sailing Association) as their Head Coach and quickly assumed role of full time Performance Director.  Tokyo 2020 will be James’s sixth Olympics  At the start Role was about defining Vision for ISA and building the structure to support the development of World Class Athletes. His role now is about guiding their strategy and challenging assumptions made in the  past. James also instrumental in guiding the associations foundation to raise ongoing funds for the sport.  Team has won 27 international medals, two of which comprise Olympic medals for Annalise Murphy, 4th at 2012 Olympics and 2nd at Rio in 2016 In sport you cannot look back or rest on your laurels “you are only as good as your last race”  Metrics vital to objectively assess how athletes are doing against the benchmarks generated  The dream goal is a medal, but Athletes do not go to work every day talking about medal making instead they follow a precise pathway to build performance  Sailing cycle is relentless  Organisation comprises ever increasing circles, the core team an athlete and coach, surrounded by head coach, the performance director and then the many stakeholders like Sport Ireland and the Olympic Federation  James is buffer between the sport and the agencies; he has to strike a keen balance between allowing athletes train and helping them promote their own disciplines on a PR train.  James described the Performance Pathways the athletes enter at a very young age, helping talented sailors understand what it means to be a performance athlete Talent is of course a key requirement but not a distinguisher -attitude is essential  The Performance Pathway teaches resilience, responsibility and self -responsibility  Important for James and his colleagues who are supporting the athletes to be match fit. Olympics and the preparation required is an intense experience  Energy management is vital. You can do a good job but don’t leave all of your energy at work  The inner voice & self-awareness is that 5% that has to be trained.  Olympics for sure is a pressure cooker environment but important to remember it is not predictable, that is not reality.  Those who respond best to variability are the ones who will end up being an Olympian Champion  An athletes success will depend on their level of self -awareness, self -regulation, how they decide to react to situations and control the controllable.  James described the big decision Annalise made recently to quit the 49erFX category , a new campaign for ISA and to attempt to return to the discipline for which she won a medal. His message; if you have to make a decision make it and don’t expend energy pondering.  Some significant life lessons shaped & continue to influence James O Callaghan. The death of his father, a drowning accident while he was sailing, has helped James deal with adversity and has shifted his perspective on setback and failures  The courage shown by his Mum has inspired James and has shaped a lot of his views on life-family is extraordinarily important to James -talking about the “real” stuff With Tokyo looming James is busy working with athletes but also with the Foundation and the Olympic Steering Group.  James described the auspices of the OSG and the setting up of the Foundation.  Earlier this year with funding ISA was able to build its first ever Performance HQ in Dunlaoighre and that has been a game changer for the Association. Athletes are now housed together and not flung across the globe, Coaches live close to the HQ, Coaches can now share ideas across the teams and a performance culture is now evident  The 3 containers that comprise the HQ are a very efficient use of money and the time. They are of course mobile and will be shipped to Tokyo for that “Home from Home” purpose important to the team.  Resources: the following include the resources we alluded to over the course of our conversation   Irish Sailing Association www.sailing.ie  Sport Ireland www.sportireland.ie  Olympic Federation of Ireland 

Introduction: Sari is a renowned expert in the field of Agile, Business Innovation and Change. She is Managing Director of her own company Intact Academy that teaches 6 accredited programs for Leaders, Consultants and Coaches. A lot of her work is informed by her background in Transactional Analysis. Sari has worked for over 31 years, over 5 continents with in excess of 2000 Alumni from her programs. She has also worked in various director roles for companies like EMI Music, Shell, KLM and ASML. Sari is a prolific writer with 14 publications to her name. She has just completed her first book called “Agile Business Innovation & Design” which will be released later this year.    Podcast episode summary: Sari shared her wisdom on teams, her approach to team coaching and her definition of agile and how she supports companies adopt an agile model for business innovation. Sari populated this episode with numerous anecdotes and nuggets of wisdom for both leaders and practitioners of team coaching. Her insight into teams and what makes them great makes this a must listen.    Noteworthy points of discussion Agile is not about leadership characteristics or psychological factors it is more about  how the business is structured, how leadership is created to have the energy of a start-up and to be coach like and how the business co-operates with its customers and how innovation is married to a commercial orientation.  Sari consults business to adopt an Agile Business Innovation design in 28 weeks. Business must want to change to think and be Agile.  Intact Academy offers a very comprehensive Team Coaching Program. Based a lot around TA (Transactional Analysis) using concepts like Voice Dialogue, Constellations, Group Dynamics all used to support the team change Sari reminds listeners it is important to distinguish between Groups and Teams many people confuse the terms and forget what it means to work on a team Members have to accept Interdependence and Collaboration. Also, it is important that people understand the roles of Leadership and Followership  Sari described the approach she uses to support coaches learn about team coaching. She is adamant about the order in which team coaches approach teams.  Level One is all about the Structure of a team -boundaries/hierarchy/Roles Level Two is about relations on a team -how to improve the dynamics and improve social ranking between members  Level Three is about the team Imago or perception of the team and its culture  Sari shares an example of how Social Ranking when it is not equidistant can derail a team  Story is an important feature of teams and important to attend to the narratives teams hold and whether the current narrative will yield the change required for the team Some trip wires novice team coaches fall prey include assuming the role of the leader, mixing up the order described above, being there “merely to help” as opposed to speaking the truth and helping the Leader and team get really clear about what is expected to innovate and change Sari believes love is a wonderful energy for teams and helps a team change its story once care, attention and respect are in place  Sari uses the Hero’s Journey with teams. Joseph Campbells book is about the story of stories -all stories can be seen as 12 steps -Vogel’s work with the Hero’s Journey is perhaps more accessible  Finally Sari after over 34 years as a practicing consultant, coach and leader is returning to what she calls the essentials, helping create meetings between people/sense making of relations-this is what is needed in todays’ world – she is also going to do a lot more with stories and story -telling using dance and singing  Sari shares the resources she uses to inform her practice with teams ‘ but she also shares an invaluable resource, the everyday happenings. She suggests that we become better at everyday observation. Teams reveal themselves in the same way. Observation followed by conceptualisation to understand that behaviour means for change.    Resources: the following include the resources we alluded to over the course of our conversation  www.intactadademy.com  Agile Business Innovation and Design to be published later this year  Mary Beth O Neil: Executive Coaching with Back Bone and Heart  Joseph Campbell: he Hero with a Thousand Faces  Vogel, Christopher (2007) The Writers Journey  Morton A, Lieberman, Irvin Yalom and Matthew Miles: Encounter Groups First Facts 

Introduction: John Baldoni is an internationally recognised leadership consultant, coach, keynote speaker and author of 14 books on leadership. In 2018 Inc.com named John a Top 100 Speaker and in 2019 Global Gurus ranked John # 9 on its list of the top 30 Gurus in the world. John is a highly acclaimed executive coach and is in much demand as a leadership educator. I had the pleasure of interviewing John about his new book Grace, A Leaders Guide to a better us.  Podcast episode summary: John Baldoni has a lot to say about Leadership and his latest book is really a call for more Grace in Leadership. He explores this topic with me on this podcast and really makes the case for humanising the workforce by applying the virtues inherent in GRACE. Grace as a Leadership Mindset is a catalyst for positive change to enable the greater good. It is an antidote to the disconnected way a lot of us live and work today. Baldoni helps us distinguish the attributes of grace in Generosity, Respect, Action, Compassion and Energy. Put simply this podcast reminds us what wonders we can accomplish when we work together for the greater good.    Points made through the episode:  Leadership has not changed radically over the Millenia, two noteworthy changes however include Velocity of change and global scope of Leadership with Leaders on call 24/7 which erodes boundaries, downtime and family time and two the introduction of women in Leadership  40,000 plus definitions of Leadership but for John, Leaders do what is needed to be done for the greater good of the whole.  Some problematic assumptions are when Leaders conflate management and leadership -an effective Leader needs to be both Baldoni has written extensively about Purpose, our why for doing things which leads to the creation or co-creation of a vision and mission. Values then create our sense of belonging.  GRACE is the facilitative lubricant that brings it all together  We live in contentious times Grace cuts through all of that and builds connection, Grace is critical to our time, a time where we are divided by separateness and contempt.  Grace dissolves contempt and is catalyst for greater good  GRACE as an anacronym means:  Generosity- open hearted sharing of authority Respect – non -judgemental acceptance of others  Action- Staying a stand and doing good  Compassion- understanding humanity of another  Energy – keeping fit and mobilised for action  Why is it missing- all of us suffer shortcomings, many of us are too busy, metric focused and short-sighted, some of us are afraid to be vulnerable  Scott Moorhead of a company featured in Johns book talks about giving people permission to care Part of caring is insisting on responsibility it is not mushy. Grace is a mindset shift-more deeply we have an altruism gene so we have to let-go some misconceptions we have about Leading.  As a leader ask yourself if you are generous in spirit, are you genuinely respectful of others, do you act for the benefit of others, do you go out of your way to show compassion and do you work to bring people together for the better good As a manager and leader you do care about getting results but there is a lubricant that could get there in a more engaging manner- GRACE   Resources: the following include the resources we alluded to over the course of our conversation   John Baldoni: Grace, A Leaders Guide to a Better Us John Mattone: Intelligent Leadership Markus Buckingham’s latest book Nine lies about work 

Introduction: Alexander Caillet is renowned for his pioneering approach to team coaching and his state of mind research with organisational Leaders. He is an organisational psychologist, consultant, executive coach and team coach, working internationally. Alexander is CEO of Corentus, a coaching and consulting organisation dedicated to transforming teams. He is also faculty at Georgetown University, He is a frequent international speaker on subjects such as  change, Teams, Team Coaching and Leadership. Alexander has co-authored a mini book called Corentus Team Coaching, a fascinating read. Alexander is a dual citizen of France and the US and he lives in Boston with his wife and 3 beautiful daughters.   Podcast episode summary: In this episode Alexander Caillet communicates with enormous clarity & passion his approach to team coaching, the power of this methodology and the gift it can afford teams and organisations especially in answer to our VUCA world. Alexander describes the company’s approach to team interventions, the models he deploys and the role of the team coach. He shares many vignettes to illuminate the power of team coaching and how by way of this work the teams work is sustainable.    Noteworthy points of discussion Alexander Caillet saw the power of Group Dynamics in his studies at Columbia University and he wanted to bring this power into his work with teams.  Team Coaching is the product of integrating a real time approach in group dynamics in a business or organisational setting with the team is doing its work so that they can adapt and get at improved performance  Teams and groups today are brought into the work using tools to support the building of team charters, defining a purpose, clarifying goals understanding roles etc. but they stumble on communication, trust and respect and although we have tools for these ideas they are seemingly insufficient when the team is back in the workplace.  The real translation of those tools around communication trust, psychological safety happens in the moment when the team has a breakdown back at work and they can see how to navigate these issues with real time coaching.  There is almost an implicit assumption at work on teams that “we don’t do that kind of work it is too dangerous” but group dynamics in terms of norms/patterns/outcome are unavoidable and without it we lose opportunity to get a HPTs.  There is a role with teams for Team Facilitation, Team Building, Team Teaching and Consulting and there is also room for Team Coaching.  Corentus offers a customised approach that is a combination of all four modalities Team Coaching is an engagement over time sometime a year-that allows for team observation and analysis of its processes and patterns to further sustained difference  Corentus employs a definitive model to support teams engage with their work: The model is described as Sensing/Being/Making moves.  Being describes the way a Coach shows up-important to be fit for the work as this work is not for the faint of heart-essential to be grounded and to understand triggers – being calm and clear gets noticed and helps the team Sensing is about gathering data either quantitatively or qualitatively and then feeding it back to the team in a neutral manner . Corentus uses many tools but important to them is the idea of the relationship between norms/patterns and outcomes or the OPN model – all teams have patterns laid down by norms, assumptions and beliefs that generate definitive outcomes  Making Moves is about using the data in the various domains of decision making/accountability etc for difference  Having data and asking powerful questions in the moment when the team is doing its work can often be a real turning point for a team and the real value of Team Coaching  We walk into systems very quickly and often we become blind or go native to the system we are in. Team Coaching allows us to pause and notice and ask the team to do the same- to notice what is happening, what patterns are emerging and what needs to be changed if anything?  Important to this work is Leadership Coaching in addition to working with the Leader and team publicly, Corentus will work with the Leader and their impact offline over time.  We are living in a VUCA world  Volatility represents the relentless speed & pace of change, Uncertainty meaning things are harder to predict, Complexity making things difficult to analyse and Ambiguity making things harder to interpret.  VUCA drives a lot of overwhelm.  Corentus and Alexander sees a real need for teams to focus, for teams to invest time together, to come together to work things out.  Alexander sees the work of Team Coaches as  instrumental and of value in this VUCA world if we can transfer  the knowledge and skills we use with teams so that they can sense/be and make moves for themselves.  Alexander shared a powerful story of work with a with a well-known NGO and how his approach and models supported the Executive Team of this entity ultimately make decision four times faster than they ordinarily were able to do. This ability and skill learnt over time  was of enormous value when in reality the NGO was faced with a humanitarian crisis after the Tsunami in 2008.  Alexander is intent on building Corentus Globally , writing and speaking more, stepping out of delivery and having an impact in terms of increased global collaboration and collective intelligence . I wish him all the success in these endeavours    Resources: the following include the resources we alluded to over the course of our conversation   WWW.corentus.com  Introduction to Corentus Team Coaching by Alexander Caillet and Amy Yeager

Introduction: Sarah Hill is the co-owner of Dialogix and she describes herself as a dialogue facilitator and behavioural dynamics interventionist. The focus of her work is on tackling some of the toughest and most demanding behavioural challenges. She works with CEOs and senior leaders from a range of different cultures and countries.  She designs & delivers accredited training programs on structural dynamics, generative dialogue and childhood story. Sarah is the Author of “Where did you learn to behave like that? A coaching guide for working with Leaders. She has also co-authored the book The Tao of Dialogue. Sarah holds a PhD and has published articles on collaborative research working with invisible realities & issues of integrity through the lens of Structural Dynamics. Sarah’s ambition as a thought leader is to help Leaders recognise that their unresolved childhood stories not only adversely impact themselves but the teams and whole systems of which they are a part.    Podcast episode summary: This episode explores the methodology of Structural Dynamics and Childhood Story. Sarah explained how the behavioural components of structural dynamics can help a team understand their communication patterns and resolve some stuck patterns. She distinguished between the 4 levels of structural dynamics and how practical a model it can be for teams. She also explored the very real invisible realities of childhood story and how shadow behaviours in high stake situations can impede constructive dialogue. Between us we shared our own childhood stories and the work it takes to re-narrate internal narratives.    Noteworthy points of discussion Sarah ‘s interest and passion for change and generative dialogue came after a chance meeting with an organisation called Prison Dialogue. There she witnessed the power of these processes to exercise change even in tough cultures.  Exposed to the work of David Kantor and her PhD “Separate Lives silenced voices” is a theme through all of her work  Sarah referenced the podcast I had with Dr. Paul Lawrence, episode 13 where he explored Structural Dynamics with me  Sarah illuminated the 4 different levels of Structural Dynamics Level One: speaks to our action propensities in conversation through four different acts, the move, the follow, oppose and the bystander Level Two: These are the operating rules governing our behaviour, open, closed or random Level Three: describes the communication domain we use or attend to and they include, Power which is about action or task, Affect is about intimacy or a focus on relationship, Meaning is about sense making, thought or knowledge    Level Four: relates to your childhood story that is often invisible If I were to self-assess using this model, I might consider that I am naturally inclined towards Move/Random/Meaning/ Sarah shared her story about being uncomfortable with oppose having been in a family dynamic where oppose was used and where for Sarah as a child it was dangerous to oppose or be opposed. That was her internal narrative  In high stakes we can react in ways that are embarrassing & shaming. Often something else is playing out behind the shadow behaviour, a fear or old narrative that is now not helpful The work involves understanding what happens in high stakes, what are the triggers that induce shadow behaviour? what are the themes or fears that lie behind our behaviour in high stakes? what are some of our formative experiences? The work is not to dwell on the story but to recraft a new narrative, knowing that the story does not change Structural Dynamics helps to make the invisible visible. It provides a way to understand what might be appearing in conversation and why often there exist model clashes between individuals on teams or in organisations  Structural Dynamics is very proactive. It equips teams to change the nature of their discourses by having a common language to explore together.  Sarah is of the mind that the work of Structural Dynamics and the associated behavioural change work necessary is still not central enough on teams  Sarah appreciates that to do the work teams need to slow down to speed up.       Website:www.dialogix.co.uk The Tao of Dialogue by Paul Lawrence and Sarah Hill  Reading the Room by David Kantor   Dialogue the art of thinking together by William Isaacs  Where did you learn to behave like that? A coaching guide for working with Leaders by Sarah Hill  Where did you learn to behave like that Podcast series on itunes 

Introduction: John Hill is an accredited Executive Coach and Training specialist. He is a faculty member with the Academy of Executive Coaching and teaches on their Master Systemic Team Coaching Diploma. He has two particular interests in his work, 1. Build awareness systemically and 2. Develop personal and collective psychological capital in groups, teams and organisations.    Podcast episode summary: John illuminated the important systemic nature of teams. He littered this show with many references and stories showcasing what it means to think systemically. He shared why he thinks thinking systemically is important and how it shapes the work and behaviours on teams.  He also demonstrated the interlink between emotions, psychology and transformational change. Sometimes, according to John we simply have to look awry and with curiosity to get at different results.    Noteworthy points of discussion We are all each of us affected by the many and varying systems in which we live Maybe we have to do a better job of reintegrating the many disparate ways we look at the world John cited the increasing need for teams today, teams are the units of currency or building blocks for great organisational performance  John shared a metaphor that describes his approach to team coaching. He sees teams as rivers in flow with a direction and many influences in the form of tributaries. As a team coach he is the rock that the team needs to navigate, be with and be disrupted by.  John described his process of engagement with teams, a model used by Professor Peter Hawkins called the CID-CLEAR model.  John uses himself as an instrument of change. He is pragmatic, down to earth and real and he helps the team clarify their expectations together, the outcomes they wish to achieve in a very vivid manner.  All teams are complex. “There is nothing more complicated than when it is looked at with fresh eyes doesn’t become more complicated” Donella Meadows  A survey conducted by Conference Board of New York showed how job satisfaction and engagement at work was affected by feelings, how we feel about our manager and how we feel about the people with whom we worked largely impacts engagement.  John helps teams become intelligent about their emotions; he also helps people become adept at looking at their thinking.  He often employs a CBT approach to thinking about thinking. He described the Ellis model or ABCDE model, where if we can dispute the beliefs (the B in the model) we can change our thinking.  Similarly, John shared the work of Lex Sisney, an organisational coach who says, “it is not a problem to be solved but a polarity to be managed.” John described his approach to team engagement which often encompasses some form of somatic work and embodied work for insight and thinking  Team Coaching is a blend of facilitation, coaching, teaching and systems sight According to Professor Alice Roberts the evolution of Homo Sapiens versus Neanderthals amounted to an ability by Homo Sapiens to collaborate. The degree of change happening today requires greater levels of collaboration.  Teams need to come together to explore the skills, experiences and judgements that they can better use together than apart.  Katzenbach and Smith is a good book and great primer for people to consider the work of teams.  John shared his view that teams need to treat their purpose as if it were a baby to be nurtured. He also said we could think about changing the word purpose from a noun into a verb and start thinking about how we are purposing in our meetings, time together etc… Teams need to think more systemically and ask questions such as “what would our stakeholders ask of us” what does the future generation require of this team today?”    Resources: the following include the resources we alluded to over the course of our conversation Donella H. Meadows (2008) Thinking in Systems:  A Primer  William R. Torbert, Action Inquiry: The Secret of Timely and Transforming Leadership  Peter Hawkins, CID -Clear Model as described in Leadership Team Coaching  Albert Ellis ABC theory developed into an ABCDE framework found at albertellis.org  Johari Window created by Joseph Luft and Harrington Inghram in 1955 Lex Sisney, The science of growing businesses  Professor Alice Roberts. Tamed, Ten Species that changed our world  Katzenback, JR. Smith, K. The Wisdom of Teams  www.aoec.com 

Introduction: Donal Courtney has married an incredibly successful commercial /corporate as an Executive and now Independent NED career with an equally impressive career in Rugby refereeing.  Donal started his career as a Chartered Accountant, was practice Manager for Author Anderson, held various CFO/Executive board positions for companies like Airbus, Orix and GMAC Bank. He is an independent Non-Executive Director for Dell Bank, IPUT, Uni Credit and Permanent TSB. His is a former International Rugby referee and Head of European refereeing and he is now World Rugby disciplinary panel member.    Podcast episode summary: This particular episode shared Donal’s insight working/leading and managing teams both on the pitch and off the pitch in corporate life. Donal peppered this conversation with numerous examples & lessons we can learn from the world of sport.  As many of my guests have shared & Donal agreed the demands on people at work are increasing, regulation has increased, governance is tougher, there is a greater focus on culture in a good way, pace & the speed of change is relentless. We are living in an increasingly digitised and networked society and this ask for new Leadership and a collective approach to solve some of our more wicked problems. Much can be learnt from the world of sport.    Noteworthy points of discussion Whether you are leading a 2-man team or a 10 -man team, Leadership is critical. Leaders need to think in terms of not just the resources available to the team but about the right skills, the right balance & mix of people making sure people feel safe to contribute and be part of a collective  Regular check-points and feedback is required -Seagull management is a misnomer  Continuous discussion and a process to surface issues, escalate concerns and have the conversations that matter. This means more agile ways of working. World is more complex, Brexit for example creating uncertainty, banking change and regulation has heightened, Culture and creating a culture that allows for Diversity and Inclusion is important -belonging matters  Everyone one is different, and people need to feel OK to bring themselves to work  Huge opportunity for innovation and learning but that requires a willingness to adapt & learn In sport players are encouraged to look at videos to see their play and their patterns we spoke about how this approach is akin to coaching effectively in organisations  Donal’s approach at the Irish Rugby Union is coach like-he asks questions because he knows he is not close to the action the players are.  People have to move away from the idea of failure and embrace continuous learning and experimentation -a lot of it comes down how you communicate and the values you model Best team in Donal’s opinion as an example of great team work is the All Blacks. He shares how the All Blacks stay on the pitch after a match to practice their routine. They have about 7-8 different Hakas that they need to perform. They demonstrate togetherness, organisation, shared or distributed leadership, clear purpose, co-ordination and an ethos of belonging to a bigger cause. It is all about the Jersey.  Joe Schmitt brought that ethos to the Irish Team-Joe is committed to practice, planning and clarity of play.  Donal loves the Adidas logo “Impossible is nothing” and he shared many examples of teams who came from obscurity to becoming winners by virtue of their belief & commitment, witness Japan versus South Africa in the last world cup, Leicester City a few years ago, The Europeans in 2012 at Medina in the US.  TEAM acronym to mean Togetherness, Empathy, Attitude and Management  His lesson from his transition from Executive to INED is to know your role and understand you are working on a team and not as a sole trader. Things will go wrong on teams but it is how you deal with the fallout that is important  Golf is often thought of as a very singular sport but Donal commented on the very important role the team plays in a professional golfers career. The relationship between caddy and player is vital.