The whole philosophy of Teamstyles is to explain how style impacts on the way we communicate. We acknowledge that there are different psychometric tools that explain personality; but our emphasis is linking personal style to the way we communicate in teams, and in our personal relationships. Teamstyles is best described as a dynamic communication process and our goal is to assist team members communicate openly and honestly about how they see themselves; and both give feedback to, and receive feedback from, their peers.
The effectiveness of the Teamstyles programme is evidenced by the wide and disparate nature of the teams that have used it and benefited from it – over 36,000 people (in over 4000 teams) internationally, across many industries. People who use it, report that compared to other assessments, it is the simplest, easiest and gives the most face validity of any programme they have used; and allows open communication to occur.
As individuals, we are much more complex than most psychometric tests would suggest. Our emphasis, therefore, is on team communication rather than placing individuals in predetermined or static pigeon-holes. We suggest it is more accurate to suggest a framework of styles (range of behaviours) rather than a single prescriptive type – we may display different styles of behaviour depending on the makeup of the team and our role in it. This does not suggest inconsistency but rather that many of us have the ability to modify aspects of our normal behaviour or style because of our own or the team’s needs.
The relationship between style and communication ultimately influences the dynamics of team behaviour and the establishment of a unique team culture. After going through the programme, you will be able to understand yourself and the way you interact with others in the team more effectively. It is important to liberate the true potential of teams made up of different styles, so that conflict is constructive and innovative, not personality (style) based.
The Teamstyles workshop can be completed in 4 hours; and an abbreviated process, in less than 2 hours.
Good teams encourage open communication, healthy debate and celebrate the strengths that different styles bring to a team. However, with the ever increasing demand for change world-wide, teams are under greater pressure than ever and unfortunately personality conflicts increase with that pressure. Poor communication and personality conflict are most often cited in surveys as the major cause of team dysfunction.
Leadership, effective communication and the empowerment of people are essential elements for the long term success of companies and organisations. No organisation can claim security in strategic planning if it fails to acknowledge the critical importance of its people.
Without good communication and an understanding of ‘style’, teams are unlikely to achieve their real potential. Because the Teamstyles programme encourages participants to celebrate differences in ‘style’; to focus on an individual’s strength, rather than weakness, it allows a team to foster respect and trust, because they can understand the validity of difference in communication style.