Working Well - Team Dynamics

An HR manager asked us to help with a complicated workplace issue. As a result of economic pressures and strategic workforce planning decisions two teams were to merge under a single management team. Not only were managers competing for a reduced number of jobs, but people who had worked in independent silos were now required to work collaboratively, and this included two people who had previously found it impossible to work with each other, which was why they were in separate teams.

Our unique Career Management service was used by the managers – individually – to help them think more clearly about how best to present themselves for the new jobs. In fact, one manager found this a helpful tool in arriving at the decision not to apply for a post; our Management Support service was used by the line managers in both teams, exploring the issues around integration, motivation and engagement and identifying the interpersonal skills that they could apply to help people through the process. We conducted a full analysis of the situation around the two employees who were in dispute with each other. As is so often the case, we could identify positive interventions that would make the working relationship more sustainable; we provided formal mediation with an agreed outcome statement that gave the individuals and their managers the confidence that a dignified working relationship would ensue. The result was the organisation, its managers and its staff were able to work much more effectively through the change curve, whilst maintaining a high level of service delivery.