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TeamQ

A recent study investigating the performance of natural work teams in corporate South Africa focussed on key development areas for South African teams. The study targeted 150 South African organizations and more than fifty percent responded. 

The following development areas, in order of importance, appear to be common to teams:

  • Lack of trust
  • Weak task leadership
  • Poor implementation/ no follow through
  • No focus
  • Poor interpersonal skills
  • Lessons and mistakes not acknowledged
  • Poor interpersonal chemistry
  • False commitments from team members
  • Working in silos
  • Lack of management support

Competencies related to personal and interpersonal effectiveness comprise fifty percent of the identified development areas. TeamQ is designed to address these common problems by developing:

  • Trust, so that team members trust one another enough to discuss feelings and concerns openly and promptly
  • A sense of belonging, involving the team members emotionally as well as professionally
  • Participation, where contributions of all team members are encouraged and acknowledged.

TeamQ increases the collective spirit and motivation in the team and enhances the capacity of the team to pull together in pursuit of a common purpose.

Expected outcomes

  • Instead of blaming one another, team members will give credit for good work that is being done 
  • They will take responsibility, rather than make excuses for their mistakes 
  • They will share information rather than restrict it
  • They will talk in terms of ‘we’ instead of ‘us’ and ‘them’
  • They will respect and value each other’s backgrounds and experience rather than discredit each other’s competence
  • They will voice concerns, criticisms and conflicts
  • They will speak positively about their work, the organization and the future instead of expressing cynicism.
    • application/pdf iconTeamQ Jan 2012.pdf
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    Impact

    Client Feedback

    “Our staff’s earlier team building experiences were often not positive. Everyone felt TeamQ was definitely different. It opened up people’s perspectives on how to improve interpersonal and work relationships. Instead of the usual finger-pointing at each other on who is more ‘at fault’, we allleft the session with a feeling that we individually hold the key to making the difference.”
    Khin-Sandi Lwin, Country Representative, Unicef, Namibia

    “You have taken us from a disjointed group of individuals to a cohesive team. You will never know what you have done for each of us, individually and cooperatively. Never at any time previously have all been so at ease with one another even though some of us have been colleagues for many years.
    Carol Campbell, Manager, The Red Cross Society of SA 

    ““The approach used by the facilitators during the four days with us was very innovative and exciting and the outcome was fabulous! The process was well planned without being static and followed a thought process that well suited our needs. The tools and the processes used by Free To Grow are very down to earth but at the same time very thought provoking. The staff opened up, relaxed and really listened to each other which was what we really needed. The outcome was a much more trusting and invigorated staff and office and that feeling is still there after 6 months!”
    Lotta Sylwander, Country Representative, UNICEF Zambia

    “It was a worthwhile investment and quite revealing to experience the important role of an external facilitator in unblocking and moving forward dialogue and human relationships. The workshops have created a point of reference when dialogue goes less smoothly or tensions are looming.”
    Dr. Benzerroug, Country Representative, World Health Organisation, Mozambique