{"id":5406,"date":"2020-11-09T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-09T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/?p=5406"},"modified":"2020-11-09T11:10:08","modified_gmt":"2020-11-09T11:10:08","slug":"the-new-team-toolkit-what-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/the-new-team-toolkit-what-is-it\/","title":{"rendered":"The new \u2018Team Toolkit\u2019 \u2013 What is it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When asked to develop a team toolkit<\/a> for the staff re-orientation webpages my first thought was \u2018where do I start?\u2019 It needed to be something that was useful to teams in the current climate and helped them manage some of the challenges they are currently facing. So that was the starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2018What are some of the key challenges teams are facing?\u2019 <\/strong> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I think most people would agree that short time working <\/strong>is one of the biggest challenges. With so much to deliver and with fewer resources, how do we decide what to focus on and what to put on hold? How do we do things more efficiently? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact there are so many new ways of working <\/strong>struck me as another key challenge \u2013 <\/strong>we\u2019ve teams working remotely, on campus, and in some cases a mixture of both – and we\u2019re all fairly new to it. This challenge alone poses so many questions \u2013 how do we stay connected, what methods of communication work best, what\u2019s good about how we\u2019re working now and what\u2019s not working?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you go about developing a tool which responds to these issues?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Research <\/strong>tells us that flexibility, communication, empathy and maintaining relationships will be essential as we transition further into new ways of working [see the footnote of this blog for links to a selection]<\/strong>. These will be key to understanding and managing needs within teams. Therefore the toolkit has been designed around these key themes and includes five sections which include hints, tips and activities to support these themes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Create a collective understanding <\/strong>\u2013 Reflection can be a really powerful tool, especially in current times. This section is all about understanding yourself and your team better, by listening to each other\u2019s experiences and taking forward the learning to improve ways of working. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    1. Stay connected \u2013 <\/strong>On a very basic level we\u2019re still connected, we\u2019re getting the job done. But connection is more than this. It\u2019s about providing feedback and support, it\u2019s about providing space for work-free activities and making sure we\u2019re being inclusive. Here we\u2019ve lots of hints, tips and ideas for how to incorporate some of these essential connection points into your team calendar.  <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      1. Holding onto the purpose of the team \u2013<\/strong> In times of uncertainty our team purpose can act as an anchor, especially when helping to decide what work to focus on. <\/strong>In this section you learn how to build, develop or review your team purpose.  <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        1. Managing short time working \u2013 <\/strong>I don\u2019t mind admitting that this was the most challenging section to develop. How teams are impacted by short time working is personal to each team. However there are some very useful resources out there that can be applied whatever your situation, which will help improve both personal and team productivity. It also includes a method for applying the Stop, Reduce, Make Efficient, Delay framework (SRED) which incorporates the Eisenhower Time Management Matrix. I can\u2019t promise it\u2019s the answer to all STW related issues, but I do believe it provides a good starting point and will leave you with a resource which will be useful on an ongoing basis.  <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          1. Day to day <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>There\u2019s a little bit of everything in here! The Workstation Activity is a fun and creative way of identifying issues and findings solutions to any workstation problems. The Mentimeter tool is also useful in helping gauge team stress levels among other things \u2013 we use this at our monthly team meetings.  <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            I<\/strong>s it worth finding the time<\/strong> to do<\/strong>? <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

            Yes! <\/strong>I really believe that there\u2019s something for every team in here. Whether you\u2019re looking to become better connected, improve communication, find methods to aid short time working or simply spend some time away from work activities together. Take a look and see what stands out as being something which would benefit your team then agree a time to work through it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            What are others saying about the toolkit? <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            To ensure what\u2019s been developed was useful we asked people and teams within the organisation to look at the toolkit and pilot some of the activities. Their feedback has helped shape the contents, and has been a benefit to their teams. See what they have said:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \u201cThe images discussion proved very useful\u2026as we are all feeling the fatigue effects of lockdown and different ways of working.\u201d \u201cTime for reflection and sharing experiences.\u201d \u201cQuality time out with team\u201d \u201cSupports communications with team.\u201d \u201cGreater understanding of self and others.\u201d  <\/p>Team Reflection Activity <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

             \u201cI enjoyed doing something with the team that wasn\u2019t just work stuff.\u201d  \u201cIt enables us to have some useful conversations about how we could do things differently.\u201d  \u201cIt offers a way of sharing with others that is about us as individuals without getting too personal.\u201d  \u201cI think it will be very useful and positive exercise both in terms of the potential for shared good advice but also to address the concerns about teams losing cohesion after such a long time with no contact.\u201d \u201cVery enjoyable & engaging, light hearted way to share some key messages and offer support too.\u201d <\/p>Workstation activity<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            Why not take a look at the Toolkit yourself<\/a> and see what elements might benefit your team\u2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            It\u2019s really important that what\u2019s available in this resource is useful to teams. <\/strong>We\u2019d really like to hear about your experiences of using the toolkit. Please email me<\/a> with any feedback or contact me on MS Teams. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Harriet Robb, Organisational and People Development Advisor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            Links to some of the key research which formed the basis for the toolkit: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The Ultimate Guide to Remote Team Building <\/strong><\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Your IGLOo \u2013 The University of Sheffield<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Supporting Mental Health of Employees During and After Covid-19 – AXA<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            W<\/strong>ebinar recording<\/strong>: Adapting to the New Challenges of the Hybrid Workplace<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            CIPD \u2018How to help your team thrive at work\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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