Executive Summary

Collaborative Teaming

The speed of change within which we are all operating demands resiliency, collaboration and innovation to address the challenges that constantly arise and shift for any organization or agency. We face global, systemic challenges that require us all to grow, be courageous and interdependent with all stakeholder groups, considering the value of each voice, each person’s contribution. We have moved from the information age to what many are calling the Human Economy, where we design our work cultures around objectives that serve the business but also serve on a broader level, humanity and the planet. Many organizations are global in nature and seek ways to unify teams and individuals across various cultures, landscapes and timezones to create cultural wholeness and sustainable ways of conducting business that are both profitable and represent the needs of our wider stakeholder groups.

Business objectives ultimately are designed by people, to serve people within and outside the organization. People are our most valuable asset, and when we recognize and optimize the natural talents and strengths of each individual toward outcomes that align with organizational health, community wellbeing, and planetary stewardship, we contribute to a strong global economy and strengthen the connections between us. This allows us to be nimble in our response to unexpected challenges and capable of collaborating to use the best of what we have collectively to solve those challenges. Our organizations become change ready and resilient.

This service drives measurable and sustainable business results through multiple departments using qualitative and quantitative metrics and business processes that are based in positive psychology and neuroscience. These processes are transformational and teachable. They offer a systemic approach to driving performance outcomes.

Service Methodology

Every business is a system within a system and at the heart of each are the people who show up and bring their unique talent to bear on organizational initiatives and challenges that are in a constant state of change. Despite the many different offerings across organizations, we find one unit in common where breakdowns and friction can delay and derail ideal outcomes: the team. Performance always swims in the water of relationships.

Whether working with the senior leadership team (C-level executives) or a functional or project team at any level of the organization, significant positive shifts happen through applying processes that are teachable and replicable. They begin with alignment around the the team’s purpose, organizational mission and how the team agrees to work together in order for the best of each individual contribution to come forth. A strengths-based leadership development approach is used, focusing the team on their individual and collective talents. Shared leadership and accountability for outcomes is emphasized, eliminating the propensity to bring all problems to the manager or team lead. This creates high levels of trust, which invites creativity and innovation to flourish. Team members learn to invite robust dialogue, which leads to more evolved solutions representing more stakeholder points of view. By incorporating the considerations and needs of each system and that system’s stakeholders, relationships improve across the organization as well as with communities, customers and vendors.

For the first time ever, employee talent crosses five generations and according to research, each wants to be part of a growth organization that makes a positive contribution to society. This approach adds to engagement, work joy, an inclusive and diverse culture while also attracting top talent, reducing turnover and increasing profits.

Processes include strengths assessments, witnessing team dynamics either in person or remotely, conversations with team leaders and members, setting priorities and taking before and after metrics. Other methods include workshops and activities designed to deepen learning, connection and collaboration.

Service Options

Companies can elect whether they just require Appleton Greene for advice and support with the Bronze Client Service, for research and performance analysis with the Silver Client Service, for facilitating departmental workshops with the Gold Client Service, or for complete process planning, development, implementation, management and review, with the Platinum Client Service. Ultimately, there is a service to suit every situation and every budget and clients can elect to either upgrade or downgrade from one service to another as and when required, providing complete flexibility in order to ensure that the right level of support is available over a sustainable period of time, enabling the organization to compensate for any prescriptive or emergent changes relating to: Customer Service; E-business; Finance; Globalization; Human Resources; Information Technology; Legal; Management; Marketing; or Production.

Service Mission

The complex challenges we face today require the brainpower and perspectives of many to create solutions that serve a diverse, global population. We have grown beyond the “command and control” style of leadership, yet many managers and leaders struggle to replace that outdated model with a more effective one. Recommended systems are all evidence based, using the latest research in team dynamics and performance. The changing workplace demands that managers move from boss to coach. When teams learn to coach each other and share accountability for team outcomes, engagement and productivity both rise. Performance improvement is both qualitative and quantitative. When clients say, “I enjoy coming to work more,” that is hard to put a number on but it is still important. When they say, “My team is collaborating 50% more of the time,” that is a solid measurement that translates into greater innovation and higher profits down the line. Reducing drama on teams saves time, enhances performance, expands collaboration and raises effectiveness and productivity.

Research of nearly 500 organizations conducted by the Human Capitol Institute and the International Coaching Federation in 2018 showed that those organizations with a coaching culture had an average of 23% more profitability (over the previous year), 21% higher shareholder value, 19% more improved customer satisfaction and many other tangible benefits compared with the organizations who do not embrace a coaching culture.

The mission is to build a learning organization with a positive, coaching culture, helping teams and their organizations be future ready and resilient in the face of rapid change. We do it one team at a time, with systems and processes that are based in positive psychology and neuroscience and can easily be carried forward and built upon by internal staff.