Shared by Terence Yeung
I recently had the incredible opportunity to facilitate a workshop for a senior management team in the multinational property development and sales business. The challenge was to address the need for change management training within their international business division. However, after thorough assessment, it became clear that the underlying issue was team calibration rather than change management.
Taking an effective approach, I proposed a real team intervention using the Five Behaviours of Cohesive Teams (5B) framework. This framework emphasizes the crucial elements for building a highly functioning team: building trust, mastering conflict, achieving commitment, holding each other accountable, and focusing on collective results. The HR manager agreed that focusing on these aspects made more sense than traditional change management.
The international business division was composed of independent country managers who rarely interacted, except for occasional collaborations during international exhibitions. I challenged them to consider why they were a team beyond the fact that all country heads reported to the head of international business. This question sparked introspection and a realization that they had not fully leveraged the potential of working collaboratively across countries.
During the workshop, we helped the team define their true meaning as a team and establish a common goal critical for their future success. The most precious outcome of the seminar was the team’s unanimous agreement and commitment to a significant thematic goal: “Establishing a Framework for Collaboration among International Business Offices.” This goal encompasses reshaping the entire incentive system, human resources management, and internal processes. We further discovered tremendous business opportunities, including referrals from international clients, talent exchanges for personal growth, increased employee retention, and the sharing of best practices.
As the team collectively envisioned this goal, their astonishment and excitement were truly touching. Some even cannot believe as it was too idealistic to be true. To ensure the realization of this vision, we assigned responsibilities and developed a follow-up implementation plan.
I am absolutely thrilled with the outcome of this workshop. It exemplifies the true meaning and impact of my work. Together, we have unlocked the potential for collaboration, innovation, and growth within the international business division.
