A typical work team operates as a group of individuals dedicated to compliance with supervisor or manager mandates. In such an environment, employees who interact with customers and produce core products and services are those with the least business understanding, access to resources, decision latitude to respond to customer or product issues, and accountability for outcomes. It’s a system that separates team members from overall business unit accountability and produces limited contributions to business success.

Engaging employees to enable high performance requires changes in management practices, workplace policies, work systems and processes, and team member perspectives. Our process for transforming teams and business units is grounded in principles and tools for maximizing marketplace and business literacy throughout all levels of the workforce, building high levels of individual and team competence, creating highly efficient and productive work systems, and producing a culture where employees embrace commitment and accountability for the success of the entire team or business unit.

The turnaround process begins with a workplace assessment. The assessment will determine specific interventions and working sessions for a successful turnaround that produces remarkable results and sustained high performance. Working sessions and consulting introduces the concepts of whole systems thinking, mutual capacity building, personal initiative and innovation, risk-taking, and an environment of trust and transparency as well as the following components of high-performance workplaces:

• Context
• Connection
• Control
• Commitment
• Communication
• Competence