The purpose of the facilitation service we offer is to help a team (maybe just two people or a larger group) work more effectively together. The context for the team could be a permanent work group or a management team or a project task force or a department away-day.
We start by listening to understand what the purpose of the team is and what may have been getting in the way of their performance or what it is they want to do better. That could be to make better/faster decisions, solve a particular problem, generate more creative ideas, put plans into action or get on better.
Then the Sherwood facilitators work alongside the team to try out different ways in which they can, for example, plan and run meetings and communicate more honestly and effectively. A better understanding of how different individuals have different styles of working (e.g. using psychometric tools) can be helpful. We can help a team learn from experience and sustain improved performance.
Facilitation case study
Strategic direction for a London city firm
A large London city firm set up a project team of young partners to think about the strategy of the firm. A Sherwood facilitator worked with the team and the managing partner to identify what the purpose of their work should be. It was clarified that their job was not to try and set the direction of the firm, but to explore why at this stage in its development focusing on strategic direction was particularly important and what processes the firm should use to get the most effective input across the partnership.
The Sherwood facilitator led an away-day for the project team, getting them to identify and address “the biggest and best questions” to which the firm needed answers. From there the group developed options in answer to the key questions and looked at potential benefits and constraints. The Sherwood facilitator continues to provide coaching at a senior level within the firm.