Appreciating Diversity

CASE STUDY – Appreciating Diversity

Summary

An employee-owned investment management firm wanted to include Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) profiling workshop in its offsite with 12 operations managers, to improve communication and working relationships.

Client Need

The client wanted the operations managers to gain a better understanding of their individual working, motivational and decision making styles and appreciate similarities and differences in others they worked alongside.  An emphasis on conflict resolution and problem-solving was a key strategic requirement for the workshop.

Our Approach

It is important to identify and value the differences individuals bring to the success of the teams and the company; building on this where it works well.  Where there is conflict or lack of progress, a greater awareness of oneself and others (and learning a new way of communicating) encourages understanding, trust and respect.  MBTI provides a good basis for understanding and appreciating some of the differences in the way people work.

The workshop was set up to provide a dedicated time out of the working environment to understand the differences team members have in how they are motivated, take in information, make decisions and structure their working lives.

In order to provide the best option for the organisation, given the timescales involved, the programme was divided into three components: pre-workshop questionnaires, group feedback session and a team development workshop.  The final workshop was tailored specifically to the organisation’s needs to focus on using this knowledge to find new insights into problem-solving and communication.

Results

The workshop was described as enlightening and entertaining, as the diverse group were able to gain insights that enabled them to better understand each other and figure out how to work together more effectively.  Many lively discussions and “light bulb” moments of understanding different working styles enabled the group to agree a new approach to teamwork and problem resolution going forward.