Build a Cohesive Team That Really Works

A Common Organizational Challenge

Most modern organizations have moved away from rigid, traditional hierarchies in favor of some form of team structure.  Teams allow for self-management and faster flow of information and decision-making.

However, many managers become frustrated when teamwork falls short.  Teams require attention to stay productive, and leaders often struggle to find practical ways to keep teams energized and on track.

Dr. Janet McNally, the owner and principal consultant at Team Development Services, has spent over 30 years studying and teaching human resources, organization development, and team dynamics.  She has successfully helped many for-profit and non-profit organizations understand and improve teams and teamwork.

Team Development Services Can Help

Managers typically reach out to Team Development Services when they notice a specific issue or have a growing sense of team dysfunction. This begins with an initial consultation with Dr. McNally, virtually or online, to discuss your team’s unique challenges.

During this conversation, you and Dr. McNally will determine the best path forward.  If there is a good fit, Janet will recommend one or more targeted services to improve your team’s structure and dynamics.

If your needs fall outside Team Development Services’ scope, Janet will gladly refer you to another trusted professional in her network who can help.

If you choose to partner with Team Development Services, we will finalize a written agreement clearly outlining the specific services, total costs, and expected outcomes before work begins.

Our Targeted Services

Great teams start with great people who are led by great people, supported by smart organizational structures and resources.  To that end, Team Development Services offers to:

Analyze and Improve Your Structure

Dr. McNally will work with you to assess your organizational and team structure and operations with an eye toward improving processes and outcomes, including the development of job descriptions for key positions.

Recruit External Candidates and Staff Internal Teams

Team Development Services provides recruitment support, up to and including interviewing, assessing, and presenting job candidates for your consideration. This can be done alongside your in-house HR team or independently.

Team Development Services is an authorized partner for the Wiley, Inc. PXT Select assessment that gives you valuable insights into a job candidate well beyond the resume, with a report detailing a candidate’s thinking style, on-the job behaviors, and occupational interests.  We usually use PXT Select for final candidates, but it can be part of the hiring process at earlier stages.

Dr. McNally uses the PXT Select assessment to assess internal candidates to staff the various positions on your team, so that you have the best-suited people in each role.  Unlike other personality assessments such as DiSC and MBTI, PXT Select is a scientifically validated job selection tool that aligns with EEOC guidelines and U.S. Department of Labor standards. 

Team Development Services works with you to straighten out and optimize your hiring and staffing processes so that your decisions are based on a balanced view of the results of job interviews, assessments, background checks, and other related data.

Improve Job Performance Management and Compensation

The job of a manager is to manage job performance, but this may not be framed well or understood.  It is also possible that an organization hasn’t accurately evaluated the importance of the work that really matters to organizational results.  Team Development Services works with senior leadership to help set accurate job performance criteria and develop performance management routines and evaluation tools so that managers can confidently focus on what matters most.

Team Development Services also works with senior leadership to clarify your organization’s compensation philosophy and determine the most effective compensation structure.

Build Team Identity and Teamwork

Dr. McNally is a certified facilitator of the LEGO^® Serious Play^® methodology that uses LEGO^® bricks to encourage creative thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication within teams. Using bricks and materials provided by Dr. McNally and brought to your workplace, participants build real models of their ideas and challenges, allowing for a unique and tangible way to express complex thoughts and shared understanding.

The LEGO^® Serious Play^® methodology is a powerful tool for team building, building team identity, strategic planning, and tackling organizational challenges in a truly engaging way.  If you’re looking for something different and insightful for your next team-building event or retreat, call Team Development Services for an initial consultation.

Train Your New and Aspiring Managers

When organizations look to improve overall effectiveness, leadership development is always a top priority. However, traditional comprehensive management training often comes with a steep cost and requires key people to be away from their jobs.

To bridge this gap, Team Development Services created “The Art of Management” a 20-hour online training program that gives managers the concepts and tools managers to excel in the management role. This program is offered through local universities.  Contact Janet for an initial discussion and referral to the institution in your area that offers this program.

Dr. McNally also offers in-person training on select topics for clients.  Contact her for more information.

Help Your Team Members Understand Who They are at Work

As a certified Everything DiSC^® facilitator, Dr. McNally designs and delivers tailored half-day debriefing workshops using specialized DiSC Workplace and Management assessments. Instead of just handing your team members another report to read, during a debrief your team will uncover actionable insights to bridge communication gaps, strengthen leadership, and understand more about themselves and others in a fun, collaborative atmosphere.  Contact Janet today to schedule a needs consultation.

Uncover Employee Relations Issues

You have undoubtedly participated in a few employee opinion surveys in your career and perhaps have even sponsored or written a few surveys yourself.  The primary reason for conducting an employee opinion survey is to uncover and resolve employee relations issues before they cause damage to the organization.  These types of surveys always offer anonymity to employees so that they are more likely to give an unvarnished view of the workplace. 

In contrast to a “best companies comparison” approach, Team Development Services meets with you to understand the key issues affecting your workforce. From this meeting, Janet develops a customized employee opinion survey that targets your exact areas of interest.  Other data gathering options include interviews with select employees or focus groups of select employees.  We may also choose a mixed-methods approach.  The resulting report to management gives senior leadership a clear roadmap to address workplace concerns.  When senior leadership builds a record of responding to issues raised in surveys and other forums, it creates an environment of trust.  Dr. McNally handles surveys, interviews, and focus group work personally.  Call her to talk about your needs in this area.

You Don’t Know What You Need, but You’d Like to Talk

Dr. McNally offers senior management clients a listening ear and years of experience in dealing with people and business situations.  Sometimes a conversation is all you need to feel on point again.  Call Janet to discuss.

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