Introduction

ICT Services provides technology services to all faculties and support services within the Auckland University of Technology. This is a rapidly growing tertiary education provider and is leading edge in its application of ICT services – meeting the needs of both local and international students learning and research programmes.

Faced with this demand for the fast delivery and maintenance of the very best services, the ICT Services Director has drawn on both the Belbin Team Roles model and technology. Her goal has been to build a team culture within the directorate – one that is capable of delivering these services by drawing fully on the talents of professionals who enjoy their work and their work environment.

Team Walk

To build both individual’s and their work teams’ knowledge of their Team Roles, ICT Services  has undertaken a novel way of building the team. Taking advantage of Auckland City’s location between two harbours, teams take a day out of normal work routines to walk the sixteen kilometres from one harbour to the other – the Coast to Coast walk. As they progress across the city they are introduced to the various Team Roles reports and encouraged to discuss and analyse these as they walk. On arrival at the northern harbour all are fully aware of their Team Roles profiles and how they might best contribute to their team’s day to day work assignments. In addition they have a tangible feeling of achievement , ‘We have walked across New Zealand’.

Back in the ICT Services workplace all teams have constructed A1 sized Team Wheel wall posters. These use named post-its to identify each team member’s top Team Roles and – as they are easily updated – allow for the re-assignment of team members across the many projects  undertaken.  The wheels are displayed as an ever present reminder of what each person brings to the team – and that team work is the base line of ICT Services operations.

Regular team meetings and team process review workshops aim to maintain the team approach and Team Roles profiling makes up a key part of all new recruits ICT Services induction.

Benefits

    •    The common language created by  Team Roles knowledge right across the directorate
    •    Positive and blame free culture puts everyone on the front foot
    •    New recruits and new teams can put their energies into the tasks in hand rather than into having to work out how best to interact.

Location

This walk is also available around the beautiful harbour of Christchurch England or can be adapted to a location of your choice.