I’ve run a lot of government team planning days, and every time I ask people what their major takeaway was. There are some pretty clear themes of what people enjoy and find valuable – here are three of them.
3 things people takeaway from government planning days
1. Being together in one room building relationships
- Hybrid working and dispersed teams, along with plenty of ongoing change in government, means this is often the first time everyone has been together in one place at the same time.
- Engaged teams outperform those without engaged employees, and strong relationships are a clear indicator of engagement.
- Teams with a strong sense of goodwill have increased collaboration, better teamwork, and happier staff – because they’re working together and in support of each other towards a common goal.
2. DISC proficiling and preferred ways of working
- Using a fun ‘bird type’ approach to sharing the information in DISC, people are always really engaged with how they like to work as individuals, and better understanding their colleagues.
- Behavioural patterns are often rapidly uncovered, but in a way that is funny and light hearted, so positive change can happen.
3. Understanding how they fit within the strategic context
- People want to feel like their work has meaning – not just like a small cog in a giant machine.
- Connection to strategy and that higher level thinking can get lost in day-to-day operational pressures.
- Speaking directly with the Secretary or Dep Sec is an infrequent event for APS staff, and having the opportunity is insightful and motivating.
If you need some help
With years of experience running successful planning days, I can help you make sure everyone in the room is engaged, and you might even leave saying it’s the best planning day you’ve ever had.
Thanks again for your expertise over the last two days. It was great to have you leading it and your experience and insights made it one of the best planning days I have had.
Branch Head , Department of Finance