Teambuilders, Inc.


Teambuilders, Inc., provides the following services. Brief case studies are included to show how our services have been implemented. Team Building Change Management Strategic Alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions Succession Planning Role Consultation / Executive Coaching Performance Management Partnering and Consensus Building Team Building: Learning how to resolve differences on a team successfully, will often require members to articulate their views forcefully, even if they are unpopular. The conflict that may arise, if managed in a respectful and non-personal way, will provide an opportunity for the team to develop new solutions to old problems, and will contribute to a greater sense of ownership by all members. Avoiding conflict, or being overly accommodating, can “back-fire” when used often, because such behavior masks important differences on a team, and leads to critical misunderstandings. Tools for evaluating and developing negotiating skills have been provided to firms, thru the use of the Thomas Killman Conflict Style Inventory ® ( TKI ). By learning more about the way teams manage conflict, progress has been made in improving collaboration, and increasing productivity. Worked with the principals of an 80 person architectural firm to improve the way they address differences and manage conflict. Through the use of the Thomas Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument ( an assessment tool that measures participants’ preferences in conflict styles ) the principals were able to better understand how they deal with conflict and learned usable skills for improving collaboration and managing competing goals. Facilitated a 2 day "open space" retreat with the Board members of the New York Chapter of a professional engineering association, to help them re-define their mission, agree on common objectives, develop implementation plans, and assign roles and responsibilities for carrying them out. Worked with the senior manager and staff of an in-house facilities management department of a major corporation, to improve teamwork within the group, while also developing strategies for improving working relationships with managers in other departments. Back to top Change Management: Communicating with staff in difficult times can be critical to a firm's well being … giving staff opportunities to become involved in improving the firm, including getting their input on proposed changes can significantly improve the sense of ownership that staff feels towards the firm. Conducted a 360 degree assessment for a 60 person structural engineering firm to identify “what’s working well and what needs improvement”, and then facilitated a leadership retreat to reach a consensus on firmwide strategic and operational goals, and to develop preliminary implementation plans. Worked with the principals and associates of a 25 person architectural firm to assess firm’s potential for growth, and through a leadership retreat, explored alternative scenarios for firm’s direction, and developed action plans to implement changes agreed upon. Facilitated a retreat with the associates of an 80 person architectural firm to help them develop constructive solutions to collaborating effectively and providing leadership support to the firm’s partners in following thru on organizational changes being implemented. Recognizing that when staff size is reduced, those that remain must deal with both increased responsibilities as well as a sense of loss and grieving for those that are no longer with them … Discussing the possible consequences of staff reduction with staff, individually, as well as in teams, will provide opportunities for staff to raise issues and provide constructive input in the firm's re-organization efforts. More importantly, this out-reach on the part of the firm's leadership, will serve to bring everyone together in dealing with both the increased workload as well as the loss of colleagues. Worked with the principals of a 20 person architectural firm, to assist them in re-defining the firm's direction and address staff retention issues, after the loss of a key principal, and the departure of several senior architects. Back to top Strategic Alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions: Worked with the principals of two architectural firms interested in pursuing educational projects together, to assist them in evaluating the viability of forming a strategic alliance. Working with the founding principal of an award winning design firm ; to search for a viable partner, evaluate their compatibility, and implement a potential merger or acquisition, to insure the firm's continuation and growth. Assisted the principals of a 20 person architectural firm in evaluating a merger opportunity, and subsequently in negotiating an agreement to form a new entity. Back to top Succession Planning: Developing new leadership opportunities within a firm has important consequences for senior management … unless a plan is adopted for training and mentoring new leaders as well as re-defining the roles of those in power, the entire effort can be undermined, creating dissatisfaction at all levels. When existing partners continue to manage day to day details of projects and firm, it is much more difficult to give younger associates the " on-the-job" training they need to develop leadership skills. Often, those that are already capable of taking on greater responsibilities, become discouraged, and seek opportunities in other firms. Worked with the two founding principals of a 15 person design and engineering consulting firm to define criteria for new principals, to develop a transition timetable, and to assist in developing a plan to include key staff in the firm's operations and growth strategy. Consulted with the partners and senior staff of a 25 person architectural firm to re-define partner's roles and responsibilities, and to create an associate level that provides for delegating some of the firm's operational responsibilities to future firm leaders. Assisted the principals of a 90 person architectural firm in evaluating the firm’s informal organizational structure, and in developing alternatives that would provide for more effective management. Working with the principals of a rapidly growing architectural, planning and interior design firm, now at 150 ; to develop and implement strategies for maintaining its innovative and individualistic approach to design, and to assist in re-evaluating and improving their current management structure. Back to top Role Consultation / Executive Coaching: Providing firms with tools for improving communications and decision making, and for training of new leaders : Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ® Workshops* have been provided by Teambuilders to firms since May 2001 and have served to uncover obstacles to improving working relationships, and to break new ground in leadership training, improved communications and in decision making. ( * Using a self-report questionnaire based on Jung's and Myer's theories of psychological types, as a jumping off point, it gives colleagues tools to help them better understand themselves in their organizational roles and thus makes them more able to work together effectively). Worked with a senior associate of a design firm in redefining her new role and responsibilities, and addressing difficulties related to competitiveness amongst colleagues, thru developing more effective leadership skills. Consulted with the founding principal of an architectural firm on recognizing and modifying a pattern of behavior in his management style that had contributed to senior staff turn-over. Back to top Performance Management: Consulting with a principal and key staff of a structural engineering firm in developing a quality management plan, that meets the objectives and criteria previously established in a firm wide retreat. Worked with the human resource committee of a New York based A/E firm to develop a performance appraisal system that also addressed goal setting, delegation, training and coaching. Back to top Mediation, Partnering and Consensus Building: Mediated a dispute between the two founding partners of a successful design practice, who had decided to end their association, and assisted them in reaching an amicable separation agreement. Ongoing work with professional associations, design and construction teams, and public and private institutions, to develop new approaches to partnering and consensus-building, through focus groups and workshops in negotiation strategies and team-building. Back to top

Teambuilders, Inc., provides the following services. Brief case studies are included to show how our services have been implemented.

Team Building

Change Management
Strategic Alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions
Succession Planning
Role Consultation / Executive Coaching
Performance Management
Partnering and Consensus Building

Team Building:

Learning how to resolve differences on a team successfully, will often require members to articulate their views forcefully, even if they are unpopular. The conflict that may arise, if managed in a respectful and non-personal way, will provide an opportunity for the team to develop new solutions to old problems, and will contribute to a greater sense of ownership by all members. Avoiding conflict, or being overly accommodating, can “back-fire” when used often, because such behavior masks important differences on a team, and leads to critical misunderstandings.
Tools for evaluating and developing negotiating skills have been provided to firms, thru the use of the Thomas Killman Conflict Style Inventory ® ( TKI ). By learning more about the way teams manage conflict, progress has been made in improving collaboration, and increasing productivity.

Worked with the principals of an 80 person architectural firm to improve the way they address differences and manage conflict. Through the use of the Thomas Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument ( an assessment tool that measures participants’ preferences in conflict styles ) the principals were able to better understand how they deal with conflict and learned usable skills for improving collaboration and managing competing goals.

Facilitated a 2 day "open space" retreat with the Board members of the New York Chapter of a professional engineering association, to help them re-define their mission, agree on common objectives, develop implementation plans, and assign roles and responsibilities for carrying them out.

Worked with the senior manager and staff of an in-house facilities management department of a major corporation, to improve teamwork within the group, while also developing strategies for improving working relationships with managers in other departments.

Back to top

Change Management:

Communicating with staff in difficult times can be critical to a firm's well being … giving staff opportunities to become involved in improving the firm, including getting their input on proposed changes can significantly improve the sense of ownership that staff feels towards the firm.
Conducted a 360 degree assessment for a 60 person structural engineering firm to identify “what’s working well and what needs improvement”, and then facilitated a leadership retreat to reach a consensus on firmwide strategic and operational goals, and to develop preliminary implementation plans.
Worked with the principals and associates of a 25 person architectural firm to assess firm’s potential for growth, and through a leadership retreat, explored alternative scenarios for firm’s direction, and developed action plans to implement changes agreed upon.

Facilitated a retreat with the associates of an 80 person architectural firm to help them develop constructive solutions to collaborating effectively and providing leadership support to the firm’s partners in following thru on organizational changes being implemented.

Recognizing that when staff size is reduced, those that remain must deal with both increased responsibilities as well as a sense of loss and grieving for those that are no longer with them … Discussing the possible consequences of staff reduction with staff, individually, as well as in teams, will provide opportunities for staff to raise issues and provide constructive input in the firm's re-organization efforts. More importantly, this out-reach on the part of the firm's leadership, will serve to bring everyone together in dealing with both the increased workload as well as the loss of colleagues.

Worked with the principals of a 20 person architectural firm, to assist them in re-defining the firm's direction and address staff retention issues, after the loss of a key principal, and the departure of several senior architects.

Back to top

Strategic Alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions:

Worked with the principals of two architectural firms interested in pursuing educational projects together, to assist them in evaluating the viability of forming a strategic alliance.

Working with the founding principal of an award winning design firm ; to search for a viable partner, evaluate their compatibility, and implement a potential merger or acquisition, to insure the firm's continuation and growth.

Assisted the principals of a 20 person architectural firm in evaluating a merger opportunity, and subsequently in negotiating an agreement to form a new entity.

Back to top

Succession Planning:

Developing new leadership opportunities within a firm has important consequences for senior management … unless a plan is adopted for training and mentoring new leaders as well as re-defining the roles of those in power, the entire effort can be undermined, creating dissatisfaction at all levels. When existing partners continue to manage day to day details of projects and firm, it is much more difficult to give younger associates the " on-the-job" training they need to develop leadership skills. Often, those that are already capable of taking on greater responsibilities, become discouraged, and seek opportunities in other firms.

Worked with the two founding principals of a 15 person design and engineering consulting firm to define criteria for new principals, to develop a transition timetable, and to assist in developing a plan to include key staff in the firm's operations and growth strategy.

Consulted with the partners and senior staff of a 25 person architectural firm to re-define partner's roles and responsibilities, and to create an associate level that provides for delegating some of the firm's operational responsibilities to future firm leaders.

Assisted the principals of a 90 person architectural firm in evaluating the firm’s informal organizational structure, and in developing alternatives that would provide for more effective management.
Working with the principals of a rapidly growing architectural, planning and interior design firm, now at 150 ; to develop and implement strategies for maintaining its innovative and individualistic approach to design, and to assist in re-evaluating and improving their current management structure.

Back to top

Role Consultation / Executive Coaching:

Providing firms with tools for improving communications and decision making, and for training of new leaders : Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ® Workshops* have been provided by Teambuilders to firms since May 2001 and have served to uncover obstacles to improving working relationships, and to break new ground in leadership training, improved communications and in decision making. ( * Using a self-report questionnaire based on Jung's and Myer's theories of psychological types, as a jumping off point, it gives colleagues tools to help them better understand themselves in their organizational roles and thus makes them more able to work together effectively).

Worked with a senior associate of a design firm in redefining her new role and responsibilities, and addressing difficulties related to competitiveness amongst colleagues, thru developing more effective leadership skills.

Consulted with the founding principal of an architectural firm on recognizing and modifying a pattern of behavior in his management style that had contributed to senior staff turn-over.

Back to top

Performance Management:

Consulting with a principal and key staff of a structural engineering firm in developing a quality management plan, that meets the objectives and criteria previously established in a firm wide retreat.

Worked with the human resource committee of a New York based A/E firm to develop a performance appraisal system that also addressed goal setting, delegation, training and coaching.

Back to top

Mediation, Partnering and Consensus Building:

Mediated a dispute between the two founding partners of a successful design practice, who had decided to end their association, and assisted them in reaching an amicable separation agreement.

Ongoing work with professional associations, design and construction teams, and public and private institutions, to develop new approaches to partnering and consensus-building, through focus groups and workshops in negotiation strategies and team-building.

Back to top