For many, High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT for short, revolutionised our approach to fitness. If you’ve not come across it, it’s a way of training that combines quick intense bursts of exercise, where you’re working out as hard as you can, with short periods of recovery.
There are loads of health benefits including heart strengthening and keeping your blood pressure in check as well as the fact that it’s over more quickly! Getting your heart rate up to a level you can’t sustain for long allows you to burn more fat in less time, making it an especially effective workout for those with a busy schedule.
With that idea in mind, it was fascinating to look at how Ben Waite, Partner, Cooper Parry Wealth, has been exploring how to incorporate some of the concepts of HIIT to drive high performance teamwork through a more balanced and CALMer approach.
The Cooper Parry Wealth team are not only exceptionally busy supporting clients but are also going through large scale complex business transformation as the organisation goes from strength to strength with multiple acquisitions in the last few months.
In a bid to find better balance required for people to be effective and sustain high levels of performance, they have been testing the following ideas…
Setting the pace each week
Reviewing the work agenda and team energy levels and agreeing together the pace each week, considering the need for both speed and space. Is team effectiveness requiring a ‘speed’ week where it’s pedal to the metal or is it necessary to create some more ‘space’ for thinking and reflection time to be most effective that week?
Agreeing the key focus for the week
Given we all have never ending to do lists, the trick is to set a to do list which can be completed for the day or week rather than waiting for absolutely everything we have to do to be ticked off. Particularly if that’s the only time we allow ourselves rest and recovery time if we are to avoid burnout. Ben and his team agree the key focus and priorities every week to sharpen everyone’s focus and attention when there is so much happening, making sure they celebrate their wins along the way.
Spotting work type energy patterns
Make sure that activities and tasks that require a similar energy can be grouped together in individual and team diaries as much as they can be. Not only does that help people manage the energy levels required for the type of work but also prevents the negative impact on energy that arises when we try to do too many different things in a short period of time, continuously moving from one type of work to another, which can drain energy in itself.
Co-creating a team energy ethic
According to Ben, it was really important to look at this approach as a group so the team could find a shared rhythm. Applying some of these techniques as an individual will have some benefits, but working on developing them together as a team will really optimise the impact for both maximum business performance and energised, balanced employees.
Test and learn mindset
Critical for effectiveness through change, these ideas are seen as team experiments: they are allowed to fail, they learn from what went wrong, and can suggest new ideas on a continuous basis as the team evolves and grows.
Calm In A Box partners with businesses, teams and leaders to help them perform at their best in a changing world of work.
We have developed our CALM philosophy and toolkit to facilitate focused and proactive work on culture, mindset and behaviour change programmes so leaders and teams can be well, to do well.
Supporting businesses going through change to accelerate successful transformation of all types, we’ve worked with global brands and growing SMEs who are passionate about supporting their people through change for better results.
We provide value in a range of ways through our CALM product ecosystem including consultancy, workshops, coaching and free digital learning on the CALM hub.
If you’d like to chat with us, we’re always up for an online coffee. Drop us a line hello@calminabox.co.uk
