University of Edinburgh Business School
Following our response to a competitive tender, Maximillion was selected by the University of Edinburgh Business School as its partner for the design and delivery of a team-based personal development component to kick-off the 2014-2015 full-time MBA programme. The theme of this 2 day programme was Building High Performing Teams.
After an initial week long induction within the Business School, including a morning Belbin Team Roles introductory workshop delivered by Maximillion Lead Facilitator Vicky Russell, the 2 day programme was planned off campus in Dunkeld. A culturally diverse group of 40 students, representing many different nationalities including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, China, the US and Australia, took part in the residential, along with representation by key Business School staff.
On the back of the success of this programme we secured the 2015-2016 and the 2016-2017 Building High Performing Teams programmes respectively as well as the UEBS Executive MBA (EMBA) Building High Performing Teams programme in 2015 and 2016, and the newly developed Leading High Performing Teams programme for the EMBA in 2018. In 2017 we secured the provision of the revamped Leading High Performing Teams two day residential for the 2017-2018 Full-time MBA programme cohort at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dunblane Hydro. On the back of a 2018 competitive tender, we were successful in securing the 2018 and 2019 Leading High Performing Teams programme for the full-time MBA programme.
Event detail
Date: September 2014
Duration: ½ day introductory Belbin Team Roles workshop followed by
the 2 full day residential programme
Location & Venue: Dunkeld House Hotel, Perthshire
Group size: A group of 40 combining the MBA 2014-2015 cohort and
exchange students.
Format: Facilitated team-based personal development, comprising a programme of fun, experiential indoor and outdoor activities.
Programme aim & objectives
The key objectives of this 2 day programme were outlined as follows:
To enable the students to get to know each other in an informal setting.
As they were only introduced for the first time the week prior to attending this programme, the Business School was keen to create a fun environment where the students had the opportunity to gather information about each other (background, skills, strengths and weaknesses), and apply this knowledge practically in a range of outdoor and indoor activities/games.
To develop intercultural awareness, given the cultural diversity of the group.
Team building and development – providing the opportunity for students to explore team dynamics (further developing the Belbin team roles model introduced in induction week), understand the value of building high performing teams and develop tools to build trust and resolve potential conflict amongst team members.
To give the students a fun, exciting and stimulating start to their MBA journey without the pressure of assessment (this was a non-credit bearing part of the MBA programme).
Outline
Prior to arrival in Edinburgh on the MBA, each student in the cohort completed their Belbin Team Roles Self Perception Inventory, along with the allied 360⁰ Observer Assessment feedback.
During induction week, Maximillion Lead Facilitator Vicky Russell ran an introductory Belbin workshop, during which the students each received their individual Belbin profiles and had the opportunity to explore the implications and applications of Belbin Team Roles in small groups.
Belbin Team Role methodology was also woven into the scope of the two-day residential programme. This was at both a personal level through the production of a personal learning log, and at team-based level through the production of specific Belbin team reports, and team learning logs which were used for activity review purposes. The Belbin team reports that were produced for the purposes of the key activities allowed participants to consider and reflect on the balance and split of preferred team roles (and allowable weaknesses) across the team, and how to use them to best effect during the team activities and challenges.
As the MBA course content requires all participants to work in teams from a very early stage and across all subject areas, the composition of teams for the different indoor and outdoor activities varied from day to day to encourage a diverse experience for the students.
Outline
Day One
• Team Top Trumps – whole group energiser in pre-determined Belbin teams
• Escape! scenario-based team activity in the same Belbin teams
• Briefing – planning – solution, followed by review and debrief Lunch
• Rotational TeamWorks In activities in different pre-determined Belbin teams Incorporating team learning logs and ongoing feedback reviews
• Structured review and debrief by Lead Facilitator and time set aside for personal reflection
Day Two
• GPS-enabled Checkpoint Challenge around the hotel grounds, including TeamWorks Out tasks (In the same Belbin teams from the morning of Day One)
• Followed by structured review, debrief by Lead Facilitator and time set aside for personal reflection
Lunch
• Kinetic Connections whole group collaborative challenge in self-selected teams, followed by final review, debrief and action planning
• Kinetic Connections ‘grand finale’, followed by a fond farewell
Feedback
“We all thoroughly enjoyed our 2 days in Dunkeld and the feedback from the students has been very positive. Malcolm Kirkup (MBA Programme Director) and Professor Susan Murphy have both remarked on the great buzz in the classroom today which is good to see at this early stage in the programme. Many thanks again for all of your support and for making events flow so seamlessly throughout the event. We appreciate all your efforts and enjoyed the opportunity to be directly involved in the activities.”
Read what the University of Edinburgh Business School have to say about their experience here.