In today’s fast-paced corporate environment, establishing clarity and connection within teams is crucial for driving high performance. The Global Brand Team (GBT) for Tequila at Diageo recently faced challenges with prioritization, team dynamics, and cohesion, which were affecting their efficiency and overall effectiveness.
To address these issues, the team held an offsite designed to realign goals, foster collaboration, and enhance communication. Through a structured approach, they tackled critical areas of team dynamics and set the stage for future success. Below is more information on how we were able to help guide Diageo through this critical task.
SITUATION
The Global Brand Team (GBT) for Tequila at Diageo, a relatively newly constructed team with strong individual contributors, has been facing some team dynamic challenges. The team was treating all projects and priorities with the same level of urgency, creating a lack of prioritization, and leading to inefficiencies. They were not yet operating as a cohesive brand team but rather as individuals working on isolated projects. Additionally, there was a sense of disjointedness, with a need for stronger foundational tools and clarity on the team’s overarching goals. There was also a need for more connection and empathy among team members, many of whom were new to the organization and unfamiliar with each other’s working styles.
TASK
The objective of the offsite was to bring the GBT Tequila team together to establish a common language and set clear expectations as a high-performing team. They needed to identify priorities for FY25, understand the legacy they wanted to leave, and drive alignment around what the team could be famous for. The task also included fostering a sense of camaraderie, setting clear goals for the team’s growth, and addressing the pressing need for a high-performance mindset and accountability.
ACTION
The offsite was structured to tackle these challenges through a series of focused discussions and experiential exercises. Key discussion points included:
- Prioritization: Creating a framework to prioritize initiatives, ensuring only the most impactful projects receive full attention and resources.
- Team Rituals and Naming Conventions: Establishing rituals and a common language to streamline efforts and foster a sense of identity.
- Visibility and Communication: Encouraging proactive communication to understand the rationale behind tasks and initiatives, fostering transparency.
- Celebrating Wins: Emphasizing the importance of recognizing small victories to build momentum and morale.
- Leadership and Team Dynamics: Addressing the « I » vs. « us » focus within the team, promoting collective ownership of goals and outcomes.
- Psychological Safety: Introducing tools such as red/yellow/green cards for meetings to manage debates and ensure psychological safety for all team members.
Experiential exercises included discussions on roles and responsibilities, slowing down to speed up, and identifying areas where team members could better support each other. There was a focus on creating team frameworks and rituals to establish a structured way of working together.
RESULT
The offsite provided a strong starting point for the GBT Tequila team’s journey toward becoming a high-performing team. Attendees expressed a newfound understanding of each other’s roles and perspectives, emphasizing the need for empathy and vulnerability. Clearer communication channels were established, and there was a collective commitment to leveraging individual strengths and holding each other accountable. The team left the offsite with a shared sense of purpose and a concrete plan to improve prioritization, reinforce collaboration, and drive results for FY25.
Perpetual’s recommendations at the conclusion of the offsite emphasized the importance of leveraging the team’s unique dynamics and creating a tailored development plan to foster leadership capabilities, solidify collaboration, and ensure effective execution of strategic initiatives. With these foundations in place, the GBT Tequila team is well-positioned to accelerate its growth and leave a lasting legacy within the organization.
