The Imperative for Effective Team Development
In today’s fast-evolving work environment, effective team development is crucial. Traditional training methods, focused on theoretical knowledge, are insufficient for modern challenges. Rob Shaw, co-founder of Meta Team, advocates for transforming team development from episodic events to continuous, experience-based learning. By embedding learning into daily work, teams can overcome ingrained behaviors and achieve exceptional performance.
The New Landscape of Work: In-Person, Hybrid, and Virtual
Data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals a productivity challenge linked to remote work, with productivity in London dropping 2.7% between 2019 and 2022. While post-COVID, there’s been a push for more in-office work to address these issues, a 2024 PwC report shows hybrid workers feel more productive and included. This raises a key question: how can organisations unlock potential across different working models?
Limitations of Traditional Learning Methods
Old habits are hard to break. Whether it’s ineffective virtual meetings or familiar in-person workflows, teams often revert to inefficient patterns, especially under stress. Meta Team believes traditional learning methods are insufficient for tackling these ingrained habits. On-demand courses and webinars may increase knowledge, but they rarely change daily behaviours. Research indicates that only 10% of what’s learned through these channels is applied in the workplace.
Four Key Strategies for Team Leaders
Prioritise Experience-Led Learning
Leaders must focus on experiential, immersive learning rather than theoretical knowledge. “Learning by doing” promotes real-world application and continuous feedback, ensuring teams develop the habits necessary to succeed in today’s dynamic work environment.
Unlock Potential from Within
True learning is not about pouring knowledge in, but activating existing potential. Leaders should guide teams through gradual, self-driven change—much like physical therapy—to foster sustainable, long-term growth.
Use Impactful Nudges to Change Familiar Patterns
Teams often fall back into old patterns due to ingrained behaviors. Rather than radical change, leaders should focus on small, strategic nudges that gently stretch the team’s boundaries without overwhelming them.
Embrace Team Coaching as a Path to Mastery
Coaching should be viewed as a tool for growth, not remediation. Leaders who embrace coaching can model openness to feedback and a commitment to continuous improvement, creating a culture where growth is expected, not feared.
A New Blueprint for Effective Team Learning
In the era of hybrid, virtual, and in-person work, traditional learning methods no longer suffice. Teams must adopt experiential learning that’s embedded in their daily routines. By focusing on practical application, peer support, and continuous reinforcement, organisations can foster lasting change, improving productivity, engagement, and cohesion. Team development is not a cost—it’s a strategic investment in sustained growth and success.
Rob Shaw, co-founder of Meta Team, is an expert in team development and performance optimisation. He has coached global teams at Aviva, HSBC, Unilever, and Vodafone, and many more helping organisations strengthen the habits that drive growth, culture change, and improved performance.
Collaborating with top consulting firms and psychologists from Harvard and McKinsey & Co., Rob’s research has focused on how underlying habits impact team success. His methods have been tested and refined with over 1,200 teams.
