As this was a Team Dynamics event I then built on this with the Internal Service Chain as an example of firstly, how to make it work for their direct reports and then, how to extend it to their peers and colleagues as a useful building block.

The key was the simplicity of the model. How to assess and understand what each person in the chain is responsible for, and then responsible to. Secondly, the impact of non-delivery by any one part on the wider team either side of them. I built this around feedback (here’s what has happened) and feedforward (here’s what I would like to see) to build and develop the relationships.

I had previously used the ‘making a cup of tea’ to get them to appreciate how important it is to clearly define process but the GLASSTAP’s KITCHEN’s examples work equally well, just with more opportunities to work with and in a very different context (we are a call centre) but the principles and learning remain the same.

This made it fun to participate in and it actually obliged them to think more closely around how they manage and influence those relationships either side of the chain to make it both efficient and effective an outcome.