In my last post about the story of ForChiefs, I shared how we started and the ways we work, at the centre which are our ForChiefs Days. These are regular days where we all get together to connect, strengthen and further build the network. We use different methods and tools for this, which we also use with clients, which allows us to get to know ourselves better, share and connect with team members and work together on a common goal, such as the strategic direction or company values.
In this article, I share a bit more on what we do on a ForChiefs Day and why we do this, using some examples of the exercises that have created the highest energy and impact from the last 2.5 years of these get-togethers. You can read this as inspiration for your own team workshops.
Starting the day
We always start every workshop with a check-in allowing everyone to connect with themselves on how they are feeling and what may be distracting them. By doing this, everyone can arrive in the workshop, become fully present and also be aware of where other team members are at. We enjoy using different questions such as, ‘if you would really know me..’ and ‘what is your most inconvenient truth?’, and our favorite check-in so far was with a guided meditation to connect and set an intention for the day.
Updating on progress
Sounds boring and standard? It doesn’t need to be. As we all work in different locations and with different clients, it is important to regularly check-in on the status of the goals we set out to achieve, and also what is needed to ensure we get there. We work with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and like seeing certain scores live by doing a constellation, where everyone stands on a line ranging from 0 to 10. A follow-up question can then be, ‘what you need in order to move further up the line?’.
Reflection, connection and creation
Getting to know oneself better and sharing this with others is very powerful for developing trust and, therefore, collaboration within teams. We find the best way to do this is through one of our favorite topics: Purpose. Last summer we all crafted our individual purpose statements based on our personal stories during a ForChiefs Day, which led to our shared network purpose of ‘igniting meaningful work’. We now all work towards this mutual vision every day.
Personal commitment
In order to make sure it is not only a fun and insightful day but also one with tangible impact, we work with personal commitments. For this, we each share how and what we will follow up on after the day is over. And then during the following get-togethers we reflect upon these, which is great for accountability as well as to harvest learnings and build upon what was created.
After the launch of our ForChiefs membership model last year – in which some of us actively built the system while others enjoy being involved in multiple projects and organisations – we all shared our personal ambitions for our own contribution to ForChiefs. This was a really defining moment for all of us, where everyone opened up and showed commitment. During our next ForChiefs Day at the end of March, we will reflect upon our commitments and set the ambition for the coming period. Exciting times!
Meeting regularly with the entire ForChiefs team helps us build trust, develop the business strategically, and provides a fun and energising moment together. Ultimately, this helps us to create the most successful version of our business that we can create. If you’re a leader do you regularly meet with your entire team in an energizing and impactful way? Which elements of this post do you think would lead your team to success?
If you are interested in learning more about how we work, please reach out via Instagram, Linkedin or email: hi@forchiefs.com.