Putting Theory into Practice: The Ways of Working Team Coaching Programme
As we conclude our four-part series exploring David Day's revolutionary ideas on leadership development, it's time to bridge the gap between theory and practice. In this final instalment, we'll examine how the Ways of Working Team Coaching Programme embodies the principles we've discussed and offers a practical roadmap for People & Culture leaders looking to transform their organisations' approach to leadership development.
Recapping Our Journey
Over the past three blogs, we've explored Day's distinction between leader and leadership development (article 1), delved into the importance of collective leadership (article 2), and examined the five core principles of effective leader development (article 3). Now, let's see how these ideas come to life in a real-world programme.
The Ways of Working Programme: An Overview
Developed by experienced executive coaches Alyson Keller and David Bennett, the Ways of Working Programme is a comprehensive approach to team coaching that aligns remarkably well with Day's principles. Let's break down how this programme puts theory into practice.
1. Embracing Both Individual and Collective Development
Day emphasises the dual focus needed on individual leader development and collective leadership development. The Ways of Working Programme thoughtfully integrates both dimensions. At the collective level, we use the PERILL team assessment and/or the Collective Leadership Assessment to understand team dynamics and collective capabilities.?
The PERILL framework (Purpose, External systems and processes, Relationships, Internal systems and processes, Learning, and Leadership) offers a comprehensive lens for understanding team effectiveness. This evidence-based assessment measures six vital dimensions that research shows differentiate high-performing teams. Unlike traditional team assessments that focus mainly on internal dynamics, PERILL examines both how the team operates internally and how effectively it creates value for its stakeholders. This dual focus makes it particularly valuable for teams navigating complex business environments where both team cohesion and external impact matter.
For individual leaders, we offer leadership vertical development assessments including The Leadership Circle 360°, Global Leadership Profile, Leadership Maturity Framework, and Shifting Horizons. This multi-layered approach provides rich insights into both individual growth edges and team dynamics.
Crucially, as Day emphasises, collectives need to own their development journey in creating leadership that is more shared, collaborative and networked. The Ways of Working Programme creates the conditions for this collective ownership through structured team coaching that helps teams discover and implement their own solutions rather than having changes imposed upon them.
For HR leaders, this integrated focus offers a powerful way to develop both individual capabilities and collective leadership capacity - essential ingredients for navigating today's complex business challenges.
2. Long-term, Experience-Based Learning
Day's second principle states that development requires dedicated work over a long period. The Ways of Working Programme is not a one-off workshop but a sustained journey of growth. It involves a series of team coaching workshops and interventions spread over time, allowing for the application of learning between sessions.
This approach allows People and Culture leaders to move beyond the 'training event' mindset and create a culture of continuous leadership development.
3. Learning Through Experience
Day's third principle emphasises that leadership is learned through experience. The Ways of Working Programme puts this into practice by focusing on real-world challenges. Participants work on actual business issues, applying new insights and skills in their day-to-day work.
This experiential approach offers HR leaders a powerful way to demonstrate the ROI of leadership development, as the learning directly impacts business outcomes.
4. Assessment, Challenge, and Support
Day's fourth principle highlights the importance of assessment, challenge, and support in developmental experiences. The Ways of Working Programme incorporates all three elements:
- Assessment: The initial diagnostic phase provides a comprehensive assessment of team dynamics and individual capabilities.
- Challenge: The programme pushes participants out of their comfort zones, challenging them to think and act differently.
- Support: The presence of two experienced coaches provides ongoing support throughout the journey.
For HR leaders, this framework offers a useful template for designing other development initiatives.
5. Evidence-Based Practices
Day's final principle emphasises the importance of evidence-based practices. The Ways of Working Programme is grounded in well-researched methodologies, including Liberating Structures to foster engagement and collaboration.
As HR leaders, this evidence-based approach gives you the confidence to advocate for this type of programme with your senior leadership team.
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Practical Implementation: Building Developmental Systems
Day emphasises that programs alone aren't enough - organisations need developmental systems. Here's how HR leaders can create these systems:
Assess Your Current Approach
Create Psychological Safety
Design Integration Points
Support Collective Ownership
Measure Development Systemically
The Impact of Developmental Systems
Unlike traditional programs, developmental systems create lasting change by:
For HR leaders, this systems approach offers a more robust framework for developing the leadership capacity needed in today's complex environment.
The Impact on Our Clients
To illustrate the potential impact of this approach, consider the experience of Kari Jones, former General Manager of Analytics & Insights at Woolworths NZ. We worked with her team for 18 months.? After participating in the Ways of Working Programme, she reported significant improvements in team collaboration, trust, and performance under pressure.
We worked with the R&D team at Navico for 12 months. At the end of the programme, Jarred Clayton (VP Digital Systems) reported, “We were going through a lot of change with a new structure. We wanted to create an environment where we were less passive and really got to the meat of the subject so we could move forward as a group. The environment we created in the senior leadership team allowed us to tackle any new problems because we had an environment of openness, trust, collaboration and communication. What I enjoyed most was seeing the development of the team - that, for me, was the biggest success.”
At Placemakers we worked with Shane Cornelius and his national operations team for 9 months. The key impact was the team gaining clarity on their collective purpose and taking ownership of decisions and results. Through team coaching, they were able to uncover root causes of siloed behaviours, establish a shared vision, and adapt their team operating model with clear roles and accountabilities. Most importantly, the leader was able to step back from central decision-making to enable the team to lead their own outcomes.
For People & Culture leaders, such outcomes demonstrate the potential of this approach to drive real business results.
Conclusion: Leading Systemic Change
As People & Culture leaders, you have an opportunity to move beyond traditional leadership programs to create true developmental systems. The Ways of Working Programme, grounded in Day's principles and enriched by adult development theory, provides a template for this transformation.
By embracing this systemic approach, you can:
The journey requires patience and commitment, but the potential rewards - in terms of organisational adaptability, enhanced problem-solving capacity, and sustained performance - make it worthwhile.
Are you ready to lead this systemic change in your organisation? The future of leadership development isn't in programs - it's in creating systems that support continuous individual and collective growth.