The Wave(s) Model – A brief introduction to the gentle and powerful depth of team development
Jens Emrich v. Kajdacsy
?? Gründer von Silent Waves ?? Begründer des Wave(s) Model ?? Team & Leadership Coach (DBVC) ?? Autor ?? Dozent der Organisationsentwicklung ?? Leidenschaft für Meer und Berg ??? "Die Natur ist unser bester Lehrer!"
The Wave(s) Model – A brief introduction to the gentle and powerful depth of team development
THE ORIGIN & MOTIVATION
The Wave(s) Model is a model for team development that can also be used to reflect on the interaction of leadership and teams and vice versa. It assumes that teams and leadership exist in constant symbiosis with each other, i.e. they are interdependent and influence each other.
The Wave(s) Model, as its name suggests, originates from the sea, specifically the Atlantic coast in France. Developed in 2018, it describes the process of team development in analogy to the development of waves and thus paints an understandable, comprehensible picture of the essential development steps of teams. As a passionate surfer and sea lover, the founder of the Wave(s) Model, Jens Emrich von Kajdacsy, relates the interaction of teams with leadership to surfing in the sea.
From his practical experience as a manager, project manager and coach, he developed the Wave(s) Model to be able to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world, the VUCA world, on differentiated levels of human relationships. His motivation is primarily based on supporting teams and leaders to connect with each other in a more sustainable and deeper way to be able to deal with these challenges in a resilient way.
SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS
VALUE ORIENTATION
The Wave(s) Model is designed as a value-based and principles-oriented model to create a better understanding of behavioral dimensions, communication structures
ANALOGY THROUGH VISUALISATION
Through its analogy with wave development, the model provides a basis for understanding and comprehending the theoretical background in a simple way.
FOCUS FIELDS
Team development based on the model is not divided into phases but described via focus areas. Phases imply a process that builds on each other and must be passed through again and again in a fixed sequence in the development. However, the Wave(s) Model assumes, supported by experience, that team development is not defined by a linear process, but must be considered situationally and depending on the state of a team and its team members. Therefore, the model describes team development via so-called focus fields, which are used for the theoretical approach and practical application in the development process.
TWO LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Processes in the team context, dynamics, perspectives, mental and emotional states
?The world above the surface of the water is the level of consciousness that we can mostly grasp cognitively, visibly as well as rationally and with our conventional senses. The world below the surface of the water, on the other hand, is the place of the unconscious or deeper processes that, for example, cause dynamics and conflicts in teams and make "true relationships" possible in the first place.
DIMENSIONS AND VALUE AREAS
Just as a wave is a 3-dimensional structure that is created by energy and is supported by this energy during its lifetime, the life cycle of a team also consists of three decisive dimensions. The three dimensions stand for the essential areas that characterize a team and are focused on its development:
The individual dimensions are characterized by 5 value areas each, which are reflected in detail in the development process as well as in the coaching with teams and leadership. The dimensions and value areas are mapped in the team wave and can thus be put in relation to each other.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE WAVE(S) MODEL AND ITS STRUCTURE
THE THREE CORE ELEMENTS
Basically, there are three core elements in the description of the Wave(s) Model. They are listed below and supplemented with their classification in the model.
The sea map of the Wave(s) Model
The Teamwave in the Wave(s) Model
Decoding the Wave(s) Model
ELEMENTS FOR PRACTICAL USE
In addition to the description of the core elements, further elements are used in the practical implementation of team development in the Wave(s) Model. These also include 2 of the core elements.
The sea map of the Wave(s) Model
The Teamwave in the Wave(s) Model
The Card Deck ?insighTeam“
Location Determination
The Cloud of Why
THE TEAMWAVE IN THE WAVE(S) MODEL AND HOW TO USE IT
CENTRAL CORE STATEMENTS
To understand the background of the dimension and the associated value ranges, the following central core statements can be used.
First Dimension:?The first dimension includes the stable foundation of a team. Addressing these concepts is needed to work together as a unit.
Growth: The team has the intrinsic motivation and ambition to develop together
Authenticity: All team members contribute with their personality and talents
Trust: Within the team there is a trusting, honest and open interaction
Emotions: The team members show each other their emotions openly
Fun: The team acts with fun to achieve their goals
Second Dimension: The second dimension includes the elements for team development. What does the team want to pay attention to when moving forward?
Value System: The team has a common value system that everyone knows and lives by
Atmosphere: Within the team there is an open, constructive and learning atmosphere
Vision: The team has a common vision that is supported unanimously
Energy: The team works together with energy to achieve the goals
Purpose: The team knows the why and the sense of its actions
Third Dimension:?The third dimension includes the characteristics of a team. It revolves around how the team recognizes that it is developing in the right direction and is running smoothly.
Effectiveness: The team achieves an impact in its environment and is not only focused on goals.
Action: All team members are put into action and motion
Responsibility: The team takes responsibility for their own actions and behavior
Success: The team is successful, everyone shares the success with all others
Pride: The team members are proud to be part of this team
PRACTICAL USE OF THE TEAM WAVE IN TEAMS
In addition to the division into dimensions and values, the team wave also contains a scale of 1 - 10 on which the referred value ranges can be assessed.
?In the scale, 1 stands for "Not applicable" or the lowest value and 10 for "Absolutely applicable" or the highest value.
?During the practical exercise, each team member looks at the value ranges from his or her point of view for the whole team and places his or her assessment in the relevant field and scale value. This is done for all 15 value areas and for each team member.
?This assessment is the basis for the further methodological steps. Based on the assessment, a dialogue on values can be started in small groups or in the whole group, goal-oriented work can be done, and the status of the team can be reflected. The aim is to work on concrete measures in team development on this basis and to enter an extended exchange.
More in-depth instructions for further variations on the application of the team wave can be found in the book about the Wave(s) Model and the elemental force in Teams & Organizations", in which the Wave(s) Model is described in detail, and which is intended to provide a basic understanding of working with teams as a practical guide.
If you want to learn more about the Wave(s) Model and its application, or talk to me directly about your team's challenges, you can find my profile here on LinkedIn or contact me directly via my website:
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