Working with the AWIW team has been a very interesting project as we have been dealing with a team going through a fast development trajectory with new members and a mix of youth & experience. Turning what can be seen as a daunting prospect “The Appraisal” into a “Real Conversation” takes subtlety and skill as well as large elements of trust.

Beginning with some very simple discovery conversations that allowed us to form some pictures of where the team was in terms of their journey & how best to support them with a framework moving forward.

Aspen Waite is a progressive business and has some amazing ideas & projects and taking this into account we have worked on a “freedom within a framework” culture during this process. That meaning we set up a framework but gave everyone freedom within that to explore possibilities – opening the teams eyes to possibilities instead of closing them to tasks.

We have reviewed at every stage the conversations had and what was learned by ourselves and the way we had conducted conversations each day.

The team now have a PDP that they have designed in consultation with their boss which means they buy into the ownership of the plan as they manage their own destiny. Allowing them space to have a personal objective in their PDP shows how the business is understanding the different times we all live in and have lived in through the Covid-19 pandemic. It allows them to concentrate on something that they enjoy outside of work and maybe bring that skill/hobby to the workplace for others to share/experience.

To underline all of this and future proof the business AWIW have invested in a development program for their team to allow them to develop their skillsets as future leaders and custodians of the Aspen Waite Way for generations to come. As we speak the team are 2 workshops into a 6 workshop program and they are relishing the chance to expand their skills and build a stronger team for the future. There feels like a tangible shift in their purpose as well as their effectiveness as a team and this is what please me the most.