How to Run a Successful Strategy Day for Your Leadership Team

Are your strategy and business plan still relevant and fit for the future?

When was the last time you stepped back to look at it with a fresh perspective and reflect on your current reality or changing external environment?

Is your leadership team bogged down in the day-to-day pressures of running a business?

In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world, strategy can’t be static. It must evolve, flex, and respond to change. And unless you press pause, you risk:

• Losing sight of your purpose and goals

• Losing sight of your customers or clients

• Making decisions based on habit

• Missing new opportunities or threats

• Staying stuck in outdated ways of thinking

A strategy workshop (or leadership away day) is a dedicated time and space for leadership teams to focus on long-term planning and strategic direction, free from daily operational pressures. It's a chance to step back from the day-to-day and consider the big picture, ensuring alignment and a shared vision for the future.

Tips, questions and facilitation ideas to design and run a successful Strategy Day

Why You Need to Make Space for a Strategy Workshop

• Strategic Alignment - Ensure everyone agrees on the organisation's goals, priorities, and how to achieve them.

• Improved Communication - Create a safe environment for open dialogue and healthy debate about the future and challenge the status quo.

• Enhanced Creativity - Step outside daily operations to generate fresh ideas, identify new opportunities, and innovative solutions.

• Reduced Risk - Spot obstacles, blind spots and external changes (economic, social, technological) and develop plans to respond.

• Increased Efficiency - When everyone understands the strategic direction, decisions are quicker and more aligned, saving time, effort and resources.

• Better Decision-Making - Clarify what matters most and make decisions that drive the business forward.

• Motivation and Engagement - Re-energise your leadership team around shared direction, purpose and priorities.

Tips for Facilitating a Productive Strategy Day

• Be clear on outcomes - What do you want to get out of the workshop? Be specific: Do we want decisions? Prioritisation? Alignment? A plan? Clarity on ownership?

• Keep it focused - Don’t be tempted to cram too much in with a long agenda. Choose three or four themes or strategic questions and leave time for in-depth conversations and creative thinking.

• Change the space - A strategy day should feel different from a regular meeting, so moving away from the office helps to remove distractions and creates a fresh perspective. Look for a venue that feels fresh, creative and different (not just another boardroom) to inspire fresh, innovative thinking.

• Ditch the table - Boardroom tables can reinforce traditional hierarchy and power structures. To create more openness, equality and more dynamic conversation, sit in a circle or a horseshoe.

• Warm up - Begin with something reflective or fun. Ask people to share what they’d like to get out of the day, what they’re proud of, or what they’re finding challenging. If you want something different, there are dozens of resources online on ice-breakers, but choose something that feels right for your people and your culture.

• Create space for private thinking, as well as group discussion - Use the 1–2–3 model: Start with solo reflection, move into pairs or trios, then share insights and discuss with the full group. This ensures deeper thinking and broader participation. This supports introverted people who like to think before speaking and may get dominated by the extroverts.

• Keep the energy up - Vary activities and use movement, change locations, or shift between sitting and standing.

• End with action: Conclude with specific next steps, ownership, and a timeline. Don’t leave without decisions.

• Facilitating it yourself? Stay neutral where possible, ask more than you tell, and be clear about roles: who’s leading the discussion, capturing notes, and managing time.

• Bring in an external Facilitator - they bring clarity, neutrality, fresh challenge and the skill to manage energy, group dynamics and tough conversations.

How do you structure the day?

The structure of the day should be based around your goals, culture and priorities. Here are some tools you can use:

• Strategic frameworks (SWOT, PESTLE, Ansoff Matrix)

• Business Model Canvas and capability mapping

• Decision-making tools (prioritisation grids like the Eisenhower Matrix, stakeholder maps)

• Creative exercises to unlock fresh thinking

• Time for individual reflection and thinking as well as group work.

Key themes to include:

• Where are we now, what’s working and what’s not?

• Where do we want to go from here and why?

• What’s changing in the wider world?

• What behaviours or structures are holding us back?

• How do we stay aligned through growth, change, or challenge?

• What capabilities will we need for the future?

• SMART goals, KPIs or OKRs - What action will we take, when and who owns what?

10 Questions to Ask Before Planning a Strategy Day

Here are 10 quick questions to ask before planning a Strategy Workshop:

1. Do we need to step away from the day-to-day and look at the big picture?

2. Has our strategy, purpose or vision drifted or lost clarity?

3. Do we need to review our priorities or build shared accountability around them?

4. Are we aligned as a leadership team on where we're going and how to get there?

5. Are we facing a period of change, growth, or external uncertainty?

6. Are we stuck in old ways of thinking or doing things simply because 'that’s how we’ve always done it'?

7. Have we welcomed new leaders, directors or team members who need to get on the same page?

8. Are there behaviours, habits or silos that are getting in the way of collaboration or performance?

9. Do we have key decisions or trade-offs to make that require input and commitment from everyone?

10. Would an external Facilitator help to create an open forum for us to think differently and move forward faster?

If you're answering yes to several of these, it may be time to make time to focus on your strategy.

Would you like help to plan and facilitate your next Strategy Workshop or Leadership Away Day?

Polly Robinson, Growth Space

At Growth Space, our approach is to create engaging, energising and purposeful Offsites and Away Days. We bring

• Strategic tools, frameworks, structures and practical tools.

• Challenge and fresh perspective to encourage new ways of thinking

• The right balance of purpose and results with energy and fun

• Warmth and the ability to build rapport and create psychological safety, so everyone has a voice.

If you want help with your next strategy session, let’s talk.

• Call: 07966 475195

• Email: polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk

• Book at time to meet via Zoom or Teams via Calendly >

• Explore Strategy Facilitation at Growth Space >

Planning Leadership or Management Development - Start with 10 questions.

How do you make sure that your next leadership development or management training programme is successful? How can you be sure that it will be engaging and that learning will stick?

It may be tempting to opt for a quick fix, such as off-the-shelf training or e-learning modules, but will people engage with them? Will it feel relatable and relevant, or just like a tick-box exercise?

64% of managers said they would “look for another job” if their organisation failed to support their professional development, according to the Building Better Managers report (Mindtools 2025), which surveyed more than 2,000 UK managers. The results make for interesting reading:

• 80% of the managers surveyed were promoted because they were good at their job, not because they wanted to manage people.

• Half of the managers surveyed received no support from their organisation (resources, formal courses or training) when transitioning into a management role.

• Only 58% of those who did said that they were satisfied with the support they received.

• 72% of managers rank emotional intelligence in their top 5 most-needed skills; yet, few have ever been supported to develop it.

• 41% of managers say: “I want to discover my strengths and weaknesses.”

• 40% want to know “what my organisation expects me to focus on.”

• Having difficult conversations was identified as a top challenge for managers.

• Only 37% of managers feel confident in goal-setting

So, how can you be sure that the financial and time investment will be worthwhile, create a long-term impact and ROI? Before you start planning or buying a development programme, begin with these 10 questions.

10 Questions to Ask before Planning a Leadership or Management Development Programme

1. What problem are we trying to solve?

Being vague about the purpose of the training will lead to vague outcomes, so clarify and define what gap the training needs to close, what problems it will solve and why now. The more specific you can be, the more targeted and effective the training intervention will be.

• What are the specific skill gaps we see in our managers and leaders?

• What problems is this causing?

• Are there inconsistencies in leadership behaviour or expectations?

• Why do we need the training now?

2. How will we know if it worked?

It’s not enough for leadership training to feel useful; you need to know it made a tangible difference. Before you start, agree:

• What would success look like?

• What would managers feel, think and do differently?

• How would it impact the wider team and the business?

• What behaviours, outcomes or shifts would tell us this was a good use of time and budget?

• What can we track and measure?

Consider tracking:

• Engagement or pulse scores (e.g. “I have confidence in my manager”)

• 360 feedback before and after the programme

• Self-assessed leadership confidence or readiness

• Retention and internal promotion rates

3. What’s the current reality for leaders in our business, and what’s missing?

• What is the day-to-day reality for your managers and leaders?

• What are they finding hard?

• Do our leaders know what’s expected of them?

• What leadership behaviours drive our culture?

• What themes come up in surveys, exit interviews or coaching conversations?

4. Who is it for?

Leadership development training isn’t one-size-fits-all, so define the audience, their roles and levels of experience.

• Are you supporting new, stretched or experienced leaders?

• What support or training have they had before?

• How do they learn best? (in person, on-the-job, through talking, reading, watching or doing?)

• Do they have time?

• Will they engage and commit to the programme?

5. How do we align the programme with our culture, values and strategic priorities?

• Does the training support our strategic priorities?

• How will it support our culture and brand?

• What new capabilities or behaviours will leaders need to meet future challenges?

• Are there behaviours we’re seeing that contradict the culture we want?

• Are leaders role modelling those values, or accidentally eroding them?

6. Will this build leadership self-awareness and confidence?

Building confidence and developing emotional intelligence are just as important as training in hard skills and ‘soft skills’.

• Do our leaders feel confident to give feedback, set direction, or hold others accountable?

• Are they avoiding difficult conversations?

• Are we supporting emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-awarenes?

7. How will we make it stick?

According to ATD, only 20% of training participants apply what they’ve learned unless there’s reinforcement. Training is just the start of the journey.

• How will we embed and follow up the training?

• How do we encourage people to practise what they’re learning?

• Will there be coaching, peer learning, or follow-up?

• Will line managers support the training, allow time away from the desk and encourage practice?

8. How will we create psychological safety during the programme?

People need to feel comfortable and able to express themselves, ask questions, and share ideas safely. Ask:

• Will the space be inclusive, supportive and confidential?

• How do we ensure everyone’s voice is heard - even the quieter ones?

• Will participants feel safe to ask “obvious” questions?

• Can they talk honestly about where they’re stuck?

9. Who will design and deliver the training?

• Do we need something fast, simple, and off-the-shelf, or something designed around our people, our goals and our culture?

• Do we have the capacity and expertise to design and deliver this internally?

• Do we need external partner to design and deliver the programme?

• Would a public or open-access course meet our needs?

There’s no one right answer — but there is a best-fit approach for your context.

Off-the-shelf vs bespoke: what’s right for you?

Off-the-shelf might work if you need speed, scale, or consistency across a large group with baseline knowledge needs.

Bespoke is better if you’re solving complex cultural issues, supporting strategic change, or developing a specific set of behaviours aligned with your values.

10. Should we facilitate internally or bring in an external Facilitator?

Internal delivery may save money, but it can limit openness. It’s also tough to be both the facilitator and a full participant. External facilitators bring fresh eyes, neutrality, structure, and psychological safety, especially helpful when trust is low, behaviour needs to shift or a big change is underway.

When choosing an external facilitator, experience and credentials matter, but so does chemistry, emotional intelligence, and the ability to build trust quickly. So look for someone who designs training from real-world experience, not just theory; gets your sector, culture and context, can flex tone, structure and content in the room and will challenge, not just cheerlead.

Final Thought

According to IBM, companies that invest in leadership development see up to a 37% improvement in business performance. (IBM Smarter Workforce Study).

If after you’ve answered these questions, you would like help to co-create and facilitate a leadership development or management training programme that makes a difference, I’d love to help.

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Get in touch to discuss how I can help

Polly Robinson, Growth Space

We design tailored human-centric programmes that are relevant and relatable for your people, your culture and your organisation. I work as a strategic partner, coach and facilitator to help you get to design and deliver programmes that make a real lasting difference.

Everything is tailored - we don’t use templates or jargon.

We’re known for warmth, energy, deep listening, strategic thinking and clarity.

If you’d like to explore how we can help get in touch with Polly:

• Call: 07966 475195

• Email: polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk

• Book Zoom call with Polly via Calendly >

• Explore Growth Space Leadership Programmes >

How to Give Feedback

How to have useful, honest feedback conversations
that help people grow

This is the second blog in my weekly series: Practical Tips for Leaders and Managers.

Each post shares straightforward advice to help you lead with more confidence, clarity and care — whether you're managing your first team or leading a group of experienced professionals and is inspired by the themes I regularly come across in my work as an Executive Coach and Facilitator. So far, we’ve explored How to Build Confidence and overcome Imposter Syndrome.

This article shares some practical tips for giving feedback, something that almost everyone I work with admits is hard and uncomfortable.

Why Feedback Feels So Hard

When I’m coaching leaders and managers, even experienced ones, I often hear some version of this:

• “I find feedback awkward — I don’t want to upset anyone.”

• “I know I should give feedback, but I never know how to start or how to find the right time.”

• “What if they take it the wrong way?”

It’s easy to avoid giving feedback, tempting to soften it with a ‘sh*t sandwich’, or just drop vague hints that don’t get heard or safe it up to the next annual review - by which time you feel resentful and the lack of intervention may have caused bigger problems.

But done well, it’s about helping someone see what’s working, what’s not, and what they could do differently in the future, with care and clarity.

We might hold back from giving feedback because:

• We worry that if we give honest feedback, they might not like me. “If I’m honest, they’ll think I’m harsh or unfair.”

• We fear an emotional reaction. “What if they get upset, angry or defensive, and I don’t know how to handle it?”

• We’re uncomfortable with discomfort with confrontation or conflict

• We lack confidence in our own ability. “Who am I to give feedback when I’m not perfect either?”

• We don’t want to get it wrong. “If I can’t say it exactly right, I’d better not say it at all.”

• We make assumptions, “They probably already know,” or “They won’t change anyway.”

• We’re nervous about creating more work or complexity “If I raise this, I might open a can of worms.”So we soften it, delay it, avoid it, or bundle it up in vague generalities.

But giving good feedback isn’t about catching someone out or fixing them - it’s about helping them see what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next.

Why Feedback Matters

Clear, honest, constructive feedback is one of the most powerful tools you have as a leader. It:

• Builds trust and transparency

• Shows people they’re seen and valued

• Helps nip issues in the bud

• Prevents resentment and confusion

• Boosts morale and motivation

• Makes expectations visible and fair

And that includes positive feedback too. Not vague praise, but clear, specific recognition that shows people what good looks like and helps it happen again.

Feedback shouldn’t be an annual event saved up for performance reviews.

It works best when it’s regular, respectful, and part of everyday working life.

What Happens When Feedback Is Missing

When feedback is avoided, the issues don’t disappear; they just go underground and lead to resentment. Here’s what I see in teams where feedback is patchy or inconsistent:

• People don’t know what’s expected

• Good work goes unrecognised

• Poor behaviour goes unchallenged

• Frustration simmers quietly

• Trust erodes over time

If no one’s saying it out loud, someone’s probably saying it somewhere else. Better to create space for honest conversations than let gossip or guesswork fill the silence.

Practical Tips: How to Give Better Feedback

You don’t need a script. But you do need to be thoughtful. Here’s a simple, human-centred approach that works in real life. Here’s how:

1. Start a Conversation, Not a Monologue

Feedback is most powerful when it’s a two-way exchange, not a download. Try opening with: “How do you think that went?”; “What do you feel went well?”; “What would you do differently next time?”
Making it a dialogue lowers defensiveness and shows respect. When someone feels part of the conversation, they’re far more likely to take action

2. Use the AID framework: Action – Impact – Direction

A simple structure that focuses on behaviour (not personality):

• Action – What did they do?

• Impact – What effect did it have?

• Direction – What’s the change you want?

Marshall Goldsmith

3. Feed Forward, Not Back

You can’t change the past, so dwelling in it provokes a defensive response. If you make the conversation future-focused, people will be less defensive, they will listen and engage in the conversation about how to improve. The concept of Feed Forward was developed by Marshall Goldsmith. It’s about focusing on future actions, not past mistakes and shifts the conversation from blame to growth.

• “Next time, I’d like you to…”

• “In future, what would help is…”

4. Praise in Public, Criticise in Private

Celebrate positive feedback in front of the team. It’s motivating, reinforcing, and a subtle way to highlight expectations. But if your feedback is critical or sensitive? Make time and find a space to talk in private.

5. Say It While It’s Fresh

Don’t save feedback up for next month’s one-to-one because it loses value and impact the longer you wait. If something helpful or important happens, say it while the moment’s still alive.

6. Don’t ask WHY

When you ask someone, “Why did you…?” or ‘Why did that happen…?” it puts people on the spot, it sounds like an accusation even if you don’t mean it to. Research shows that asking WHY activates the brain’s threat response, triggering defensiveness or withdrawal. People feel like they’re being interrogated rather than invited into a conversation.

This is especially true if you’re in a position of authority, the issue is sensitive or recent, or the person is already unsure or insecure

Instead of starting with “Why…?”, try reframing the question with one of these more open, exploratory alternatives:

• “What was your intention behind…?”

• “What were you aiming to achieve?”

• “Can you talk me through how you approached it?”

• “What do you think worked well, and what might you do differently next time?”

7. Other Words and Phrases to Avoid

Some phrases raise defences before your point has even landed.

Here are a few to watch out for:

• “You always…” / “You never…” - it’s generalising, unhelpful and often based on assumptions, not fact.

• “But…” is the classic ‘sh*t sandwich"‘ it cancels out anything positive you said before it and dliutes the message.

• “If I were you…” — sounds patronising

• “I think…” — try “What’s your take?” instead

8. Avoid You or Fact Tennis

Psychotherapist and author Philippa Perry uses the term “fact tennis” to describe a common trap in difficult conversations. She describes it as two people locked in a back-and-forth of “who’s right” lobbing facts, justifications, and corrections over the net. It becomes a rally of defensiveness where nobody wins.

In feedback conversations, a similar trap can happen — let’s call it “you tennis.”

One person says: “You didn’t do that properly.”

The other responds: “Well, you didn’t explain it clearly.”

And we’re off!

It’s unproductive and it creates tension.

When you show empathy and that you understand the other's perspective, their feelings and their fears, you can have a more productive conversation. Try centring the feedback on your experience and perspective, and on observable behaviour and impact.

Instead of “You didn’t speak up in that meeting.” Try: “I noticed you were quiet in the meeting, and I was wondering . . .”

Instead of “You’re always late with your reports.” Try “I’ve noticed the last few reports have arrived after the deadline. That makes it harder for us to meet the next step on time.”

Instead of: “You’re not a team player.” Try: “I’ve noticed you’ve chosen to work solo on the last few projects, I’m curious. . .”

9. Remember Radical Candor

Kim Scott’s Radical Candor framework is a favourite of mine and matches with Brene Brown’s:

”Clear is kind and kind is clear.”

Great feedback happens when you care personally and challenge directly. If you only care but don’t challenge? You’re being nice but not helpful. If you challenge without care? It’s harsh — and it rarely lands. When you find the balance of both, you are clear and kind, you build trust and growth

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Reflection Exercise: Getting Comfortable With Feedback

Take 10 minutes to reflect on the following:

• When was the last time I gave someone clear, helpful feedback in the moment?

• What kind of feedback do I tend to avoid giving and what’s behind that? (Fear of upsetting them? Not being sure how to say it?)

• Is there anyone in my team who could benefit from recognition or clarity this week?

• How could I be clearer when I’m giving feedback and make it a useful dialogue rather than a monologue?

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Would you like to discover how to give feedback or build a feedback culture?

I help leaders and managers to be more confident about giving regular feedback, and practice how to give clear, more effective feedback. I also work with senior leaders or other teams on how to build a feedback culture

If you’d like to chat about how I can help you through Leadership Coaching or workshops and training on giving feedback, get in touch.

• Book a time to chat on Zoom (or in person) via Calendly >

• Call me on 07966 475195

• Email polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk

Planning an Offsite or Away Day? Start With These 10 Questions

If you’re planning a leadership off-site, strategy workshop or team away day, pause before you start booking venues or building slides.

Off-sites, Workshops, and Team Away Days can build trust, clarity, and momentum, or leave your team asking, “What was the point of that?”

Before sending the calendar invitation, ask these ten questions to help you design an off-site that delivers meaningful results and avoid the “nice lunch, no outcomes” trap.

10 Questions to Answer before holding an Off-site, Workshop or Away Day

1. What are we trying to achieve?

Every offsite should have a clear why. Without it, the day risks feeling vague or performative. Being clear on the purpose shapes everything: format, facilitation, outcomes, and energy. Without this clarity, the day risks feeling vague or performative. Ask:

• What’s the problem or challenge we’re trying to solve?

• Is it to solve a problem (misalignment, disconnection, lack of clarity) Is it to respond to a shift (new CEO, strategy change, growth) or is it to unlock new ideas and momentum?

• Why now?

Try this: Write your purpose in a single sentence — and use it to brief your team, venue or facilitator.

2. What outcomes do we want?

Get specific. Whether your off-site, away day or workshop is about setting strategic priorities, exploring culture and values, building trust, communication or collaboration. Outcomes don’t need to be rigid but they should be meaningful, specific, and linked to business needs. Ask:

• What decisions do we want made?

• What conversations need to happen?

• How will we know if the day has been successful?

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3. Who should be in the room and why?

The impact of your session depends on who’s involved. Off-sites are more impactful when the right people are present and when you’re clear on what each person brings. Consider:

• Are we including decision-makers and people with insight and lived experience?

• Are we bringing the right mix of perspectives, roles and personalities?

• Do we need external stakeholders, new hires or future leaders in the room?

• Is there anyone whose absence will limit our ability to move forward?

4. What do we want people to think, feel and do afterwards?

A successful offsite should shift something mindset, motivation, behaviour, or direction. Avoid vague goals like “alignment” or “team bonding.” Ask:

• What impact do we want this to have?

• What new behaviours do we want to see?

• What conversations are overdue?

• What actions should people commit to?

5. What’s likely to get in the way and how will we handle it?

Tension, cynicism, unspoken issues, unresolved conflict, cynicism or fatigue. Every offsite has potential blockers. Ignoring them doesn’t make them disappear, but designing with them in mind makes the day more honest, useful and inclusive. This is where a skilled external facilitator can help to surface the tough stuff and move forward constructively.

Ask:

• What’s not being said?

• What might stop people being honest?

• How can we create a safe, inclusive space?

6. Is everyone clear on why they’re invited and what’s expected?

Offsites work when people show up ready to participate, not just spectate. When people feel prepared, they engage more fully and bring better energy to the room. So, make sure people know:

• Why have they been invited

  What the day is (and isn’t) about

  What are they expected to prepare or bring to it?

  What kind of mindset is expected

7. How will we balance, structure and flexibility?

Too much structure can kill creativity at an off-site or away day, while too little can lead to chaos. A well-designed day includes:

• Time to reflect on the big picture

• Space to connect as people

• Opportunities to make real decisions

• Flexibility to adapt in the moment

A structure around presentations and breakout can feel stale and rigid, so build in movement, variety, and breathing space, so include plenty of opportunity for individual reflection, small-group work, open conversations, and collaborative planning.

8. What will make this feel different to a regular meeting?

Your offsite should feel like a different kind of conversation, not just another agenda-heavy session. The best workshops spark insight because they feel different. Ask:

• How can we use a different space or setting? That’s the value in getting away from the office, to somewhere new, away from distractions.

• Can we include storytelling, vulnerability or creativity?

  How will we make it human, not corporate?

9. How will we make sure this leads to action, not just good intentions?

Too many offsites end with a flurry of ideas and no real follow-through. Creating accountability makes sure you see real shifts. Before the day ends, build in:

• Time for decisions, priorities and next steps

• Clear next steps and timeframes

• Clear ownership (who will do what by when)

• A plan to revisit and track progress in a month, a quarter and a year.

10. Should we bring in an external Facilitator?

If you want honesty, momentum, and real progress, consider working with a facilitator. A good facilitator holds the space, creates safety, encourages participation, and ensures real outcomes, not just good vibes. Especially if:

• There’s low trust

• You need to shift dynamics or challenge the status quo

• You want leaders to participate fully, not run the room

• You want actionable outcomes

A brilliant offsite doesn’t just happen. It’s designed with intention, curiosity, and care. Start with these questions, and you’ll already be ahead of most teams that simply hope for the best.

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Are you planning an Away Day, Off-site or Workshop and looking for support?

Whether you’re planning a leadership strategy day, team away-day, or culture workshop, I’ll help you design and facilitate a session that delivers real outcomes,

We’ll bring people together with purpose, create space for the right conversations, and leave with clarity, connection and action.

If you’ve got ideas, plans or challenges that would benefit from getting people in a room together, I’d love to hear about them.

• Give me a call on 07966 475195

• Book a time straight into my diary: Calendly >

• Email me: polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk

• Learn more about Growth Space Workshops & Facilitation >

Not sure if you need a facilitator?
Read my blog: Do I Need a Facilitator for My Away Day?

5 Steps to Building Brilliant Teams. No 5. Results

“If a team is not focused on results, it will ultimately stagnate and fail to grow.”

— Patrick Leconi

Teamwork is about getting things done.

It’s about making progress on the things that matter most — together.

Teams exist to deliver results you can’t achieve alone. To solve problems. To drive growth. To create something better than the sum of individual efforts.

Results mean moving forward with purpose, working towards shared goals — not just being busy or just doing our own thing in isolation. Results give focus, energy, and meaning to all the work that happens day-to-day.

That’s why great teams align around shared results — and make them visible, measurable, and worth celebrating.

This is the final blog in my series exploring how to build a brilliant team — inspired by Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team model. So far, we’ve explored Trust, Healthy Conflict, Commitment, and Accountability. Today, we’re focusing on Results — and why shared success matters more than anything.

“The ultimate dysfunction of a team is the tendency of members to care about something other than the collective goals of the group.”

Patrick Lencioni

After all the conversations, connection, and commitment — what’s the point?.

Results are what all of this teamwork is building towards. But in many teams, results aren’t as visible — or as shared — as they need to be. People stay busy with their own tasks. Departments chase their own targets. Success goes unnoticed — or is only recognised from the top down. And when results aren’t visible, celebrated, or shared — teams lose momentum.

When teams trust each other, engage in healthy conflict, commit to decisions, and hold each other accountable, there’s a good chance they’ll succeed.

But the final step is to make sure everyone is aligned around shared goals — and that success is visible to everyone.

What Happens When Teams Don’t Focus on Results?

When collective results aren’t clear or visible:

• People retreat to individual priorities

• Teams lose focus and motivation

• Progress becomes hard to measure

• Success often goes unacknowledged

This isn’t about micromanagement. It’s about shared momentum.

How to Create a Team Focus on Results

Here’s how high-performing teams stay focused on what matters most:

1. Set Shared Goals — Not Just Individual Ones
   Shared KPIs or team objectives create alignment and clarity.
   Ask: “What does success look like for our team?”
   ”How will we measure progress as a team?”

2. Make Progress Visible — Create a Scoreboard
   A Scoreboard is key to visibility.
   It’s a simple, visual way to track goals and keep keeps them front of mind, it creates focus, motivation and accountability. It also helps you celebrate the milestones and successes.

3. Celebrate Wins — Big and Small
   Celebrating together builds connection, pride, and momentum.
   Success often goes unrecognised — or gets lost in the rush to the next thing. Celebrating results isn’t about trophies or big awards (though those can be great too). It’s about noticing. Great teams make a habit of recognising:
   - Progress
   - Effort
   - Lessons learned
   - Collaboration
   - Values-driven behaviour
   
   Ask your team:
   ”What achievements — big or small — could we celebrate?”
   ”How do we want to celebrate together when we hit a goal?”

Final Thought: Results Are a Team Effort

The best teams succeed together. They stay focused on what matters most. They hold each other to high standards. They notice progress and they celebrate success.

When results are visible, shared, and celebrated — teams move faster, feel stronger, and stay connected.

Reflection Exercise: Create Your Team Scoreboard

This is a powerful conversation to have as a team — either in a workshop, team meeting, or strategy session. It’s not about over-complicating things — it’s about getting really clear on what success looks like for this team, and how you’ll stay focused on it together. This works brilliantly with post-its, whiteboards, or online collaboration tools.

1. Decide What Results Matter Most
   What results should we measure and track to know we’re moving towards our goal?
   What metrics matter most to us? This could include: KPIs, Customer feedback, Revenue or growth targets, Project milestones
   What will help us stay focused, motivated and accountable?
   Tip: Keep it simple — track what matters, not everything

2. Decide on Your Scoreboard
   What would make progress visible for us?
   What format would work so we can see our progress visually and regularly?
   Where and how should we update it?
   Ideas: Physical board in the office, Shared slide or doc, Digital dashboard, Weekly team check-in
   Tip: The scoreboard only works if people see it regularly.

3. Decide How You’ll Celebrate Success
   What do we want to celebrate?
   How do we want to celebrate together
   This could be: Shout-outs in meetings, a team ritual, sharing wins on Slack or Teams, Lunch together when a milestone is hit
   Tip: Celebration isn’t about showiness — it’s about noticing.

4. Make It a Habit

   Finally, ask:
   How will we keep this alive?
   How often will we check in on progress?

   How will we hold each other accountable for the results we care about?

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Need Help Aligning Your Team Around Results?

I design and facilitate practical, people-focussed team workshops that help teams get clear on what success looks like — and how they’ll work together to achieve it.

→ Workshops rooted in insight and action.

→ Tools to align goals and track progress.

→ Space for people to talk (really talk).

If you’d like to chat about how I could support your team, get in touch.

Call Polly on 07966 475195 or email polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk

5 Steps to Building a Brilliant Team. 4. Accountability

How Great Teams Hold Each Other To Account

Accountability is a sign of mutual respect. It’s about making sure what we said would happen, actually happens.

It’s about showing up for each other.

And it’s about caring enough to follow through — and to help others do the same.

In teams, accountability means:

• Taking ownership of your commitments

• Delivering work with integrity and consistency

• Checking in, offering support, and challenging each other to stay focused on shared goals

It’s not about blame.

It’s not about hierarchy.

It’s not about micromanagement.

This is the fourth blog in my series exploring how to build a brilliant team — inspired by Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team model. Firstly, we explored Trust, the second blog looked at Healthy Conflict, the third focused on Commitment. Today, we’re talking about Accountability — and why the best teams hold each other to high standards.

Accountability is how trust and commitment come to life in action. When teams practise accountability well:

• Deadlines are met

• Decisions lead to action

• Feedback flows freely

• People feel proud of their contribution — and confident in each other

Of course, when accountability slips, progress stalls. Frustration builds. And things start to fall through the cracks. But with the right habits and behaviours, that’s entirely avoidable.

As Patrick Lencioni puts it:

"Accountability is the willingness of team members to remind one another when they are not living up to the performance standards of the group."

The best teams don’t rely on one person — usually the leader — to chase everyone for updates. They support and challenge each other. Because accountability is a team sport.

Individual Accountability vs Shared Accountability

Great teams hold themselves — and each other — accountable in two key ways:

1. Individual Accountability
   Show up with integrity
   Meet deadlines
   Deliver quality work
   Take ownership for results (good and bad)
   Follow through on commitments
   Avoid blame — focus on solutions

2. Shared Accountability
   Collaborate — don’t just operate in silos
   Support each other to succeed
   Hold each other to agreed standards
   Speak up if something isn’t right
   Remind each other of shared goals and purpose
   Accountability isn’t about hierarchy.

How to Build a Culture of Accountability

Accountability doesn’t happen automatically — it’s something teams have to practise and leaders have to model. Here’s how to create it:

1. Set Clear Expectations
   Be explicit about what’s expected — from roles, goals, behaviours, and values. No assumptions.

2. Communicate Openly
   Be transparent and honest — about priorities, progress, and problems.

3. Check-In Regularly
   Informal check-ins, one-to-ones, and regular team reviews keep people aligned and focused.

4. Collaborate
   Remind people that shared accountability means helping each other succeed — not just focusing on individual tasks.

5. Role Model Accountability
   Leaders go first. Take ownership of mistakes. Follow through. Ask for feedback.

Why Feedback Matters to Accountability

Feedback is like Oxygen - it should flow in every direction — upwards, sideways, and across the team. When everyone feels safe to offer insight and hold each other to account, the whole team gets better, faster.

Feedback isn’t something that happens once a year. It’s an everyday habit. Great teams give feedback:

• Little and often

• Up, down, and sideways

• Direct, clear, and kind

• Feedback helps teams learn faster, improve performance, and build trust.

How Meetings Show (or Break) Accountability

Meetings are one of the most visible ways teams live out accountability.

If meetings feel like a waste of time — or nothing happens afterwards — people disengage. Meetings should:

• Build alignment

• Clarify decisions

• Confirm actions

• Hold people accountable for follow-through

Final Thought: Accountability Builds Trust, Clarity and Care

Accountability isn’t about being hard on people — it’s about caring enough to hold each other to high standards. It’s about making sure good intentions turn into action. It’s about having the confidence to challenge and support your each other. And it’s about creating a culture where following through isn’t optional — it’s what we do.

It’s not always easy — but it is important.

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Reflection Exercise: How Can We Be a More Accountable Team?

This is a simple, practical exercise you can use in your next team meeting — to open up an honest conversation about accountability.

1. Step 1: Ask your team these questions:
   Give everyone a few minutes to jot down their thoughts quietly first.
   When have you seen a lack of accountability in this team — and what happened?
   What gets in the way of holding each other to account?
   What’s the cost when we don’t follow through?
   What behaviour do we need to call out more often here?
   What would help us be better at giving (and receiving) feedback?

2. Step 2: Gather ideas together
   Use post-its, a whiteboard, or an online board (Miro, Jamboard) to capture themes.
   Look for patterns. Be curious. Avoid blame.

3. Step 3: Decide on one small action

Ask:

• What’s one thing we want to do differently as a team from today?

• What behaviour do we all agree to commit to?

One practical way to build accountability is to create a simple Team Accountability Contract - something short, clear, and visible that helps everyone stay on track. This is a shared agreement about what you expect from each other. For example:

• “When we commit to something, we will… follow through and update the team.”

• “If something is delayed or unclear, we will… raise it early and ask for help.”

• “When someone forgets or drops the ball, we will… remind them kindly and directly.”

• Co-create it together. Keep it visible. Refer back to it often.

• This turns accountability from something awkward into something normal, expected, and supportive.

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Need Help Building a Culture of Accountability in Your Team?

Accountability doesn’t have to feel hard or uncomfortable — it’s about clarity, consistency, and care.

That’s where I come in.

I design and facilitate practical, human team workshops that help teams create clear agreements, better habits, and a culture of everyday accountability.

→ Workshops rooted in insight and action.

→ Tools to build shared ownership and feedback skills.

→ Space for people to talk (really talk).

If you’d like to chat about how I could support your team, get in touch.

Call Polly on 07966 475195 or email polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk

5 Steps to Building Brilliant Teams. 3. Commitment

“Commitment Isn’t About Consensus — It’s About Clarity.”

Commitment Isn’t About Consensus — It’s About Clarity.

Commitment in teams isn’t about getting everyone to agree - it’s about shared clarity and confidence in the way forward.

It’s not simply about people:

• Saying yes when they don’t really mean it.

• Agreeing — but not really committing.

Real commitment in teams doesn’t come from keeping everyone happy. It comes from clarity.

• Clarity about why we’re here.

• Clarity about what we’re trying to achieve.

• Clarity about how we work together to get there.

Teams don’t need to agree on everything — but they do need to leave a conversation clear about the decision, aligned on the next steps, and committed to moving forward together.

Without clarity, teams drift.

Without commitment, teams stall.

This is the third blog in my series exploring how to build a brilliant team — inspired by Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team model. In the first, we looked at Trust and in the second, we explored Healthy Conflict. Today, we’re talking about Commitment — and why it starts with clarity.

What Patrick Lencioni Says About Commitment

Patrick Lencioni describes commitment as the result of clarity and buy-in, not forced consensus or endless discussion. He makes it clear: Commitment doesn’t mean everyone always agrees. In fact, healthy teams often don’t agree during discussion — that’s a sign of healthy conflict (as we explored in the last article).

But once a decision is made, great teams commit fully — because they’ve had the chance to share their views, debate the options, and feel heard.

When commitment is missing in a team, Lencioni warns that indecision takes over. Meetings become circular. Actions get delayed. People leave conversations feeling frustrated or unclear about what’s happening next.

• Without clarity, ambiguity creeps in.

• Without buy-in, accountability drops.

• Without commitment, results suffer.

As Lencioni puts it:

“A lack of commitment leads to ambiguity among team members about direction and priorities, which leads to lack of confidence and fear of failure.”

This is why clarity — of purpose, values, and ways of working — is essential. Teams need to know what they’re committing to, why it matters, and what’s expected of them.

What Drives Commitment in Teams?

Commitment happens when people are crystal clear on three things:

1. Purpose — Why are we here?

2. Values — How do we work together?

3. Ways of Working — What does that look like day-to-day?

Let’s break them down.

Start with Purpose — Your WHY

As Simon Sinek says in Start With Why:

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

Your team’s WHY is its purpose. It’s the reason you show up. It’s what gives meaning to the work. Ask your team:

• Why does this team exist?

• Why do we get out of bed every morning to do this work?

• Why should anyone care?

Purpose brings people together and provides a north star for decisions and actions. It creates alignment and helps teams focus on what really matters.

Your HOW — Values in Action

Values are the principles that guide how you work, communicate, and collaborate. But they’re not just words on a wall or in an employee handbook. Real values are visible every day in behaviour. Great values should be:

• Easy to understand

• Relevant every day

• Used to guide decision-making and action

Too often, company values are generic (Integrity! Excellence! Innovation!) and mean very little in practice. The real question is:

What does this value look like in action?

Values should clarify:

• How we work together

• What behaviours we expect from each other

• What’s okay — and what’s not okay — here

Ways of Working — Clarity Removes Ambiguity

Commitment isn’t just about big-picture purpose. It’s about practical clarity too.

Clear teams agree on how they work together, so people know what to expect.

Here are some areas worth defining as a team:

1. Meetings
   What’s the purpose of different meetings?
   How often do we meet?
   How do we make sure meetings lead to action?

2. Communication
   What tools do we use for what? (Email, Teams, WhatsApp etc.)
   What’s the expected response time?
   How do we avoid overwhelm?

3. Working Day
   What are our working hours?
   What’s expected around annual leave or out-of-hours messages?
   How do we cover for each other?

4. Decision-Making
   How do we make decisions?
   What’s decided together vs by individuals?
   How do we communicate decisions clearly?

5. Recognition, Feedback & Growth
   How do we recognise and reward values-driven behaviour?
   How do we support learning and development?
   How do we give and receive feedback?

Create a Team Charter

One of the most practical ways to build clarity and commitment is to co-create a Team Charter. This is a simple, shared document where you capture:

• Your team’s purpose

• Your values (and what they look like in action)

• Your agreed ways of working

• Your rituals and rhythms (how you meet, communicate, celebrate)

• How you make decisions

• How you give feedback

• What you expect of each other

It’s not about creating more bureaucracy — it’s about removing assumptions. When teams create a Charter together, they have more ownership, more clarity, and more commitment. It becomes their shared agreement — a reference point for how they want to work and succeed together.

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Reflection Exercise: How Committed is Your Team?

Take 10–15 minutes to reflect on this yourself — or use these prompts in your next team meeting to open up a powerful conversation about clarity and commitment. You can do this as a written journaling activity, a team workshop, or even a casual lunchtime chat — the key is honesty and curiosity.

Step 1: Reflect (solo or together)

• Ask yourself (or your team):

• Does everyone know why our team exists? Can we all say it in one sentence?

• Are our values lived and visible — or just words on a wall?

• Where is ambiguity showing up in how we work?

• Where have we made assumptions that might need clarifying?

• Are people confident in how we make decisions, give feedback, or manage priorities?

Step 2: Identify a commitment blocker

• What’s one area where lack of clarity might be slowing us down, causing confusion, or creating friction?

• What’s the impact of that — on performance, wellbeing, trust?

Step 3: Decide on a next step

• What’s one thing we can define or revisit together — this week — to build clarity and alignment?

Bonus Tip: Use Post-its or an online board If you're doing this as a team activity, ask people to write anonymous thoughts on post-its or a shared digital board (e.g. Jamboard, Miro, or MURAL). For example:

• “I’m not sure what our real priorities are right now.”

• “Decisions are being made without clear communication.”

• “I’m unclear on how feedback works here.”

• Then group themes, discuss, and co-create a small action plan.

• Need Help Creating Clarity & Commitment in Your Team?

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Need Help Building Commitment in Your Team

Commitment doesn’t happen by accident — it happens when people feel clear, connected, and involved.

That’s where I come in.

I design and facilitate practical, human team workshops that help people get aligned on what matters most — and how they want to work together.

• → Workshops rooted in insight and action.

• → Tools to create clarity and shared purpose.

• → Space for people to talk (really talk).

If you’d like to chat about how I could support your team, get in touch.

Call Polly on 07966 475195 or email polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk

5 Steps to Building a Brilliant Team. No 2. Healthy Conflict.

“Conflict Isn’t the Problem — Avoiding It Is.”

When people hear the word conflict in a work context, most of us flinch.

We think of drama. Arguments. Division.

We picture raised voices or awkward silences.

But healthy conflict in teams is none of those things.

Healthy conflict is about ideas, decisions, and direction — not personal attacks or point-scoring.

It’s the kind of debate that makes ideas stronger, decisions better, and teams more committed to what happens next.

This is the second article in my series exploring how to build a brilliant team — inspired by Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team model. In the first, we looked at Trust as the essential foundation of teamwork. Today, we’re talking about something most teams avoid… Conflict.

As Patrick Lencioni puts it:

“If people don’t weigh in, they won’t buy in.”

Lencioni is clear: conflict in teams isn’t a bad thing — in fact, it’s essential.

“Conflict is not personal — it’s about ideas, decisions, and direction.”

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, he explains that teams with high levels of Trust can disagree openly, challenge one another, and debate the best way forward — without fear of reprisal, blame, or tension.

Conflict is how good decisions get made. It’s how innovation happens. It’s how people feel heard and valued.

When we avoid it, we lose out — on clarity, commitment, and creativity.

Why Most Teams Avoid Conflict

Most teams avoid conflict not because they don’t care — but because it’s uncomfortable. Why?

• We’re wired for harmony.

• We want to be liked.

• We worry about upsetting people.

• And we assume that conflict always leads to confrontation.

But in avoiding the tough conversations, teams create a much bigger problem…

The Risks of Avoiding Conflict

Avoiding conflict doesn’t make tension disappear — it just pushes it underground. Here’s what it can lead to:

1. Artificial Harmony
   Everything looks polite or aligned — but people are holding back. Opinions stay hidden, challenges go unspoken, and better ideas are lost.

2. Loss of Commitment
   If you’ve not had a chance to contribute to a decision, you’re far less likely to feel ownership or commitment to it.

3. Gossip and Side Conversations
   When people don’t feel safe to speak up in the room, the real conversations happen elsewhere — in corridors, in messages, in frustration. This erodes trust and alignment fast.

4. Weaker Ideas & Decisions
   When teams avoid debate, assumptions go untested and decisions are made in an echo chamber. You lose the chance to stress-test ideas, spot blind spots, and surface creative thinking.

What Does Healthy Conflict Look Like?

Healthy conflict isn’t shouting matches or blame. It’s about respectful challenge, honest questions, and disagreement with shared purpose. Here’s the difference:

Healthy Conflict

• Candid debate about issues

• Direct feedback

• Respectful disagreement with space for emotion

• Challenging ideas without fear

• Discomfort that leads to progress

Dysfunctional Conflict

• Passive silence in meetings

• "Yes, but…" behaviours

• Resentment or eye-rolling

• Avoidance of difficult topics

• Personal attacks or blame-shifting

Teams with strong trust can disagree openly — and constructively — because they know it’s not personal.

“I’m challenging you because I care about getting this right.”

Different Styles of Handling Conflict

It’s also helpful to recognise that people handle conflict differently — and that’s okay.

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) is a well-known model that outlines five typical approaches to conflict, based on how assertive or cooperative someone is. Understanding these styles can help you spot how people in your team naturally respond to disagreement — and how to adapt your approach.

Image from Bitesize Learning

No one style is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ — but great teams (and leaders) learn to flex their approach depending on the situation.

• Competing - Focused on winning. Useful in urgent situations needing quick decisions.

• Collaborating -. Seeking win-win solutions. Ideal for complex issues where different perspectives strengthen outcomes.

• Compromising - Seeking middle ground. Good for temporary or time-pressured solutions.

• Avoiding - Steering clear of the issue. Appropriate if the issue is trivial or more information is needed.

• Accommodating - Yielding to maintain harmony. Useful when preserving relationships is more important than the issue itself.

Practical Tools for Handling Disagreement Well

Here’s a toolkit you can use straight away to encourage better disagreement and honest conversation in your team:

1. Listen First
   Fully understand the other person’s perspective before responding. Ask clarifying questions like:
   ”Can I check my understanding of what you’re saying?”

2. Confirm the Facts
   Create a shared reality by stating what you’ve heard:
   “I understand you're suggesting X — have I got that right?”

3. Own Your Reaction
   Use emotion constructively by owning your feelings:
   “When I hear this, I feel concerned about X because…”

4. Use “I” Language
   Frame concerns in a way that avoids blame:
   “I’m worried this could affect delivery” vs. “You’re not thinking about the deadline.”

5. Return to Shared Purpose
   Bring the conversation back to mutual goals:
   “I know we both want this project to succeed — my concern is…”

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Questions To Reflect On With Your Team

Use these in a team meeting or workshop to open up a healthy conversation about conflict:

• What kinds of debate or disagreement do we tend to avoid here?

• What’s the impact of avoiding those conversations?

• What do we lose when we don’t challenge each other?

• What signals show that healthy disagreement is tipping into unhelpful conflict?

• Can you think of a relationship that grew stronger because of well-handled conflict? What made that possible?

• What gets in the way of honest disagreement or speaking up here?

Team Exercise: Create Your Team Norm for Debate & Disagreement

Every team needs its own rules for healthy challenge. Ask your team:

• How do we want to handle debate and disagreement going forward?

• What behaviours will help us speak up and listen well?

• What behaviours do we want to avoid?

• What’s one phrase or action that helps you speak up, even when it’s hard?

• What would make it easier to raise concerns or challenge something here?

Capture these as a Team Norm — something everyone can agree to and return to when things get sticky.

Reflection Exercise: What’s Your Relationship With Conflict?

Take 10 minutes to reflect — or bring this into your next team session:

Your personal conflict style:

• When disagreement shows up in a meeting, what’s your instinct — speak up? Shut down? Smooth things over?

• Which of the Thomas-Kilmann conflict styles do you tend to fall into?

• When have you avoided a conflict — and what was the cost?

Your team’s culture:

• Where is your team currently: artificial harmony or healthy debate?

• What’s one conversation your team might be avoiding?

• What’s one thing you could do this week to make disagreement easier or more productive?

• Need Help Creating a Culture of Healthy Conflict?

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Need Help Creating Healthy Conflict in Your Team

Disagreement doesn’t have to feel difficult — but it does take practice, confidence, and sometimes a bit of outside help.

That’s where I come in.

I design and facilitate practical, human team workshops that create space for honest conversation, respectful challenge, and better decision-making.

Whether your team avoids difficult conversations, plays it too safe, or just needs to build confidence in how to disagree well — I can help.

→ Workshops rooted in insight and action.
→ Tools to handle disagreement constructively.
→ Space for people to talk openly — and listen well.

If you’d like to chat about how I could support your team, get in touch.

Call Polly on 07966 475195 or email polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk

Building Brilliant Teams: Tips for Founders and Entrepreneurs

Starting a business is exciting, intense, and full of unknowns. But one of the biggest challenges—and opportunities—you'll face as a founder is building your team. Who you hire, how you lead, and the culture you create will make or break your business.

Today, I joined the University of Bristol, Bristol Innovations for founders about how to build an effective team, nailing the technical and commercial, balancing a growing team with business demands and importantly, how to develop leadership qualities yourself. The ability to build a team is one of the key entrepreneurial skills, and you need to convince people that the new venture is worth joining at a risky early stage. Stakeholders such as investors, partners and customers will look for a strong team when evaluating new businesses.

I spoke with other founders and leaders about how to build effective teams and develop leadership skills early on in your entrepreneurial journey. These lessons are rooted in human connection because business is ultimately about people. Here are the key takeaways, practical actions, and thought-provoking questions to help you grow a team with trust, clarity, and confidence.

1. Start with Self-Awareness

Great teams begin with great self-awareness. Before hiring, ask yourself:

1. What am I brilliant at?

2. What drains me?

3. What do I avoid?

4. What gaps do I need to fill

5. How do I lead under pressure?

6. What sort of company culture do I want to create?

Emotional intelligence - being able to understand ourselves and others and use and manage your own emotions in positive ways to build relationships, trust, empathy and communication to manage stress, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. Building strong relationships starts with knowing yourself first.

Action: Write down your top 3 strengths and 3 things you struggle with. What kind of person would balance you out?

Reflection: Understand your patterns, blind spots, and stress responses.

2. Founding Teams Need More Than Technical Talent Technical

Technical and commercial skills might get your business started, but trust, alignment, and communication sustain a team. So it’s crucial to define roles, expectations, and decision-making processes early.

“Great teams are built on trust and a culture of feedback, not just technical excellence.”

— Harvard Business Review

Brilliant teams balance technical expertise (hard skills) with shared purpose and vision, psychological safety and diverse strengths. If people don’t believe in the mission or don’t feel psychologically safe, they won’t contribute their best ideas. As human beings, we’re hardwired for connection. Diversity of thought matters as much as diversity of expertise — founders should intentionally build teams that challenge their thinking, not just execute on it.

Think like a football manager.

“It’s like assembling a football team – you need a mix of defenders, midfielders, and strikers to cover all areas of the pitch”

— James Caan

Action: Hold a ‘ways of working’ conversation with your co-founder. Explore how you communicate, handle conflict, and make decisions.

“In the early days, how you work together is just as important as what you’re building.”

3. Leadership is a Behaviour, Not a Title

Leadership is about stepping up from being the person who does the job to being responsible for the people who do the job. Leadership not just about being in charge and directing others, it’s how you show up, communicate, and respond. It’s a daily practice in being human. As the founder you set the tone - how you communicate, the standards you hold, how you respond when things go wrong will set an example for others to follow.

“We sometimes assume leaders are born—but leadership lives in the everyday moments and how we interact with others.”

What makes a good entrepreneurial leader?

• Empathy and emotional intelligence

• Resilience (the ability to keep your cool) and to persevere through change and uncertainty

• Clarity and courage in communication

• Ability to build and maintain Trust

“Startups grow at the speed of trust — not just strategy.”

4. Your First Hires Shape Everything

Your first employees aren’t just there to get the job done - they co-create the culture. Your first team members set the tone for how your company operates and grows.

When you start to recruit start by evaluating the gaps you need to fill to free you up to focus on strategy and where you add most values. The most successful leaders all talk about bringing in brilliant people with skills and experience to complement them - whether that’s in finance, marketing and sales or anything else. Think like a football manager - you need a range of skills.

Who to hire first:

• Someone who frees up you, the founder, to focus on strategy

• People who align with your values and mission

• Co-founder with complementary strengths (business/tech)

• Product Manager to own development and customer alignment

• Technical Lead/CTO for the tech stack

• Marketing & Sales Lead to drive growth

• Operations Manager to run the day-to-day

When to go full-time:

In the early days bringing in freelance, fractional or part-time specialists is a flexible approach that can reduce costs, but how do you know when it’s time to hire someone on a permanent basis?

• When the role is central, ongoing, and needs ownership

• When alignment and trust are already strong

Hiring traps to avoid:

• Hiring too quickly or out of desperation

• Hiring with a short-term view rather than looking for people who can grow with your business.

• Avoiding difficult performance conversations

• Assuming everyone’s motivated by the same things

5. Building Culture (Intentionally)

Culture isn’t a ping pong table or buying pizzas for your team on a Friday - it’s how you behave when things are tough. It’s built moment by moment, conversation by conversation. Being part of a small team makes it much easier to feel included and close to the action, which is a stark contrast to most large corporations with thousands of employees and a huge distance between the people on the ground and management. Use this to your advantage by building and advertising a positive and inclusive company that will give you an advantage over large corporations.

You need to build a culture that’s about shared trust, open dialogue, and learning from each other’s perspectives.

“Teams build a business, Culture Builds a team.”

— David Hiatt

Action: Define the values and behaviours you want your team to embody and talk about them in your recruitment ads and job descriptions as well as the technical skills you need. Explore values fit in the interview process and emed your values through your onboarding process.

How to embed culture early:

• Define your purpose core values and communicate them clearly

• Lead by example—people mirror your behaviour

• Create rituals and ceremonies: shout-outs, team check-ins, feedback loops

• Promote work-life balance to protect wellbeing

• Build psychological safety by encouraging feedback and experimentation

“Trust is built in small decisions—how leaders communicate, how they respond to mistakes, and how they empower their teams.”

Strong relationships at work—partnerships, friendships, mutual support change everything. They make us feel safe, seen, and part of something bigger. That’s where culture becomes real.

Action: Ask yourself daily: What am I doing today to build trust in my team?

6. Attracting Top Talent

Startups often can’t compete on salary, but they can compete on creating a meaningful workplace. When you don’t have the budget for large salaries, and the value of options is still a ways off, you should look beyond the salary to create a great culture and opportunities for growth and development as the business grows.

Founders’ reflection: How are we showing people this isn’t just a job but a mission?

Tactics that work:

• Offer equity to build ownership and long-term commitment

• Create a compelling vision that excites and connects people to purpose

• Leverage your network and seek referrals from people you trust

• Emphasise learning, growth, and opportunities to shape the business

• Use social media and your website to showcase your company culture, share success stories, and post job openings.

• Think beyond the salary - Offer perks like flexible work arrangements, remote work options, professional development opportunities, and wellness initiatives. 

7. What Makes a Good First Hire

Start-ups can be pressured, constantly shifting and adapting

g. The best team members are:

• Adaptable

• Curious

• Great communicators

• Willing to learn and unlearn

• Emotionally intelligent and collaborative

• Values-aligned and invested in the mission

• Self-awareness about strengths and limitations

• A growth mindset

• The ability to connect the dots and ask great questions

• Respect for others’ perspectives and appreciation of difference

When we build strong relationships through meaningful conversations, we experience the journey differently than if we try to do it alone.

8. Managing Small Teams Under Pressure

I often see teams underestimate the importance of internal communication, people skills, or culture-building in the early stages — they focus on the product, not the people building it. But these things shape your success more than you think. Startups are intimate. Small teams work closely, and pressure can strain relationships. To thrive:

• Set clear roles and expectations

• Create a culture of regular and open feedback

• Make space to hear all voices

• Create Psychological Safety

“Conflict is natural—how you handle it defines your culture.”

Don’t forget: Respect and appreciation build trust. The more we connect, the more we realise we’re more alike than different. We’re all human, and that shared humanity is the foundation of great teams.

9. Encourage Collaboration and Innovation

Innovation thrives when people feel safe and supported. To build a creative, collaborative environment:

• Promote cross-functional collaboration—bring different perspectives together

• Create a safe space for unconventional ideas and experimentation

• Empower your team to take ownership and make decisions

• Recognise and reward initiative and creative contributions

• Trust and transparency create strong teams

Action: Celebrate progress, not just results. Make sure people know it’s OK to try, fail, and learn.

10. Scaling the Team

As your startup grows, managing and scaling your team gets more complex. What worked with 5 people won’t work with 25.

Tips for scaling well:

• Keep your values front and centre

• Create simple but effective onboarding and communication systems

• Invest in developing leadership across your team - Mentor and grow your future leaders

• Hire for both today’s needs and tomorrow’s growth

• Cultural check-in: As we grow, are we staying true to what matters most? Are we still a team, or are we becoming disconnected departments?

Final Thoughts

“Start with your why, and find people who share your curiosity and energy.”

We are better together—because we are built for connection. Whether you’re hiring your first teammate or growing a leadership culture, remember that relationships are the real engine of every business.

You don’t have to do it all—you just have to build something together, with trust, humanity, and purpose at the centre.

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If you’d like support developing your leadership or building a high-trust team? I’d love to help drop Polly a message or book a call here >

The Power of Bravery and Curiosity - Lessons from Socrates for Founders and Leaders

How often have you been told: “You’re so lucky” when you make a bold change or decision?

• You’re so lucky to be doing what you love.

• You're so lucky to be your own boss.

• You’re so lucky to have grown so fast.

• You’re so lucky to have secured funding.

It's a pattern I've noticed throughout my life from friends who feel stuck in jobs they don't love, or who dream about turning their side hustle into a business. From when I went freelance after my first baby was born 21 years ago, to when I launched a food events business that got regular national media coverage and when I fulfilled a lifelong dream to live to Bristol and moved on last year from one side of the country to the other.

But is it really luck? Or is it something else—bravery, curiosity, tenacity and a willingness to embrace change?

Not one of these transitions in my personal or professional life has been handed to me on a plate. They've not been easy. But something drove me forward . . .

Socrates said:

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

Every time I’ve faced a crossroads—whether it was moving, starting a business, retraining as a coach - I could have focused on the obstacles and the reasons not to do it. Instead, I focused on what I was creating: a new chapter, new friendships, new experiences, and new opportunities.

What is it that keeps some people moving forward, even in uncertainty?

Luck vs. Leadership

Successful leaders and founders don’t wait for luck to guide them—they take action. They stay curious, ask better questions, and step into uncertainty. Yet, when they make bold decisions, others often see it as luck rather than intentional effort.

Socrates said:

“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”

Curiosity is a leadership superpower. The best leaders don’t just accept things as they are; they challenge assumptions, explore new possibilities, and ask: What if? instead of What if it goes wrong?

The Courage to Do Something New

For leaders, especially in startups and scale-ups, this is critical. Growth requires constant adaptation. The best leaders focus on what they can create, not on what's behind them or what's holding them back.

How often do we resist change because we focus on the risks, rather than the opportunities? True leadership isn’t about avoiding fear—it’s about moving forward despite it.

The Courage to Fail

Of course, not everything goes to plan. Sometimes we make the wrong decision, fail at something, or fall flat on our faces. But that’s not failure—staying stuck is. Socrates reminds us:

“Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you’ve fallen.”

True resilience in leadership (and in life) is about getting back up, learning from the experience, and continuing forward. The most successful founders, leaders, and entrepreneurs don’t get everything right; they just refuse to let setbacks define them.

Socrates' wisdom is valuable for leaders:

• Know Thyself: Great leadership starts with self-awareness. Examine your mindset, strengths, and blind spots.

• Avoid Busyness: Socrates warned: “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” Founders wear multiple hats, but being constantly busy doesn’t mean being effective.

• Lead by Example: “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.” Admitting you don’t have all the answers fosters a culture of learning and innovation.

• Think for Yourself: “To find yourself, think for yourself.” Challenge industry norms, avoid negative self-talk, and focus on what’s possible.

• Set Goals with Reflection: Define a clear vision, take bold steps, and regularly reflect on progress.

Making Your Own Luck as a Leader

So if you feel stuck in a job you don't love, or stuck as a leader in a business facing significant challenges, be curious and brave. Ask yourself:

• What if I tried?

• What if this changes everything?

Socrates believed that questioning leads to growth and opportunity. Luck isn’t random—it’s about staying curious, asking better questions, and putting yourself in situations where opportunities can arise.

If Socrates was right when he said, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” then the most courageous thing we can do is to keep questioning, keep evolving, and keep stepping into the unknown.

That’s where growth happens. That’s where the so-called 'luck' happens

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If you're feeling stuck or want support to be brave and make bold decisions, I’m here to help you discover your courage and curiosity.

Get in touch to chat about how Coaching can support you with your next bold move.

Call Polly 07966 475195 / email polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk

Book a free exploratory Coaching Session here >

Or find out more about Executive Coaching here >