Client stories: Strengthening Collaboration Across Teams for Better Service Delivery

mstopforth
May 4
3 min read

Updated: May 14

We partnered with a leading UK university to support two teams through a period of restructure and change. Both teams played vital roles supporting students, academic staff, and institutional governance. But the change programme meant that it had became more difficult to align and work collaboratively together. Despite shared goals, their ways of working were often misaligned, communication could be patchy, and frustrations sometimes bubbled under the surface.

Leaders knew the teams were committed and capable, but they also recognised that to deliver the best service, they needed to strengthen how the teams connected, aligned, and collaborated.

The Challenge

The goal wasn’t to fix individuals. It was to create the conditions where talented, committed people could thrive together.

We needed to help both teams:

Recognise and value their individual and collective strengths
Surface and safely explore tensions, without blame or defensiveness
Rebuild shared purpose and direction
Equip leaders with strategies to engage their wider teams in lasting change

This work was as much about shifting mindset as improving processes, helping people see challenges as opportunities, and differences as resources, not obstacles.

The Approach

Drawing on psychological principles of growth mindset, strengths-based development, and self-determination theory, we designed a team coaching process that combined structured reflection, interactive exercises, and practical planning.

Reflecting on strengths and successes: We opened by helping the leadership group reconnect with what had gone well. Using targeted prompts, we encouraged them to identify recent achievements, personal and team strengths, and new capabilities gained during a period of change. This wasn’t just “feel-good”. It laid the foundation for a more constructive, optimistic mindset.

Building shared understanding: Through guided discussions, the group explored their core purpose, what each team “really” did, and what they could achieve if they worked more closely together. We challenged assumptions, tested perceptions, and looked beneath surface frustrations to uncover deeper patterns.

Identifying barriers and mapping influence: Rather than get stuck in complaining, we helped the teams map out what was truly within their control. Using a “circle of influence” exercise, they debated where they had agency, how to navigate obstacles, and where focusing on creativity and innovation could shift the dial.

Fostering autonomy, competence, and connection: Throughout, we wove in elements of self-determination: encouraging the teams to identify what would increase their sense of ownership (autonomy), improve their effectiveness (competence), and strengthen relationships (connection).

Creating a practical action plan: Finally, we supported the group in crafting concrete next steps. What they would take forward with their broader teams, how they would measure success, who would be accountable, and what might trip them up.

The Outcomes

By the end of the process, the teams had:

Renewed confidence in their shared mission and purpose
Greater insight into each other’s strengths and pressures
Stronger, more trusting leadership relationships
A clear, practical roadmap for engaging the wider teams in building a healthier, more collaborative working culture

Perhaps most importantly, they left not just with plans, but with mindset shifts, seeing each other’s differences as valuable, recognising where they had real power to shape outcomes, and believing that positive change was not only possible, but already underway.

Why This Matters

At The Performance Equation, we believe performance is never just about ticking off tasks. It’s about unlocking the human potential that drives meaningful, sustainable success.

That means helping leaders and teams understand their strengths, shift unhelpful mindsets, and reduce the interference that holds them back.

The University’s experience shows the power of combining psychological insight with practical action, creating a space where people can reconnect, recalibrate, and move forward together with confidence and clarity.