Effective and high performing businesses create an environment of continuous learning, where critical thinking capabilities are honed, developed and encouraged. Debate and discussion are welcomed and encouraged within a supportive and high-energy collegiate environment.

There are three fundamental elements that must be incorporated into the culture of the businesses for this critical thinking capability to be developed.

Element One - Scan and Understand the Environment

High performance corporate teams “read the times,” build assumptions about their environment and document their thinking, so that the people around them can understand precisely what they are talking about.

They absorb knowledge from many different sources and pick trends and nuances that are emerging from both the internal and external environments within which they exist and operate. And, they maintain single-minded focus on the needs of the business.

As individuals, they share information in a spirit of generosity, and they ask each other the hard questions, within an ethos of collaboration, partnership and cooperation. They know that they are working together to the benefit of the whole business and not just for their particular part of it, or to massage their own egos.

High performance corporate team building dispenses with the politics and game playing by using objective, evidenced-based data to test and analyse business assumptions. Discussion is free flowing and energetic. Everyone treats each other with dignity and respect.

Knowing the world in which the business exists and operates allows high performing corporate teams to identify and think about the strategic matters that are important to the business and come up with innovative solutions to address them.

The business is then shaped to adapt to these trends and issues that are emerging so that it can exploit and enhance them to its own advantage.

Element Two - Filter Information and Focus on the Relevant Data

In the high performance corporate team, information is reduced to its specific and particular relevance to the business.

In any given situation, most of the information is irrelevant. Only 4% of the data in a given body of information, with its accompanying assumptions and emotionally laden content, is relevant to a specific management situation.

High performance management teams cut through this clutter and noise and home in only on the relevant information that will make a significant difference in the business.

Corporate team building must include giving people the necessary tools to help them find their way through this fog, if they are to gain clarity of thought and make effective decisions.

Element T