In-House Counsel

Law department uses an online tool to diagnose team effectiveness

By Rees Morrison

The autobiography of Borealis AG?s law department and its spunky general counsel, Ruth Steinholtz, appears in the ACC Docket, Vol. 26, Nov. 2008 at 38. Steinholtz and the coach/consultant she retained embraced wholeheartedly personal and team development activities. One of the goals was team effectiveness and a tool to get there was a online diagnostic assessment.

?As part of the process, an online team system diagnostic tool was used, which highlights 14 key elements of high performing teams. Seven of these related to the productivity of the team. The other seven relate to the essential interpersonal elements that need developing.? For example, trust, respect and camaraderie are critical to high performance teams.

My first reaction was that 14 things to focus on goes far beyond what ordinary mortals can comprehend and attend to. My second reaction was that the touchy-feely side of all this stands out. Maybe that is because I am not a warm & fuzzy type of person (See my post of Jan. 9, 2009: close-kit family.).

Full post as published by Law Department Management on January 11, 2009 (boomark / email).