Nick Fewings (Teamworkologist): Decoding the DNA of high-performing teams

Success on the South Coast is all about showcasing interesting people doing amazing things in the local community.

My guest for episode #5 is Nick Fewings, a ‘Teamworkologist’ (definition: a person who studies the dynamics of teamwork) who has helped hundreds of teams around the world improve their effectiveness and achieve greater success (which is the name of the game around here!).

Did you know:
• 40% of teams are dysfunctional, only 10% are high performing, and 50% are merely average
• 80% of teams do NOT measure their effectiveness
• LinkedIn featured ’Teamwork’ in their ‘Top 10 In-Demand Skills for 2024’

So it’s a good job we have Nick around to help put us back on the path to high-performing teamwork!

Nick, who is originally from Plymouth (up the Pilgrims!), created the ‘Team DyNAmics Model’, a tool used to measure team effectiveness, before sharing his wisdom in the best-selling book TEAM LEAD SUCCEED.

- - - KEY TOPICS OF THE CONVERSATION - - -

In this episode we discuss:

• How Nick became a Teamworkologist (and its etymology)
• Nick’s back-story & how he became an ‘accidental manager’
• The CMI & YouGov Leadership Study revealing that “82% of managers/leaders in UK PLC don't have any formal training”
• How a lack of training sparked Nick’s fascination with teamwork
• LinkedIn’s ‘Top 10 In-Demand Skills for 2024’ (which included ‘Teamwork’)
• The impact of poor leadership on the individual manager and their teams
• The most common challenges resulting in dysfunctional teams
• The importance of making time for team ‘reflection’
• The ‘Who’ & the ‘How’ of effective teamwork
• The importance of people skills (85% of your success is down to people skills and only 15% due to technical skills)
• Heterogeneous teams and the benefits of Behavioural Diversity
• The model Nick developed to ‘measure overall team effectiveness’ (Team DyNAmics)
• FEWINGS v SIMON SINEK: Why PURPOSE is #1 when it comes to team effectiveness (start with WHAT, not WHY!)
• How to ensure TEAM MEETINGS are effective
• VISION and creating a team ‘Vision Statement’
• TRANSFORMATION - the ultimate goal for all teams…
• Our Team Synergy - how to facilitate your own teamwork reviews
• Nick’s new role as a Harvard Business Review ‘Advisory Council Member’
• Nick’s thoughts on the meaning of true Happiness & Success
• Ikigai & how Nick has hit the bullseye!
• Life by Misadventure

- - - CHAPTERS - - -

0:00:00 - Intro ("A sunny new podcast...")
0:00:26 - Guest Intro
00:01:17 - Welcome…
00:02:15 - Etymology of Teamworkologist
00:03:27 - Nick’s back-story & how he became an ‘accidental manager’
00:05:57 - CMI & YouGov Leadership Study
00:06:52 - The spark of interest in teamwork
00:08:57 - The meaning of success at the start of Nick’s career
00:10:17 - LinkedIn ‘Top 10 In-Demand Skills for 2024’
00:10:47 - Lack of evolution in teamwork over 30 years
00:11:42 - The cost of poor leadership
00:13:17 - Teams are the constant, managers are temporary
00:14:09 - Everybody in a team has a voice, not just the leader
00:15:05 - Only 10% of teams are high-performing
00:18:40 - What makes teams dysfunctional?
00:19:45 - The importance of team ‘reflection’
00:23:20 - ‘Who’ is in your team?
00:24:00 - Importance of people skills v technical skills
00:25:27 - Advantage of heterogeneous teams
00:26:25 - Impact of Carl Yung on Nick’s approach
00:27:07 - Paradigm shifts - appreciating behavioural diversity 
00:28:17 - Team DyNAmics model - the DNA of teams
00:33:17 - PURPOSE is the #1 element
00:35:55 - Effective TEAM MEETINGS
00:40:27 - VISION & Vision Statements
00:45:02 - TRANSFORMATION - continual improvement
00:49:12 - DIVERSITY - the  importance of behavioural diversity 
00:54:37 - Our Team Synergy
00:59:40 - ‘Advisory Council Member’ for the Harvard Business Review 
01:01:26 - What is happiness?
01:03:17 - Ikigai
01:05:20 - What is success? Millionaire in Memories!
01:06:23 - Skills for Success - advice from Mum!
01:08:48 - Life by Misadventure - humour doesn't always travel!
01:12:47 - Thank you, guest links & wrap-up

GUEST Links:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickfewings/
• Ngagement Works: https://ngagementworks.com
• Our Team Synergy: https://ourteamsynergyresourcehub.my.canva.site
• Buy Nick’s book TEAM LEAD SUCCEED: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Team-Lead-Succeed-high-performance-teamwork/dp/1739757203
• Nick’s other passion is photography - see his pics here: https://unsplash.com/@jannerboy62

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#teamwork
#teamworkologist
#TeamDyNAmics
#carlyung
#simonsinek
#HarvardBusinessReview
#culture
#southcoast

 

INTRO MUSIC: 'Generator' by CALL ME ANIMAL. 

If you like the sound of it, check out 'Arron Sans' (the singer/songwriter) at https://www.arronsans.com or https://www.instagram.com/arronsans.