Sir Clive Woodward’s Teamship Framework
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Woodward’s concept of “Teamship” is a Management and Organisational framework attributed to Sir Clive Woodward, who helped England to win the Rugby World Cup in 2003.
Woodward turned to coaching after retiring from playing. He started coaching in club rugby, working for Henley, London Irish and Bath. He was appointed England “Head Coach” in 1997 and went on to win three “Five/Six Nations” titles as well as the 2003 World Cup.
He emphasised collaboration and collective responsibility in teams. The Teamship Model promotes the idea that success in organisations depends on fostering a sense of shared ownership, mutual respect, and accountability within teams.
Here are the key principles typically associated with Woodward’s Teamship framework:
Shared Leadership: Leadership is not confined to a single individual, instead, it is distributed across the team. Team members are encouraged to take initiative and share decision-making responsibilities.
Collective Accountability: The team as a whole is accountable for outcomes, whether successes or failures. This reduces finger-pointing and emphasises problem-solving together.
Open Communication: Honest and transparent communication is fundamental. Team members are encouraged to share ideas, provide constructive feedback, and resolve conflicts collaboratively.
Trust and Mutual Respect: Building trust is at the core of effective teams. Teamship involves respecting diverse perspectives and leveraging each team member’s unique strengths.
Focus on Team Goals: Individual achievements are celebrated, but the primary emphasis is on achieving team objectives. Personal agendas are secondary to the collective vision.
Continuous Improvement: Teams are encouraged to evaluate their processes regularly, learn from past experiences, and strive for constant growth.
Applications of Woodward’s Teamship, is now widely applied in:
Corporate environments: Encouraging cross-departmental collaboration and innovation.
Education: Enhancing group projects and co-operative learning.
Sports teams: Building unity and shared focus on winning. Sir Clive Woodward has now worked across many teams in a variety of sports…hugely respected for his ability to deliver successful, and focused teams across all levels.
Community groups: Encouraging collective problem solving for social issues.
Next week, we will bring you guidance on how to implement these guidelines. Or why not just ask us to deliver to you and your teams?
Captain and coach must be seen to be banging the same drum.
Sir Clive Woodward
