What are companies doing with regards to 'My Team'

The company look at reducing their electricity consumption wherever possible, with measures such as the ‘Switch-Off' campaign, which promotes employees to switch off all non-essential equipment outside office hours e.g. printers, lighting and IT equipment. They encourage staff to switch their laptops to the eco or power saver mode and do quarterly audits to monitor this. Their IT team has installed the relevant technology which enables them to provide data on energy consumption across the various equipment within the office, from laptops to servers. This provides greater clarity on current consumption levels and better use of equipment to reduce consumption where possible. They look at business travel and try to encourage staff to use low carbon methods when travelling to and from work and client meetings. This is measured by an annual survey of staff travel patterns and recording the business travel to each client meeting. The company also have a policy to encourage staff to cycle to work, so if a new bike is required, employees can purchase one through our cycle to work scheme. All of our paper is 100% recycled and they measure staffs printing consumption on a monthly basis. They recycle as much of their waste as possible and this includes confidential paper waste which is measured and recycled, and goes towards reducing their carbon footprint. The company have an annual carbon footprint survey and offset their equivalent carbon emissions via a donation to Pure the Clean Planet Trust.

The company look at reducing their electricity consumption wherever possible, with measures such as the ‘Switch-Off' campaign, which promotes employees to switch off all non-essential equipment outside office hours e.g. printers, lighting and IT equipment. They encourage staff to switch their laptops to the eco or power saver mode and do quarterly audits to monitor this. Their IT team has installed the relevant technology which enables them to provide data on energy consumption across the various equipment within the office, from laptops to servers. This provides greater clarity on current consumption levels and better use of equipment to reduce consumption where possible. They look at business travel and try to encourage staff to use low carbon methods when travelling to and from work and client meetings. This is measured by an annual survey of staff travel patterns and recording the business travel to each client meeting. The company also have a policy to encourage staff to cycle to work, so if a new bike is required, employees can purchase one through our cycle to work scheme. All of our paper is 100% recycled and they measure staffs printing consumption on a monthly basis. They recycle as much of their waste as possible and this includes confidential paper waste which is measured and recycled, and goes towards reducing their carbon footprint. The company have an annual carbon footprint survey and offset their equivalent carbon emissions via a donation to Pure the Clean Planet Trust.

This summer Flamingo embarked on their annual Expo; following last year's three-day trip to Lake Como in Italy, this year's chosen location was Istanbul. Expos act as a ‘thank you' to their employees for the work they carry out throughout the year, bringing everyone together in a cultural setting far away from the office to socialise and unwind. These meetings communicate the company vision, and the values that help maintain Flamingo's success, both in terms of the work they do for clients, and the company culture they work so hard to nurture and develop. The trips allow employees from across their offices to develop team spirit and lasting business relationships and brings people together as one united group. Their Co-CEOs deliver many of the sessions personally, and this has had a significant impact in enshrining excellence in their daily business, and making this available to all employees at all times.

Staff development takes many forms at Flamingo: They believe learning and development should be broad, encompassing, and tailored to the needs of each individual. They deliberately use the language of ‘learning' rather than ‘training', to communicate that staff development should be ongoing, self-directed, and participatory. The core of their business lies in understanding people, culture and brands, and their learning programme encourages staff to develop their understanding of these pillars in the broadest way possible. So, naturally, Flamingo senior staff run regular sessions on core skills internally, and they encourage staff to attend external sessions, but they also encourage a wide range of activities which, though they may not look like ‘training' as such, are hugely beneficial for staff development. Flamingo encourage staff secondments to both their own and their clients offices, all over the world. They encourage staff to write for their blogs, and present internally on subjects of interest to them in informal, lunchtime sessions. Flamingo encourage staff to learn languages, to read about the industry, to mentor other staff, internally and externally, to attend conferences, and museum exhibitions. Crucially, they acknowledge these as great learning experiences, ensuring their staff feel they have both individual freedom, and a wide range of resources to help their development in a way that is right for them. Flamingo share all of their learning resources on their intranet (which also provides a space for discussion and commentary), and discuss staff development at each review, ensuring open and continuous discussion and guidance

Firefish have an annual company team-building event, known as Fireflung. This year's event took place on Osea Island, a former wartime base just off the coast of Essex, which is connected to land by a causeway that disappears as the tide comes in. In the build-up they kept the location secret and created a huge amount of intrigue by giving the event a wartime / 1940's theme. On arrival they spent the morning firstly delivering an update on their progress since the last Fireflung, and then results from the staff survey. Firefish then worked together as a group on a couple of key issues for the business - maintaining growth in their client list and creating more time for people to focus on their primary tasks. This process included splitting out into smaller groups defined by different levels of the business, ensuring that ideas from more junior members of the team were given as much 'airtime' as those of more senior colleagues. Following lunch, they then ran a team-building game where 8 teams competed against each other to defuse bombs hidden all over the island! This involved much running around, pedaling down country lanes on bone-shaker bikes, a few gin and tonics and an almighty bundle to grab the last 'bomb'. The evening was then a 1940's themed dinner and party. Firefish all revelled under the stars and by campfires till the small hours and then those with most stamina kept going until dawn in one of the various cottages.

Firefish' value set is completely driven by the people they are, they are not nice ideas that make them sound like an interesting and caring place to work, they are how they meet the world every day. So, to some degree, everything that they do shows their commitment to the values, however they do recognize the importance of making this commitment explicit... Specifically, they used the values as one component for the leadership team's annual reviews. 360 feedback was gathered from across the business, and part of the feedback captured each degree to which each board member lived each of the values. So, for each value the individuals were given a score on a five-point scale ranging from "they never demonstrate this value" to "they always demonstrate this value", and then examples were given to illustrate the score. This provided informative feedback on where each member of the leadership team needed to increase their efforts to be seen as living a value, and also highlighted who could be seen as a 'standard-bearer' in each value. In addition, they refer back to values in meetings of all descriptions - from company-wide to individual groups - and use them as a guide or moral-compass when making decisions. If managers with in the business are unsure about how to progress with certain issues, they often ask "what do their values suggest you should do".

FinancialForce.com offer rewards based not just on performance but on effort and contribution to the team and overall success of the business. They give everyone the flexibility to run their personal and professional lives, supporting people to make the right decisions good and bad. FinancialForce.com offer financial and stock based incentives that link to their Monthly Recurring Revenue.

Working with Participate projects FinancialForce.com have built sensory gardens for blind children, converted elderly residents of a local villages gardens to a more manageable space, built disabled paths and walkways from Leeds and Liverpool canal to a local mill.

The Financial Ombudsman really values the importance of team building. You can see managers doing this in a variety of ways from using their reward and recognition budget to arrange an event for the team, to team meetings to allow everyone in the team to get to know one another. It's something they encourage at all levels. Across the organisation they have put a lot of energy and thought into planning events they arrange for their people. As a not-for-profit organisation it's really important there is a purpose and value. They regularly hold events for their management team including their “the big questions” where managers have the opportunity to meet and network and ask their executive questions about the work of the organisation. This is their way of getting their managers together to talk about what's happening in their area. Following great success last year, they took all their managers off site again this year for an event that included various workshops to share knowledge and develop their skills, to focus on their purpose as an organisation and working together on what this means they expect from people working here. This involves a range of different interactive workshops and talks led by senior leaders and inspirational speakers.

The Financial Ombudsman really values the importance of team building. You can see managers doing this in a variety of ways from using their reward and recognition budget to arrange an event for the team, to team meetings to allow everyone in the team to get to know one another. It's something they encourage at all levels. Across the organisation they have put a lot of energy and thought into planning events they arrange for their people. As a not-for-profit organisation it's really important there is a purpose and value. They regularly hold events for their management team including their “the big questions” where managers have the opportunity to meet and network and ask their executive questions about the work of the organisation. This is their way of getting their managers together to talk about what's happening in their area. Following great success last year, they took all their managers off site again this year for an event that included various workshops to share knowledge and develop their skills, to focus on their purpose as an organisation and working together on what this means they expect from people working here. This involves a range of different interactive workshops and talks led by senior leaders and inspirational speakers.

This year they have offered work-life balance and healthy-eating workshops. They offer a weekly yoga class and monthly massage sessions during working hours.

For the first time in the Trust's history, every member of staff shared in the success of the financial year 2013/2014 with a 2% bonus. The record breaking year was a triumph of dedication and hard-work from the whole team which was recognised by the board of directors.

Fairpoint have set up a charity committee containing 16 self nominated charity champions. The purpose of Fairpoint's charity committee is to make a difference in the local and wider community through fund raising, volunteering and taking part in activities that help their community. The role of the charity champions that make up the charity committee is to organise fund raising events across the business They will lead and promote fund raising activities across the business, contribute to the monthly charity newsletter, attend monthly charity meetings, promote the Making A Difference framework across the business, produce promotional material to promote various charity events, encourage ideas across the business to help make a difference in the local community and promote and organise any social events across the company. A charity calendar is produced at the start of the year created by the charity committee based on feedback from employees on what charities should be supported this year. This meant that the company has a set charity or charities to support each month. Fairpoint set a target to reach £15,000 through fund raising activities, sponsorship and workplace giving in 2014. They were on target to reach this as they raised over £13,000 to September 2014 with more events planned during the last quarter of the year. The fund raising events and sponsorship that takes place in the company encourages employees to work together as a team and also makes employees feel proud to work for a company that helps the local and wider community.

Fairpoint have set up a charity committee containing 16 self nominated charity champions. The purpose of Fairpoint's charity committee is to make a difference in the local and wider community through fund raising, volunteering and taking part in activities that help their community. The role of the charity champions that make up the charity committee is to organise fund raising events across the business They will lead and promote fund raising activities across the business, contribute to the monthly charity newsletter, attend monthly charity meetings, promote the Making A Difference framework across the business, produce promotional material to promote various charity events, encourage ideas across the business to help make a difference in the local community and promote and organise any social events across the company. A charity calendar is produced at the start of the year created by the charity committee based on feedback from employees on what charities should be supported this year. This meant that the company has a set charity or charities to support each month. Fairpoint set a target to reach £15,000 through fund raising activities, sponsorship and workplace giving in 2014. They were on target to reach this as they raised over £13,000 to September 2014 with more events planned during the last quarter of the year. The fund raising events and sponsorship that takes place in the company encourages employees to work together as a team and also makes employees feel proud to work for a company that helps the local and wider community.

EMaC is a hands-on highly personal business. The experience delivered to customers is consciously personal. This ethos is reflected by the SMT. The SMT walk the floors and walk the talk. ‘Catching people doing things right' is an approach designed to reaffirm confidence and empowerment. Having grown from 2 to almost 100 people in ten years, the Values are very much part of the business DNA. Deeply embedded into business processes and procedures under the banner of ‘doing the right thing' team members are empowered to act in a way that supports the values and the needs of EMaC's multiple customer layers.

EMaC is a hands-on highly personal business. The experience delivered to customers is consciously personal. This ethos is reflected by the SMT. The SMT walk the floors and walk the talk. ‘Catching people doing things right' is an approach designed to reaffirm confidence and empowerment. Having grown from 2 to almost 100 people in ten years, the Values are very much part of the business DNA. Deeply embedded into business processes and procedures under the banner of ‘doing the right thing' team members are empowered to act in a way that supports the values and the needs of EMaC's multiple customer layers.

Elmhurst holds an annual barbecue event every summer. Families of their employees are also invited and all is paid for by the organisation. They also hold fun 'race nights' every 3-4 months at the local golf club. The food and venue is all paid for by Elmhurst. Elmhurst holds quarterly employee briefings. Some are interactive and some are for giving employees information. They involve their staff during these sessions and invite and encourage them to give feedback on strategy development.

Managers at Elmhurst support the wellbeing of employees by giving paid time off for medical and dental appointments, working from home to support domestic challenges, and paid time off for funerals and bereavements. The company also offers its premises for weekly yoga classes.

Elior's Safety & Wellbeing team developed a management programme and awareness campaign helping deal with stress before it becomes an issue which can have an adverse affect. It addresses the person as a whole and also encourages them to seriously look at their lifestyle and what they can also do to help themselves. Having spoken to both the colleague and the line manager who participated in the assessment, they both felt it had been very productive and unblocked the communication between them which was partly causing the problems. Elior's Safety & Wellbeing team encourage all colleagues to think about everyday activities and provide thought provoking summaries about how they can go about things in a safer way. On Elior's internal Extranet this year they have provided guidance about safety at Christmas including Christmas tree lights, driving in adverse weather, how to keep cool in extreme summer weather. They are also trying to encourage managers to use their common sense. It's not necessarily about going by the rule book, but by being genuinely supportive.

The senior management team has fully embraced the You Made a Difference scheme, using it to engage with colleagues for a job well done. There is a genuine warm and friendly approach adopted by the senior leaders that makes colleagues at all levels comfortable with approaching them. It is an informal yet clear approach that makes colleagues feel that they are not simply a number in the organisation. This is clearly demonstrated by the back to the floor days during which a member of the senior team spends a day at site, where they really get their hands dirty. Elior's HR Director, Arran McDowell was the most recent member of the Leadership team to show his commitment, spending a full day in the kitchen preparing food for service. It is also important to note that 60% of their board has been promoted internally – there is a real focus and dedication to colleague development.