How do you get your team to work cohesively and effectively under pressure? Michael Yende and Tshepo Mkhwanazi, co-founders of Black & White Productions, have hit on an intervention that makes sure their team delivers at maximum capacity in the high-pressure video production environment.
They run role-play workshops once a month for all employees.
“These cover the full production cycle, from development phase through to post-production. Team members are able to hone their skills and play out their individual roles together with their colleagues in a controlled environment where the pressure’s off,” says Yende.
The results?
Less time wastage, fewer mistakes and a team that operates like a well-oiled machine because team members are able to anticipate what their colleagues will do in a given situation.
“In our industry, every member of the team has a unique role to play and we need all those roles to fit together seamlessly on a job for things to run smoothly,” says Yende, adding, “All this means we’re able to deliver a superior and streamlined service to clients at competitive rates – which in turn has enabled us to grow.”
The takeaway lesson
When people need to work together towards a single outcome, it’s sometimes not enough to simply rely on the fact that each person knows what they are doing. Team cohesion can be built by design.
Vital stats
- Players: Michael Yende and Tshepo Mkhwanazi
- Company: Black & White Productions
- The goods: High-end clients that include MTN, Nissan, the Swazi royal family and the Ministry of ICT in Swaziland.
- Connect: www.blackandwhiteproductions.co.za