e define successful teams as teams that co-create an effective and inspired working process together, producing excellent results that are a worthy expression of the team's collective talents.

Most teams we work with have a strong desire to commit fully to their work, exercise their individual talents, and produce quality results without having to waste valuable time and energy enduring the debilitating effects of a dysfunctional team. We have worked with many talent-rich teams that were not producing the quality they were capable of because of barriers preventing them from working as a team.

Many groups come to us to break down barriers and to build a team that works in an inspired and sustainable manner. The first step in creating a great team is to identify the right mix of talent and temperament. The next step is to build relationships within the team. This is where our work begins. A team that understands the talents, personality, and communication style of each member is much more effective in co-creating their processes, collaborating for effective use of resources, and problem solving together. Our style of training allows for teams to get to work quickly, dramatically reducing the time it normally takes to establish effective working relationships. If we are working with an established team that is not working to its full potential, our training will expedite uncovering limiting individual and team behaviors, thus clearing the way for the team to move in a new direction together.

We also support teams that are just forming. Many clients have us launch their new teams with a one or two-day retreat. Coming to Highpoint early in a team's formation can eliminate months of "forming, storming and norming." In addition, it allows a team to proactively create agreements about how they want to work together, avoiding some of the pitfalls that can plague a team trying to meet strenuous deadlines without the benefit of a strong foundation.

Our focus is to highlight a team's strengths and challenges in a manner that allows members to work toward becoming a higher performing team. Knowing how to make agreements and adopt behaviors that support the growth and success of the team is a pivotal part of this process. We also provide follow-up programs to ensure full integration of any new understandings, agreements, or practices adopted by the team.

We offer one-day programs to build unity, communication, and personal and group awareness in an environment that is interactive and engaging. We also offer multi-day programs that provide extended learning opportunities. Programs are designed specifically to address our client's objectives. Training and program options vary according to your objectives, current team dynamics and site. Clients often choose to begin their work with us on our team ropes course at our Whidbey Island training site. The ropes course is a highly effective team building and assessment tool. It also provides a strong foundation for our other trainings to leverage off of.