CO·NECTA

—
The Guide for Teams
of Creative Entrepreneurs
in Latin America
and the Caribbean

Building Your Creative Team

jel Codes: l26, m13, z11 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Inter-American
Keywords: entrepreneurship, creative industries, Latin America and Development Bank, its Board of Directors, or the countries they
the Caribbean represent.

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Welcome to
CO·NECTA

T
he most innovative and effective enterprising teams are CO·NECTA is a self-led learning guide that has been developed
diverse, bringing together different perspectives, by Nesta for the Inter-American Development Bank (idb) in
strengths, and disciplines. A creative team is no different. order for Latin American and Caribbean creative enterprise teams
to align ideas, establish a strategy, and work together towards
You, as a creative team, could take shape in a variety of ways. a sustainable future.
You might be an informal group of freelancers who regularly join
forces to collaborate on projects, a collective of artists and
producers, a team of employees within a conventional studio or
agency, or something in between. No matter the shape, as a
creative team, you need clear structures, collaborative processes,
and an iterative approach to your work to ensure you are
adaptable and resilient.

3
Bird’s eye view of
CO·NECTA
Building Your Creative
Team
Aligning as a team
Map and recognize your competencies
Define your personal and team values
Understand how your team behaves
Building your team culture
Identify and improve your team interactions
Design your team culture
Practice reflection in your work
Working as a team
Define your team’s purpose
Structure your ways of working
Building Your
Relationships
Understanding your customers
Identify your customers and their needs
Map your customers’ experience
Understanding your ecosystem
Forge relationships in your industry
Tailoring your communications
Articulate your brand promise
Develop your communications strategy
Speak to your audiences
Build your marketing strategy
Building Your
Sustainable Enterprise
Defining your purpose
Identify your enterprise values
Set your vision and mission
Mapping your processes
Design a project plan
Map a workflow sequence
Map your delivery points
Sustaining a healthy enterprise
Consolidate the building blocks of your enterprise
Understand financial and funding basics
Prepare for the expected (and unexpected)
Manage your intellectual property
Exploring new opportunities
Practice prototyping
Diversify or scale your enterprise
4
What is
CO·NECTA?
CO·NECTA is a self-led learning guide for creative enterprise
teams that have been working together for at least two years.
CO·NECTA is made up of three modules:
Building Your Creative Team
Reconnect with each other. Whether you are a reasonably
new team or have worked together for years, this module
will help you to get reacquainted as individuals, create a
healthy team culture, and design better working habits.
Building Your Relationships
Consider your enterprise from an external perspective. This
module will help you speak to your audiences, understand
how your customers experience your enterprise, and meet
the actors in your ecosystem.
Building Your Sustainable Enterprise
Get beneath the surface of your enterprise and into its
inner workings. This module will help you design internal
processes to get your product or service to market,
mitigate risks, and prepare for the future.
Each module includes three or four sections which each
contain one to four learning objectives. You will reach these learning
objectives through timed activities, instructions, and a variety of:
templates
To formulate and record your ideas.
information sheets
To provide more understanding on
the topic.
discussion prompts
To host a conversation that explores
your current situation.
reflection questions
To agree and commit to your next steps.
additional resources
To point to other examples and further reading.
There are also inspirational stories from real creative enterprises
across Latin America to demonstrate the benefits that these
methodologies can bring.
CO·NECTA has been designed for you to dip in and out as you
require. Each module, section, and even learning objective has been
designed to stand independently from the others. That said,
CO·NECTA can also be used in a sequential learning journey if you
prefer. And there are suggested learning pathways to get you
started on page 8.
Either way, CO·NECTA is a resource that will help you navigate your
next stage of business growth or development.
5
How to use
CO·NECTA
CO·NECTA is a self-led learning guide for you to work through
as a team in your own time, at your own pace, and as you need.
The activities have been designed with collaborative teamwork
in mind to ensure complete involvement and buy-in (e.g., not one
individual representing a team). Some of the activities might be
brand new to you. Some you might be familiar with or have
actually completed before. While not all of the activities will
be immediately relevant, take this as an opportunity to try new
ideas but also to revisit your pre-established practices.
To begin, as a team review the three modules – and learning
objectives – and determine which are most urgent.
w h at yo u w i ll n e e d
• If you are working together face-to-face, you will need
pens, small pieces of paper or sticky notes, a timer, and a
large piece of paper or whiteboard to draw the templates
where necessary. If you use a whiteboard, take
photographs of your work in case it is accidentally wiped
clean. There are printable versions of the templates in
the Appendix if you have the means (templates will need
to be a2 or larger for you all to work together), but ideally
you will get creative, draw the templates, and hack
CO·NECTA to meet your needs.
• If you are working together remotely, you will need to
take time in advance to digitally re-create the templates in
your preferred online collaboration tool like Miro, Mural, or
Venngage.
The learning objectives and activities have a suggested timeframe
for a team of about five people. These times are guides; use
your discretion depending on the size and experience of your
team. Time bound each activity so you stay energized and focused
on the task. With the templates, be aware that you are unlikely to
complete them within the suggested timeframes – use each
timeframe to become familiar with the concept, host a discussion,
and capture initial ideas. Complete the template together in full at
a later date once you have more data or information available.
Your outputs are never set in stone, so take time to
implement your ideas and reflect on the outcomes. Come back
to CO·NECTA regularly – every year, month, or more. The
insights you gain and direction that you want to take will shift
over time.
6
Are you
a workshop
facilitator?
CO·NECTA has been written with creative enterprise teams
as the reader. However, if you are a workshop facilitator,
hub leader, or business advisor, you are welcome to use and
adapt CO·NECTA for your audiences (in line with the Creative
Commons license). Unlike traditional business support, CO·NECTA
has been designed with creatives in mind. The approach is
flexible, engages teams at a personal level by exploring values and
motivations, and encourages openness and teamwork.
t i p s f o r fac i l i tat i n g t h e t e m p l at e s
w i t h c r e at i v e e n t e r p r i s e t e a m s
• Your role is to be curious and supportive. Ask questions,
• As a very broad guide, concisely introduce the concept
give relevant examples and sometimes advice, but
and explain the activity instructions for 5-10 minutes only.
remember that you have never been exactly where they
Then allow the teams to work together on the template
are. The teams will always have more experience of their
for 30-45 minutes. Then, bring the teams back for
situation than you.
reflection for 15 minutes.
• Teams should feel comfortable with the level of
• While the teams are working on the template, walk around
information that they choose to share with other teams.
the tables to provide support only if required. Repeat a
• Remind teams that they are unlikely to complete the
question and your response to the room if relevant for all
template within the timeframe. They are learning the
the teams. This approach allows the teams to learn for
concept and gaining familiarity by drafting ideas (with the
themselves and lean on one another for support (either
intention of completing it later).
within their own team or from fellow teams). This will
• Change up how teams complete templates and give
empower them as they realize how much they can work
reflection (e.g., individually, pairs, teams, groups, plenary).
out for themselves and gives them ownership of the tools,
• Present the content to suit your own facilitation style and
their own learning, and their enterprise. It also develops
the learning styles of the teams. You might want to
peer trust and shows that you trust them.
incorporate embodied learning, storytelling, energizers,
• If hosting a brainstorming session, remember to allow
videos, real-life or personal examples, music, etc.
a few minutes in silence for individuals to write their initial
• Refer back to CO·NECTA where possible.
thoughts and ideas on paper first before engaging
in conversation.
7
Where to begin with
CO·NECTA

If you want to create If you want to explore If you want to apply

a new product... new partnerships... for funding...
8 hrs approx 8 hrs approx 7.5 hrs approx

CO·NECTA has been designed for you to dip in and out of as you Identify your customers and their needs Design your team culture Understand financial and funding basics
require. Each module, section, and even learning objective has 145 mins 45 mins 45 mins
been designed to stand independently from the others. These
Structure your ways of working Set your vision and mission Forge relationships in your industry
suggested learning pathways are just a starting point, they’re not
100 mins 120 mins 105 mins
exhaustive – a lot more work needs to go into creating a new
product, exploring new partnerships, and applying for funding. Map your delivery points Forge relationships in your industry Articulate your brand promise
However, these illustrate how the learning objectives can fit 90 mins 105 mins 45 mins
together and you will find your own combinations too. There is no
Practice prototyping Diversify or scale your enterprise Prepare for the expected (and
right or wrong way to use CO·NECTA – get creative and hack the
100 mins 90 mins unexpected)
resources provided to meet your needs.
60 mins
Practice reflection in your work Develop your communications strategy
60 mins 60 mins Consolidate the building blocks of your
enterprise
Practice reflection in your work
60 mins
60 mins
Speak to your audiences
75 mins

Practice reflection in your work

60 mins

8
Building
Your
Creative
Team

9
Building ALIGNING AS A TEAM 11

Your
Map and recognize your competencies 105 mins 13

Define your personal and team values 60 mins 20

Creative
Understand how your team behaves 45 mins 25

Team BUILDING YOUR TEAM

CULTURE 30

Identify and improve your team interactions 105 mins 32

Design your team culture 45 mins 41

Reconnect with each other. Whether you are a reasonably
new team or have worked together for years, this module will
Practice reflection in your work 60 mins 46
help you to get reacquainted as individuals, create a healthy team
culture, and design better working habits. A successful enterprise
starts with you, so building empathy with each other and
understanding personal goals will support the longevity
of your work.
WORKING AS A TEAM 51

Define your team’s purpose 60 mins 53

This module includes three sections (each with an inspirational
story from a Latin American creative enterprise team). The eight
Structure your ways of working 100 mins 57
learning objectives contain a range of instructions for templates for
you to complete, information sheets for you to refer back to,
discussion prompts for you to hold a conversation, reflection
questions to help you stick with your commitments, and additional
Why CO·NECTA
resources that link to further reading.
was created 74

Appendix: Printable templates 63 Acknowledgments 75

ALIGNING AS
A TEAM learning objectives

Map and
recognize
recognise your
competencies
remember

B
uilding a strong team requires aligning individual visions
and all working towards a common goal. By identifying
your strengths, empathizing with where each of you
is coming from, and understanding what you care about
as individuals, together you can find ways to complement each
other as a team.
105 mins
• Alter the timeframes for your team’s size and experience
– but do time bound each activity to stay focused.
• You are unlikely to complete the templates within the
suggested timeframes. Each timeframe allows you to Define your
personal and team
become familiar with the concept, host a discussion, and
draft initial ideas. Complete the template together at a later
date once you have gathered more data.
• If you are face-to-face, you will need pens, small pieces of
paper or sticky notes, a timer, and a large piece of paper
or whiteboard to draw the template where necessary.
values 60 mins

Understand
• If you are remote, digitally re-create the template in your
preferred online collaboration tool in advance.
• Get creative and hack CO·NECTA to suit your needs.
• Your outputs are not set in stone. Implement your ideas
and reflect on the outcomes. In time, come back to the how your team
behaves
activity. The insights you gain will shift over time.

45 mins

11
 i n s p i r at i o n a l
story Mundial Mundial is a design studio in Uruguay that was founded in 2012,
with a vast skill set of illustration, animation, graphic design, and
visual communications. Since the beginning, the team has strived
to ensure every customer experience reaches its full potential,
through personal interaction and creative exchange directly with
their customers, without intermediaries. To achieve this vision, they
have purposefully remained a small team, aligning the Mundial
identity to individuals’ strengths. Each team member has a
preference towards communicating or expressing their ideas
through a different approach, whether that be a minimalist
geometric style, an organic more relaxed style, or drawing. Team
members maximize their wide and varied skills and knowledge to
complement each other in delivering their shared passion for
mixing illustration, typography, and design.

ALIGNING AS A TEAM 12
 Map and recognize
your competencies

ALIGNING AS A TEAM 13
 60 mins

instructions

Individually and in silence, think about your own competencies.

• knowledge: What do you know? What specialist

Your competencies
knowledge areas do you bring to the team? These might
be through your studies, personal interests,
experience, etc.

• skills: What can you do? What unique abilities do

you bring to the team? This might be a specific creative
introduction discipline or something else.

It can be tempting to work with similar people but this is
not always the best thing for the team. A strong team draws on
a range of knowledge, skills, and experiences. You each bring
unique strengths and identifying these will help you harness them
for the benefit of your work.
• attitudes: What qualities do you bring to the team?
This might be your demeanour, preferred ways of
working, personality traits, or something else.
Draw the “Competency cards” template (page 15) on a piece
of paper and use it to record your knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
Try to think of at least five to seven examples for each
competency area.

As a group, take turns presenting your competency cards to each

other. Have a discussion around the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
you each bring, how these have developed over the time you’ve been
working together, and what other competencies you would add to
each other’s cards.

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Map and recognize your competencies 14

competency cards

skills attitudes
knowledge

What unique abilities do I bring to What qualities do I bring

What specialist knowledge areas do
the team? to the team?
I bring to the team?

G RE AT C OMMUNIC AT O R ACT IO N-O R I ENT ED

DESI GN T HI N K ING
B IG PICT U RE T HIN KE R CU R I O U S
P RO DU CT I O N SYST E MS
NE T WO RK B UILD E R RESI LI ENT
C U LT U R A L HER ITAG E

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Map and recognize your competencies 15

 reflection questions

What knowledge or skills gaps

would you each like to develop in
the future?

How can knowledge areas be

shared across the team?

How can team members upskill

other team members?

What will you do with this

information?

When will you revisit this activity?

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Map and recognize your competencies 16

 45 mins
Your comfort zones
introduction
A comfort zone, as determined by the psychological state of mind,
is where one feels the safest. It can be influenced by factors such
as personality, interests, and strengths. Each individual has their
own comfort zone and safe space. It’s important to stretch these
zones in order to learn but it is also important that you
acknowledge where each of you are in order to identify how to
complement each other.
ALIGNING AS A TEAM Map and recognize your competencies
instructions
Draw the “Your comfort zones” template (page 18) quite large as you
will be working off of it together.
Individually, look at the prompts and think about your own comfort
zone. Are you an extrovert? Are you comfortable with numbers?
Draw a circle with your initials on the spot where you feel you sit on
the matrix.
As a group, have a discussion around the sections where there are a
lot of circles or not many circles. What does this say about your team?
Are there any surprises?
17
your K .B . D. H .
comfort
zones loves to plan goes with the flow

visually minded numbers driven

introvert extrovert

thinks aloud thinks alone

morning person night owl

welcomes interruptions prefers a meeting

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Map and recognize your competencies 18

 reflection questions

How can you take advantage

of the natural strengths in your
team?

How can your comfort zones

help you understand the way you
each work?

What will you do with this

information?

When will you revisit this activity?

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Map and recognize your competencies 19

 Define your personal
and team values

ALIGNING AS A TEAM 20
 60 mins
Personal and team values
introduction
Values can be difficult to define but understanding them can make
the difference between a team that is thriving or barely surviving.
Think of values as your guiding principles, your drivers, or your
ethics. Team values can steer the direction of your work and also
how you work together by acting as a central point when making
decisions around who you might work with, which projects you
choose to take on, and how you are perceived by existing or
potential clients.
ALIGNING AS A TEAM Define your personal and team values
p e r s o n a l va lu e s — i n st r u c t i o n s
Personal values are just that – deeply personal. They can be
connected to your passions and are typically unwavering or non-
negotiable. For example, if “environmentally conscious” is a value
for you as an individual, you may personally choose not to work
with a controversial oil company.
Individually and in silence, write down on separate pieces of paper
as many personal values as possible (aim for up to 15). Think about
what motivates you, your convictions, and your passions. Then, still
in silence, prioritize your values. You might notice clusters of
similar values that could be represented by another value. Or you
might want to compare two values and determine which is more
important than the other until you have selected your top three to
five personal values.
As a group, take turns to share and explain your top five personal
values. Identify which personal values are shared by many and
which ones are less common.
21
examples
o f va lu e s

trustworthy artistic people centered humorous honest

sensitive secure fun perseverant fair

t e a m va lu e s — i n st r u c t i o n s

creative empathic brave responsible ethical

Living by the values that you agree to as a team will help shape the
team culture, the way you approach your work, and the standards
and principles that underpin your efforts.

From the group discussion, determine whether any personal

values could become team values. Discuss whether the team
inclusive compassionate loyal curious flexible needs additional values that haven’t been covered by individuals.
For example, “reliable” or “responsive” may feel like important
values to commit to as a team but might not have come up as
individuals’ values. Defining team values can be difficult, so don’t
worry about getting them perfect the first time around. This is a
starting point to begin the conversation.

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Define your personal and team values 22

personal and sofia’s marco’s
personal values personal values
t e a m va lu e s

C R E AT IV E LOY A L

team values
C U RIOU S
FA IR FUN

HONE ST

INC LU S IV E

maria’s
personal values

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Define your personal and team values 23

 reflection questions

Where will you keep your values?

How will you make sure you

stick to your values?

What would it look like

when you are not sticking to your
values?

What will you do with this

information?
additional resources

When will you revisit this activity? Why values matter

by Jan Stassen, Museum of Values

Cómo definir tus valores personales

en 6 pasos
by hj Barraza, Collective Academy

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Define your personal and team values 24

 Understand how
your team behaves

ALIGNING AS A TEAM 25
 45 mins

Forming to adjourning

introduction instructions

Building a team takes time. There are several stages a team goes
through as it transitions from individuals trying to work together to
a cohesive unit with shared goals.
Understanding these stages will help you reflect on your
experience, articulate any challenges you are experiencing, identify
how to overcome them, and see the road ahead.
As a group, review the Forming to Adjourning framework and
discuss which stage you think you are at. It is normal to find you
might straddle two stages. Once you have come to a general
consensus, look at the questions in the relevant stage on page 28.
These questions will help you to open up discussion,
sensemake, align ideas, and progress your ways of working.

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Understand how your team behaves 26

This is Bruce Tuckman’s stages of group development framework
and was originally developed in 1965. Forming, Storming,
Norming, Performing, and Adjourning describes the stages that
a team might go through as it grows and develops.

forming storming norming performing adjourning

Understanding what you do and who Challenging the boundaries you Resolving challenges and differences Working effectively towards a goal as Reaching your goals, capturing
you are as a team. established in the Forming phase. and identifying strengths and an established team. your learnings, and determining the
leadership. future.

you’ll be: you’ll be: you’ll be: you’ll be: you’ll be:

• Getting to know each other.
• Defining roles and responsibilities.
• Establishing objectives (as a
team).
• Identifying knowledge or skills
gaps and bringing others on
board.
• Building trust and relationships
with each other.
• Solving challenges as a team and
providing support to each other.
• Establishing basic or informal
processes and structures.
• Staying positive!
• Settling into a team culture and
ways of working.
• Establishing strong communication
channels.
• Agreeing on team goals.
• Identifying the team’s needs to
overcome challenges.
• Working in flow with each other.
• Learning and developing new skills
as individuals.
• Applying processes and
structures.
• Reflecting, monitoring, and
evaluating your work.
• Agreeing the right time to stop
working together.
• Developing an exit strategy.
• Identifying what and how to wind
down.
• Planning next steps.

• Establishing strong formal • Building resilience for uncertainty.

processes and structures.

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Understand how your team behaves 27

forming
Understanding what you do
and who you are as a team.
• What are the different roles and
responsibilities within your team?
• Why does your team exist?
• How well do you know each
other?
• Who else could you involve to
strengthen your collective
knowledge or skills?
ALIGNING AS A TEAM
storming
Challenging the boundaries you
established in the Forming phase.
• How do you ensure trust within
the team?
• How do you support each other?
• How do you maintain positive
team morale?
• How do you resolve conflicts?
• What are your ways of working?
Understand how your team behaves
norming
Resolving challenges and differences
and identifying strengths and
leadership.
• How do you ask each other for
help?
• How do you give each other
feedback?
• How would you describe your
culture?
• What are your processes and
structures?
• What is your team goal?
• How do you communicate?
performing adjourning
Working effectively towards a goal as Reaching your goals, capturing
an established team. your learnings, and determining the
future.
• How does the team know their • How do you support each other
individual responsibilities? during uncertain times?
• How do you integrate new team • How do you share what you have
members? learned?
• How do you maintain processes • What is your exit strategy?
and structures?
• How do you monitor and evaluate
your work?
• How do you scale your work?
• How do you retain your learnings
as a team?
• What does success look like (and
what do you do if you are not
achieving it)?
28
 reflection questions

What are the actions or

agreements you will take forward
based on some of these
questions?

What will you do with this

information?

When will you revisit this activity? additional resources

Teamwork kit
by Daresay

¿Qué ch%#Ç@dos es liderazgo?

No tengo idea, pero lo quiero diseñar
by Bernardo, Uncommon

Challenging mental structures,

biases and habits at work
by The Failure Institute

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Understand how your team behaves 29

BUILDING YOUR
TEAM CULTURE
D
efining your dynamics, routines, and ways of
working will keep you focused and on track towards
the same goal. No matter where you work – remotely,
in a shared studio, or in a client’s office – collaboration
principles, etiquette, rhythms, and rituals will help you work
better as a team.
learning objectives
Identify and
remember
• Alter the timeframes for your team’s size and experience
•
– but do time bound each activity to stay focused.
You are unlikely to complete the templates within the improve your team
interactions
suggested timeframes. Each timeframe allows you to
become familiar with the concept, host a discussion, and
105 mins
draft initial ideas. Complete the template together at a later
date once you have gathered more data.
• If you are face-to-face, you will need pens, small pieces of
paper or sticky notes, a timer, and a large piece of paper Design your team
culture
or whiteboard to draw the template where necessary.
• If you are remote, digitally re-create the template in your
45 mins
preferred online collaboration tool in advance.
• Get creative and hack CO·NECTA to suit your needs.
• Your outputs are not set in stone. Implement your ideas
and reflect on the outcomes. In time, come back to the Practice reflection
in your work
activity. The insights you gain will shift over time.
60 mins
30
 i n s p i r at i o n a l
story Amalgama Amalgama is a product design studio in Ecuador. The
multidisciplinary team collaborates with craftsmen and women
based in the Amazon jungle through a fair trade agreement. As part
Simultaneously, Amalgama needed to incorporate new ways of
working. They supported the team in the jungle to use technology
that allowed for better and faster communication, instead of
of their team culture, they have established simple and inclusive face-to-face meetings, making sure they still felt part of the team
ways of communicating between the studio in Quito and the despite being remote.
workshops in the jungle. These include using informal language and
avoiding jargon, with the intention that every team member can
clearly understand each other without any language barriers. The
concept of “change” is also integrated into their culture and is seen
as an opportunity instead of a barrier. An example of this is how
quickly they adapted and responded to the covid-19 pandemic in
2020. In the first month of the outbreak in Ecuador, Amalgama
designed and released a new product line of home office assets to
help their customers adapt to working at home.

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE 31

 Identify and improve
your team interactions

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE 32

 60 mins
Rhythms and rituals
introduction
When teams form organically, they quickly establish habits out of
immediate necessity. As teams grow, these habits may no longer
be fit for purpose and can hinder performance and culture.
Effective habits are essential for high-performing teams and it’s
important that everyone understands and practices them to
continually improve and support the way you work as a team.
Everything from the meetings you have on a regular basis (and
how you run them) to your informal conversations all contribute to
your team dynamics and culture. Your habits should help you
maximize your time, communication, and ways of working.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Identify and improve your team interactions
One-to-one meetings, check-ins, planning, ideation, reflection,
appraisals: each time you come together, you should
consider having a structure that everyone is familiar with
and knows how to follow.
instructions
Individually and in silence, take a moment to think about the meetings
that you are typically involved in and consider the effectiveness or
enjoyment of each. Consider how these meetings support or hinder
your work.
As a group, use the “Your meetings” template (page 34) to list the
current meetings you have as a team on a regular basis. Then
consider the purpose, regularity, and efficiency of each of the
meetings. You might notice patterns, duplications, or inconsistencies
to help you spot which meetings are working, which need
redesigning, which need canceling, and which are potentially missing.
Once you have the logistical details out of the way, use the
“Your fun board” template (page 35) to discuss the occasions when
you celebrate or would like to celebrate as a team. This might be
purely social or align with your work. Making time to have fun
and build a team culture that is inclusive will help you feel supported
to do great things in your work.
33
your meetings

meeting types regularity purpose efficiency status

List the various meetings you have. How regularly does this meeting Why do you have this meeting? Does this meeting achieve what it What should you start, continue,
occur? (Daily, weekly, monthly, should? How could you improve it? change, and/or stop including in this
yearly) Do you need it? meeting?

F U LL T E AM M EET I N G E V E RY M ONDAY M O R NING RE C ONNE CT A FT E R T HE W E E KE ND S ometi mes j ust a c hat MAKE SU R E T H AT T H ER E I S TI ME

A ND SHA RE PRIO RIT IE S FO R T HE FO R T EAM ME MB ERS TO ASK FO R
S ometi mes c an f eel li ke a
W E E K A HE AD ANY H E LP T H EY NEED SO P EO P LE
b road c ast rath e r than a s ha red
CAN P LAN T H EI R WO R KLO ADS
d i s c ussi on

design e rs m e e ting M ONT H LY SHA RE PROJE CT C HA LLE NG E S A ND IT C A N B E IMPRO V E D BY E XT E ND ING T H E CO MMI TMENT AND PASSI O N
S U PPO RT E AC H OT HE R WIT H NE W T HE T IME T O A LLOW MO RE D E PT H , F RO M T H E T EAM I S KEY TO
ID E AS A ND RE C OMME NDAT IONS PLU S A FO LLOW- U P ME E T ING T O CO NTI NU E H O STI NG T H ESE
SHA RE PROG RE SS MEETI NGS

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Identify and improve your team interactions 34
your fun board

occasion activity

B I RT HDAY S W E H AV E CA KE

W I N N I N G A N E W CLIE NT W E H AV E B RE A K FAST T OG E T HE R

SEC O N D T U ES DAY O F T H E M ONT H W E P LAY B O A RD G A ME S

C A RN I V A L W E COM E TO WO RK IN A C OST UME

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Identify and improve your team interactions 35
Here are some ideas for how you might like to run some common
team project
meeting types.
meeting agenda

team alignment
agenda item purpose
agenda

check in To understand what is keeping you each motivated, worried, or distracted. It

How are you feeling? What is could be too many projects on your plate, problems at home, something work
agenda item purpose
on your mind? related, or something personal. It makes sure everyone has the space to be
honest and share what matters to them in a safe setting.
check in To understand what is keeping you each motivated, worried, or
How are you distracted. It could be too many projects on your plate, problems
recap on To keep track of the project processes and deadlines. At the same time, to
feeling? What is at home, something work related, or something personal. It makes previous meeting actions understand if the timelines and deliverables are realistic and achievable, if
on your mind? sure everyone has the space to be honest and share what matters Did we do what we said we some expectations need to be managed, or if there needs to be a project plan
to them in a safe setting. would do? review.

priorities To understand and inform what you each are working on in the
What are you immediate term (e.g., what is keeping you busy this week). It can project achievements To celebrate the team achievements!
working on? help to draw connections between different tasks and activities, What have we completed?
notice connections where extra support might be needed, or flag
tasks that need to be reprioritized.
project priorities To understand and inform what tasks need to be done or taken into account in
What tasks require our the first place. It can support defining roles and responsibilities within the
support
To understand how you can help each other complete your priority immediate attention/action? team and establish timelines and key deadlines.
Do you need
tasks. This helps to make sure everything is completed on time but
help?
more importantly fosters a collaborative culture where it is OK to
support
ask for help. To understand how you can help each other complete your project priorities.
Do we need help?
This helps to make sure everything is completed on time but more importantly
fosters a collaborative culture where it is ok to ask for help.
updates To share information about your enterprise or wider ecosystem to
Do you have keep all team members informed. These may be things like
updates? operational announcements, events, or talks that might be of recap actions and To make sure everyone is on the same page and no important points have
interest or highlighting key achievements. Make sure you allow next steps been missed.
enough time for questions and discussion. Who will do what and by when?

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Identify and improve your team interactions 36
 reflection questions

Do your meetings have a

clear purpose?

How will you introduce new

or strengthen existing rhythms
and rituals?

How will you build rhythms

and rituals that work remotely?

What will you do with this

information?

When will you revisit this activity?

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Identify and improve your team interactions 37
 45 mins

Collaboration etiquette

introduction

Collaboration is essentially organized teamwork. It’s about having

processes and guidelines in place to ensure that people are supported
to work together to make decisions. Collaboration helps increase
project success or achieve a common goal by making the most of
people’s skills and fostering open communication among all team
members.

Having a healthy collaboration culture takes practice. No doubt you will

have a variety of skills and experience and, as individuals, you all have
valid ideas to share. Build your own collaboration etiquette and
integrate it into your team culture.

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Identify and improve your team interactions 38
Here are some ideas for creating your own collaboration
guidelines. Consider how these, and others, might work in your
context.
co ll a b o r at i o n
etiquette ideas
welcome all viewpoints
Don’t be hasty in discounting
different viewpoints or ideas.
By taking into account
different views, you’ll be able
to enrich your ideas and see
your challenge from various
perspectives. Solutions can
come from unexpected
places!
BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE
ask and offer help
There is nothing wrong with
asking for help. It might actually
help you answer questions
quicker and learn from others.
Not everyone is comfortable
with asking for help, so offer
your help even if it seems that
others don’t need it.
Identify and improve your team interactions
build on each other’s ideas
Encourage the team to build on
each other’s ideas. Consider
how to promote this in your
communication style. For
example, instead of saying “no,
but…” you can say “yes, and….”
don’t make assumptions
Assumptions can affect the way
you relate to others and can
close down opportunities. Avoid
making assumptions about your
team members. Instead, keep an
open mind, encourage people to
share, and ask questions to find
out more.
use active listening
Pay attention to what others
are saying. Try to carefully
understand what is being said
and not interrupt. Make sure
that you are actively listening
and not thinking about how
to respond. Wait before you
intervene in the conversation;
the speaker might need some
more time to process their
thinking. Show people you are
listening with non-verbal cues
like nodding, smiling, and
keeping your body language
open.
speak in plain language
Using jargon, acronyms, or
complex language can exclude
others. Try to use simple
language to make sure that
everyone understands what is
being said. Be honest and
provide constructive feedback
but don’t forget to be kind. This
will allow others to receive
feedback in a positive way and
encourage them to improve.
39
 reflection questions

How do you work together?

What will you include in your

collaboration guidelines?

What will you do with this

information?
additional resources

When will you revisit this activity?

The ultimate guide to effective
collaboration in the workplace
by Devon Maloney, Slack

Work? Make it fun and personal

by Fuckup Nights

Reward process instead of results

by The Failure Institute

Conflicts: controlling the uncontrollable

by Ileana Castro, Fuckup Nights

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Identify and improve your team interactions 40
 Design your team
culture

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE 41

 45 mins
Design your team culture
introduction
Culture is the glue that holds a team together. A good culture is the
shared beliefs and behaviors that make people feel safe and
included regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, religion, or other
factors. It will make the tough times together easier and can even
help to attract new team members. Often it develops organically,
but actively creating the best possible culture and working
environment will increase your success as a team.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Design your team culture
instructions
As a group, use the discussion prompts to consider the foundations of
building a positive team culture. Consider the current culture and how
you can make improvements.
Use the “Team charter” template (page 44) to start creating some
guiding principles that state your team culture and your team values.
You might then write a more detailed team charter to collate
everything in one place. This will help get existing team members on
the same page and help new team members see what is expected of
them. Whether you work remotely or together in the same space,
think about how you can make your guiding principles more visual
or come to life in your team.
42
 strengthening psychological safety

Psychological safety is the belief in which people feel included, safe to learn, safe to make mistakes, safe to contribute, and safe to challenge – without fear of
being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished. The term “psychological safety” was first published in 1965 and in 2014, social scientist Amy Edmondson suggested
three things to help teams achieve it: frame the work as a learning problem rather than an execution problem, acknowledge your own fallibility, and model
curiosity. Having psychological safety as the foundation of your culture will positively impact you as individuals, as a team, and in your work.

building empathy and trust encouraging diversity and inclusion adapting to change

Teams are about building and maintaining
relationships. Having empathy and trust is what
strengthens those relationships. Putting yourself,
as an individual, in the shoes of others will help you to understand
other perspectives and overcome personal differences.
Acknowledging diversity and inclusion is
an important aspect of modern
workplace culture. Diversity is about
recognizing people’s differences. Inclusion is about people’s
differences being valued. An inclusive culture means that
everyone feels they belong, their contribution matters, and they
can perform to their full potential, no matter their background
or identity.
Change is inevitable but not everyone enjoys it.
A team that is able to adapt will be more
sustainable, so it is important to support each
other in times of change. Learning to be more resilient will help
maintain a healthy team dynamic.

discuss discuss discuss

• How safe are you to express how you feel? • How do you work together as people? • How do you deal with uncertainty?

• How can everyone feel confident to use their voice? • How do you encourage different perspectives? • What emotional support do you have in place?

• How do you get to know each other? • How do you avoid biases? • How can everyone feel comfortable with change?

• What actions will you take to build empathy and trust in • How do you ensure you all are treated equally? • What are the creative ways in which you navigate change?
your team?
• What actions will you take to encourage diversity and • What actions will you take to adapt to change?
inclusion?

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Design your team culture 43

team charter

our team
culture W E W O R K T OG E T H E R AND LE AR N W E CARE A B OUT A ND RE S PE CT W E A PPRE C IAT E E V E RY ONE’S T IME W E C A RE A B O UT EACH OT H ER AS
F RO M E ACH OT H E R . E V E RY ON E’S OPINIONS . A ND V A LU E T HE IR WO RK . PE OPLE OUTSI DE O U R WO R K
E NV IRONME NT.

our team
values C REAT IV IT Y CO LLAB O R AT ION A UT HE NT IC IT Y

W E MAX IM I Z E OU R C R E AT IV E M IND S . W E NE V E R WO RK A LONE . W E A RE G E NUINE A ND C A RE A B OUT

. W HAT W E D O.

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Design your team culture 44

 reflection questions
What is important for your team
culture?
What will you do with this
information?
When will you revisit this activity?
BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Design your team culture
additional resources
Para escalar, necesitas sólida
cultura organizacional, así es como
la comunicas
by Bruno Belmondo
Developing a healthy work culture:
remote and in office
by The Failure Institute
The five keys to a successful
Google team
by Julia Rozovsky
Hold teams together and accountable
with a culture contract
by nobl Academy
Building a psychologically safe
workplace
by Amy Edmondson
45
 Practice reflection
in your work

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE 46

 60 mins

Reflecting

introduction instructions

Being more reflective increases understanding of what works,
what doesn’t, why this is, and what to do about it. By establishing
routines for how and when you reflect, it will quickly become a
habit and you’ll be able to continually learn. Remember that
reflection is both an individual and a team practice, and it’s
important to do both.
“It is not sufficient to have an
experience in order to learn. Without
reflecting on this experience it
may quickly be forgotten, or its
learning potential lost.”
Graham Gibbs, Learning by Doing (1988)
As a group, agree on a recent situation or project that you would
like to reflect on. If reflection is a new practice to you, for the
purpose of this exercise, maybe choose something that went well.
This will help you become comfortable with reflection as a concept
and the template itself. The “Reflection sheet” template (page 49)
contains a series of questions that relate to internal and external
driving forces. It will help you see what you could do differently
next time or what you would want to do again.
Start with describing the situation and follow the arrows to answer
the reflection questions.

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Practice reflection in your work 47

 what reflection is when to reflect reflection tips

Holding up a metaphorical mirror and reflecting Reflection is important when things have gone
• Carve out the time and space
on our actions isn’t always an easy task. It can well and not-so-well. Both situations present
also seem like a luxury that a busy team doesn’t learning opportunities for you and your work.
• Reflect both as a group and as an individual
have time for. So why do it?
Reflecting on your actions is just the first step;
• Keep a physical reflective learning journal
Reflecting you also need to consider the driving forces
is a vital part behind your actions (both internal and external)
of learning. and find how you can learn from the process.

Being more reflective helps us to understand Reflection doesn’t always have to be a formal
our responses to situations and improve our activity – you could introduce it as a personal
future actions. daily practice on your way home from work!

Introduce a range of individual and team

reflection activities to your routine. The aim is
for being reflective to become an automatic
habit that you apply to all areas of your work.

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Practice reflection in your work 48

reflection sheet

what was the situation?

D E V E LOP A B R AND FO R A NE W C LIE NT

what did you do? what knowledge or prior
experience shaped your actions?
W E SET U P A T EA M T O DEV E L O P T HE and why?
B R AN D IN G, W E C REAT ED A PRO JECT
W E CH ALLE NG E D T H E CLIE NT ’S B R IE F
PLAN AN D D E FI N ED O U R DESI GN
F ROM T H E B E G INNING . D OING T H AT
A P P RO AC H .
ALLOW E D U S T O ALIG N WIT H T H E
CLIE NT AND START OU R D E S IG N
P ROCE SS WIT H OUT D OUBT S .
how did you feel
during this situation?
and why?
T IME WAS A LWAYS A WO RRY FO R
E V E RY ONE ON T HE T E A M . W E D ID N’T
A LLOC AT E E NOUG H T IME FO R S OME
PHAS E S O F T HE PROJE CT A ND
O V E RWO RKE D S OME OT HE RS . W E
UND E RE ST IMAT E D HOW MU C H T IME
T HING S TA KE .
who or what external factors
informed or supported what you
did?
B E C A U S E W E U S E D T HE T IME O F
T WO D E S IG NE RS WIT HIN T HE T E A M ,
W E HAD T O C OMMISS ION A
F RE E LA NC E D E S IG NE R T O MA KE
S U RE W E S UB MIT T E D T HE
PROJE CT ON T IME .

what insights were gained?
W E W E R E AB LE T O UND E RSTAND T H E
CLIE NT ’S NE E D S F ROM T H E
B E G INNING O F T H E P ROJ E CT . W E
ANS W E R E D KE Y Q U E ST IONS W E H AD
F ROM T H E O R IG INAL B R IE F. T H IS
SH AP E D OU R P ROJ E CT P LAN .
what can you do to feel better
next time?
A NA LY Z E OU R PAST PROJE CT PLA NS .
A LLOC AT E T HE RIG HT A MOUNT O F
T IME T O E AC H PHAS E O F T HE
PROJE CT .
what support could you use
next time?
A LLOC AT E T IME T O A T HIRD
D E S IG NE R A ND G E T S U PPO RT F ROM
A N A NIMAT ION O R A U D IO V IS U A L
E X PE RT .
if you were in this situation again,
what would you do differently?
R EVI SE TI ME F R AMES, R ESO U RCES,
AND B U DGETS I N DETAI L .
what would you do the same?
what lessons have been learned
for future situations?

WO R K TO GET H ER WI T H T H E
CLI ENT, I NV O LV E T H E M AT EV ERY
STAGE . B E T R ANSPAR ENT AB O UT
O U R CH ALLENGES AND WO R K .

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Practice reflection in your work 49

 reflection questions

How will you introduce

reflection as a personal and
group practice?

How can you adapt this template

for regular use?

What will you do with this

information?

When will you revisit this activity?

additional resources

Using failure to foster a culture

of vulnerability
by Fuckup Nights

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Practice reflection in your work 50

WORKING AS
A TEAM
I Define
n order to function effectively as a team, it is important that
all team members align on their purpose; everyone should
agree and understand what, how, and why they do what they
do. That purpose can be guided by various personal
motivations that come together with the collective interests of all
team members. It is essential that as a team, everyone
understands their role. Plan accordingly so that everyone
understands the actions they need to take to complete the work.
remember learning objectives
Defineyour
yourteam’s
team’s
• Alter the timeframes for your team’s size and experience
– but do time bound each activity to stay focused.
• You are unlikely to complete the templates within the
suggested timeframes. Each timeframe allows you to
become familiar with the concept, host a discussion, and
draft initial ideas. Complete the template together at a later
purpose
purpose 60 mins
date once you have gathered more data.
• If you are face-to-face, you will need pens, small pieces of
paper or sticky notes, a timer, and a large piece of paper Structure
Structure your
your ways
ways
of working
or whiteboard to draw the template where necessary.
• If you are remote, digitally re-create the template in your
100 mins
preferred online collaboration tool in advance.
• Get creative and hack CO·NECTA to suit your needs.
• Your outputs are not set in stone. Implement your ideas
and reflect on the outcomes. In time, come back to the
activity. The insights you gain will shift over time.
51
 i n s p i r at i o n a l
story Ofelia Ofelia & Antelmo is a Mexican enterprise of passionate
embroiderers, established with the idea of contributing and giving back
It is essential that their handmade products are a means of individual
artistic expression. Time is fundamental: the team works at a slow pace

& Antelmo
to its communities. The team is driven by female empowerment and
building relationships of affection with their networks. They aim to
create work that transcends product-making; everything they create is
made with natural and durable materials and needs to have a purpose.
and allows the embroidery to take the time it needs and mark the
rhythm of their lifestyles. Although everyone in the team has different
motivations, they all use embroidery as therapeutic healing, to support
their mental health.

While their contemporary embroidery style is driven by the founder,

individual and collaborative work allows them to develop creations with
personal and unique characteristics that complement each other when
combined into a single garment. The embroiderers come together as a
team with defined roles. For each piece a leader is appointed, who
creates the designs and then briefs the other embroiderers. For each
element of the design there is always a person who is responsible,
consulted, and informed. This helps the team work in an agile way,
complement each other’s skills, and build trust and commitment.

WORKING AS A TEAM 52
 Define your team’s
purpose

WORKING AS A TEAM 53
 60 mins

Defining your team’s purpose

introduction instructions

As a team, it is crucial that you agree on the reason for coming
together. Think about what you do as a team, how you do it, and,
most importantly, why. The “why” can be seen as the team’s
purpose. Understanding all of this will help your team move
forward in a clear direction.
Individually and in silence, use the “Your purpose” template (page 55)
to reflect on the three questions in relation to the team: What, How,
and Why.
As a group, go through each question together, sharing and
discussing what you’ve written and agreeing on a response for each.
The questions may have more than one answer, and that is fine, but
make sure you can agree on a few motivations and reasons for
coming together.

WORKING AS A TEAM Define your team’s purpose 54

your purpose

what how why

What do you do? How do you do what you do? Why do you do what you do? Why is this important to you?

as a team, we… by… because…

B RI N G TOGET HER A M I X T U RE O F DI SCIP LINE S T O T R ANS F O R M
T R AD ITI ON AL W AY S O F C REAT I N G T HE AT E R P E R F O R M ANCE S .
COMBINING T R AD IT IONA L T HE AT E R T E C HNIQ U E S WIT H NE W
T E CH NO LOGIE S LIKE V R T O INNO V AT E WIT HIN T HE PE RFO R MING
ART S .
W E WA NT T HE PE RFO R MING ARTS TO STAY R E LEV ANT WI T H I N
OU R E C OSYST E M .
W E WA NT T O RE INV E NT T HE WAY T H EAT ER P ER FO R MANCES H AV E
B E E N PROD U C E D IN T HE PAST AND B R I NG A SO CI AL DI SCO U RSE
INT O OU R WO RK .

WORKING AS A TEAM Define your team’s purpose 55

 reflection questions

What will you do with this

information?

When will you revisit this activity?

additional resources

La experiencia y el propósito
by Miguel Melgarejo, Cirklo

WORKING AS A TEAM Define your team’s purpose 56

 Structure your ways
of working

WORKING AS A TEAM 57
 100 mins
Action and resource planning
introduction
In order to successfully complete your work together, you need to
know how to get things done. This means being clear on the
actions you need to take, who is responsible for doing what, and
by when. Making a detailed plan to hold yourself to will help you
achieve your goals and deliver your projects.
WORKING AS A TEAM Structure your ways of working
instructions
As a group, review the raci framework. Responsible, Accountable,
Consulted, and Informed are simple definitions to clarify the roles
within each project of your enterprise.
Complete the “Action planning” template (page 60) using a live
project or a future project. Identify how the tasks and actions
interconnect, spot dependencies, and prioritize them against the
timeline. Use the parking lot column to record other ideas that emerge
but may not fit into this specific plan. Once you have agreed on
the actions, use the “Roles and responsibilities” template (page 61)
to allocate your team members’ tasks using the raci framework.
58
Try the raci framework to help you agree on roles for your priorities.

raci framework

responsible accountable consulted informed

The person that is doing and
completing the deliverable. Each
deliverable should have only one
person allocated as “R.” If you have
more than one person allocated as
“R,” break down the deliverable into
smaller, more manageable tasks.
This will ensure that everyone knows
who is responsible for what.
The person that is the owner of
the work. Again, only one person
should be allocated as “A” per action.
This person might be required for
sign off and approvals. Typically, the
“R” will report their tasks to the “A.”
The person that holds relevant
subject matter expertise or
knowledge. There might be a number
of people allocated to “C” that could
be consulted on each action. It’s
important to remember that this is
two-way communication.
The person that needs to know
the status of the action and its
progress. There might be a number
of people allocated to “I” that are
required to be informed by each
action. Unlike “C,” this is one-way
communication.

WORKING AS A TEAM Structure your ways of working 59

action planning
deliverable: PRO DU C I N G
what we need to do…
tomorrow
RESE ARCH FASHI O N T REN DS FO R
NEXT SEASON
WORKING AS A TEAM
A B U L K O RD E R O F B LACK DR E SS E S
what we need to do…
next week
D E S IG N PAT T E R NS F O R T H E NE W
D E S IG N O F DR E SS
B R IE F ma c h i n i st s ON T H E NE W
G AR M E NT S
S OU RCE F AB R IC
Structure your ways of working
what we need to do…
next month
C UT FA B RIC
C ONST RU CT G A R ME NT S
D IST RIB UT E G A R ME NT S
resources required parking lot
What resources do you need? (e.g., What else comes up?
people, funding, time, space, etc.)
• FA B RIC , FAST E NING S , TA G S , B UY A NEW CLOT H ES ST EAMER
T HRE AD, E TC ,
GET SEWI NG MACH I NES SERVI CED
• S E WING MAC HINE S A ND ST E A ME R
P I TCH DR ESS DESI GN TO OT H ER
• D E S IG NE R , PROJE CT MA NA G E R , CLI ENTS
MAC HINIST , T E A M LE AD E R
60
roles and responsibilities

deliverable: evidence of success: team:

PROD U CI N G A B U L K O RDER O F B L AC K DR E SS E S 1. CLIE NT R E CE IV E S F INAL DRE SS O RD E R ON D E S IG NE R: S O FIA T E A M LE AD E R: DA NIE L
T IM E AND T O T H E IR S AT ISFACT ION PROJE CT MA NA G E R: MA RIA MAC HINIST : PE DRO
2 . NO DR E SS E S AR E R E T U R NE D WIT H D E FE CT S

actions deadline responsible accountable consulted informed

RESE ARCH FASHI O N T REN DS T OM O R ROW S O FIA DA NIE L C LIE NT A ND P EDRO MAR I A

DESIGN PAT T ERN NE X T W E E K S O FIA DA NIE L C LIE NT MAR I A AND P EDRO

S O U RCE FAB RIC NE X T W E E K MA RIA DA NIE L C LIE NT A ND SO FI A PEDRO

B RI E F M ACHI N I ST S NE X T M ONT H MA RIA DA NIE L P E DRO SO FI A

CU T FAB RIC NE X T M ONT H P E DRO DA NIE L PE DRO A ND SO FI A MAR I A

CO N ST RU CT DRESSES NE X T M ONT H P E DRO DA NIE L S O FIA MAR I A

ST EAM DRE SSE S NE X T M ONT H P E DRO DA NIE L PE DRO A ND SO FI A MAR I A

CLIE NT APPRO V A L NE X T M ONT H MA RIA DA NIE L C LIE NT P EDRO AND SO FI A

WORKING AS A TEAM Structure your ways of working 61

 reflection questions

How can you adapt these

templates for regular use?

How can you use these

templates to create a plan for the
year ahead for the team?

What will you do with this

information?

When will you revisit this activity? additional resources

Medir, tomar riesgos e inspirar: okrs

by Lilian Lozano, Future_is

Cómo aprender nuevas habilidades

digitales y vencer el distanciamiento
laboral
by Lya Fernández, Future_is

WORKING AS A TEAM Structure your ways of working 62

Appendix:

PRINTABLE TEMPLATES
ALIGNING AS A TEAM BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE WORKING AS A TEAM

Map and Competency Identify and Your Define your team’s Your
recognize your
competencies
cards improve your team
interactions
meetings purpose
purpose

Your Your fun

comfort board Structure your Action
zones ways of working
planning

Design your team Team Roles and

Define your Personal culture
charter responsibilities
personal and
team values
and team
values
Practice reflection Reflection
in your work
sheet
63
competency cards

knowledge skills attitudes

What specialist knowledge areas do What unique abilities do I bring to What qualities do I bring
I bring to the team? the team? to the team?

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Map and recognize your competencies 64

your
comfort
zones

loves to plan goes with the flow

visually minded numbers driven

introvert extrovert

thinks aloud thinks alone

morning person night owl

welcomes interruptions prefers a meeting

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Map and recognize your competencies 65

 personal values personal values

personal and
t e a m va lu e s

team values

personal values

ALIGNING AS A TEAM Define your personal and team values 66

 your meetings

meeting types regularity purpose efficiency status

List the various meetings you have. How regularly does this meeting Why do you have this meeting? Does this meeting achieve what it What should you start, continue,
occur? (Daily, weekly, monthly, should? How could you improve it? change, and/or stop including in this
yearly) Do you need it? meeting?

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Identify and improve your team interactions 67
your
occasion activity
fun board

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Identify and improve your team interactions 68
team charter

our team
culture

our team
values

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Design your team culture 69

 reflection sheet

what was the situation?

what did you do? what knowledge or prior how did you feel during who or what external factors
experience shaped your actions? this situation? and why? informed or supported what you
and why? did?

what insights were gained? what can you do to feel better what support could you use next if you were in this situation again,
next time? time? what would you do differently?

what would you do the same?

what lessons have been learned
for future situations?

BUILDING YOUR TEAM CULTURE Practice reflection in your work 70

your purpose

what how why

What do you do? How do you do what you do? Why do you do what you do? Why is this important to you?

as a team, we… by… because…

WORKING AS A TEAM Define your team’s purpose 71

action planning

deliverable:

what we need to do… what we need to do… what we need to do… resources required parking lot
What resources do you need? (e.g., What else comes up?
tomorrow next week next month
people, funding, time, space, etc.)

WORKING AS A TEAM Structure your ways of working 72

roles and responsibilities

deliverable: evidence of success: team:

actions deadline responsible accountable consulted informed

WORKING AS A TEAM Structure your ways of working 73

Why CO·NECTA
was created
idb and Nesta conducted research on the creative sector in Latin America
and the Caribbean (lac) and found that creative enterprise teams were
often disbanding around the three-year mark. These teams had the skills
and motivation to launch their enterprise but found themselves unable to
scale or sustain long term.
CO·NECTA has evolved from a number of face-to-face activities for creative
enterprise teams that Nesta designed for idb. These activities were piloted
in a workshop with more than 25 participants from the audiovisual cluster
Film Andes in Argentina in 2019.
But with the world changing in 2020 in ways we could not have expected,
idb and Nesta worked together to adapt this workshop content into a self-led
learning guide. Our aim is to reach as many creative enterprise teams as
possible with the learning materials, at a time when face-to-face delivery is
limited but also when creative teams need support more than ever before.
idb has long worked championing the creative economy in Latin America.
The Orange Economy is a term coined by idb that describes the creative and
cultural economy in lac. The term encapsulates both traditional and
contemporary disciplines and a wide range of economic activities such as
audiovisual, design, digital content, visual arts, performance arts, publishing,
tourism and cultural heritage, and much more. It includes all industry
players from small independent artists, to teams of creative entrepreneurs,
to marketing departments in large (non-creative) organizations, to industry
champions like investors and business support providers. The Orange
Economy is an important engine of growth for lac, generating almost two
million jobs in the region in 2017 . 1
74
Acknowledgments
Inter-American Development Bank
Matteo Grazzi and Simone Sasso
Nesta
Authors: Diana Hidalgo and Kimberley Ballantyne
With special thanks to
Bernado Maza Stern, Brooke Stuckey, Emma
Dickson, Isobel Roberts, and Juan Casasbuenas
Graphic designer: Priscila Vanneuville,
Palabras lugar in Mexico
Consultant: Luis David Araiza in Mexico
Copyeditor: Mary Wessel in the uk
We thank the following for their generous
contributions to CO·NECTA:
• Alejandra Luzardo, Alex Paredes, Estrella
Peinado-Vara, Felipe Mujica, Javier Pastorin,
José Alonso, Mariana Delgado, and
Pablo Rosselló.
• Esto También Está Sonando and
Gaucho Devs in Argentina; ArchDaily, labva,
and Pirotecnia in Chile; Amalgama, ananay,
and Sesiones al Parque in Ecuador; Garage
Films in El Salvador; Básica, Básicos de México,
Ambulante, Ecolana, and Ofelia & Antelmo in
Mexico; Nature’s Jewelry in Panama; Iceberg
in Peru; and Loog, Mundial, and
Otra Piel Design in Uruguay.
Image and photo credits p.
Mundial 12
Juan Carlos Becerra on Unsplash 14
Dmitry Bayer on Unsplash 17
Nishta Sharma on Unsplash 21
Wrongtog on Unsplash 26
Amalgama 31
Max Kukurudziak on Unsplash 33
Tim Zankert on Unsplah 38
Leon Contreras on Unsplash 42
Brian Fegter on Unsplash 47
Ofelia & Antelmo 52
Diego Carneiro on Unsplash 54
Jesse Echevarria on Unsplash 58
Inter-American Development Bank (idb) is the
leading source of development finance for Latin
America and the Caribbean (lac). We offer loans,
End notes
grants, research products, and technical
assistance to improve lives in lac. In our work
1 Public policies for creativity and
we prioritize productivity and innovation; social
innovation (2017) by José Miguel Benavente
inclusion and equality; and regional economic
and Matteo Grazzi
integration, while addressing the cross-cutting
issues of gender equality and diversity; climate
change and environmental sustainability; and
institutional capacity.
Nesta is an innovation foundation. For us,
innovation means turning bold ideas into reality
and changing lives for the better. We use our
expertise, skills, and funding in areas where there
are big challenges facing society. Nesta is based
in the uk and supported by a financial endowment.
We work with partners around the globe to
bring bold ideas to life to change the world
for good.
CO·NECTA
First edition 2021
Creative Commons cc by-nc-nd 3.0
75