The Bateson & Dilts Pyramid Workshop

Today, I will show you a powerful framework called the Bateson & Dilts Pyramid and how you can use it to align a team's purpose, identity, beliefs, behaviours, and environment.

We’ll explore practical steps to strengthen your team’s cohesion and effectiveness, setting the foundation for success in all your collaborative efforts.

When a team aligns on a deeper level—not just in what they do but also in why they do it and how they interact—they become more motivated, focused, and successful.

Doing so creates a team environment where everyone feels connected to a shared vision and can work together seamlessly.

Most teams focus only on surface-level changes, like adjusting tasks or processes, without addressing the team's underlying beliefs, values, and identity.

This is like changing the leaves on a tree when what needs nourishment is the roots.

Lasting improvement happens when you align all levels of how they work together.

"The most effective teams are not the ones that work the hardest, but the ones that are aligned in their purpose, values, and actions."

By the end of this workshop, your team will:

1. Clarify your team’s purpose and how it connects to the work you do.
2. Develop a shared team identity that strengthens collaboration and trust.
3. Identify core beliefs and values that guide decision-making and behaviour.
4. Create an action plan for behaviours and skills that support your team’s purpose and identity.
5. Design an environment that empowers your team to work effectively and stay aligned.

Through this workshop, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your team’s dynamics and practical tools to create a more engaged, connected, and high-performing group.

"Aligning Team Purpose, Identity, Beliefs, Actions, and Environment"

Workshop Objective

To align the team’s purpose, identity, beliefs, actions, and environment to foster a cohesive, effective, and supportive team dynamic.

Duration: 4–5 hours

Step 1: Clarifying Team Purpose

Objective: Align the team with a shared sense of purpose and contribution

Time: 45 minutes****

Materials: Large paper, markers, sticky notes

Activity: "Defining Our Why"

1. Discussion: Begin with a group discussion. Ask, "Why does our team exist?" and "What larger purpose do we serve in our organisation or community?"
2. Individual Reflection: Have each member think for 2 minutes and then write their thoughts on the team's purpose on sticky notes.
3. Group Share & Synthesis: Members share their ideas, identifying common themes to create a unified purpose statement.
4. Create a Team Purpose Statement: Collaboratively draft a concise team purpose statement that resonates with everyone.

Step 2: Shaping Team Identity

Objective: Establish a shared team identity that aligns with the purpose

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: Flip chart, markers

Activity: "Who Are We as a Team?"

1. Brainstorming: On a flip chart, write, "Who are we as a team?" Discuss qualities that reflect the team’s identity.
2. Small Group Work: Divide into smaller groups. Each group lists words or phrases describing the team’s identity.
3. Group Share & Consolidation: Share identity descriptors and select key traits representing the team.
4. Create a Team Identity Statement: Draft a short identity statement based on these traits, which will serve as a foundation for identifying the team's core beliefs and values.

Step 3: Exploring Beliefs and Values

Objective: Uncover and align the team’s core beliefs and values that drive their behaviours

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: Sticky notes, flip chart or whiteboard

Activity: "What Drives Us?"

1. Group Discussion: Explain how our beliefs and values influence our thinking, feeling, and acting as a team. Ask, "What core beliefs and values guide how we work together and make decisions?"
2. Individual Reflection: Have each team member write down beliefs and values they think are essential to the team's success on sticky notes.
3. Group Share & Categorisation: Place the sticky notes on a flip chart or whiteboard. Have the team group similar ideas into themes to identify the team's shared beliefs and values.
4. Synthesise: Discuss and agree on 3–5 core team beliefs and values that align with the team's purpose and identity. Write these down as guiding principles.

Step 4: Connecting Actions to Purpose, Identity, and Beliefs

Objective: Identify behaviours and capabilities that align with the team's purpose, identity, and beliefs

Time: 60 minutes

Materials: Sticky notes, large paper or whiteboard

Activity: "Bringing Our Purpose and Identity to Life"

1. Reflection: Ask, "What behaviours and skills do we need to embody our purpose, identity, and beliefs?"
2. Individual Brainstorm: Team members write down actions and skills on sticky notes.
3. Group Share & Categorisation: Place sticky notes on a large paper or whiteboard, categorising them into behaviours (what we do) and capabilities (how we do it).
4. Action Plan: Identify 3–5 key behaviours and capabilities. Develop a simple action plan that includes specific actions, ownership, and a timeline.

Step 5: Shaping Our Environment

Objective: Identify environmental factors that support or hinder the team’s purpose, identity, beliefs, and actions

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: Flip chart, markers, sticky notes

Activity: "Creating Our Ideal Workspace"

1. Discussion: Introduce the idea that the environment can significantly impact how effectively the team can live up to its purpose, identity, and behaviours. Ask, "What aspects of our physical or social environment support or challenge our work together?"
2. Brainstorm: Have each team member brainstorm individually aspects of the current environment that either help or hinder the team’s success. This could include the physical workspace, team meetings, communication tools, etc. Write these ideas on sticky notes.
3. Group Share & Categorisation: Place sticky notes on a flip chart, categorising them into two columns: "Supportive Environment" and "Challenging Environment."
4. Identify Changes: Discuss as a group which environmental factors the team can change to better support their purpose, identity, and actions.
5. Action Plan: Develop an action plan to adjust the environment. This might involve reorganising the workspace, establishing new communication norms, or setting up a regular check-in process. Assign ownership and set a timeline for implementing these changes.

Wrap-Up

• Discussion: Reflect on how changes to the environment can enhance the team's ability to align with their purpose, beliefs, identity, and behaviours.
• Commitment: Each member shares a personal or team commitment to nurturing an environment that supports their collective goals.

Conclusion

By the end of this workshop, the team will have a shared purpose, a clear identity statement, a set of core beliefs and values, an action plan for aligned behaviours, and strategies to create an environment that supports their vision.

This holistic approach ensures a well-rounded path to team development and success.

Final Thoughts

Using this strategy, I never waste time putting out fires caused by misalignment or misunderstandings.

Instead, it becomes a simple process of guiding the team from confusion to clarity, where each member understands their role, purpose, and how they contribute to the bigger picture.

Well, that’s it for today. Let me know if you liked it.

See you next week.