Learning Exploration Team Academy Network

A learning exploration TEAM ACADEMY NETWORK: Creating team entrepreneurs for bringing social and cultural divide Johannes Partanen, Head Coach; Hanna Heikkinen, Coach; Ulla Luukas, Coach; Ville Keränen, entrepreneur; Tatu Tuohimetsä, entrepreneur Team Academy Jyväskylä (Finland): johannes.partanen@partus.fi, hanna.heikkinen@taitovire.fi, ulla.luukas@jamk.fi, ville.keranen.hat@jamk.fi, tatu.tuohimetsa.hat@jamk.fi Etienne Collignon, Head Coach Team Factory, Paris: Etienne.Collignon@solvay.com Laurent Marbacher, Head Coach Team Entrepreneur, Angers (France): marbacher@mac.com Charles van der Haegen, Robert Collart, Consultants Comind, Belgium charles@comind.be, robert@comind.be Claudia Neusuess, Berlin neusuess@aol.com Javier Ruiz, Head Coach Team Academy in Euskadi, Bilbao (Spain): jruiz@labein.es Abstract. In 1993, a group of 24 students leaded and coached by Johannes Partanen created Team Academy in Jyväskylä, Finland. At the moment, a network over 1000 people live and work in that country inspired by the same values. Nowadays the Team Academy community is expanding in Europe through networking and additional local nodes starting up new initiatives inspired by the same leading thoughts and approach to learning and creating team entrepreneurs. From November 2006 eighteen people from six different countries (France, Germany, Belgium, UK, Netherlands and Spain) have been working and learning together to develop their own “Team Academy style” coaching skills. Every local initiative has its own flavour, addressing different target groups (A level scholars, postgraduate environments, research based entrepreneurship, new or established companies…), and has reached different degrees of development, also facing a wide range of challenges. During the 15th Anniversary celebration, in Jyväskylä, January 2008, the European network of Team Academy participated actively in formulating the new vision “In 19th of January 2013 Team Academy is the leading, boundaries crossing Top Unit of Team Entrepreneurship in Europe.“ During the learning exploration session, we will start celebrating the shared values of Team Academy: true human relations as a basis for team entrepreneurship, continuous experimenting and creating new innovations in networks. After that, leaders of the local initiatives will tell their own stories in smaller groups, sharing also the difficulties they face in their projects. The unfinished experiences will flow through some questions proposed for co-creation among the participants. As a result of the conversations new and deeper questions and key issues are expected to emerge. A final conversation within the whole group will re-start the celebrating atmosphere and renewed commitment within an expanded network. are very low. The decision for an 1. BACKGROUND entrepreneurial career is not easy. Entrepreneurship is the engine of economic and An entrepreneur meets many questions, some of social development throughout the world, in them related to public support, finance, social terms of economic growth and job creation. But security, social acceptance, family support, etc. recent data showed that Europe does not fully All these factors could be addressed to exploit its entrepreneurial potential, specially entrepreneurship support. In this respect, not the one of women. Comparing with other European governments have to face developed economies, the rate s of considerable difficulties in developing local entrepreneurial activity in most EU countries cultures, in offering adequate role models, i.e.

for people with different cultural background Team Academy is a special unit for and for men and women to foster people in entrepreneurship and leadership of the entrepreneurship. For example, promotion: how Jyväskylä Polytechnic, in Central Finland. Since to promote attitudes towards enterprise already 1993, this “school for entrepreneurs” has in school, in the universities and university applied a new learning method based on teams, colleges? How to promote a gender just and customer projects, networking and diversity oriented local entrepreneurship entrepreneurship. The result is exceptional culture? How to diminish the culture of failure? compared to other business schools: more than Other questions are: How to ease the entrance 30 % of students create their own company; and on the market and to remove barriers? What are all others get immediately a job as good criteria for successful mentoring? How to entrepreneurial leaders at the end of the provide mentoring? How do we learn from programme. experiences of others? Team Academy has been described as a “living The OECD, in the report “Promoting model of organizational learning.” In this entrepreneurship and innovative SMEs in a business school the entrepreneur teams develop global economy”[4], states that culture is themselves and their businesses. Entrepreneurs increasingly acknowledged as a factor which define their learning and performance goals, can contribute to building an entrepreneurial acquire shared learning experiences, are society. “Developing an entrepreneurial culture responsible for their own and each others’ and fostering entrepreneurial attitudes leads to learning, and help each other to find individual innovation and entrepreneurship. Education and core competencies”[2]. Team Academy is training (including lifelong training) in “learning by doing.” In Team Academy there is entrepreneurship and creativity are the preferred no classical academic teaching: all the learning instruments for encouraging entrepreneurial is driven by the student. But this learning takes behaviour in societies.”This includes giving place in action. The projects the students run are entrepreneurship a more prominent place in not simulations. They negotiate with real educational programs and enhancing cultural business partners, earn real money, and have to support instilling a positive attitude to make their “company” live a real life. Through entrepreneurship among young people, via the intents, failures, and successes, students promotion of positive role models. discover how well they master significant competencies and how they can enhance them. However, entrepreneurship is not sufficiently integrated into educational systems or integrated Dialogue is at the heart of Team Academy. In into national long-term economic strategy and this dialogue [1], everyone is a coach for each planning. There is a lack of public resources, other. Students grow to entrepreneurship there is a need to improve co-ordination among through continuous training and working in government agencies when designing and teams. They coach themselves to create their implementing initiatives, there is a need for a own career, learning with peers and building broader acceptance of the concept of education networks and communities. and training for entrepreneurship; and both more data and more evaluation and assessment 3. PILLARS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT of initiatives taken are needed. OF TEAM ACADEMY COMMUNITIES Entrepreneurship is more likely to be taught as a There is some evidence that the habit of separate subject or seen as an extra-curricular orientation towards the academic world results activity. As a result of this situation, most in difficulties in transforming theories into students do not have yet the possibility of taking practice. Lack of work experience presents a part in entrepreneurship courses and problem. This is especially the case when the programmes. There is a strong need for further participants have to translate the business ideas improvement and consolidation. into the realities such as customer identification or product differentiation. 2. TEAM ACADEMY IN FINLAND: A Coaching and mentoring of starting NEW APPROACH TO CREATE TEAM entrepreneurs is seen as one important tool of ENTREPRENEURS support, where the best adviser for an The schemes based on “learning by doing” are entrepreneur is another entrepreneur, with own particularly relevant nowadays and there are real life experience. This is especially true for several successful experiences of application of entrepreneurs at the very start. this concept in Europe, like the Team Academy initiative in Finland [3]. Networking is also a very important aspect and the way from mentoring to networking is a

small step. A valuable mentor must be prepared degrees of development, also facing a wide to open up his personal network for the starting range of challenges. entrepreneur, introducing him to his clients, and not just being a soundboard. Both formal and During the 15th Anniversary celebration, in informal networks are considered useful for Jyväskylä, January 2008, the European network small firms to learn from each other, of Team Academy participated actively in particularly in the start-up phase. formulating the new vision “In 19th of January 2013 Team Academy is the leading, boundaries Bringing social and cultural divide is a key crossing Top Unit of Team Entrepreneurship in issue addressed by the Team Academy Europe.“ Network: Europe as a mosaic of old cultures is a challenge for building a bigger society. There is At the moment, the network is composed by a a need of sharing common values. It is not only growing number of partners from different the cultural diversity, but the social and countries in Europe. While Team Academy is a organizational diversity. The Team Academy consolidated school for entrepreneurs, the other approach to learning and working together in projects are in their first stage of development, networks involves people from corporations and but all constitute a promising emerging network companies, organizational learning consultancy, to remove unemployment and doing the education, research and NGO. The Team revolution of entrepreneurship while changing Mastery Process consist of building a common the world. Some of the initiatives are described network of shared values for meaningful action shortly in the following pages. in creating local communities based on the Team Academy approach to learn. 4.1 Finland The successful experience of Team Academy Jyväskylä Polytechnic (www.jypoly.fi) is one of has produced positive effects in several the largest and most popular polytechnics in European countries, where similar initiatives are Finland. There are over 7.500 students in 8 emerging under these principles. different educational units. Jyväskylä Polytechnic is known for its nearly 30 high- Taking all these innovative aspects into account, quality degree programmes provided by eight this new concept of team entrepreneurship educational units, modern learning results in promoting the emergence of “Team environments, a wide international cooperation Academy” style communities in Europe that network, a skilled staff, and good opportunities learn together as a global network, very close to for employment right on graduation. According the Society for Organizational Learning SoL, to the number of applicants, Jyväskylä also sharing common principles and values. belongs to the most popular student cities in Finland. Team Academy That implies sharing experiences for the (www.tiimiakatemia.net) is in Jyväskylä development, experimentation and implementation of good practices in creating Polytechnic’s special unit of Entrepreneurship entrepreneurial communities that learn by founded in 1993. Over 500 students have doing, setting the basis of a “United Team graduated from Team Academy earning Entrepreneurs Network” to promote the Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Economics. emergence of local communities of During its history 50 business teams have been Entrepreneurship and related ecosystems, coached each for over 3 years. Today Team reaching agreements and commitment for future Academy operates in open-space office that was joint actions. previously Finland’s first plywood factory in Jyväskylä (Central Finland). At the moment 4. THE EMERGENCE OF TEAM Team Academy’s core community consists of ACADEMY NETWORK four full-time coaches and 250 students. From November 2006 eighteen people from In addition to the core community Team seven different countries (Finland, France, Academy’s learning network includes over 350 Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, small and mid-sized companies who are active Netherlands and Spain) have been working and participants in Team Academy’s adult learning learning together to develop their own “Team programs (Firesouls, Firetorch or Entrepreneur Academy style” coaching skills. Every local MBA). Team Academy is a learning laboratory initiative has its own flavour, addressing where business and learning practices (such as different target groups (A level scholars, learning tools and team building) are tested – postgraduate environments, research based companies in the network can themselves take entrepreneurship, new or established those practices that they feel are suitable to their companies…), and has reached different business and development processes [5].

Coaching Model, enphasizing team coaching skills and processes. 4.2 France Team Factory, Paris. Is a non-profit organisation. With the mission of taking initiatives for the employment of young people in Europe. Team Factory works as a replication of Team Academy in Finland. Team Factory perform 18 months programs from 2007 with 2 x15 young people creating a real company together. "Team-entrepreneurs" - as they are called - have missions with real clients in companies that are partners in the programme. They learn entrepreneurship by doing: creating a company, managing it together, working with clients with real missions, and preparing their own project for the future. The learning methods are far from traditional. There are no lessons, no teachers. Team entrepreneurs are supported by professional coaches. Each individual has a development plan; reflecting collectively on action, reading, sharing and creating knowledge are the ways of learning. L’Usines à projects, Alsace. This project was launched in 2007 to revitalise an industrial declining area, starting with 2 “Projects cafés” to promote entrepreneurial initiatives based in learning teams, with the support of other members of the Team Academy Network. Team Entrepreneur, Angers. One year after the beginning of the Team Mastery programme, I have launched a special training, including TA process, destined to unemployed persons whishing to create their own activity. The next Figure 1 The rocket model of Team Academy steps, through Team Entrepreneur Angers, are a special development course for recent The network also includes organizations and entrepreneurs and an entrepreneurship institutions such as Society for Organizational programme for young students. Learning (SoL), Finland’s network of Young Entrepreneurs, Finland’s Chamber of Commerce and Finland’s Association of 4.3 Germany Entrepreneurs.Team Academy has won The University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) numerous national awards for its innovative (30.000 students enrolled) is located in the heart entrepreneurship creating methods and tools. of the German Ruhr-Area and has 12 faculty Team Academy’s methods are used in many departments. The consortium partner schools and organizations in Finland to promote “Organizational Development Laboratory entrepreneurial growth and team-learning. (OrgLab) is part of the Dept. of Educational Sciences and is contributing to BA- and MA- The rocket model (Figure 1) operating in Team programs in Social Work, Educational Science, Academy was created and tested during 15 Economics and Management, and years is a starting point to expand it in six new Communication Sciences. The first Team local communities and countries. In addition, Academy inspired program was launched in every experience has its own theory to be tested 2006 to promote entrepreneurship based in a and validated. That’s a process of fast learning learning by doing approach in the campus. based on the co-creation among the local communities experiments within the Team The German team in Essen passed the half way Academy Network. Such network provide a of it's "Learning Journey"! In July 2007 the 4 framework and contribution to the SoL German coaches started their seminar with a

group of 20 participants --- with 5 modules of 3 The Islington Social Enterprise Incubator sits at days over one year. After the first module of the crossroads of many local networks, all of finding out each others potential and identity them working towards the promotion of everybody was enthusiastic. The core of the entrepreneurship and professional development second module with the name "Seeing and in the London Borough of Islington. Through its sensing" was the analysis of a social field. The shared facilities and incubation programmes, the group went out in couples for making interviews incubator encourages the collaboration and with the question: "What would you do or cross-fertilization of ideas and projects between propose, if you could change the world?" these organisations. The impact of the Between the second and third module some programmes is ambitious: all participants are temporary teams went deeper into the field empowered to create their desired future: go to analysis. They explored, for example the employment or self-employment, start their own thoughts, needs, dreams and sorrows of some company or continue their studies. female entrepreneurs or some inhabitants of a retirement home. Now after the third module of 4.5 Netherlands October the teams and projects are fixed. One team is working on day-care facility for children Visiting Team Academy and having dialogues in enterprises. The aim is to enhance the work- with Finnish Team Entrepreneurs in November life-balance of working mothers and fathers and 2006 gave us the final inspiration to start up create family-friendly work environments. Team Academy in the Netherlands. One answer Another team is working on a TeamAcademy to one of our questions touched us deeply: “It is Game. It will include the methodology of Team me who is responsible for my own life and Academy in a playful way. career.” This is the difference between regular education and the Team Academy concept. The knowledge of the Team Entrepreneurs that they 4.4 United Kingdom are responsible for their own happiness and LearningHouse, London. Inspired in the success. Find your own talents, use it, make a learning model of Team Academy Jyväskylä, difference in the world and create value! This LearningHouse encourages the incubation and principle of taking responsibility for your own growth of social enterprises in Islington, thereby life is of course also one of the leading contributing actively to neighborhood revival principles of Team Academie Nederland. and creating sustainable communities in which local residents act as leaders. LearningHouse is In September 2007, we started the ‘joyful structured around three components: a challenge’ with 2 Teams. Team Academie collaborative workspace, incubation Heemstede consists of 4 Team Entrepreneurs. programmes and events and workshops. They are very young (17- 18 years of age), Through its partnership with Islington Council willing to learn, all male. After a month of and London Metropolitan University, introduction they are presently developing their LearningHouse will have a high visibility of own company called: ‘Team Retail Services’. existing approaches and strategies in enterprise They have their focus on shops and services. support. LearningHouse consistently build Team Academie Amsterdam is located in an old relationships and share best practice with other Chewing Gum Factory. An industrial location local organisations to make sure that it is adding with young entrepreneurs/startups in the to the existing enterprise support activity. creative industry. There are two core learning programmes, “Just The BBA-team consists of 7 male Team an Idea” for the pre-incubation phase and Entrepreneurs. These Team entrepreneurs are “Ignition!” for the early stage incubation. older and more experienced than the Heemsted- Participants acquire the skills necessary to group. They all started their own personal succeed in their enterprises through a process of company which is participating in the mutual learning by doing. Two full time business Team Company. Besides learning by doing at coaches support the growth of the companies. Team Academie Nederland we work with Through piloting and experimenting, ‘knowledge weeks’. Every month a one week LearningHouse has developed a sustainable program on finance, marketing, planning etc. financial model whereby revenue is created given by experienced managers and through a combination of grant funding, space entrepreneurs. The BBA Team Entrepreneurs rental, and open events. Partner organisations select their own ‘teachers’ if they want one. combine financial stability, resources and This leads to a high commitment and entrepreneurial grass root action. The annual involvement with the program. In April 2008 turnover of LearningHouse is forecasted at 120k Team Academie Nederland will start with a from 2006 onwards. Master of Entrepreneurship.

4.6 Spain 5. A LEARNING EXPLORATION WITH Team Academy in Euskadi (TAE), Bilbao is TEAM ACADEMY NETWORK supported by Labein Tecnalia, a non-profit Pure Team Academy style will combine a world technological research & innovation centre [6], café group dynamics with celebration and [7], with 50 years of experience in supporting playing atmosphere. The storytelling and enterprises and administration bodies in their unfinished experiences will flow through some technological and innovation needs. Labein questions proposed for co-creation among the support to their customers is carried out by participants. As a result of the conversations means of RTD and Demonstration projects, new and deeper questions and key issues are Technology Transfer & Innovation projects, expected to emerge. A final conversation within Technical Assistance, Knowledge Management the whole group will re-start the celebrating Systems as well as Training and Dissemination atmosphere and renewed commitment within an activities. Team Academy in Euskadi, was expanded network. Management by surprise launched in September 2007 as a school of team will be present as the workshop evolves using entrepreneurs in a science and technology system intelligence embedded in the group environment, with 10 entrepreneurs. dynamics. They had the best ingredients. They mixed illusion, hard work, knowledge, experience and energy in the cocktail shaker and here it is! The best flavour you’ve ever tasted. Sophisticated, spicy, sweet… complex but perfectly unified, strong but softedged: Team Academy in Euskadi. What can we do in Basque Country to combine education, technology and entrepreneurship in a common cause? That was the question that people from Labein Tecnalia had to answer by themselves. And they have Figure 2. Members of the Team Academy actually done it: Team Academy in Euskadi was Network in Bilbao. They adopt a symbolic launched in 2007, the 13th of September the position of humbleness for learning from presentation of TA in Euskadi took place in customers Derio, a small village near the city of Bilbao. The main objectives of the meeting where: REFERENCES • Creating network with different partners [1] Echeverria R. (1994), "La ontología del such as universities, research centres, lenguaje"; Ed. Dolmen. Basque government and other agents; [2] Ikujiro Nonaka & Hirotaka Takeuchi, (1995), “The knowledge-Creating Company”, Oxford • Recruiting future participants of the TAE University Press. • To create public awareness on TAE and [3] Niina L., Partanen J. & Palvianen P. (2004), present Leadership Experience Programme “Team Academy- True Story of Community that Learns by Doing”. (ISBN 9524511037) Furthermore, we had the opportunity to listen to Johannes Partanen and members of Team [4] OECD, (2004), "Promoting entrepreneurship Academy Jyväskylä and from the European and innovative SMEs in a global economy. Team Academy network, which were telling Towards a more responsible and inclusive their own experiences locally and the globalisation”, Executive Summary of the Background Reports philosophy behind Team Academy. More than 100 people participated in the event, enjoyed [5] Pine J. & Gilmore J. (1999) “The Experience theatre scenes [5] and contributed to meaningful Economy. Work is Theatre & Every Business conversations with ideas to link initiatives and a Stage”, HBS Press. to support Team Academy in Euskadi. A [6] Ruiz J. et al (1996);"Twelve Fresh Views on Motorola exercise was generated and used to TQM";European Foundation for Quality provide feedback to the network. So if you want Management (EFQM), Doctoral Thesis more information or you are interested in the Award history of this cocktail, you might want to click on the link below: www. leadership- [7] Ruiz J. (2003), “Management Of Internal And experience.es External Knowledge In Research And Technology Organizations”; EARTO International Conference, The Hague.

Learning Exploration Team Academy Network

by Javier Ruiz

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