Lars Svorse and Magnus Jonason/LOVAK, Paul Choi/Paul&Mark. Photo by: Vittra & Friends

My name is Lars Svorse and I work as a senior consultant and partner in the Swedish consultancy LOVAK. I have a long experience in management from the military and the private sector. I started my consulting career in 1994 and I am also a certified SmoothTeam facilitator. I believe that good dialogue is an essential part of leadership. I also like to challenge people's mindsets and make everyone feel part of the team.

LOVAK is SmoothTeam's official partner in Sweden. We help all kinds of companies to develop their corporate culture. This covers the whole company, including management training, management teams and staff groups. We have also worked extensively with universities and high schools, as well as several Korean companies.

Swedish and Finnish working cultures are different

Although Sweden and Finland are neighbours, there are differences in working culture. I find it easier to have a dialogue with Swedish companies. We are more used to talking, and Swedes are perhaps a bit more extroverted.

There is a saying that "respect is the Swedish way of making decisions". It may take time, but everyone is included. Participation is very important to us, but decisions are not taken by consensus.

Lack of dialogue and trust is very common

Today's companies face a wide range of problems, including a poor feedback culture, sub-optimisation and a lack of skills in dealing with conflict. It is also very common to be annoyed by the differences in a group, rather than seeing them as opportunities. A lack of dialogue and trust is at the root of all this - and often a lack of leadership.

SmoothTeam leads to important dialogue

A contact at LOVAK recommended that we check out SmoothTeam. We liked it immediately. SmoothTeam simulations are a great example of gamification: they are easy to participate in and easy to use.

SmoothTeam opens up the most important thing in all kinds of organisations: dialogue. Participants also laugh and have fun, even when they are engaged in serious dialogue.

Simulations help to uncover hidden talents and areas for improvement within the team. Understanding each other's strengths is essential for a team to work effectively.

It's not just about what is discussed in the simulation, but also how it is discussed. Sometimes, as a facilitator of simulations, I have noticed that people don't say the problem directly. The simulation created by trust allows you to raise the issue.

Customers love SmoothTeam

I have used SmoothTeam in all kinds of environments: from senior management teams in global corporations to small business teams. Customers have given us very positive feedback. The simulations got them talking about the right things in the right way and opened up new opportunities within the team.

SmoothTeam is an easy and fun way to open up the group and create a good start for the development process. You can get a dialogue going and get to know each other better.

I would recommend SmoothTeam to any team that works together and has a common mission. At any level of the company.

Lars Svorse