What is a Pitstop?

Why is it called a pitstop?

Here is the answer in a short video.

Click on any of the questions to reveal the answer:

What is a pitstop?

A pitstop is an leader workshop with a difference.  It gets leader teams working with the speed, discipline and focus of a pit team assessing performance, identifying opportunities/risks and tackling them fast.

What is the inspiration?
At the racetrack, a pitstop is a chance to make essential mid race adjustments that maximize the chances of winning.  In F1™ it means changing 4 tires in under 2 seconds!  So, imagine your team working like a pit team on its key projects and priorities.
Pitstops in racing help the driver and team to win, but they must be fast.  It is these principles of speed, agility, innovation, and teamwork that are the guiding principles of the pitstop approach in business and organizational performance too.
What are the benefits?

Quantifiable performance gains of 7-25%

Keeps your projects & priorities on track

Powerful way to test & develop your team

Maximizes levels of energy, engagement & alignment

Accelerates change

Speed and clarity of decisions

Robust analysis results in break-thought insights

What makes it special?
  • Built on benchmarking data from across 900 teams, 12 industries and 47 countries (spans 10 year of development)
  • Integrates the latest research from leading academic institutions (e.g. Harvard & Stanford) and leading consulting houses (e.g. Bain & Co.).
  • Breaks new ground in terms of the science of sustaining performance, psychology and peak performing teams
  • Is data-driven and metrics-based – focusing on quantifiable performance gains and losses.
  • Powerful meta-model based on BIG data visualization principles, cognitive re-framing, mental modelling and systems thinking.
  • Integrates Performance design, performance dynamics and strategy-execution for the first time.
  • Unique blend of social psychology, behavioural economics, organizational design and business management
  • Leverages inspiration from the performance-obsessed arena of Formula 1™
Who is it for?
Executives from the C-suite downwards.
Indeed, anybody who cares about performance.
When to pitstop?
Anytime you want your team to pitstop its projects and its performance.  When change is underway.
Ironically, it can be particularly effective when a team is going ‘flat-out’ and is under a lot of pressure.
What happens in a pitstop?
During the pitstop your leaders work like a pit team to review the performance of key projects, priorities & strategies. Based on the latest science & psychology, pitstops are designed to maximize energy and engagement. They are data-driven and results oriented. People will leave the pitstop with specific opportunities for improvement (called Winning Moves) and quantifiable improvement goals.
There is a sequence of 8 different types of pitstops – each one designed to address a specific performance opportunity or challenge facing your organization or team.
Pitstops are led by expert coaches who guide participants through the use  of proven tools & frameworks (provided in a pitstop kit) to assess and optimize their performance potential as individuals and teams.
How to pitstop a project / priority?

Review & re-energize your key projects, strategies & initiatives the F1™ way.

Your leaders will pitstop their key projects and strategic priorities. The idea is just like in racing – to come together as a team, identify opportunities for improvement (typically 7-25%) and exploit them fast.  They will also assess how they work together as a team.  That way you won’t just have a great pitstop, but will be developing a great pit team too.

Is it team-building?

We draw a distinction between traditional team-building and more fundamental team-development.

Out-door team adventures, zip-wires, or blindfolded trust games are helpful, but they cannot be expected to address underlying behavioral or structural problems, such as culture, the wrong people in the wrong roles, or the lack of a clear and compelling purpose for the team.

All though pitstops are high energy and even fun, they are challenging too.   Pitstops go to the heart of team performance, as well as team health and cohesiveness.

Click here to find out more.

Is it training?
Pitstops are particularly powerful for adaptive learning – that is where a change in attitude, mindset or behavior is required.
Pitstops blend learning with action and are a powerful alternative to traditional ‘classroom-based’ leader training.
Key skills practiced within pitstops include systems thinking, strategic conversations, creative problem solving, goal setting and agility.
In a pitstop there is little time for theory and discussion. Action is required and fast learning too – that is why Pitstop programs employ Results-Based Learning™ (RBL). This involves individuals working in small groups on their own priorities to achieve specific measurable results while growing in confidence and learning through the process.
Team members are provided access to results-based learning modules (22 in total) and toolkits to support their Winning Moves and personal/career development.
How long is a pitstop?

Pitstops are led by expert coaches. They can last 1, 2 or 3 days with a sequence of 8 different types of pitstops – each one designed to address a specific performance opportunity or challenge facing your organization or team.

How many people?
At the core of the pitstop design is a pitlane – a space (approx. 3m2) where 3-7 people will work together through a series of exercises that are contained in a kit.  This is the key building block of any pitstop and it is specifically designed to maximize the level of engagement and prevent what is called social loafing (where a few people do all of the talking).
Based on the size of your team or number of attendees we will calculate the number of pitlanes and the size of meeting space that is required.
We also provide key note speakers and seminars as an option for large events, as an alternative to the pitlane design.
How often should you pitstop?
Quick fixes are rarely the answer, with once-off interventions having limited impact. Pitstop programs are designed to embed change over a period of 3, 6 or 9 months.
A key design consideration is how to maximize impact, while minimizing the demands on leader time. It is essential that program objectives are consistent with organizational / business unit objectives or priorities. Program participation should not generate additional work for managers, but rather support them doing their job / progressing real priorities.
What is the result / output of a pitstop?
People leave pitstops with breakthrough insights and specific actions to deliver quantifiable impact/results (typically 7-25%). Specific next actions and follow-up are agreed in advance with the leader.
Focused execution is a key element of pitstop programs, with the objective of taking action to progress ‘Winning Moves’. These are progressed in ‘Fast Laps’ – a concentrated effort for a short period to generate quick wins, while building confidence and capability. In addition to being tests of execution, Winning Moves are also aimed at building execution capacity, as well as confidence and resilience.
Pitsops are data and results-driven and underpinned by the Pitstop Engage-Change Model™
Where is a pitstop held?

A pitstop can be held at your offices, or at a venue (such as a conference center, or even track side).

We will provide you with a list of venue requirements – central among these is room layout and size (which depends on your group size).

Do you have to be a fan of racing?
You don’t have to be a fan or, or even life F1™ to benefit from the pitstop approach.   It is not about racing, but rather the application of tools and techniques for creative problem solving and innovation.
The techniques include cognitive re-framing, mental modelling & systems thinking-centered. These are centred around the design of the Pitstop Meta-model™. The objective is improved and accelerated decision making, especially within groups, particularly in organizations the term ‘performance’ isn’t always positive and conversations on the topic can be difficult. Growth Pitstop™ de-personalizes and de-politicizes the issue of performance, generates new openness, energy and engagement.
That said there are inspirational aspects of F1 – in particular its performance mindset, emphasis on team performance and the use of data for example – see https://growthpitstop.com/inspiration-from-f1/
Who do pitstops not suit?

Environments where complexity and change, and hence the requirements for engagement, creativity and innovation are low.

What is the science / validation?
  • The pitstop model & process is the culmination of ten plus years of applied research and joint creation with over 3,500 people from across 12 industries and 47 countries. Its ideas and insights emerged from applied research, millions of pages of reading (and much debate!), the use of the tools outlined in PitStop to Perform™, Growth PitStop®, The Performance PitStop© and Formula for Growth©, in over 300 workshops and review of thousands of pieces of performance analytics data. The people who brought their curiosity and personal perspectives into research PitLane over the years are from teams in the likes of IBM, BT, 3M, Pfizer, ARUP, Great West Life Co, SES, Oracle and Salesforce.
  • The model and engagement process leverages insights from F1, social psychology, behavioural economics, organization design & management.
  • The model provides an accelerated way of focusing attention on the required dialogue and movement towards sustainable growth potential and ultimately performance
  • The model is underpinned by: Results Based Learning, Data Analytics, Systems Thinking, Meta-Modelling, Change Modelling & Cognitive Reframing.

Pitstops – Methodology & Science

Data is essential to keeping it real. So, before entering the pitstop your team will complete Pitstop Analytics™ online. Just as in F1™, data guides decisions made during your team’s pitstop.

Pitstops form the ideal building blocks for Leadership, Strategy Execution & Change Programs tailored to client needs. They can also be used to support Management Conferences & Away-days that must deliver a tangible output.

The conversations that take place in a PitStop are different.  They are high-impact strategic conversations that result in new insights and breakthroughs.

There are 9 different types of PitStops – each one designed to tackle a specific performance opportunity or challenge facing your organization or team.

Pitsops are data and results-driven and underpinned by the Pitstop Engage-Change Model™ and the latest science & psychology of performance

Each pitstop is linked to a component part of the PitStop Meta-Model™ and is supported by a range of high-impact exercises, Results Based Learning™ materials and tools are provided to participants in kit form and via the Pitstop University Online Learning Plaltform .

Still got some unanswered questions?  Please contact us

Did you know that our industry-leading analytics platform, called Pitstop Analytics, measures all of these things: