Teamwork

Teamwork – the need…

Our workshops have been designed with a particular client need in mind. In all cases the existing design is then further tailored depending on the client’s sector/ industry; strategy, issues…

To “Improve Teamwork”

All of our workshops directly address a combination of two or more of what we consider to be the six characteristics of effective teams as listed below.

Effective teams have and use process
Leadership is demonstrated
Membership is demonstrated
Counter-productive or self-orientated behaviors are avoided
Productive task and relationship orientated behaviors are exhibited and balanced
Members and leaders demonstrate an awareness of self and others and a willingness to adjust personal and preferred styles to accommodate others

Team Building – strong relationships based on respect and trust are a cornerstone of teamwork

Purpose

To build on and improve relationships within an existing team

Outcomes

Increased skill in:

Applying a team problem solving process in ‘own team’
Giving and getting feedback from colleagues
Recognizing and displaying task and relationship orientated behaviors
Recognizing and avoiding self-orientated behaviors

Increased knowledge of:

The minimum vs. ideal characteristics of effective teams
Temperament, preferences and styles and their impact on teamwork
Self & others within the team in terms of temperament, preferences and styles
The dimensions required to build trust in the team
Self-orientated behaviors and their impact on team process

Personal growth through experiencing concepts by participating in:

One videotaped Experiential Activity
Multiple application tasks for the actual team
Personal contracting activity

Documentation of:

Proposed Team Identity
Team Purpose and Team Objectives for the next twelve months
First draft Team Standards i.e. Code of Conduct
Team process review
Priority ranking of Critical Needs facing team over next twelve months
Priority ranking of Cultural Issues facing team over next twelve months
First draft plan to address team Cultural Issues
Team self-evaluation on the dimensions of TRUST

Participants

The leader and his or her natural team at any level in the organization who need to strengthen and/or improve inter-personal relationships

Workshop Delivery Requirements (People)

Client team leader to spend 15 minutes at the front end setting context
One facilitator to be provided by ourselves
Recommended Pre & Post Workshop Activities/Requirements
Pre – Complete selected temperament/ style instrument (e.g. Belbin/ MBTI/ BEST)
Post – Review the workshop report (to be provided by ourselves)
– Action the items developed
– Monitor and review

Workshop Activities

Theory Sessions

Key topics:

Teams – Minimum vs. Ideal Criteria
The myth of the personality clash and your team’s style/ preference profile
The dimensions of TRUST
How to Give and Get Feedback
One Experiential Learning Activity
Application Tasks
– Team Identity, Purpose and Standards Task
– Team review Task
– Critical Needs Task
– Cultural Issues Task
– TRUST Self-Evaluation Task

Logistics

Duration – One day suitable, one day and one night ideal
# of attendees – Whatever the size of the natural team is (typically eight to twelve people)
Typical location or site – Off site training room/ hotel/ motel/ conference centre
Residential requirements – None unless desired by the client for a night before of after as a team event

Resources

We seek to provide all portable equipment (cameras/ kits etc) for experiential activities
We also provide electronic copy of a Toolkit (workshop manual) to the client for printing as well as electronic copy of all handouts not appropriate for inclusion into the Toolkit
Clients are required to provide, supporting materials (posters, desk stands, memory joggers, palm cards etc) as well as non-portable experiential equipment

Venue Requirements

Whiteboard, data projector, DVD player & monitor &/or screen, butchers paper stands & stationery
Main U-shaped area as well as two equipped breakaways

Team Skilling – is it any wonder given the strong emphasis on individual performance and evaluation in our education systems that so many of us enter into organizational life ill-equipped to work in teams?

Purpose – To equip team leaders and members with team tools and to develop and enhance their skills in using them

Outcomes

Increased skill in:

Applying a team problem solving process and fulfilling associated leader/ member accountabilities
Identifying critical needs
Idea Generation
Idea Validation
Task formulation, assignment & review
Listening
Giving and getting feedback
Recognizing and displaying task and relationship orientated behaviors
Recognizing self-orientated behaviors

Increased knowledge of:

The minimum vs. ideal characteristics of effective teams
Self-orientated behaviors and their impact on team process
The barriers to effective teamwork
The symptoms of Groupthink

Personal growth through experiencing concepts by participating in:

Our Team Survival Task – i.e. a priority ranking of 15 team tools
Three to four videotaped Experiential Activities (Depending on the duration of the workshop)
Personal contracting activity

Participants

The leader and his or her natural team at any level in the organization who need to strengthen and/or improve their skill in teamwork and team problem solving in particular

Workshop Delivery Requirements (People)

Client team leader to spend 15 minutes at the front end setting context
One facilitator to be provided by ourselves and one support facilitator to be provided by ourselves or the client (Our facilitator will be able to coach the internal support facilitator and no additional training is required for them)

Recommended Pre & Post Workshop Activities/Requirements

Pre – Complete ‘Our Team Survival Task’
Post – Review the workshop learning’s as a team
– Develop an improvement plan (individual)
– Monitor and review the execution of these plans

Workshop Activities

Theory Sessions Key topics:
Teams – Minimum vs. Ideal Criteria
Team Problem Solving Process
Leader & Member Accountabilities
Task Formulation Assignment & Review
Task, Relationship & Self Orientated Behaviors
Active Listening
Groupthink
How to Give and Get Feedback
Three Experiential Learning Activities
Priority Ranking, Team Survival Exercise
Video or Written Case Study

Logistics

Duration – One and a half days suitable, two days ideal
# of attendees – Whatever the size of the natural team is (typically eight to twelve people)
Typical location or site – Off site training room/ hotel/ motel/ conference centre
Residential requirements – None unless desired by the client for the interim night

Resources

We seek to provide all portable equipment (cameras/ kits etc) for experiential activities
We also provide electronic copy of a Toolkit (workshop manual) to the client for printing as well as electronic copy of all handouts not appropriate for inclusion into the Toolkit
Clients are required to provide, supporting materials (posters, desk stands, memory joggers, palm cards etc) as well as non-portable experiential equipment

Venue Requirements

Whiteboard, data projector, DVD player & monitor &/or screen, butchers paper stands & stationery
Main U-shaped area as well as two equipped breakaways

Rapid Start Project Teams – investing time at the front end of major projects to achieve agreed processes and an understanding of roles, authorities and accountabilities can be invaluable in accelerating time to delivery of project outcomes

Purpose – To reduce the time to delivery of project outcomes from the time of the appointment of the project team to the time of the first milestone being met

Outcomes

Increased skill in:

Applying a team problem solving process and fulfilling associated leader/ member accountabilities
Identifying critical needs
Idea Generation
Idea Validation
Task formulation, assignment & review
Listening
Recognizing and displaying task and relationship orientated behaviors
Recognizing self-orientated behaviors
Identifying and managing the risk of Groupthink
Adjusting personal style to accommodate others
Defining personal contributions in terms of measurable outputs

Increased knowledge of:

The minimum vs. ideal characteristics of effective teams
Self-orientated behaviors and their impact on team process
The barriers to effective teamwork
The symptoms of Groupthink
Output based organizational principles
Personal & Apparent vs. managerial effectiveness
Temperament style and preferences and how they can impact on team performance

Personal growth through experiencing concepts by participating in:

One to two experiential learning activities (Depending on the duration of the workshop)
Three to four videotaped Experiential Activities (Depending on the duration of the workshop)
Multiple application tasks in relation to how the Project Team will function, protocols, issues, actions
The Role Agreement Matrix contracting activity

Documentation of:

All workshop task outcomes (to be provided by ourselves within 48 hours of workshop completion)

Participants

The leader/manager and his or her project team members as well as the Project Client/ Owner if available. It is recommended that Steering Committee members attend sessions where possible.

Workshop Delivery Requirements (People)

Project Client / Owner to spend 30 minutes at the front end setting context for the project within the business and reiterating the Project Scope
Project Leader/ Manager to spend 30 minutes at the front end setting context for the workshop and reiterating the Project Scope
One facilitator to be provided by ourselves and one support facilitator to be provided by ourselves or the client (Our facilitator will be able to coach the internal support facilitator and no additional training is required for them)

Recommended Pre & Post Workshop Activities/Requirements

Pre – Complete selected temperament, preference, style instrument
– Read article/ chapter on Output Based Management (to be provided by ourselves)
– Complete “Our Team Identity Task” (To be provided by ourselves)
– Complete “Our Project Scope Task” (To be provided by ourselves)
Post – Review the workshop report (to be provided by ourselves)
– Actions items as per the Role Agreement Matrix
– Monitor and review the execution of these actions

Workshop Activities

Theory Sessions Key topics:
Temperament, preference and style and this team’s Strengths, Allowable and Non-Allowable weaknesses
Teams – Minimum vs. Ideal Criteria
Team Problem Solving Process
Task Formulation Assignment & Review
Task, Relationship & Self Orientated Behaviors
Groupthink
Output Based Management
Personal & Apparent vs. Managerial Effectiveness
One to two experiential Learning Activities
Understanding our Scope Task
Our Team Identity, Purpose and Standards Task
Our Teams’ SWOT Task
Our Critical Needs Task
Our ‘Organizational’ Capability to Address Critical Needs Task
Our Rumblers, Maintainers, Thrusters and Excellence Issues Task
The Role Agreement Matrix Activity
Personal Contracting

Logistics

Duration – Two days suitable, three days ideal
# of attendees – Whatever the size of the project team is (typically fourteen to twenty people)
Typical location or site – Off site training room/ hotel/ motel/ conference centre
Residential requirements – Residential is preferable but not essential

Resources

We seek to provide all portable equipment (cameras/ kits etc) for experiential activities
We also provide electronic copy of a modified Toolkit (workshop manual) to the client for printing as well as electronic copy of all handouts not appropriate for inclusion into the Toolkit

Venue Requirements

Whiteboard, data projector, DVD player & monitor &/or screen, butchers paper stands & stationery
Main U-shaped area as well as two equipped breakaways

Teamwork @ a Distance – is teamwork virtually impossible in virtual teams?

Purpose – To develop a methodology for ensuring a high standard of teamwork across distances of time and space

Outcomes

Increased skill in:

Applying a team problem solving process and fulfilling associated leader/ member accountabilities
Task formulation, assignment & review @ a distance
Recognizing and displaying task and relationship orientated behaviors
Recognizing self-orientated behaviors
Building TRUST
Selecting the appropriate technology for working @ a distance

Increased knowledge of:

The similarities and differences between local and remote teams.
The balance of the interpersonal and task related processes required for successful remote teams.
Ways of building trust in a remote team
The technologies available to help remote teams increase their effectiveness.
The key criteria for choosing to use a particular technology or team process with a remote team.
The skills that you can/ need to develop personally following the workshop
People Work and its benefits to team working @ a distance

Personal growth through experiencing concepts by participating in:

An experiential where you experience being in a remote team, in an environment where you can stop, reflect, analyze and more easily learn from the experience.
Multiple application tasks
One video case study
An open forum on available technologies
Personal contracting

Documentation of:

All workshop task outcomes (to be provided by ourselves within 48 hours of workshop completion)

Participants

The leader and his or her natural team members

Workshop Delivery Requirements (People)

Team leader to spend 15 minutes at the front end setting context and reiterating the Project Scope
One facilitator to be provided by ourselves and one support facilitator to be provided by ourselves or the client (Our facilitator will be able to coach the internal support facilitator and no additional training is required for them)
One IT expert from the client organization to participate in the Technology Forum

Recommended Pre & Post Workshop Activities/Requirements

Pre – Read article/ chapters on Virtual Teams (to be provided by ourselves)
– Complete Teamwork @ a Distance survey and return to ourselves
– Complete “Our Team Survival Task” to be provided by ourselves (A priority ranking of the 15 greatest treats to team effectiveness)
Post – Review the workshop report (to be provided by ourselves)
– Actions items as per the Personal Contracting
– Monitor and review the execution of these actions

Workshop Activities

Theory Sessions Key topics:

The Team Problem Solving Model
Task Relationship and Self-Orientated Behaviors
TRUST
Task formulation, assignment & review
One major experiential Learning Activity
Our Team Survival Ranking Task – Priority Ranking Threats to Team Effectiveness
Our Critical Needs Task*
Needs to Ideas Task*
Ideas to Plans Task*
* These tasks in and of themselves are run as a simulation of working @ a distance
Building TRUST Task
People Work @ a Distance Task
Technology Forum
Personal Contracting Activity

Logistics

Duration – Two days suitable, two and a half ideal
# of attendees – Whatever the size of the natural team is (typically ten to fourteen people)
Typical location or site – Off site training room/ hotel/ motel/ conference centre
Residential requirements – Residential is preferable but not essential

Resources

We seek to provide all portable equipment (cameras/ kits etc) for experiential activities
We also provide electronic copy of a modified Toolkit (workshop manual) to the client for printing as well as electronic copy of all handouts not appropriate for inclusion into the Toolkit

Venue Requirements

Whiteboard, data projector, DVD player & monitor &/or screen, butchers paper stands & stationery
Telephone links between main room and breakaways with speaker phone
Good cell/ mobile phone reception
Internet access accessibility in main room and all breakaways (wireless ideal)
Main U-shaped area as well as three equipped breakaways

Extra-Ordinary Leadership – Some people lead…others just manage

Purpose – To challenge and confront people in leadership roles with examples of how great leaders were able to bring something extra out of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances

Outcomes

A willingness to confront inadequacies in personal leadership
A plan of action to make the changes necessary to achieve this
A renewed commitment to lead and
A renewed desire to lead

Participants

Leadership role incumbents from either a number of functional areas but at the same level or leaders from within a function but from multiple levels

Workshop Delivery Requirements (People)

The workshop comprises of two modules with a recommended gap between modules of four to six weeks although the two modules can be run back to back if absolutely required

Client Senior Manager to spend 15 minutes at the front end of Module One to set context
Client Senior Managers present for participant presentations at the conclusion of Module Two
One facilitator to be provided by ourselves

Recommended Pre & Post Workshop Activities/Requirements

Pre – Reading to be provided by ourselves
Post – Review the workshop learning’s as a leadership group
– Action personal improvement plan
– Monitor & review

Workshop Activities

The methodology employed is one of learning through exposure to and reflection on historical precedent
Each module presents an historical character with supporting archival and primary source materials as well as literature
In each of the modules the leader in question is someone operating outside of a modern day business enterprise/ commercial setting. This is quite deliberate so as to foster reflection that is without preconception or distraction
Typically the modules run would be:
– A study of Shackleton’s 1914 expedition to the Antarctic and
– Gene Kranz’s leadership as Flight Director of Apollo XIII and even •Other modules can be selected depending upon the client’s preference

Logistics

Duration – Each module runs over two days and one night
# of attendees – 8-12
Typical location or site – Off site training room/ hotel/ motel/ conference centre
Residential requirements – Residential is recommended but not essential

Resources

We will provide all source materials/ documentation/ readings
We also provide electronic copy of a Toolkit (workshop manual) to the client for printing as well as electronic copy of all handouts not appropriate for inclusion into the Toolkit

Venue Requirements

Whiteboard, data projector, DVD player & monitor &/or screen, butchers paper stands & stationery
Main U-shaped area as well as two equipped breakaways