Team Skills

From Storming to Performing: Creating Effective Groups
Group Problem Solving
Teaming: Building the Foundation
Small Group Decision Making

From Storming to Performing: Creating Effective Groups

Program Outline

Session 1 Understanding individual differences

• Understanding differences in personality, communication style and motivation
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) basics
• The 4 temperaments and what motivates people
• Apply learnings to an analysis of the specific group dynamics

Session 2 Tools for effective group interactions

• Model of group dynamics: "Four problems group solve over and over again"
• Feedback techniques - How to give and receive feedback
• Problem solving model and practice with the model
• Meeting management overview
• Conducting an actual group meeting
• Observations on the group process

Session 3 Facilitation skills

• Facilitation goals
• Dynamics of group problem-solving - "The Groan Zone"
• Characteristics of participatory groups vs. conventional groups
• Facilitation skills
  • Listening
  • Meeting management specifics
  • Decision-making
• Trust - How is it created
• Conducting an actual group meeting
• Observation on the group process
• Discussion of next steps for the group

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Group Problem Solving

Overview

A key challenge to an organization's ability to deal with ongoing change is the capability to quickly and effectively solve problems in a group or team setting. This workshop blends several of the classic "Seven Management and Planning Tools" and other techniques into a dynamic process for exploring complex issues. It provides techniques for generating an explosion of ideas, grouping those ideas, determining relationships among the groups, setting priorities, defining goals and defining the tasks needed to achieve these goals. It also describes a way of ensuring that the problem is looked at from various viewpoints to obtain the most complete picture of ideas and possible solutions.

Format

The structure of the workshop is highly participative. It consists of instruction in the various techniques and then application of the techniques to an actual problem that the participants are trying to solve. The workshop is designed for one day.

Workshop Outline

• Assembling the "right" group
• "Z" Problem-solving model
• Affinity Process
  • Brainstorming
  • Idea grouping
• Interrelationship Digraph
• Root cause problem-solving
• Influence charting
• Tree diagramming

Outcomes

A variety of problem-solving methods that can be readily applied to both very complex and simple problems.

• Experience of the effectiveness of the techniques in solving an actual problem.
• A common language and skill set that can be used for problem solving in groups throughout an organization.

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Teaming: Building the Foundation

Overview

Effective teamwork is an ongoing process that requires attention throughout the life of the team. Too often teams struggle with "WHAT are we going to do?" and "HOW are we going to do it?" without first understanding the "WHO" issues - the interpersonal dynamics that underlie, and can undermine, team interactions. As a result, the ability to effectively set goals, communicate, problem-solve and resolve conflicts is difficult, if not impossible, and ultimately the team fails to achieve its purpose.

This one day workshop uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), as a tool for understanding the interpersonal issues that are critical to building the foundation for team success. The MBTI provides an understanding of individual personality preferences and the strengths that they contribute to total team effectiveness.

Objectives

Describe the various personality preferences and identify the preferences of each team member.

• Ensure each team member understands the unique value of their personality preference.
• Develop each member's appreciation of the value that different preferences bring to the team.
• Enable the team to capitalize on their differences by viewing differences as building blocks rather than road blocks.
• Teach a problem-solving model that the team can apply in real life work situations.

Outcomes

Your team will be more productive because you will maximize the use of each team member's strengths and be able to solve conflicts in a timely and constructive manner.

• Your team's end result will be more innovative because it will incorporate differences rather than ignore differences.
• Increased synergy results in a teaming process that is both rewarding and fun.

Who Would Benefit

Newly formed teams that want to create a foundation for optimal productivity and innovation. Intact teams that want to continue to improve their working relationships and/or that are experiencing difficulties due to interpersonal issues.

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Small Group Decision Making

Goal to be met by this seminar:

In today's most successful business environments, small group decision making is playing a critical role. Learn what it is and how to use it to your organization's maximum effectiveness.

Description of the seminar:

Participants of the seminar will learn the different types of small groups and how to participate effectively. We'll examine the role of the small group leader and the small group participant.

Topics to investigate:

In this seminar, we'll look at the different types and characteristics of small groups, the types of leaders, being the leader, and being a participant. We'll also discuss "groupthink" and preventing "groupthink".

Lastly, we'll discuss small group agendas and follow-up information from the meeting.

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