SUPERCHARGE YOUR WORK TEAM Seven Steps To Create A High Performing Team docx

Step Four: Learning By Experience, The Team Practices Better Teamwork Together Step Five: The High Energy Shared Experience, Tapping Into The Emotional Commitment To The Team Step Six: I

SUPERCHARGE

YOUR WORK TEAM

Seven Steps To Create A High Performing Team

By Bart Allen Berry

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Bart Allen Berry

Discover Other Titles By Bart Allen Berry at:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BartAllenBerry

This book or its parts may not be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author

Table Of Contents

Introduction

Step One: Create A Rationale For Teamwork

Step Two: Establishing The Ideal State Of The Team

Step Three: Establishing The Teamwork Baseline – Where Is The Team Today?

Step Four: Learning By Experience, The Team Practices Better Teamwork Together

Step Five: The High Energy Shared Experience, Tapping Into The Emotional Commitment To The Team

Step Six: Individual Contribution And Commitment To The Team

Step Seven: Capturing Team Learning, Commitment And Follow Through

Creating a high performing team is a structured, proven process through which you can tap more

of a teams’ potential to attain significant improvements in performance and productivity An additional benefit is the improvement in job satisfaction for all concerned

‘Synergy’ might seems like an overused term in management science lingo, but there really is no better word to describe the dynamic effect produced when:

- Barriers to teamwork are removed

- The work team defines a stronger identity for themselves as a high performing team

- The work team learns more effective group process skills and approaches

- Individuals mitigate their own dysfunctional team behaviors

- A strong commitment and plan is established by the team with 'buy-in' from each of its

members

Does synergy sound like a lofty or even impossible goal? There is a systematic approach to building high-performing teams that will work for you even if you’ve tried team training, team development or team building before

Supercharge Your Work Team outlines the critical steps needed to transform your low or

average-functioning teams into high-performing, synergistic units that are recognized for results and widely acknowledged for their strong and positive influence on the organization This

methodology is not only appropriate for low performers or teams with serious problems but also for taking well-performing teams to even greater levels of productivity and team member

satisfaction

Who can benefit from this book?

Any work group

Training and HR Directors

Company Presidents and CEOs

Executive Teams

Sales Teams

Engineering Teams

Any functional work group whose members have an interest in working better together

Individual team members who want to be a catalyst for improvement on their own dysfunctional teams

SUPERCHARGE YOUR WORK TEAM –Seven Steps To A Create A High Performing Team is based on our work with over 200,000 employees and managers over the past 28 years The best practice approach described here has repeatedly validated itself with work groups from nearly every industry in six different countries

Why Team Building Must Be A Priority

There is one simple answer to this question: Work groups without good teamwork cost the organization money.

Poor teamwork impacts the organization’s bottom line Dysfunctional, underperforming and ineffective teams create inefficiency, waste, rework and mistakes They can be the cause of low morale, they undermine worker commitment and initiative, and can be a major cause of stress in the workplace

If poor teamwork is pervasive, it can rob an organization of its competitive advantage and threaten its very existence

Consider some of the ramifications of low levels of teamwork:

Excessive sick leave

Stress-related illnesses

Missed deadlines, quotas, or production goals

Poor quality of products and services

Workplace sabotage (disgruntled employees who erase vital computer files, etc.)

Work teams who never reach their potential

Retention problems resulting in the need for costly recruitment and training of replacement workers

A negative atmosphere that turns away the best talent

Upset workers who file expensive lawsuits

Lack of confidence and support for management

The list goes on

The costs can escalate exponentially over time if teamwork issues are not identified and

corrected These issues can jeopardize even a successful business in today’s competitive

marketplace A comment you often hear about a company on the ropes is “They just can’t get it together.” Lack of teamwork can almost always be identified as one of the central issues when a company is floundering, identifying it as a symptom or a cause

Investing In Teams—One Of The Best Investments You’ll Ever Make

The major expense in most companies is not in equipment or materials but in human capital While almost all companies spend profusely on maintenance and upgrades to keep their

expensive systems and machinery operating at peak levels, only the best organizations invest in their work teams in the same way

Any organization is only as good as the people who work there Investing in Team Development means to invest in your human capital, to create an environment where increasingly more self-

directed groups of talented individuals take pride in what they do, have a strong sense of identity and purpose, and excel in productivity because of the nature of how they work together These teams give off positive energy that is contagious across the organization, are recognized and respected as leaders and can be counted on to deliver

Consider any commodity industry where the products and services are mostly the same Whether linoleum flooring, light bulbs or life insurance, the true differentiation between a successful company and an unsuccessful one is the often people How employees work together can make the difference between a motivated and energized enterprise, recognized for its efficiency, focus and innovation and its competitor which is staffed by clock punchers who are unempowered and motivated by fear

Make no mistake—the latter organization will eventually lose its most talented workers- and often to that other firm with a better environment of teamwork

Every Team Needs Maintenance

No matter what the organization or industry, it is statistically improbable that everyone in a given work group will get along with one another, and that there won’t be problems, issues and

relationship difficulties Astute managers recognize that every team can benefit from team building, skills development and support

Training Cost And Time Considerations

The decision to invest in team development or team building has been difficult for some

organizations because they haven’t had a clear picture of the cost-benefit relationship The benefits mentioned here, as well as the risks for not investing in team development, have not seemed tangible enough to justify the expense of such a program on a quarter-by-quarter basis Herein lies the problem:

Any organization needs a complete process for team development, not a hit-and-miss strategy There are many incomplete approaches to team development today Consultants are usually willing to build a program around whatever the company is willing to spend in time and money regardless of whether it is really what the organization needs or whether it will produce lasting results Most training companies would never admit to this, of course, but let the buyer of

training beware! While such trainers are well intended, there are dangers inherent in fragmentary approaches to team development

28 years of teamwork consulting and training reminds us that our challenge is always to get the client to commit to a process that is actually going to achieve their desired outcome of creating high performance teams

In today’s downsized business environment, time is as much a factor as cost when making a commitment to team development programs In the 1980s, three to five-day team training

programs were the norm, and significant change could be accomplished in that length of time The time companies were willing to invest became shorter in the 1990s until today the trend is

toward one and two-day team programs, sometimes shrinking to half day or one to two hour segments Such time restraints make it extremely difficult for a teamwork trainer to achieve the desired results Shorter programs like these miss the mark and create a bad reputation for the teamwork consulting industry Such ineffective team development models set unrealistic

expectations and give the entire concept a bad name with employees as well as training decision makers

The Seven-Step Team Transformation Process

There is another way for companies who are willing to abandon this shortsighted approach and make a deeper commitment We are not talking here about some huge, multi-level long term consulting and training initiative, but an efficient methodology for real team transformation-driven at the departmental level This process incorporates the aspects necessary for real change, but in most cases it does not involve a long drawn out process Designed for efficiency and with

affordability and practicality in mind, the Seven Step Team Transformation Process is your most direct route to building high-performing teams

The process outlined in this book is both measurable and actionable It has a strong “train to production” orientation Not a collection of abstract theories or pie-in-the-sky concepts, this book represents a time- tested process whereby teams can develop synergy—ways to apply their collective efforts to their work life to produce a real return on investment while creating a very positive team environment This methodology can produce a complete change of atmosphere and culture within a functional work team Functional work teams in every company department are where things actually get done and where the rubber meets the road

The Reward For Making The Commitment

This book addresses the human side of the work team dynamic Team training programs missing any of the elements in the Seven Step Team Transformation Process will not create optimal return on investment or sustained behavioral change Purely informational teamwork education is not a holistic approach and will not motivate team members enough to change their ways of thinking and operating together The exercises presented here have been developed and refined over the past 28 years through our experience with scores of forwarding-thinking organizations

in many different industries Follow this process or develop your own interventions for some or all of the steps, but don’t skip any of the seven steps—all the steps are vital to lasting change Follow these steps all the way through if you want tangible results with your work groups Support From The Top

Support from the organization is essential as a team begins the transformation process It is possible for a team to “self administer” these steps without support upper management, but it is much more beneficial to have the backing and blessing from upper management

It is important to understand that this support is necessary not just for the short teamwork

training process but throughout the team’s evolutionary process As the team’s activities begin to yield positive results, additional support will be required from the organization In the later steps

of the process outlines in this book, the team will develop an action plan for improving their

effectiveness—again it will be necessary for upper management to back their efforts so positive intentions and motivation are not stifled when a team with a new identity begins to initiate change and improvement

Once you have read the book and understand the design of this program for teamwork

improvement, you will be much better prepared to begin working it in your own organization You can then determine what time commitment will be necessary from team members in

addition to their regular job responsibilities and what additional resources, if any, may be

needed The additional resources should only be necessary in areas that directly impact the team’s productivity and effectiveness These investments in better teamwork should yield a rapid return, as is their purpose

SUPERCHARGE YOUR WORK TEAMS Seven Steps to A High Performing Team represents a much more cost-effective and efficient approach to team improvement than any other method or strategy in practice today

Selecting Teams For Transformation

If you are convinced that team transformation is right for your organization or one of the may functional groups at your company, where do you begin? As stated before, any team can benefit from this process As you select the team(s) for improvement, keep these four criteria in mind when selecting teams who would benefit from the Seven Steps Process:

The team serves a vital function

The team is expected to remain intact over a reasonable amount of time

The team’s success would positively impact the organization

Problems on the team are negatively affecting productivity of themselves and others

Read this entire book and share it with others in your organization to see if they also have

interest in finding an efficient and effective process to improve teamwork Sometimes it is easier

to get agreement to follow a proven recipe, than to start baking from scratch

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Step 1 Create A Rationale For Teamwork

When I stand before the functional work group members who have shown up for their first team building session, I can read their minds They’re looking at me sideways, thinking, “This is the latest flavor-of-the-month training program,” or asking themselves, “How much do I have to fake a sense of cooperation with my co-workers while my boss is in the room? Everybody knows this team will never get along.” Some are worried about how they are going to avoid interacting with their co-workers or looking bad or being embarrassed by some ‘touchy-feely’ exercise I might introduce

Others might be hoping that this workshop will not result in some new work assignment, or worse, that they’ll be appointed to some new committee set up with the usual vague goals and

objectives which will inevitably fizzle out over a few months as other priorities emerge Most really wish they were just back in the office or on the shop floor getting all their work done instead of attending some stupid team-building workshop And all of them are wondering how fast they can leave at the end of the day.

Skilled team trainers and facilitators understand the feelings and emotions participants bring to the workshop setting Awareness of these attitudes is essential if a teamwork trainer is to

establish rapport and credibility with the group and inspire some level of cooperation so that learning can begin and ultimately, new teamwork benefits can be realized

What employees in today’s organization need to know is why teamwork makes sense—in other words, they want to know ‘what’s in it for them’ before they are willing to take it seriously Most already feel stretched in their jobs, and need reasons why they should expend even more energy

in what may seem a futile effort to work better with others There are difficult personalities on almost every team, and getting past old rifts and conflicts can be a big challenge to overcome Some find it easier to keep their heads down and sweep interpersonal challenges and conflict under the rug

These scenarios describe the average workgroup in most organizations today Resistances to efforts to improve teamwork are often based on a series of past experiences—well-intentioned programs that were not received well, were undermined by negative members of the team, were unevenly administered or were not supported by the organization The term ‘hunting and

pecking’ is used to describe the continual experimentation with different methods or approaches organizations use, especially when it comes to teambuilding

Building committed, efficient, high-functioning teams is a challenging task, but it is possible with the seven-step process outlined in this book- despite the reservations about team

development held by many The steps of the process outlined in this book are specifically

designed to address and overcome these common types of pessimism and resistance, and to build teams that actually produce better results together, not just feel good for a short period of time Beginning The Transformation Process

It is assumed here that the work group we will be working with has been pre-defined as a

functional work group with vested interests in working together in a functional relationship, and that there are potential benefits for both the individual, the work group, and the organization in forming a better way of working together Individuals without functional relationships should not

be placed in team development programs together

In order to discover and claim their own potential excellence as a team, it is first of all critical for groups to understand that building a high performing team is a process, not a didactic lecture or one-time event This is not necessarily a long process, (our typical high performing team

program takes a weekend), but it will require active involvement and participation of all the team members to work together on developing themselves

I cannot walk into a session with any group and tell them how to ‘do teamwork’ Most work groups will resent being told what to do What I can do, however is to guide group members

through a process in which they will come up with the answers to their own challenges

themselves While I have a good idea of what they need to learn, I don’t always know what each group will value, prioritize or commit to in terms of working together I am there to represent the process; the team members themselves represent the content, and the potential depending upon their level of commitment and involvement

Supercharging a team, means fundamentally that a team develops a higher level of commitment

to one another and to their work than they ever have before, eliminating the blocks to higher levels of performance, developing a stronger skill base for better teamwork, and tuning the teamwork behavior and commitment of each individual team member These are of course the goals of the Team Supercharging program, but getting there is a journey the work team must make together The easiest place to start with any work group is with basic logic

Define the Rationale for Teamwork

Teamwork makes good sense for both the organization and the individual

When “team building” or “teamwork training” is mentioned, many employees envision a type corporate event with sack races and Olympics style activities or perhaps some sappy slogans and posters hung around their work area These quite understandable attitudes create a barrier to team building In order to change this perspective, our high performing team programs start with

picnic-a very simple process thpicnic-at effectively picnic-articulpicnic-ates the ‘business necessity’ of tepicnic-amwork in the organization Here’s how it works:

Participants are divided into two equal size groups

1) The first group is directed to make a list of all of the benefits to themselves, their department, and their organization if they had great teamwork and synergy and if they really enjoyed working with one another

2) The second group is tasked with listing all of the negatives, penalties and potential costs when teamwork is absent in their organization

This simple and short process is quite revealing, and the results of what work groups produce in this exercise are quite consistent Usually the lists will look more or less like this:

The Benefits of Teamwork

Increased morale

More efficient production

Better communication

Better quality

Elimination of redundancy (less effort and waste)

Clarity of individual roles and function

Empowerment of individuals and the team

A more comfortable work climate

Clarity of strategic priorities

More creativity and innovation

Process improvement

Problems solved sooner

Conflicts resolved more productively

Healthier work force

Higher level of enjoyment and personal satisfaction

Individual professional development

Happier customers

Career advancement

Company becomes more profitable

Individual wages increase

On-time execution of goals and plans

More respect from customers and the rest of the organization

The Costs/Penalties of Lack of Teamwork

Stress

Job-related illness/sick days

Lack of job security

Higher incidence of employee claims against the company

Lack of professional development opportunities

Low morale and poor working climate

Lack of employee involvement

Co-worker conflict

Customer satisfaction shortfalls

Lack of trust/honesty

More dependency on strict policies and procedures

Mistakes and errors

Lack of creativity

Low commitment

Low initiative

Most of these are the common elements we have found in working with all types of

organizations Rather than a teamwork trainer writing these items on a white board as the basis for a lecture, the team is much more involved in the ‘process’ of defining these impacts

themselves With this approach team members are forced to think about the teamwork in their own unique situation When they define the benefits of teamwork and the penalties to the organization when it is absent, their curiosity about how to ‘do teamwork better’ begins to emerge

When teamwork issues are self-defined this way, the “carrot” then becomes the first list since it clearly describes an environment in which most employees and managers would prefer to work

The second list becomes the “stick”, or the obvious ‘bad list’ of descriptors most teams would like to stay away from Even though this very simplistic view of teamwork seems obvious, the real process going on is to begin to lay a logical foundation for team development

When the lists have been created, we ask the group to make some rational and logical deductions about the monetary value of teamwork to their organization, and what the financial costs might

be when teamwork is absent We then ask whether team building and team development make good business sense

The discussion then proceeds with two questions: Which of these lists represents the

organization you want to help build? Which represents situations that place the organization in peril? These are loaded questions to be sure, but the logic of the argument is undeniable

It serves an important purpose to ask workers to articulate their answers to these simple

questions In nearly every situation, this exercise begins to help start to shift attitudes about teamwork Team building does make good business sense, after all That’s hard for any worker

The individual worker needs to see a clear benefit for himself if he is going to make a

commitment to improve teamwork This is a vital element in the first step towards team

transformation Workers must see how the list of benefits impacts them personally If workers are going to be fully engaged, there must be a benefit in it for them, plain and simple

Without a motivating personal benefit, employees can only be expected to give lip service or minimal effort to the activities—certainly nothing that looks like extra energy or commitment to

an ongoing initiative Does this mean that all workers are inherently selfish or disloyal? No, but

it is difficult to sustain any new behavior without an eventual reward It is much easier to

motivate teams if individual members can trace great teamwork to personal benefits at work Are these personal rewards for workers financial? Hardly It has been my own experience in working with hundreds of organizations that the rewards for teamwork are often not measured by money What motivates individuals are the elements that foster more employee participation, involvement, greater personal responsibility, and the opportunity to make a more meaningful contribution The chance to establish better relationships with co-workers is also high on the list Salary increases are often further down the list of items workers come up with in the exercise The point here is that every organization, and every department or functional work group, needs

to spend the time and energy to demonstrate the relationship between better teamwork and personal worker benefit If a new team work approach is going to mean extra work, more

meetings, and a more demanding work environment, most would prefer to work alone

Show workers that teamwork is a way to reduce individual stress, to fulfill individual job

responsibilities more effectively, to improve work processes, and to meet goals and objectives that will translate into higher personal reward, involvement and recognition, and they will be more likely to support team-building activities

Several of the goals of the high performing team process are to insure much higher individual worker involvement, appreciation for the unique contributions of each of the team members, and getting everyone on the same page so that individual outcomes are in direct alignment with team objectives This needs to be a major stated goal up front – and as logical as it is to understand that the work team will perform better when each worker gives their best, re-orienting the team

to operate this way will be at the heart of this transformational process

Return On Investment: Good teamwork is linked to measurable outcomes

As a final part of the exercise in the first step to create a high performing team, the members are asked to create a list of measures of workplace performance that they would expect to improve if the group were able to achieve better teamwork These measures must be “hard outcome

measures,” in other words things, things that will be noticeably or measurably different—factors that can be directly attributed to a positive change in teamwork

This list will be used later in the Team Transformation Process to determine whether any

measurable progress has been made Typically it will include such items as:

Decreased number of errors/mistakes (what is current rate?)

Faster production times (what is the production time now?)

Lowered costs in specific areas (what are current costs?)

Faster customer response time (how fast do we respond today)

Fewer customer complaints (how many are we currently receiving?)

Less sick days by department (how many today?)

Increased monthly sales (compared with today)

Better employee morale as measured by employee climate surveys and other means

The group is asked to crisply define specific measures that would be impacted with better

teamwork This is a critical perspective for participants, as they begin to identify a much more tangible relationship between teamwork and results If the necessary baseline data is not

available, some research will need to be done before these elements can be accurately tracked

The measurable elements above make it obvious that teamwork is related directly to the success

of the business and the work group’s output This makes the discussion more than academic and keeps the focus of the team on efforts that will be directly beneficial to the organization and that will advance the work the team must accomplish together

Ultimately, as facilitators of enhanced team performance, our work is to provide proof that team development works in concrete ways These identified measures will be the ultimate meter of progress and will create a set of hard targets for the team as it continues to develop itself This

keeps the team development program tied to business results, rather than what some may

interpret as ‘touchy-feely’ outcomes

While team building can transform a workgroup or an organization, it is important to remember that there are other factors outside the influence of the group that effect team performance Elements such as top management decisions or policy changes, changing market conditions, or the performance of another department can affect even the best-structured team development plans Because of this, it is key to identify reasonable performance measures over which team members actually have direct control or responsibility for or at least a strong influence Forward progress on these identified measures is where the real return on the team development

investment can be identified

Summarizing the First Step to Creating A High Performing Team

Identify the rationale for teamwork, and demonstrate that it makes good business sense Establish

a direct relationship between team development and benefits, not just for the organization, but also for each individual Identify the factors that can be measured as improved with this process Set the stage and create the expectation that this process will require each team members

participation and involvement and that it is business worthy of their attention

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Step 2 Establishing The Ideal State for the Team

By the second step, hopefully, the workgroup is now listening, and you’re talking about their favorite subject—themselves and personal benefit to them—so what’s next?

In order to commit to any new initiative, people must do more than just agree that it makes sense Team members need to believe in the entire premise After all, what we are trying to do here is to create a whole new team working environment—one that is much more productive and effective That implies effort, and people commit to effort when they like and believe in the initiative; they buy in

What’s required next is to give each member of the team a chance to articulate their personal vision of the ideal team in terms of its mission and function as they see it—or would like to see

it No one wants to be on a team run with a single person’s agenda, playing a role he doesn’t agree with, and functioning in a way that makes him feel uncomfortable Unfortunately, this does happen all the time in many organizations, and is one of the fastest ways to kill employee

initiative When workers ‘check out’, their body is present to ‘punch the clock’ but their best energies are not engaged

People are frequently added to work groups without much orientation or attention to their

alignment within the structure and function of the team New team members are left to find their

own way and sort out their working relationships Seldom are they asked their opinion about the team or their input about their role within it or how the team gets things done together.

The tasks and objectives of the work group must be accomplished with each team member having real accountability and responsibility, but how the work gets done is really what we are talking about here A purely task-oriented approach to work isolates individuals, deters

collaboration or integration of work processes and creates a cold work environment Teams who are “hot stuff” are noticeably more warm and connected in their relationships with one another Involving the team in the creation of its own identity and values does not mean re-designing its work; it means redesigning its teamwork Team members long for the opportunity to have input into how they will function together, and the enlightened managers will create the opportunity for each team member to have a voice so they can share in the ownership of the development of this identity, and be an active participant in it

Define The Ideal State of the Team

Once the group members understand the concept that teamwork makes sense and can identify both individual and group benefits from working together more effectively, a more challenging dialogue must take place In this step participants are asked to share their wishes and desires for the future of the team and how they would like it to work together better This is a consensus-driven process with the goal being for everyone to agree on a collective vision for teamwork Not

to be confused with the common “corporate vision” or “mission statement” exercise, this step will create a distinctive, team-specific definition for this individual work group

Also known as an “affinity process,” this procedure is a very powerful way to get key input from everyone in the group while avoiding domination of the discussion by particular managers or one

or two more vocal group members who might bracket discussions unnecessarily or think they are speaking for the group, when in fact they are really offering only their own opinion

During the exercise the group will formulate mutually agreed upon ideals and values,

developing and confirming the team’s identity while creating an inspiring picture for the future

of how the team might operate one that all of the team members are willing to commit to.Developing the Team’s Ideal State Exercise

Preparation: Provide each participant with half sheets of paper or large sticky notes and a marker They are to write down their answers in simple one or two word phrases to the questions as they are asked

The first question is:

“What do you want your team to look like one year from today?

One year is chosen as the increment of time because while it is long enough to make some

significant change, it is not so long that participants list things that might be beyond the scope of

their reach today In today’s business environment it is difficult for even senior executives to project beyond 12 months, so it is unrealistic to ask a departmental work group to think two, three, or five years out

This question challenges each group member to sift through a myriad of issues After they have had sufficient time to write their answers, the sheets are posted on the wall so that everyone can see all of the ideas at once

The individual answers will fall into natural classifications with many similarities, much to the group’s surprise Logical categories are then created with one summary word or for each As the categories are named and established, the individual sheets are re-ordered on the wall

accordingly This categorizing clearly demonstrates the similarities in ideas from different members of the group, integrates everyone’s perspectives, and creates short simple concepts that team members can hang their hats on

As they work to find the term that summarizes a category of similar sounding answers, the individuals have begun to define themselves as a team and to determine what their team stands for This is a conversation that most work groups have never had Individuals are asked to clarify their meaning to specific postings, stimulating interaction, discussion and clarification of ideals, values and motivations between team members Once again, team members are the drivers of their own process

For the answers to this first question in the Team Ideal State Process, group members typically mention that they want their team to be:

Innovative (new products)

Better at reaching/completing goals

Well-respected by customers and co-workers

“How do you want to be perceived by your (internal and external) customers?”

Take a moment here to review these terms with the group Internal customers are other

employees and employee groups or departments within the organization that depend directly on this team; external customers might include actual paying customers who use the company’s product or service Teams endeavor to answer to both

Participants follow the same procedure as with the first question, writing their thoughts on the half sheets of paper, once again in brief one or two words for each idea The sheets are then posted with the answers from the previous question They are then ‘affinitized’ to an existing category If necessary, new categories are created again with one or two word summary word for each

This question has a universal theme in its range of answers Most groups respond with “We want

to be the best!” or known as the best, or the world leader, recognized expert or something

similar No group ever responds with, “We want to be number three!” The answers to this

question point to the universal need for employees to want their work to be valued and important and to make a difference It also stimulates discussion about customer satisfaction- a healthy perspective regarding the team’s collective output Other customer satisfaction ideals include:Seen as experts

Perceived as the preferred resource

Seen as a trusted supplier

As this exercise continues, all of the ideas are left on the wall for everyone to see With the addition of the second set of answers, the categorization further reveals the collective

consciousness of the group Each idea and each individual’s contribution is given full

consideration, sorted out, defined more crisply, and prioritized as the process continues Themes that seem to be repeated or endorsed by similar postings of individual contributors continue to

emerge and are affinitized with one another Each category of answers is then boiled down to a single summary all-inclusive word The third question is then presented:

“What is most important to you in terms of how this team works together?

This question, which is often more personal and revealing in terms of individual interactions and behavioral preferences, is purposely left until last so that the group is well warmed up before they tackle these deeper issues Resistant group members will be more likely to participate by the third question, but might not necessarily respond well if this were the first question in this

process By this point, individuals are more open because a process has been established that seems safe and inclusive They now know that their ideas and opinions will be acknowledged Typically this third question will uncover a series of interpersonal issues and shared hopes for a more positive team dynamic

Answers will often include a desire for:

These answers are combined with existing categories

The ideas are then further summarized so that after the affinity process only one word per

category is left on the wall Each word represents a category of similar ideas The group is then asked to use the existing words they have come up with develop a simple vision statement of their “Ideal State for this Team.”

The end product of this exercise is a very simple, clear and powerful statement about who the team says they are, where they are going and what they want to become

This second step to building a high performing team is a relatively short process that takes less than two hours It is perhaps one of the best investments of time a workgroup will ever make While there may be other methods of creating an idealized vision of teamwork, it is important to note that the process is just as important as the results The interaction of the individuals as they

go through the discussion of seeing one another’s perspectives, discussing their meanings and clarifying their shared values and goals plays a vital role in increasing understanding among the group members and gives them the opportunity to define themselves as a cohesive unit who understand one another This critical step to team transformation should not be overlooked or shortchanged Example Team Ideal State Process Result:

“We want to be known as the dependable expert IT department, with one voice who backs one another up, continually innovates and grows in our value to the company.”

Reading Between The Lines

Abraham Maslow has always been one of my favorite humanist/personality theorists, and his theories of motivation seem appropriate to mention at this point Maslow theorized that humans have a hierarchy of needs He depicted this hierarchy in a pyramid to illustrate his theory that the lower needs must be met before the individual can concentrate on the needs at the next level of the hierarchy In terms of what motivates employees on teams, a simplified look at what Maslow says is revealing here Upon examination of the things employees say they want in the “ideal state of the team” exercise, it is easy to see this hierarchy of needs expressed

Physiological Needs are reflected in desires such as:

Job security

Making sufficient income for food and shelter

Safety and Security Needs are clearly seen when employees ask:

For more information sharing from management

To be kept informed of policies and procedures that affect them

To work in an environment where they are not going to be yelled at or be repeatedly disparaged, undervalued or otherwise psychologically threatened

Affiliation Needs are pronounced in even the most evolved teams:

The need to be accepted by the group

The need to have input

The need for respect as a professional

The need to be trusted to do one’s work

The need to be listened to

Self Actualization Needs, at the top of the Maslow’s pyramid, are perhaps the most powerful motivators for any team member Motivation in this area can be more powerful than financial incentives

The need to make a meaningful contribution

The need for personal empowerment and decision-making authority

The desire to take ownership for success

The desire to align natural talents, skills and abilities with one’s work

The opportunity to do their best

Reading between the lines as employees define their ideal team can uncover cries for help As the high performing team process proceeds, employees see the process as their opportunity to

create a work environment where they can become more self-actualized When this happens, it creates true motivation and commitment- a major key to getting a work team to the supercharged state It’s hard to be supercharged when one is operating out of the fear of losing one’s job, conflict with coworkers, or apprehension about making a contribution.

This simple illustration reveals how a typical top-down/task-oriented/management-by-objectives approach does not motivate people Management needs to examine this concept closely if the goal is to create teams that are self-motivated and which can evolve over time to provide

continuously higher levels of performance The trick of management is to ultimately get their aggressive goals met by aligning teams that can generate their own motivation rather than by cracking the whip all the time to make things happen For this reason, good management is a true art

Taking today’s work team from where they are today to a SUPERCHARGED STATE means to them, that they are living and working every day to their own ideal operating standards, and they are tapping into core motivations for the energy that will drive their commitment to better

teamwork

Summarizing the Second Step to Team Transformation

This crucial step allows the team to define itself, to develop a common picture of the team’s future, and to create its own standards of performance and ways of operating The ultimate goal

of this second step is about clearly defining the conditions by which the team and its individual members can grow, perform better and achieve self-actualization

For those of you “control-freak managers” who have a hard time envisioning any team that you supervise defining these things for themselves, take heart! In almost every case, individuals will set a much higher standard of performance and a more personally meaningful and realistically balanced identity for their team than anything you could force onto them Why? First, because they have individual belief in themselves and their own capabilities Second, because they have assigned their own values and standards to themselves in this process, and as we’ve seen, most people really do want to excel

Let’s recap the steps so far In the first step, the group sees the rational logic of teamwork, and understand specifically that an increase in teamwork will result in higher levels of performance and productivity – and that this is a business imperative

In the second step, the group defines a collective identity and a vision for the future of their team that taps their core motivations and offers a more comfortable and satisfying way of operating together

So how does all this translate into the reality of better teamwork? The third step in developing a high performing team is to look at today’s teamwork reality square in the face

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Step 3 Establishing The Teamwork Baseline—Where Is The Team Today?

How can we develop a team if we don’t know what they need to work on? We’ve already set a vision for teamwork in the previous chapter The Team Ideal State Process defines where a team says they want to go, but from where are they starting? Common sense says that any effort to improve a team should start with the areas of teamwork that need the most help or that will bring the group the most immediate benefit, but whose opinion about what needs to be worked on should we use?

How do we prioritize activities and determine which specific teamwork skills we need to build with the limited time and energy available to most teams?

One way would be to sit down with the team and have a long discussion—a long, long

discussion! The only problem with this type of slow and tedious issue identification is that some people will not be comfortable talking or bringing up issues and problems in a group setting or in front of their manager/supervisor or others they may have had conflicts with Others may not use tact as they present their opinions and feelings causing resentment, defensiveness, and even injury to their colleagues

It is quite unreasonable to suggest that everyone in any random work group would see a process like this as productive or beneficial And yet issues need to be identified and addressed before the group can move on to a more team-based approach Some readers are cringing right now, wondering if there is any real benefit to dredging up past conflicts, insults, and group failures, and are not too excited about the prospect

Rest assured, this author is not advocating a group therapy session here, as we all know if might take weeks to talk about every behavioral nuance in a particular work group’s history Instead,

an efficient and data driven process it utilized to pay homage to the real issues and blocks to team performance that are there and that are the cause of jaded attitudes and pessimism that stand as a roadblock to the development of the team This approach also defines how the team is doing overall, as well as the strengths they already have

Teamwork issues and behavior are converted to objective baseline measures

The Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey

With our years of experience in building teams, we have designed an efficient, non-threatening, overall picture of teamwork and quantitative way to identify the strengths and areas in need of

improvement for any intact work group The Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey is an

instrument that has been used with thousands of individuals from companies in many industries and the government, both domestically and internationally It is now widely utilized by other consultants and trainers as well and has been translated for use into several languages The

Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey is a comprehensive survey instrument that measures

50 specific teamwork constructs, in ten domains or teamwork areas It integrates universally accepted teamwork behaviors as well as incorporating the characteristics of high performing teams

The Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey©, included here in its full length, is administered anonymously to each team member- usually online a week or so before the team development engagement All team members can then feel free to share their real feelings and opinions

without fear or reprisal or anyone looking over their shoulder Individual data is then combined into an overall report of group results with assured privacy and anonymity With their privacy protected and all team members participating, The Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey becomes an honest barometer of the team’s own self evaluation of their teamwork strengths and weaknesses

In addition to identifying places for improvement, this powerful tool does a great job in

identifying areas that are already healthy and strong all compared to an overall teamwork

baseline average, or ‘mean score’ Without this complete assessment, any intervention such as team training is a hit-and-miss proposition, with too much wasted time and energy spent on the long painful process of issue identification

The FWTS is an efficient and effective way to optimize the issue identification process in a diplomatic, inclusive and tactful way The interest and curiosity about the opinions of others on the team, combined with the opportunity to voice teamwork concerns usually gets the team’s full attention, and also builds a positive expectation of what will be discussed when the team gets together during the teambuilding program

The Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey provides an overall analysis on a 1 –10 scale with

an overall score calculated as the ultimate measure of the extent to which a team believes it is living up to its own potential for teamwork

There ten categories measured in the instrument are:

Overall results are tabulated, and each of the ten categories are given a mean score This

determines which of the ten major areas is significantly above or below the overall mean score (a measure of the range of scores that made up the mean score- a tighter or smaller range of scores

indicates more stability while a higher or wider range indicates more volatility) A balance range

is included to determine volatility and stability of the team Finally, each of the individual 50 constructs (questions) is averaged, and the results are broken out to identify the five strongest and the five weakest specific areas overall

A rich summary report shows all of the data points in relationship to one another This

comprehensive analysis can then be used as the basis for discussion of the team’s current state from an objective and mathematical perspective rather than a loaded collection of hot topics for unruly discussion, blame and disagreement

The FWTS provides a quantifiable baseline measurement, ideal for improvement planning and the tracking of team performance over time With a real assessment baseline in hand, participants readily accept the results of their own data When the information is presented in this non-

judgmental, tactful way with the emphasis being on proactive efforts to improve and develop the team, members can quickly integrate and synthesize the results into a true understanding of where their team stands today, and begin to look at the most critical areas necessary for

improving teamwork

An Outside Objective Facilitator Is Recommended

The survey feedback process is best delivered by a professional facilitator from outside the group There are many reasons for this The dynamics of the group are already established, and each person has their own role To be truly effective, issues must be presented and dealt with in a way that does not finger point or blame individuals in particular The emphasis must be on accepting the fact that every group has their own problems and issues and that the team is a group of adult professionals working to improve their performance-just like any other work team would

When leading this process it is obviously important to use great sensitivity and tact If led by the team manager or even someone else from the same company, there is potential for conflict of interest that can be particularly damaging to the team dynamic An objective outside professional with no “axe to grind” can make sure issues are given their proper attention with no favoritism or bias towards any particular outcome He can also make sure a group doesn’t duck tough issues or fail to face up to problems in their own group rather than attributing them to some outside cause The objective facilitator will also have no problem challenging the boss or manager when the data indicates it, and stop high influencers from making generalized excuses for the group and sweeping important issues under the rug

Anonymity, Confidentiality, Time, and Location

It is important that participants feel as comfortable as possible in filling out the Teamwork Survey, so that their responses can be frank and genuine Ideally, the surveys are distributed a few days ahead of time and turned in to a neutral collection point (not a boss or supervisor’s office) If surveys are to be distributed while all team members are in the room together, every effort should be made to ensure anonymity of team members while collecting the survey

instruments It is recommended that a non-team member provide tabulation of the assessments Participants should be allowed a minimum of 20 minutes to complete the FWTS, and preferably

be given all the time needed until everyone has completed the instrument Disturbances and

distractions should be kept to a minimum while completing the instrument The online option, with the survey returned by email is obviously the best option.

Team data should be shared with a minimum of persons outside the team, as all team information

is confidential and private and should be treated with appropriate respect The findings should

be shared no longer than two weeks after completion of the questionnaire This insures that data collected will be timely and relevant Ideally findings should be shared with the team as soon as possible after completion of the survey to keep it fresh

Some cultures are uncomfortable with surveys and unfamiliar with the concept of anonymous self assessment, and instead see this teamwork survey as some kind of test or evaluation of them The purpose and method should be clarified for these cultures to avoid them loading the surveys with all rosy responses out of fear of reprisal for having less than perfect teamwork

Quantification is a beautiful thing Numbers have universal meaning for us all, and our brains understand numbers on an almost subconscious level The thing about quantifying teamwork behavior is that everyone understands that the ideal is to score a “10” in each area Although we have yet to meet a team that scores themselves anywhere near this high overall, the numbers are useful as a measurement of whether or not the team believes they are living up to their own ideals and potential for better teamwork

Functional Work Group Teamwork Survey

This instrument is used to quantify the strengths and opportunities for improvement of any intact functional work group Team members anonymously rate each question on a scale of 1 (lowest)

to 10 (highest) for each question A score for each category is calculated, as well as an overall self-assessment score Individual team member assessment scores are added together for a combined assessment of the team as a whole

Name of Specific Work Group _

Please respond to each statement from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)

Team Atmosphere

1 Team is satisfied with themselves

2 Team treats all members with respect

3 Team exhibits humor

4 Team has a positive identity

5 Others find this team easy to work with

Add together all scores for category

Team Commitment

6 Team is clear about their purpose

7 Team works hard together

8 Team members give extra effort

9 Team members take initiative

10 Team is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done Add together all scores for category

Team Inclusion

11 Participation by everyone on the team is promoted

12 All team members and their perspectives are valued

13 All team members are treated fairly

14 Information is easily shared between team members

15 The team is kept informed and up to date

Add together all scores for category

Team Leadership

16 Team Leader(s) maintain the respect of all team members

17 Team Leader(s) solicits input from the team

18 Team Leader(s) keep team informed

19 Team Leader(s) keep the team focused

20 Team Leader(s) keep the team motivated

Add together all scores for category

Team Skills

21 Team communicates well with one another

22 Team solves problems well together

23 Team is creative

24 Team makes good decisions

25 Team continuously improves itself

Add together all scores for category

Team Coordination

26 Team members cooperate well with one another

27 The team works well with other departments

28 The team fulfills it’s commitments on schedule

29 The team handles complex projects and initiatives well

30 The team responds well to unforeseen changes or surprises Add together all scores for category

Team Synergy

31 Team regularly comes up with good ideas

32 Team enjoys working together

33 Team members are cross-trained with one another

34 Team members trust and rely upon one another

35 Other teams and departments are impressed with this team

Add together all scores for category

Team Excellence

36 Team meets or exceeds requirements

37 Team produces error free quality

38 Team delivers on time

39 Team is proactive

40 Team takes responsibility when things go wrong

Add together all scores for category

Team Growth

41 Team’s work is important/vital

42 Team regularly integrates new approaches or technology

43 Individual team members are growing professionally

44 Team participates in regular training and development

45 Team plans for the future

Add together all scores for category

Team Maturity

46 Team members are trained to perform one another’s duties

47 The team resolves conflicts well

48 The team learns from its mistakes

49 Team on remains positive regardless of circumstances

50 Team has a positive expectation of the future

Add together all scores for category

Analysis- Circle the number corresponding with your category totals for each category

Atmosphere 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Add together all category totals and divide by 10 for an overall mean score _

Draw a vertical line from top to bottom, corresponding with your overall mean score (it might

be helpful to print out this section or to make your own simple pen and pencil chart

Compare categories above the mean with categories below the mean

Identify highest category/lowest category

Multiply by 2 for an overall percentage (of 100%) of how much your team

is working up to it’s potential _

Top 5 Strengths:

Overall lowest question(s) Top 5 Opportunities for Improvement:

** Keep in mind that if you decide to utilize this instrument with a workgroup you will need to add up the scores of each instrument to develop your own question mean scores, category scores etc This process becomes impractical after 25 persons or so

Contact http://www.SanDiegoCorporateTraining.com to schedule online survey administration analysis and reporting.

Leading the survey feedback session:

Generally, it is better to administer this survey ahead of time and share the report with the group

as a whole at a different time, after you have had a chance to develop a summary report and study the findings This should be the responsibility of your outside facilitator, as this process will prepare him/her to be intimately familiar with the issues of the workgroup

Prepare with a digital file on laptop, and LCD projector

1.Acknowledge the group for being proactive enough to be willing to look at themselves in terms

of continuous improvement Acknowledge that with all of the possible relationships between team members and the complexities of their interactions, it is statistically improbably to expect that everything would always go smoothly Ask the group to realize that every team has their own issues and problems and that this instrument is an effective way to look at theirs

specifically The instrument also recognizes team strengths and as adult professionals we are really doing the healthiest and most proactive process we can to look our own issues straight in the eye and take some proactive steps to move ahead, rather than letting them polarize us or slow

us down

2.Start with an overall look First present the overall mean score Get reactions from the group They should not be surprised, but will be probably be curious about the details At this point the main objective is to stimulate conversation and get them to begin talking about themselves as a team and their shared issues

3.Move into category analysis- those above the overall mean, and those below

Acknowledge the strengths of the workgroup Acknowledge categories that are pulling overall scores down the most

4.Move to specifics Try to stimulate conversation about specific issues and concerns that seem

to resonate with the entire group Highlight the low scores in the lowest categories Remember that the group will often have an entire climate change when they finally get a chance to talk about their issues together and let go of some of that old ‘water under the bridge’ Often, just acknowledging the issues of the team will provide great healing for the group and allow them to move on to more proactive measures The objective here is to stimulate lots of discussion to make sure you have touched on each critical area

Interpreting the results of the Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey

The following are some helpful points about each of the categories which might help the

facilitator in discussing the impact of particular survey answers and results

Atmosphere-Team Atmosphere can be thought of as the first impression someone would get when

encountering this team Do they look confident and self-assured? How do they treat one

another? Are they easy to be around or hard to work with? How they appear to others is

indicative of what it must feel like to be one of them

Team

Leadership-High Performance Team Leadership is characterized by getting the necessary objectives

accomplished through use of the team while maintaining the respect of the team members

Team Skills-

Teams can learn how to operate better by the application of specific skills known to help a group accomplish it’s tasks and support it’s processes for better results Communication, problem solving, creativity, decision-making, and continuous improvement are skill sets which can be learned and mastered Application of these and other team skills will result in increasingly better bottom line results from the efforts of the team

Excellence-Excellence is ultimately defined by the customer These areas are the main ones quoted as most desirable from the customer’s perspective

Growth-Every team wants to be working on what’s important and feel that their contributions make a difference Teams are growing who are entrusted with working in the area of the leading edge, most current and important areas, customers, emerging technologies etc Teams have collective skills, a collective relationship with technology, and collective learning goals for training and development All these areas can be accelerated with a proactive commitment to growth, with many accompanying performance benefits Finally, question 45 endeavors to ascertain how proactive a team is regarding it’s own growth

Maturity-Maturity describes the highlights of a mature and well-developed team Each of the questions in this category are earmarks of a team that has grown well together and operates in a positive and mature fashion

Although the FWTS provides a very effective measurement of team strengths and weaknesses, the team members must still examine them, accept them and resolve to change what’s needed The power of the FWTS is a two-edged sword While it is effective at identifying strengths and weaknesses in great detail, it also points out the need for a lot of improvement After all,

perfection, however unrealistic, is the ultimate goal of continuous improvement, but it’s hard for everything to score a ‘10’

The Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey is a rich process, which some groups may want to spend more time on Depending upon the nature of the results, facilitators are encouraged to spend more time in discussion with team members in analyzing their results A half-day session

is not unusual in some cases and can be important in getting team members to be on board with subsequent steps in the team transformation process

To get to a SUPERCHARGED STATE as a work team, this territory must be crossed Targeting specific improvement areas that the team has self-selected is ultimately focused on efficiently, eliminating blocks to performance and commitment Acknowledging strengths credits a team with areas that can be relied upon more Overall team scores give the team a realistic idea of where they are at today so they can start moving towards where they want to be tomorrow

Gap Analysis-Clarifying and Accepting the Issues

As the third step in the Team Transformation process continues the team should be warmed up to the possibility of taking healthy steps towards improvement in teamwork The Functional

Workgroup Teamwork Survey presents the team’s data in an objective and unambiguous

fashion The lack of semantic based labels (such as high or low performing team, evolving team, dysfunctional team etc.) allows team members to see themselves through the clear lens of

mathematics

It is important as this step continues, it is important to understand the difference from discovery

of the data to synthesis and acceptance of the main developmental objectives

In depth discussion with the team now centers on how the team will close the gap between how they see themselves today and their ideals for the future This step also starts the process of bracketing the most important issues facing the team that will be tackled for improvement Often these are themes that continue to emerge as the discussion continues.

It should be obvious that a team can’t tackle all the weak areas identified as below the overall mean score (on the FWTS) all at once The task then becomes to prioritize the areas that need the most improvement and to understand how these improvements could be most beneficial The focus needs to be first on what will have the most impact on your team in the short run, so

important efforts to improve teamwork can take hold and begin to show progress as soon as possible

Start by looking at the team’s existing strengths One path to improvement is to take the

strengths the team already has and build on them Often these are the areas that team members have taken for granted or where they may not have given themselves enough credit The goal is

to give the team a jumpstart by helping them feel good about their strengths

Secondly, look at the areas where the team rated themselves lowest and develop a dialogue about the real issues and how best to overcome them This will be the area where most discussion time

is spent The team’s first reaction will probably be to want jump into action and fix everything at once Slow them down! The discussion, planning and consensus process is important here once again

Here the facilitator must focus the attention on the key areas that seem to cry out the most for improvement and over which the team has direct control Part of the emphasis is on clarifying what the priorities should be, and the other part is developing the agreement and commitment from the team to work on these areas as priority objectives in team development A few

guidelines for discussion help to guide the process of analyzing the weak

areas-Causes or Effects?

As the team’s results are reviewed, each individual question construct is examined I ask the team whether the low score for a particular question is a “cause” or an “effect.” This is a great way to stimulate discussion and clarify the root causes of particular issues

Take for example question # 6: The team is clear about their purpose

If the group scored low in this area, I ask them to think about whether this low rating is a root cause that generates other negative effects or whether it is, in itself, an effect of some other dynamic These types of questions force the team to think about how they do things and to define their problems and issues very specifically Root cause analysis through the use of “fishbone charts” (aka: cause and effect diagrams) can be particularly effective here in clarifying problems and issues

Is It The Team Or Outside Influences?

Many teams try to lay the blame for conditions in their group on external influences such as the market, management, etc This discussion on each individual construct helps a team see which things are indeed beyond their own control or outside their sphere of influence and which things they can take ownership of and have a positive impact on There are no right or wrong answers here, but rather a meeting of the minds and agreement from the team about where they stand on any particular issue Solidarity in the face of adversity is also a characteristic of teamwork.

Comparison With Hard Outcomes

The artful consultant or team facilitator now brings back the hard outcome measures list from the first step in the Team Transformation Process, comparing it with the high and low Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey scores to see which elements most favorably or unfavorably impact these hard measures

This is the analysis portion of the work in transforming a team On the one hand, you have a set

of self-evaluation measures that the team has identified as their own strengths and weaknesses

On the other hand, you have the team’s input about where they want to go and how their

progress toward the goal can be measured Some hypothesis can then be formed about

improvement in specific skills or approaches that will be most beneficial for the team

A running list of teamwork improvement areas is added to with team members increasingly volunteering their suggestions and ideas on what needs to be improved about teamwork

Comparing the FWTS data with the hard outcomes list from the first step helps to build the bridge from the ideals stressed in the ‘ideal state’ process to concrete performance increases back

at work The facilitator is careful to always keep the ‘Ideal State’ results close at hand and to keep stressing the relationship between improvement efforts and the eventual desired end state that they will create in terms of teamwork When the process gets more complex it’s important

to keep the light at the end of the tunnel burning brightly

Another way to analyze the results of the Functional Workgroup Teamwork Survey and the ideas and discussions it generates is to divide low areas or teamwork issues into two categories:

A Process Improvements in Teamwork

List areas in which the team needs to develop new skills or models for a different way of

working together Examples of team process oriented approaches include:

Using facilitative leadership approaches

Implementing brainstorming techniques

Encouraging more equal team member participation and inclusion

Utilize a methodical problem solving model or approach

Fostering Innovation

Build Higher levels of trust and honesty

Communicate more respectfully with one another

B Team Tasks And Objectives

List areas where teams actually need to accomplish different tasks or objectives to increase their effectiveness Examples may include:

Develop a long-term strategic plan

Make a progress report on recent developments and communicate it to other departments

Develop an employee morale-building program

Set up a suggestion system for new ideas

Review needs for meetings in order to optimize schedules

Build more accountability into weekly reports

Build a web based project status system to keep everyone informed

In the author’s experience progress in the first category—Process Improvements in Teamwork—will yield great benefits in the accomplishment of the items in the second category—Team Tasks And Objectives

These two categories of problem or issue identification will now be used to target improvement interventions The first category will be addressed in the next step to building a high performing team Improvements in the category of Team Tasks and Objectives will come as a later part of the design

So what has really happened in step three of the Team Transformation Process? Very simply, the team has looked at and digested their teamwork issues They have studied the results from a comprehensive measurement instrument, evaluated them in an objective mathematical way, and examined the implications of these issues in terms of:

Are they causes or effects?

What is their impact on core measures of team performance?

Are they internal effects or outside causes?

Are they teamwork process-oriented, or team task/objective-oriented?

By now the group will already be feeling a strong need to take action, to move forward, to fix themselves Many will feel that all this talk about teamwork problems and shortcomings is beginning to waste time, and the team should “get on with it” so they can start making some forward progress

If a group were to try to initiate an intervention or improvement at this point, it would be very task and objectives oriented, leaving out the valuable “teamwork behavior” part of the equation This penchant for immediate action is hard to resist, but it is necessary for the team to take a little detour at this point

We must now finish the issue identification process in the area of process improvements in teamwork It’s important to note here that process improvements in teamwork should not be confused with the concept of process improvement as it applies to improving a manufacturing or some other work-related process or procedure What we are talking about here is the team’s focusing on “how” they work together as opposed to “what” they work on

Although team process has been talked about objectively, it needs to be explored more tangibly, through real experience and real behavior The team needs to be able to identify what certain behaviors look like and when they are happening They then need to explore alternative methods that are more effective and productive This is where the rubber begins to meet the road.

To Recap the First Three Steps to Team Transformation:

At this point the team is really ready to begin transforming themselves

1.The group sees the rational logic of teamwork

2.The group collectively defines an ideal teamwork identity for their team

3.The group uses baseline quantifiable metrics to describe their teamwork behavior today

Strengths and weaknesses are identified, and team members are given a clear picture of the current state of their teamwork as measured quantitatively The group explores, analyzes, and accepts their teamwork issues from a variety of perspectives as they prepare for improvement.Now the fun really begins

The preparation for experiential learning in the previous steps creates rapport and warms the receptivity of the team as well as creating a focus on the hard targets for team learning Many options for experiential training to build teamwork exist, but one will clearly see how one

approach stands out compared with the others

There are three types of training commonly applied to ‘experiential’ team building today Let’s examine them:

The first is recreation Many of the team-building program providers practicing today are really facilitating “fun days” in the hope that if team members have a good time, they will get along and work better together—a good premise, but rarely successful A corporate Olympics program

or scavenger hunt has little to do with how people behave and treat one another on a team at

work, and certainly has little to do with the cross-functional collaboration challenges which workers regularly face every day

The same can be said for an activity like golf—four people playing together is not team building for the workgroup—although golfers can always be counted on to advocate offsite meetings where golf is involved Ditto for jeep tours, balloon rides, game shows, rickety raft building or making sushi together These activities might be fun, but let’s call them what they are—

recreation—and be satisfied with having fun and some peripheral informal relationship

development Fun isn’t necessarily bad in itself, but when one considers the salaries of each of the team members present, and the work not getting done while they are away it becomes hard to justify purely fun activities from a return on investment perspective Fun is always a good thing, but not necessarily the only approach to building work teams

(I should note here that the ability to have fun while working together is strongly correlated with

a positive group climate It is one characteristic I look for as I evaluate whether a team is high performing or not Some of the best teams I have worked with have also demonstrated the most humor and relaxed atmosphere)

The second kind of teamwork training is academic didactic lecture or a motivational speaker In this model, an “expert” comes in to lecture you and run through a PowerPoint presentation with all types of best practice scenarios, supposedly new approaches and a magic formula that will give you the keys to make you all live happily ever after as a highly productive and efficient group

While there is a lot of good information out there, if this type of training really worked you would have seen this kind of presentation only once; and we all know that’s not the case The average corporate employee has seen this approach many times The motivational speaker will try to relate some kind of metaphor from leading a sports team to the college championships or other model based upon his or her own success but with very little to do with your own unique situation It will also be up to you to extrapolate the metaphors and apply them to your own work situation- a good concept but chances are everyone will have a different interpretation if they are really paying attention at all

Here’s the problem Look around and you will see overweight and out-of-shape people who know a lot about diet and exercise and cigarette smokers and alcoholics who have been well educated in their dangers They continue with their bad habits regardless of their knowledge Why? Because purely informational interventions are generally not powerful enough to create behavioral change The intervention, however interesting, is not experiential

So what method of team training actually works?

Experiential Learning!

Experiential Learning is by far the most effective approach to building teamwork-especially when integrated as recommended into the high performing team transformation process here Experiential learning means to learn by having an experience Experiential refers to the many

human growth and development programs which feature as their primary modality a “learn by doing” approach, commonly characterized by dynamic metaphorical group exercises Included in experiential learning programs are activities such as team problem-solving exercises,

organizational simulations and all of the various action-oriented, structured learning experiences that are now used with populations of all kinds Counter to what you may have heard, when facilitated properly, this approach is highly effective for learning teamwork skills

The experiential learning approach is best used to examine the Teamwork Group Process

Orientation of the group in question This is where the human behavior component of teamwork lives and breathes The only way a team can really learn about teamwork and apply it to the dynamics of their own work team situation is to have the experience of working together

differently and learning together in a well structured set of exercises A good experiential

learning program can accelerate a team’s development by leaps and bounds in a single day and serve as a key to dramatic changes in team performance

A well-designed experiential learning program for teamwork improvement will select a

progressive series of exercises that are structured to put the group into highly interactive ‘frying pan’ type situations where their natural behaviors and tendencies as a group under pressure will emerge A team may have scored themselves very highly on the team survey, but as we all know, what people say and what people do in reality are often very different things Identification of individual and team behaviors will stand out in great relief in the experiential learning

environment—part of what makes this step in the team transformation process so effective.Through the use of teamwork-focused metaphorical experiential exercises, a skillful facilitator of

an experiential learning program will draw the group into revealing many things about

themselves:

How they react under pressure

How they make decisions

How they communicate

Individual team player and leadership behaviors

Who participates and who doesn’t

Who dominates discussions and decision making

How creative and innovative the team is

What types of problem-solving approaches the group uses

How the team resolves conflicts

How the team plans

The extent to which a team is process oriented vs task oriented

How much the diverse skills and abilities of group members are utilized

The level of involvement and empowerment that is shared between group members

The normal climate of the group

What types of inter-group collaboration or cross-functional teamwork emerge

Where conflicts are most likely to emerge

Individual dysfunctional teamwork behaviors

An Experiential Exercise: The Blind Square