A team is more than a group of people who work together. A high performing team is a group of people who share a common vision, goals, metrics and who collaborate, challenge and hold each other accountable to achieve outstanding results. You know a high performing team because the members: Have a clear and vision of where they are headed and what they want to accomplish.

Solid teams are the foundation of a high performance organization and developing those teams is an effort that requires serious effort and consistent discipline. The modules in this program are not informational. They walk a team, step-by-step, through a process to take responsibility to become a high performing team that takes full responsibility for their business results.

At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:

• Identify different types of teams
• Build teamwork by recognizing and tapping into the twelve characteristics of an effective team
• Promote trust and rapport by exploring their team player style and how it impacts group dynamics
• Recognize the key elements that move a team from involvement to empowerment and how to give these elements to their team
• Develop strategies for dealing with team conflict and common situations
• Use action planning and analysis tools to help their team perform better

Course Outline:

Introduction and Course Overview

You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

Organizations Today

To begin the day, we will look at how changes in organizations have affected teams.

Types of Teams

During this session, we will define the word “team.” We will also look at some different team models, including traditional teams, task forces, and cyber teams.

Team Norms

This session will look at some of the benefits and pitfalls of teams. We will also establish some team norms: ground rules that a team can use to help them work together.

Towers

One way of looking at team development is the TORI model. Participants will experience this model through a fun exercise.

Beckhart’s Activities

Richard Beckhart said in 1972 that there are four activities a group should perform on a regular basis if they desire to grow into a team. Since researchers today still agree on these four activities, we will spend some time exploring each activity.

The Four Stages of Team Development

Every group of people, whether they are a team or just a group working together, grows and evolves. We will spend this session looking at Tuckman and Jensen’s four stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, and performing.

Parker’s Characteristics

The twelve characteristics of effective teams were developed by Glenn Parker, who has devoted his whole life’s work to studying teams. We will discuss each of them in detail through a combination of lectures, small group work, and case studies.

Glenn Parker Team Survey

During this session, participants will complete a survey constructed by Glenn Parker. This survey will help participants identify their team player style. Participants will then work in small groups to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their style.

The Trust/Relationship Model

We will look at how trust impacts relationships through a lecture and small group work.

Creativity

This session will examine two types of thinking: lateral and vertical. We will also look at how these thinking models affect creativity.

The Six Thinking Hats

During this session, we will discuss Edward De Bono’s six thinking hats. Then, we will explore how these hats can help us in a team environment.

Team Shaping Factors

First, we will discuss the four factors that shape a team during a lecture. Then, participants will apply the knowledge to a case study.

Problem Identification

This session will demonstrate a key point of problem solving: you can’t fix it if you don’t know what is broken!

Exploration, Analysis, and Evaluation

Team problem solving needs a three-phase approach: exploration, analysis, and evaluation. We will look at this model through a combination of lectures and group work.

Other Problem-Solving Techniques

During this session, we will look at some other key problem solving tools, including the fishbone technique, the lasso, and force field analysis.

Interventions

This session will look at some common problems that teams face and some recommended solutions.

Resolving Conflict

Solving conflict in a positive way is key for building a strong team. This session will look at types of conflict and tips for resolving conflict. Participants will also take part in a role play to demonstrate the concepts learned.

SWOT Analysis

Performing an analysis of the team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats can be a great measuring stick. We will discuss how to perform such an analysis, and then participants will work in small groups to complete a case study.

Developing Team Action Plans

To wrap up the day, we will look at some planning tools that teams can use to help them grow and improve, including improvement plans and action plans.

Workshop Wrap-Up

At the end of the day, participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.