Your success as a manager can often depend on how well your team operates. How are their problem-solving skills? Are they enthusiastic and motivated to do their best? Do they work well together? There have been hundreds of studies demonstrating that human beings function better and learn better in groups. If you want to develop your team leadership skills and unleash the talent of your individual team members, this workshop is a practical look at current leadership practices that work.

How You Will Benefit:

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 your team player style and how it impacts on group dynamics.
Recognize the key elements that move a team from involvement to empowerment and how to give these elements to your team.
Develop strategies for dealing with team conflict and common situations.
Understand how action planning and analysis tools can help your team perform better.

What You Will Cover:

Types of teams

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, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and talk with the trainer.