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50 Activities for Team Building Volume II Mike Woodcock HRD Press, Inc. Amherst Massachusetts

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  • 50 Activities for Team Building

    Volume II

    Mike Woodcock

    HRD Press, Inc. Amherst Massachusetts

  • 1989 by Mike Woodcock The materials that appear in this book, other than those quoted from prior sources, may be reproduced for educational/training activities. There is no requirement to obtain special permission for such uses. We do, however, ask that the following statement appear on all reproductions:

    Reproduced from 50 Activities for Team Building, Volume II, by Mike Woodcock, Amherst, Massachusetts: HRD Press, 1992.

    This permission statement is limited to reproduction of materials for educational or training events. Systematic or large-scale reproduction or distributionor inclusion of items in publications for salemay be carried out only with prior written permission from the publisher. Published by: HRD Press, Inc. 22 Amherst Road

    Amherst, Massachusetts 01002 1-800-822-2801 (U.S. and Canada) 413-253-3488 413-253-3490 (fax) www.hrdpress.com

    ISBN 0-87425-192-3 Production services by Jean Miller

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    Table of Contents Preface .............................................................................................................................. v 1. Using the Book ............................................................................................................. 1 2. The Building Blocks of Effective Teamwork ............................................................ 9 Activities 1. Our Team and Its Stage of Development............................................................. 21 2. What Makes Teams Effective? ............................................................................ 25 3. Team Rating ......................................................................................................... 29 4. The Teams in My Working Life .......................................................................... 33 5. Team Mirroring .................................................................................................... 37 6. Team Leader Effectiveness .................................................................................. 39 7. Team Leadership Style......................................................................................... 43 8. Characteristics of Personal Effectiveness ............................................................ 47 9. My Meetings with Others..................................................................................... 51 10. Force Field Analysis............................................................................................. 55 11. Team Effectiveness Action Plan .......................................................................... 57 12. Brainstorming....................................................................................................... 61 13. Team Openness Exercise ..................................................................................... 63 14. Review and Appraisal Meetings .......................................................................... 67

    15. Enlivening Meetings ............................................................................................ 71 16. How Good a Coach Are You? ............................................................................. 73 17. Being a Better Coach............................................................................................ 79 18. Counseling to Increase Learning.......................................................................... 83 19. Management Style................................................................................................ 91 20. Discussing Values ................................................................................................ 99 21. Team Member Development Needs.....................................................................101 22. Who Are You? .....................................................................................................105 23. Intimacy Exercise.................................................................................................107 24. Highway CodeA Consensus-seeking Activity .................................................113 25. Is the Team Listening? .........................................................................................121 26. Cave Rescue .........................................................................................................123 27. Initial Review .......................................................................................................133 28. Prisoners Dilemma..............................................................................................137 29. The Zin Obelisk....................................................................................................141 30. Cloverleaf .............................................................................................................149 31. Four-Letter Words................................................................................................151

    32. Team Tasks ..........................................................................................................153

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    33. Making Meetings More Constructive ..................................................................155 34. Positive and Negative Feedback ..........................................................................157 35. Improving One-to-One Relationships ..................................................................161 36. To See Ourselves as Others See Us .....................................................................163 37. Process Review ....................................................................................................165 38. How We Make Decisions.....................................................................................169 39. Team Self-review .................................................................................................173 40. Silent Shapes ........................................................................................................177 41. Basic Meeting Arrangements ...............................................................................179 42. Decision Making ..................................................................................................183 43. Communication Skills Inventory .........................................................................185 44. Taking Stock ........................................................................................................195 45. My Role in the Team............................................................................................199 46. Devising a Team Vision.......................................................................................209 47. Intergroup Feedback.............................................................................................213 48. Burying the Old Team..........................................................................................219 49. Organizational Types Audit .................................................................................221 50. Balancing Team Roles .........................................................................................237

  • Reproduced from 50 Activities for Teambuilding, Volume II Mike Woodcock, Gower, Aldershot, 1988

    v

    Preface

    have worked closely with Dave Francis and John E. Jones who have helped me to realize the full potential of structured experiences. To them I give my thanks.

    Improving the utilization of human resources within organizations involves a comprehensive approach that develops the organization as a system, examines each work group or team, and also enhances individual competence. This book is about improving team performance. Other published works look at other aspects of human resource development (Woodcock and Francis, 1975, 1979, and 1982). Those books have a structure style that is consistent with this. A further book (Woodcock and Francis, 1981) examines the contribution that team building can make to the development of the wider organization. Another book (Jones and Woodcock, 1985) examines the structure of management development and offers general guidance on conducting management development programs. The essence of practical activities is that they prove effective only when they are tried and explored. In this book I encourage you to experiment and enjoy the experience.

    Mike Woodcock References Francis, D., and M. Woodcock, People at WorkA Practical Guide to Organizational

    Change, University Associates, La Jolla, CA: 1975. Jones, J. E., and M. Woodcock, Manual of Management Development, Gower, Aldershot:

    1985. Woodcock, M., Team Development Manual, Gower, Aldershot: 1979. Woodcock, M., and D. Francis, Organisation Development Through Teambuilding:

    Planning a Cost Effective Strategy, Gower, Aldershot: 1981. Woodcock, M., and D. Francis, The Unblocked Manager: A Practical Guide to Self-

    development, Gower, Aldershot: 1982. Woodcock, M., and D. Francis, Unblocking Your Organization, University Associates,

    San Diego: 1979.

    I

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    1. Using the Book

    his book provides practical activities for putting the theory of team development into practice. The activities are linked to the building blocks model of effective

    teamwork that is outlined in Chapter 2. At the end of Chapter 2, there is a key that links each of the activities to one or more of the building blocks. By using this key, you can quickly identify those activities that will best meet your needs. A revolution in development in organizations has been taking place. Fifteen years ago, management training was characterized by managers sitting at desks reading, listening to lectures, taking notes, or discussing somewhat academic case studies. This approach often failed to make an impact on experienced managers. Training courses were perceived as heavy penance to be endured only at the organizations insistence, or else participants tried valiantly to turn management development courses into holiday jaunts. In recent years, innovations in training have increased its relevance, effectiveness, and even its potential to be enjoyed. More key employees now value training and more of them clearly see its application to their working lives. Moreover, they continue to be influenced long after the training experience is over. How has this transformation occurred? As with many innovations, those involved in management training questioned their assumptions and developed a new framework of thought. The following principles have emerged:

    Intellectual learning has limited value; Direct experience is the key to learning; The rate of personal development varies considerably among individuals; Self-awareness and rigorous review form the basis of development; Experiment and risk taking are necessary components of effective programs of

    change; Distinct skills of problem identification, decision making, and leadership can be

    identified and learned; Team development is a continuous process, as new needs emerge and new tasks

    need to be completed; Distinct skills of working together can be identified and learned; Work relationships can often be improved through systematic development of

    skills and attitudes. Trainers have come to realize that some of the most significant developments involve a team learning from its own experience rather than simply acquiring new knowledge. Often, insights have far more impact than the acquisition of another technique or piece of knowledge.

    T

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    All this has greatly affected the design and style of training. It has been realized that one true insight is worth a week in the classroom. Ways have been found to help teams learn without directly teaching them. Many team development programs now combine the disciplined instruction of the classroom with the self-discovery insight and energy derived from groups of people working together. In recent years trainers have realized that stimulating and effective training programs are only one component in developing genuinely useful new skills and competencies. Learning must be applied to day-to-day working life. Also, real progress can often be made by managers working alone because learning is not an activity that takes place only under the eyes of a skilled trainer. Rather, learning is a continuous process that evolves as people intelligently explore and interact with the real challenges of demanding situations. The Learning Experience Learning is more than a matter of absorbing information. Many teams know very well what they should do but fail to practice what their intellect tells them is right. Such behavior can become self-defeating. People begin to expect failure at a particular point, and this further reduces the chances of success by inhibiting energy and reducing confidence and initiative. These barriers to effectiveness are sometimes called blockages. Useful development occurs when such blockages are identified and the team experiences the possibility of progressing beyond them. Such experience renews motivation. This book contains fifty practical activities, all of them designed to help teams develop insight, skills, and resourcefulness. Each activity has the same principal function: to create a learning experience. Learning by experience is powerful because it touches both intellect and emotions. There almost always are three steps in achieving significant learning. Step 1: Exploring the present The present situation must be explored as thoroughly as possible. This includes looking at all factors involved, both rational and irrational, positive and negative. This is difficult, but not impossible. Although we tend to see the world and ourselves only from one point of view, other individuals and teams can give us information from different viewpoints, thereby challenging our assumptions. This helps us to explore the present more fully. Step 2: Visioning the future Unless a team is to drift from situation to situation at the mercy of circumstance, it is necessary to have clear goals and objectives that are tangible expressions of desires and needs. A vision of the future is a very important tool for assisting change. It provides motivation and increases the will to succeed. Without goals, teams cannot bring their tenacity, drive, and creativity into play. The absence of genuine desire frequently undermines achievement and development.

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    As teams explore their goals, it also is important that they spend time identifying and considering options. Managers and supervisors frequently devote a great deal of attention to examining their options without realizing that it makes sense to apply the same level of concern to team goals. Step 3: Bridging the gap The third step in the process of change bridges the gap between the present situation and what the team wishes to achieve. After goals and targets are identified, resources need to be identified and allocated. The importance and difficulty of the planned change govern the quantity and quality of the resources that need to be mobilized. Important tasks require significant effort, and, as every team knows, there is a greater risk of failure when a team embarks on a program of change with insufficient resources. Planning change is complex because situations rarely are static and new factors constantly intervene that affect existing plans. However, not all deviations are destructive. Sometimes new opportunities arise and it would be foolish to ignore these in pursuit of more limited goals. Each new opportunity or change should be viewed in the context of the broad objectives that have been set. A new problem often can become an opportunity if sufficient creativity is employed. The exercise of initiative and assertiveness is vital to the accomplishment of goals. Learning needs vary according to circumstances and situation. Sometimes new ideas or techniques are needed; at other times the priority is application. A simple model of the learning process (see Figure 1.1) helps to explain this. New ideas are sterile without application, so it is always necessary for teams to use their new learning in their own setting.

    Idea

    StartingPoint

    Idea

    Application

    DevelopmentApplication

    Figure 1.1 A Model of the Learning Process

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    Teams are most likely to learn and change when they believe that new behavior is both desirable and possible. This principle has been understood for thousands of years. Gladiators in ancient Rome were trained by a series of testing assignments. Medieval guilds were founded on the principle that only practical achievement teaches skills. Peacetime armies spend much of their time simulating warfare, trying to battle harden soldiers before a real fight. The better the simulation, the more able the soldiers in battle. Learning by experience, despite its cumbersome and unpredictable nature, is a most effective means of facilitating team development. The activities that are contained in this book are all practical ways to explore an aspect of teamwork. Some of these activities can be undertaken without any professional expertise, and guidelines are given so that maximum benefit can be derived. Every activity has the same purposeto generate an experience from which useful learning points may be extracted. The purpose of each activity is stated so that a relevant team development program can be constructed. All of the activities employ the principle of learning by doingwhich has proved so important in helping management training and development to become more relevant and practical. Although it is primarily a book to be used by team leaders and trainers, I hope that other people in responsible positions will also be stimulated by the activities and benefit from the learning. Consultants will also be able to adapt the activities to suit their specific needs. The activities employ various techniques that are suitable for achieving their objectives. They provide the tools for increasing team effectiveness. The emphasis is on learning from direct experience, so there are no theoretical papers or intellectual debates. Many of these activities are enjoyable and much of the potential benefit can be lost if they are pursued with grim determination. Humor and vitality are in many of these activities and the team is encouraged to play with them a little. Although the intent is serious, the accomplishment can be invigorating. So enjoy the learning! Choosing Relevant Activities Try to begin by identifying objectives that are important to the development of the team. If you are using this book along with the Team Development Manual, use the Building Blocks Questionnaire first; it will guide you to the most relevant activities. When you have identified the areas that you want to work on, use the key to activities (pages 1518) to help you decide which activities are most relevant to your particular needs. These activities can be used in many different settings by many different types of teams, therefore not every team will find value in every activity. Teams are encouraged to experiment, especially with activities that look straightforward and simple. In learning by experience, the value of an activity becomes apparent when it is tried fully. In addition, if the team feels that it is learning little or finds an activity embarrassing, uncomfortable, or frustrating, its problems may indicate that team members are resisting the learning. It is important in this case to follow each assignment to its end. Devote the full time that is

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    allocated to each activity selected and resist the impulse to curtail any one of them prematurely. Learning by experience can sometimes be threatening or disturbing. Although all activities in this book have been widely tested and the great majority used over many years, they should be used with care and in an environment that facilitates risk taking. If you are leading a program, the following guidelines can be used to help achieve maximum benefit from the activities:

    Undertake only those activities that you feel able to handle. Do not force or manipulate others to undertake activities against their will. Read the instructions carefully before beginning any activity. Allow sufficient time for each section of an activity (in particular, time for

    review and discussion is essential as this is where most learning often occurs). If team members are uncertain or concerned about any experience, discuss the

    experience fully. After completing an activity, reflect on what has been learned and encourage the

    team to assess the implications for everyday work. Encourage the team to continue to work on difficult areas in order to increase the

    possibility of a breakthrough. The main ingredients for success when using activities are:

    1. Participants should get to know each other and feel relaxed in each others company;

    2. Objectives should be clarified; 3. Participants should be encouraged to experiment and learn from what happens; 4. Skills to review experiences and critique the results should be developed; 5. Participants should be helped to plan how they can integrate their learning in

    their work. All the activities require some preparation and administration. Someone must act as a coordinator or facilitator. This role can be played by a training specialist, consultant, tutor, teacher, or line manager. On rare occasions, someone will be disturbed or upset by participation in an activity. It is unethical to embark on an activity without a mechanism for resolving any subsequent personal difficulties. Attention should be paid to establishing a climate that combines trust, support, and enjoyment with the more harsh qualities of openness, rigorous analysis, and direct feedback. Much of the potential benefit can be lost if the training climate is superficial, excessively cozy, or impossibly harsh.

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    A Checklist for Designing Training Events Even so-called experts often forget to consider the basics of training event design. This checklist will help you to ensure that the essential ingredients of a successful training event design are covered. 1. Assess learning needs

    Although some needs may emerge as the event progresses, it is important to ensure that as closely as possible content matches perceived needs. Always remember that participants will start from different levels of understanding.

    2. List the resources you have available

    In addition to those that you plan to use during the event, remember that demands might change and you might need to utilize your backup resources.

    3. Try to achieve a match between the learning styles of instructors and participants

    People differ in their preferred learning style and so do instructors. A poor match can seriously jeopardize your chances of success.

    4. Establish objectives

    It is always useful to know and to state what you want to achieve. However, do not be too specific. Team building is about changing attitudes and stances and not simply about the development of skills.

    5. Select the appropriate training methods for each objective

    Talking at participants is seldom the right way to achieve the development of teamwork. Learning by discovery is generally much more effective although short theoretical inputs can also be used. The activities in this book are based on learning by discovery principles.

    6. Prepare an event program

    Although you will need to be flexible, it is still advisable to create a timed program and to stick to it within reason. Be sure to allocate sufficient time for recreation, etc., and ensure that this is not eroded. Even at intensive training events, participants have other needs and can become frustrated if they are not met.

    7. Establish a time frame for primary objectives

    Primary areas must be covered thoroughly and they should receive special attention in planning overall time constraints.

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    8. Arrange the event content into subject blocks There should be some logic in the sequence in which activities take place. This will help participants to see a clear road ahead and to relate the significance of different experiences.

    9. Assess progress as you proceed

    Plan to have one or more reviews of the effectiveness of the learning experience as it proceeds. At the very least, plan for a mid-event review and modification in which all participants share.

    10. Emphasize the opening and closing sessions

    These are the most important sessions. The opening should set the standard, largely determine expectations, and enlist participants in the process of managing their own learning. The closing should aim to complete unfinished business and commit everyone to apply the learning after the event.

    11. Build in energizers

    If possible, they should involve physical movement, and it is useful to make them fun and competitive. Consider including them after long sessions or before significant changes of topic.

    12. Schedule staff review meetings

    Although the event should be well planned beforehand, the design should be flexible enough to allow changes as the learning progresses and new needs arise. Staff should regularly consider how the event is going and aim to revise it to meet changing needs and expectations.

    13. Review the design before commencement

    Even with lots of experience, it is possible to forget a basic point or omit an essential activity. Allowing others to critique the design before the course will enable you to make adjustments.

    14. Prepare material beforehand

    Handouts, review sheets, visual aids, etc., should all be prepared in advance. They should also appear professional. Trainers can easily be discredited by using poorly prepared and presented materials.

    15. Check expectations

    Checking the expectations of participants before the event will help you plan to meet their needs. Do not forget that expectations may extend beyond course content.

    Following this simple checklist will help to ensure that your team building events are successful.

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    2. The Building Blocks of Effective Teamwork

    team is a group of people who share common objectives and who need to work together to achieve them. Teams can be found on the sports field, in social

    organizations, or in business and industry. The primary focus of this book is team building in the working environment, but the concepts and ideas can be applied wherever a group of people share common objectives and need to work together in order to achieve them. They do not need to be paid employees to work together. A team is not a social gathering where people meet for the purpose of enjoyment; neither is it an audience of people who are assembled to listen or to learn. Committees are not usually teams because they comprise people who represent different interest groups. Often they share concerns but lack a unified commitment to action. Teams can provide unique opportunities; they can accomplish more and achieve results, such as:

    Providing support and help to their members, as a family would. Coordinating the activities of individuals. Generating commitment. Meeting the basic human need to belong. Identifying training and development needs. Providing learning opportunities. Enhancing communication. Providing a satisfying, stimulating, and enjoyable working environment.

    There can be many types of teams in an organization: Top Teams They set key objectives and develop the strategy of the organization. Because they have a broad task, they need a broad membership representing all aspects of the organization. Sometimes they may have temporary members who join them to contribute a particular expertise at a particular time. Management Teams They set more detailed objectives and coordinate and control the work of others. They provide the day-to-day leadership in organizations. They must be able to relate to the main body of the organization. They allocate resources and plan operations, devise development strategies, and manage the boundaries between different functions.

    A

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    Operator Teams These are the people who get the job done. They may work on machines or assembly lines. They may deliver goods or services. They may serve people in shops, in restaurants, or on airplanes. They are the people who perform the primary tasks of the organization. They transfer inputs into outputs. Technical Teams These are the people who set the standards in the organization. They might be technical standards, production standards, or service standards but they ensure that there is a uni-form approach. As organizations become larger, the need for standardization becomes more apparent. Support Teams These teams generally exist outside of the normal workflow of the organization. They provide the indirect support that is needed to enable those who get the job done to operate efficiently. Often they enable control to take place. Although it is possible to go it alone, the extent of human achievement is limited when people do not work together. One person can have brilliant ideas but may lack the brain power, imagination, or objectivity to capitalize on the ideas. Organizations are essentially about people working together and yet so often they fail to capitalize upon the full potential of this. A team can accomplish much more than the sum of its individual members, yet frequently groups of people are seen to achieve less than could have been accomplished by the individual members working alone. Most organizations have uninspiring meetings and departments that devote more energy to maintaining their own organizational position than to the common good of the organiza-tion as a whole. Teamwork is individuals working together to accomplish more than they could alone, but more than that, it can be exciting, satisfying, and enjoyable. Perhaps the simplest analogy is the football team. Were any of us to be given the task of building up a new national team, we would know that the task involved much more than just obtaining the best players in the nation. The success of the team would depend not only upon indi-vidual skills but on the way those individuals supported and worked with each other. A good football team is much more than a collection of individual skills; it is using these skills in a way to produce a united effort. Similarly, with almost any kind of team, its success, its very existence, depends upon the way in which all play together. In recent years, we have seen many approaches aimed at increasing organizational effectiveness, and organizations today pay more and more attention to the training and development of their peopleparticularly those who hold managerial positions. Most of that development activity is centered upon the improvement of individual skills, knowl-edge, and experience, but organizations are increasingly finding that this is not enough, that a real key to success is the way in which individuals behave toward each other and the way in which groups of people relate to and work with each other. Teamwork improves these things.

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    How then do we recognize where good teamwork and bad teamwork flourish? Perhaps, as with most things, it is easier to start with the bad than the good, so let us look at some of the symptoms of bad teamwork. First, the team can have the wrong balance in its membership. Because essential skills are lacking, tasks are continually not accomplished efficiently. Then there is the symptom of frustration. As organizations get larger, the opportunities for personal expression and satisfaction often decrease. Too frequently people who work in organizations become frustrated because they can no longer see a clear way of meeting their own needs and aspirations. People lose inspiration and lack the commitment and motivation that are essential ingredients of effective teamwork. In many organizations, the symptoms of grumbling and retaliation are easily seen. Because people cannot express themselves through the system, they do it privately in discussions in the hallways, restrooms, or parking lots. Often this chatter is a better indicator of organizational health than the most elaborate attitude surveys. The organizations that experience poor teamwork also seem to spend a lot of time on recriminations. They do not use mistakes as opportunities for increased learning and improvement but as excuses for punishing those who make the mistakes, and they do this in the many and varied ways in which organizations are able to hand out punishments. Unhealthy competition is another indicator of poor teamwork. Competition is the lifeblood of many organizations, but there is a great difference between an organization with healthy competition, where people can enjoy the just rewards of their deserved suc-cess and others can accept that the best person, system, or policy succeeded, and an organization where backbiting, dirty tricks, and politics are the everyday pastimes of managers. Similarly, great differences in rivalry between departments can be found. Many organizations owe much of their success to the naturally competitive spirit and pride of team membership that departmentalization often encourages, but many others have departments that are at constant war with each other, each jockeying for superior organizational position, influence, or perks. One particular organization was character-ized for many years by the constant bickering and dirty tricks of its department heads, each taking advantage over the others whenever possible. Not only did that lead to missed opportunities for the organization as a whole, but many more junior employees found that although they wanted to work with others, organizational barriers had been erected between them and their counterparts in other departments. Another sound indicator of poor teamwork is simply the facial expressions of employees. Effective teamwork breeds happiness, and by observing employees, the unin-formed visitor can often get an immediate impression of whether work is a happy place to be or whether being killed in the rush at clocking out time is a risk. Work does not have to be a dull and unenjoyable place; it can so easily be a truly rewarding place where people love to be. To many who have studied organizations, openness and honesty are the key indica-tors of organizational health. Unfortunately, some people seem to try honesty only when everything else has failed. Many managers particularly seem to go to enormous lengths to avoid telling the truth. There are, of course, occasions in every organization where

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    something other than total openness is necessary, but where good teamwork exists, there is generally no need for locks on drawers, dishonest statements to employees, and bargaining under false pretenses. Meetings are another key indicator of teamwork. The main reason for having meetings is to utilize the collective skills of a group of people while working on common problems or opportunities. Too often, however, we experience meetings that in no way use these skills; meetings where only one or a few people contribute, and meetings where many managers seem to use the occasion as an opportunity to lay down the rules rather than utilize the resources of the team. The quality of meetings can usually be determined by the way in which individuals either look forward to or dread the normal weekly or monthly get-togethers. In many organizations, the quality of the relationship between managers and those they manage is so low that effective teamwork cannot get off the ground. Where people cannot confide in or trust their manager, where they are fearful, or where their conversations are on a superficial or trivial level, real teamwork is unlikely to exist. Good teamwork engenders high quality relationships. Another danger sign is when the leader becomes increasingly isolated from the team, failing to represent their view while they do not subscribe to his or hers. The effective team leader needs to be very much a part of the team, and low quality relationships make this virtually impossible. People just not developing is another sure sign of ineffective teamwork. If a team is to be effective, it needs to be continually developing itself. This in part means constantly facilitating individual as well as team development. Often development does not happen because:

    There are perceived or real time pressures; It is seen as the job of the personnel department or training officer; Conflict exists between the teams culture and that of the organization; Team leaders lack the skills or willingness to make it happen; There is fear of the consequences of development.

    Sometimes poor teamwork results in jobs getting done twice or not at all because no clear understanding of roles within and between teams exists. Sometimes, although common problems exist, people are just not able or willing to get together and work on them. Then there is the attitude that teams and individual members have toward the possibility of external help. The ineffective team will usually either reject offers of help because it fears the consequences of outsiders finding out what the team is really like, or will seize all offers of help because it lacks any coherent view of how to proceed and is content to hand over its problems to someone else. The effective team will use external help constructively, recognizing its unique contribution and viewpoint, but always maintain ownership of its own problems and its own destiny. Creativity is a delicate flower that only flourishes in the right conditions, mainly conditions of personal freedom and supportfreedom to experiment with fresh ideas and concepts, and support from those who listen, evaluate, and offer help. A dearth of new

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    ideas generally goes with poor teamwork because it is within teams that the conditions for creativity can most easily be produced. The degree to which people help and are receptive to each other is another indicator. Where effective teamwork does not exist, people tend to work in isolation and neither offer nor receive the help of their colleagues. All of us need that help in order to perform at our optimum level. The conditions described above are indicative of an unhealthy organization and all of them can be significantly improved by effective teamwork. What then are the characteristics of effective teamwork? Very simply, they are the opposites of what is described above. The team has the right balance of skills, abilities, and aspirations. People can and do express themselves honestly and openly. Conversation about work is the same both inside and outside the organization. Mistakes are faced openly and used as vehicles for learning, and difficult situations are confronted. Helpful competition and conflict of ideas are used constructively and team members take pride in the success of their team. Unhelpful competition and conflict have been eliminated. Good relationships exist with other teams and departments. Each values and respects the other and their respective leaders themselves comprise an effective team. Personal relationships are characterized by support and trust, with people helping each other whenever possible. Meetings are productive and stimulating, with everyone participating and feeling responsible for what results from the decisions made. New ideas abound and their use enables the team to stay ahead. Boss-subordinate relationships are sound, each helping the other to perform their roles better, and the team feels that it is being led in an appropriate way. Personal and individual development is highly rated, and opportunities for making development happen are constantly sought. There is clear agreement about and understanding of objectives and of the roles that the team and its individual members will play in achieving them. External help will be welcomed and used where appropriate. The team regularly reviews where it is going, why it needs to go there, and how it is getting there. If necessary, it alters its practices in the light of that review. Finally, communication as a whole is effectiveup, down, and across the organization and with the outside world. All of this means that work is a happy place to be; people enjoy themselves wherever possible, but this enjoyment is conducive to achievement, not a barrier to it. People get satisfaction from their working lives, for work is one of the places where they can have their needs met and fulfill their aspirations. These characteristics can be seen as the raw materials of effective teamwork. I like to see them as building blocks because they are what we can use in a very practical way to build effective teams. Stated as simply as possible, they are:

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    Cooperation and conflict

    Appropriate leadership

    Regular review

    Individual development

    Sound intergroup relations

    Good communications

    Balanced roles

    Clear objectives and mutual goals

    Openness and confrontation

    Support and trust

    Sound procedures

    A full description of each building block is contained in the companion volume, Team Development Manual. This book contains fifty activities that can help you to utilize the building blocks of effective teamwork in your organization. The following key will guide you to those activities that correspond to the building blocks. Most activities relate to more than one building block.

  • 2. The Building Blocks of Effective Teamwork

    Reproduced from 50 Activities for Teambuilding, Volume II Mike Woodcock, Gower, Aldershot, 1988

    15

    Quick Reference Key to Activities

    Cooperationand

    Conflict

    PageNo.

    BalancedRoles

    ClearObjectivesand

    MutualGoals

    Opennessand

    Confrontation

    SupportandTrust

    SoundProcedures

    AppropriateLeadership

    RegularReview

    IndividualDevelopment

    SoundIntergroup

    Relations

    GoodCommunications

    ActivityNo.

    Act

    ivity

    Title

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

    Our

    Team

    and

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    21 25 29 33 37 39 43 47 51 55 57 61 63

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  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

    16 Reproduced from 50 Activities for Teambuilding, Volume II Mike Woodcock, Gower, Aldershot, 1988

    Quick Reference Key to Activities (continued)

    Cooperationand

    Conflict

    PageNo.

    BalancedRoles

    ClearObjectivesand

    MutualGoals

    Opennessand

    Confrontation

    SupportandTrust

    SoundProcedures

    AppropriateLeadership

    RegularReview

    IndividualDevelopment

    SoundIntergroup

    Relations

    GoodCommunications

    ActivityNo.

    Act

    ivity

    Title

    14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

    Rev

    iew

    and

    Appr

    aisa

    lMee

    tings

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    iven

    ing

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    tings

    How

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    agem

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    es

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    Who

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    You?

    Intim

    acy

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    Hig

    hway

    Cod

    e

    Isth

    eTe

    amLi

    sten

    ing?

    Cav

    eR

    escu

    e

    67 71 73 79 83 91 99 101

    105

    107

    113

    121

    123

    OO

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  • 2. The Building Blocks of Effective Teamwork

    Reproduced from 50 Activities for Teambuilding, Volume II Mike Woodcock, Gower, Aldershot, 1988

    17

    Quick Reference Key to Activities (continued)

    Cooperationand

    Conflict

    PageNo.

    BalancedRoles

    ClearObjectivesand

    MutualGoals

    Opennessand

    Confrontation

    SupportandTrust

    SoundProcedures

    AppropriateLeadership

    RegularReview

    IndividualDevelopment

    SoundIntergroup

    Relations

    GoodCommunications

    ActivityNo.

    Act

    ivity

    Title

    27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

    Initi

    alR

    evie

    w

    Pris

    oner

    'sD

    ilem

    ma

    The

    Zin

    Obe

    lisk

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    Sel

    f-Rev

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    133

    137

    141

    149

    151

    153

    155

    157

    161

    163

    165

    169

    173

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  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

    18 Reproduced from 50 Activities for Teambuilding, Volume II Mike Woodcock, Gower, Aldershot, 1988

    Quick Reference Key to Activities (concluded)

    Cooperationand

    Conflict

    PageNo.

    BalancedRoles

    ClearObjectivesand

    MutualGoals

    Opennessand

    Confrontation

    SupportandTrust

    SoundProcedures

    AppropriateLeadership

    RegularReview

    IndividualDevelopment

    SoundIntergroup

    Relations

    GoodCommunications

    ActivityNo.

    Act

    ivity

    Title

    40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

    Sile

    ntSh

    apes

    Basi

    cM

    eetin

    gAr

    rang

    emen

    ts

    Dec

    isio

    n-M

    akin

    g

    Com

    mun

    icat

    ion

    Skills

    Inve

    ntor

    y

    Taki

    ngSt

    ock

    My

    Rol

    ein

    the

    Team

    Dev

    isin

    ga

    Team

    Visi

    on

    Inte

    rgro

    upFe

    edba

    ck

    Bury

    ing

    the

    Old

    Team

    Org

    aniz

    atio

    nalT

    ypes

    Audi

    t

    Bala

    ncin

    gTe

    amR

    oles

    177

    179

    183

    185

    195

    199

    209

    213

    219

    221

    237

    OO

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  • Activities Symbol:

    Handout

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

    Reproduced from 50 Activities for Teambuilding, Volume II Mike Woodcock, Gower, Aldershot, 1988

    21

    Activity 1

    Our Team and Its Stage of Development

    PURPOSE: To provide a simple, structured way in which team members can consider the performance and stage of development of their own teams.

    METHOD: 1. Provide an overview of the stages of team development. 2. Distribute the Rating Sheet (Handout 1.1) and ask participants to

    consider the main characteristics of the four principal stages of development and mark the rating scale where they consider their team to be.

    3. Lead the group in a discussion that aims to: Achieve consensus on the stage of development Formulate a mutual statement about the development needs of

    the team

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    1. The activity may also be used to consider the stage of development of other teams from an outsiders viewpoint.

    2. Completion of the activity by outsiders can be used to provide additional data for consideration by the team.

    3. The activity can be used repeatedly throughout a planned program of development to check progress and reassess needs.

    4. The activity is particularly useful in bridging the gap between a consideration of theory and a commitment to action.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    23

    Handout 1.1

    Rating Sheet: Our Team and Its Stage of Development

    Stage 1

    Characteristics Stage 2

    Characteristics Stage 3

    Characteristics* Stage 4

    Characteristics**

    1. Feelings not dealt with

    2. The workplace is for work only

    3. Established line prevails

    4. No rocking the boat

    5. Poor listening

    6. Weaknesses covered up

    7. Unclear objectives

    8. Low involvement in planning

    9. Bureaucracy

    10. Boss makes most decisions

    Experimentation

    Risky issues and wider options debated

    Personal feelings raised

    More inward looking

    Greater listening

    More concern for others

    Sometimes uncomfortable

    Methodical working

    Mutual procedures

    Established ground rules

    High flexibility

    Appropriate leadership determined by situation

    Maximum use of energy and ability

    Basic principles considered, agreed to, and reviewed

    Needs of all members met

    Development a priority

    * Stage 2 with a more systematic approach ** Stages 2 and 3 characteristics added

    Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

    RATING SCALE

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    Activity 2

    What Makes Teams Effective?

    PURPOSE: To promote understanding of and agreement about the characteristics of effective teams.

    METHOD: Distribute Handout 2.1 and explain that the team task is to rank the statements in order of importance by placing a 1 next to the most important, a 2 next to the second most important, etc., so that 11 appears next to the least important statement.

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    1. Participants may first be asked to individually rank the statements before team ranking takes place.

    2. The essential feature of the activity is the discussion that clarifies and aids the understanding of each characteristic.

    3. Participants may also be invited to add to the list of characteristics.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    Handout 2.1

    Rating Sheet: Characteristics of Effective Teams

    1 = Most Important 11 = Least Important

    RANKING The team has an optimum mix of skills and abilities. The team is clear about what it wants to achieve. Issues are always confronted and dealt with in an open way. Members show support for each other and there is a high level of trust between them. Both cooperation and conflict are used to get the best results. There are sound and understood procedures for decision making. Team leadership, where required, is of a high standard and in appropriate hands. The team regularly reviews the way it operates and learns from the experience. Individual and team development needs are regularly reviewed. Relations with other groups are sound. Our internal and external communications are good.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    Activity 3

    Team Rating

    PURPOSE: To compare teams by assessing them against the characteristics that are commonly associated with success, to help identify those teams most in need of development and provide a basis for helping them.

    METHOD: Note: This activity can be undertaken by an individual, by a group representing a number of teams, or by a group who are not members of the teams being rated.

    1. Provide sufficient copies of the Score Sheet (Handout 3.1). The Score Sheet lists eleven characteristics that successful teams usually display. For each team reviewed, assign a score out of a scale from 1 to 10 for performance against each characteristic.

    2. Compare results between teams and between criteria, asking: Does this activity tell us anything about which teams are in

    need of development? Are there any criteria requiring attention and that are common

    to some/all teams reviewed?

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    1. Clearly, the results will only be as valid as the perception of those taking part, and care must be taken not to read too much into the results. This is a good activity for starting a discussion and helping decide where to begin. However, other indicators of performance should also be considered before any program of action is undertaken.

    2. The scale can also be used within a team to compare the views of individual members.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    Handout 3.1

    Team Rating Score Sheet Team A Team B Team C Team D Team E Total

    Balanced roles

    Clear objectives and mutual goals

    Openness and confrontation

    Support and trust

    Cooperation and conflict

    Sound procedures

    Appropriate leadership

    Regular review

    Individual development

    Sound intergroup relations

    Good communications

    Total

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

    Reproduced from 50 Activities for Teambuilding, Volume II Mike Woodcock, Gower, Aldershot, 1988

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    Activity 4

    The Teams in My Working Life

    PURPOSE: To identify the various groups of teams to which we belong in our working lives and examine why some are more effective than others.

    METHOD: 1. Consider four teams to which you belong and list them on a sheet of paper. Assign a letter, A through D, to each team. Do this before continuing with the next page of the activity.

    2. Continue by completing a Check Sheet (Handout 4.1) for each team. Write the appropriate team letter on each sheet.

    3. When you have completed the check sheet, look at the answers and record the letters that score:

    1 or 2 on question 1

    5 or 6 on question 2

    1 or 2 on question 3

    5 or 6 on question 4

    1 or 2 on question 5

    5 or 6 on question 6

    1 or 2 on question 7

    5 or 6 on question 8

    Does this conform to your own experience of them?

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    Handout 4.1

    Check SheetTeam __________ (Write the appropriate letter) Directions: Circle the number that reflects your answer. 1. The group is effective at

    getting things done. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The group is ineffective at

    getting things done. 2. Membership is vague and

    easy to achieve. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Membership is defined and

    difficult to achieve. 3. The group has clear

    standards of behavior. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The group has little influence

    on behavior of its members. 4. There is no clear difference

    of roles. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Individuals have clearly

    different roles in the group. 5. There are close personal

    relationships within the group.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 Relationships are mainly impersonal.

    6. People have a low

    understanding of group purpose.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 People share a clear concept of the purpose of the group.

    7. People feel a strong sense

    of personal commitment to the group.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 There is little personal commitment to the group.

    8. Communication with others

    is poor. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The group communicates

    well with all the rest of the organization.

    Now answer the following questions: 1. Which groups appear most often? 2. Which groups appear least often? 3. Which do you think are the most developed? 4. What has contributed to their development? 5. How could the least developed be helpful?

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    37

    Activity 5

    Team Mirroring

    PURPOSE: To see ourselves and our team as others see us. All of us form views of other groups of people. Sometimes these views are accurate, but often they act as a barrier to working together effectively. This barrier can sometimes be removed if we understand what we think about others and know what they think about us.

    METHOD: This activity needs two separate teams who normally work with or alongside each other. The process has been used successfully with such groups as top and middle managers, sales and production people, supervisors and staff, teachers and students, and nurses and patients. It can be threatening and it is important to ensure that each team is willing to undertake the activity.

    1. Introduce the activity to both teams with a short explanation of what is about to happen. Then, separate the two groups and ask each to prepare a list of 24 adjectives, 12 positive and 12 nega-tive, that best describe the other group. Choose a representative from each group to record the list of adjectives on a flipchart.

    2. After 45 minutes, reunite both groups and have their representatives display and read their lists, and sum up their position by drawing attention to the key words. Everyone then considers the lists in silence for two minutes.

    3. Divide participants into subgroups of four each, two from each team. Each subgroup takes approximately an hour to discuss how people see each other. In the last 10 minutes, each person writes on a sheet of paper what he or she has learned from the exchange of views. These sheets, which remain anonymous, are collected and shared by the entire group.

    4. Consider whether the activity has raised important issues that remain unresolved. If so, plan to undertake other activities that will resolve and terminate the open issues.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

    38 Reproduced from 50 Activities for Teambuilding, Volume II Mike Woodcock, Gower, Aldershot, 1988

    Activity 5: Team Mirroring (concluded)

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    1. Two, three, or four groups can be used with each group receiving a list of adjectives from each of the other groups.

    2. Make the point that, whether accurate or not, other peoples perceptions are important and can act as real barriers to inter-group relationships.

    3. Take care when using boss/subordinate groups, since feedback is often more negative from subordinate groups.

    4. When teams from separate departments are used, the feedback can be potentially threatening to department managers and care should be taken to pick up the issues and turn them to productive use.

    5. Activity 36 is similar in concept and more suitable for use as part of a training event.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    39

    Activity 6

    Team Leader Effectiveness

    PURPOSE: To enable team leaders to conduct a self-appraisal of their own effectiveness.

    METHOD: 1. Have the team leader(s) assess their own effectiveness using Handout 6.1.

    2. Next, have team leader(s) disclose the assessment to one or more members of the team, who comment on it.

    3. Then, have the team leader(s) assess their effectiveness in light of comments received.

    4. Repeat the cycle.

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    This activity can be used as part of an appraisal process or as an aid in a coaching relationship.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    Handout 6.1

    Team Leader Effectiveness Directions: Using a scale from 1 to 100 (with 60 indicating satisfactory performance), rate yourself on the following items in terms of your effectiveness. RATING I am authentic and true to myself.

    I am clear about the standards I wish to achieve.

    I give and receive trust and loyalty.

    I maintain the integrity and position of my team.

    I am receptive to peoples hopes, needs, and dignity.

    I use delegation as an aid to achievement and development.

    I face facts honestly and directly.

    I encourage and assist personal and team development.

    I establish and maintain sound working procedures.

    I try to make work a happy and rewarding place.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    43

    Activity 7

    Team Leadership Style

    PURPOSE: Almost more than anything else, the way in which a team is led can affect the contribution and performance of those who work in it. This activity enables a team and its leader(s) to examine their assumptions about people and about management style. Based on McGregors Theory X and Theory Y approach, it helps reveal what attitudes influence the team so that, brought into the open, these attitudes can be dealt with more effectively.

    METHOD: 1. Ask the whole of the team to complete the Leadership Style Questionnaire (Handout 7.1).

    2. Ask for the questionnaires to be returned anonymously to a particular person by a certain date. The selected person then analyzes the questionnaires and produces a chart showing the average leadership style that the team sees as prevailing (A), and the average preferred leadership style (B).

    3. Show the chart at a meeting of those who completed the questionnaire and discuss the leadership styles, both perceived and preferred. Then identify the action that could improve leadership practice to the benefit of the whole team.

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    1. The activity can be conducted within a regular meeting or training event.

    2. An input on McGregors Theory X and Theory Y model can be given before or after completion.

    3. The cooperation of the team leader(s) should always be forthcoming before trying this activity.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    Handout 7.1

    Leadership Style Questionnaire Directions: This questionnaire is designed to identify the present leadership style in your team and your preferred leadership style. Read each question and place the letter A over the number that most nearly represents the leadership attitudes that you feel are most commonly displayed. Then consider what you feel the attitude ought to be and indicate this with the letter B. The average person inherently dislikes work and will avoid it when possible.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Work is as natural as rest or play.

    People must be coaxed and made to work.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 People can and do exer-cise discretion and self-control in their work.

    People will avoid responsi-bility if they can.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 People welcome and enjoy real responsibility.

    Most people do not care about career advancement.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 People are interested in the quality and advance-ment of their working lives.

    Most people are basically dull and lack creativity most of the time.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Most people have great potential, imagination, and creativity that are untapped.

    People see money as the principal reason for working.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Money is only one of the benefits of work.

    People do not want to improve the quality of their own working life.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 People are prepared to put effort into improving the quality of their working life.

    Objectives are straight-jackets that tie people down.

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Objectives give people incentives and freedom.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    47

    Activity 8

    Characteristics of Personal Effectiveness

    PURPOSE: Developed and successful individuals the world over display a set of fairly common characteristics. Others, however, continually display a set of characteristics regularly associated with being less successful. This activity is designed to help you see where you stand in relation to the two types of behaviors.

    METHOD: 1. On the left side of the Characteristics sheet (Handout 8.1) are printed the successful characteristics and on the right side unsuccessful characteristics. They are deliberately presented as opposites and between the two is a scale. Mark on the scale where you think you are.

    2. Check your own perception with the views of others. This can either be done in a dialogue situation or by asking others to rate you using the characteristics sheet.

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    Handout 8.1

    Characteristics I am active. I am passive. I seek challenge. I avoid challenge. I continually seek self- I avoid self-knowledge knowledge and insight. and insight. I use time and energy I misuse time and energy. well. I am in touch with my I am out of touch with my feelings. true feelings. I continually show I never show concern for concern for others. others. I am always relaxed. I am always tense. I am always open and I tend to manipulate honest. others. I continually try to I avoid stretching stretch myself. experiences. I am clear about my I am largely influenced personal values. by the views of others. I set high personal I set low personal standards. standards. I welcome feedback. I avoid feedback. I always see things I opt out when the going through. gets tough. I use opposing views. I am intolerant to the views of others. I use conflict. I avoid conflict construc- tively. I give freedom to others. I try to restrict the free- dom of others. I am basically happy I am basically unhappy with my life. with my life.

  • 50 Activities for Team Building: Volume II

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    51

    Activity 9

    My Meetings with Others

    PURPOSE: Almost all of us regularly meet others in our working lives, and whether the meetings are formal or informal, we can usually make them more useful. This activity helps to assess our present effectiveness and move toward improvement.

    METHOD: 1. Using the columns shown in the Meeting Effectiveness Assessment (Handout 9.1), have participants list those people or groups of people with whom they regularly spend time and how often they meet them in an average week.

    2. In the third column, rank each meeting in order of importance to you. (Assign a number from 1 to 5, from lowest to highest importance, respectively.)

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    The activity can be adapted to allow completion by a team. It is particularly useful when used in a coaching relationship.

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    Handout 9.1

    Meeting Effectiveness Assessment

    People/Group I Spend Time With Frequency Ranking

    1. Using the words below (and any others that come to mind as being appropriate),

    choose those that best describe the character of each meeting. Start with the meeting that you ranked highest in order of importance. Finally, in column three, rank each meeting (on a scale of 1 [low] to 5 [high])based on the words you have chosen.

    Meeting Descriptions: formal effective great sound negative

    unfair interesting destructive productive absorbing

    vague superficial messy boring irrelevant

    rambling purposeful friendly useful stimulating

    Ranking Effectiveness of Meetings

    Meeting With Words Chosen Ranking

    2. Compare your ranking in Step 1 with that in Step 2 and consider which meetings

    are the ones in need of improvement.

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    54 Reproduced from 50 Activities for Teambuilding, Volume II Mike Woodcock, Gower, Aldershot, 1988

    Handout 9.1 (concluded) 3. For those meetings you wish to improve, complete the worksheet below, which will

    serve as your action plan for change.

    Meetings With

    Desirable Changes in Me

    Desirable Changes in Others

    What I Can Do To Bring About the

    Changes

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    55

    Activity 10

    Force Field Analysis

    PURPOSE: To provide a framework for a team to tackle a difficult problem systematically.

    METHOD: 1. The activity is carried out individually, and then results are compared in the team.

    2. As a team, select a difficult problem that you all feel needs solving. The activity is more useful where other people or groups are also involved in the problem.

    3. As individuals, work through the following steps: Identify the problem as you see it now and describe it in

    writing. Now define the problem in terms of the present situation and

    the situation you would like to see when the problem is solved. Make a list of the forces working against change (resisting

    forces). Then make a list of the forces working for change (driving forces). These forces can be people, finances, external factors, etc., anything either hindering you from or helping you to make a change.

    PresentSituation

    SituationAs You WouldLike It To Be

    Resisting Forces Resisting Forces

    Driving Forces Driving Forces Underline those forces that seem to be the most important. For each resisting force underlined, list the factors that could

    possibly reduce or eliminate the force. For each driving force underlined, list the factors that could

    possibly increase it.

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    Activity 10: Force Field Analysis (concluded)

    Determine the most promising steps you could take toward solving your problem and the resources available to help you.

    Re-examine your steps and put them in sequence, omitting any that do not seem to fit in with your overall goals. The following column headings may be used as a guide:

    Steps When How

    4. As a team, share the results of individual efforts and formulate an action plan for resolving the problem.

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    1. While the activity is written in a format suitable for teams, it is also useful to individuals working on individual problems or is also suitable for use in pairs.

    2. Activity 11, Team Effectiveness Action Plan, is an example of how force field analysis can be used specifically as part of a training event.

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    Activity 11

    Team Effectiveness Action Plan

    PURPOSE: To enable participants during a training event to consider how team effectiveness can be increased back on the job.

    METHOD: Complete the step-by-step Team Effectiveness Action Plan (Handout 11.1) as follows:

    Steps 1 through 4 near the beginning of the event Step 5 continuously thereafter Step 6 near the close of the event

    NOTES AND

    VARIATIONS: 1. This simple activity has been used successfully by the author on

    many team-building events, but its introduction must be tailored to the format of the event.

    2. A more detailed explanation of force field analysis (see Activity 10) can be given as an aid to understanding.

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    Handout 11.1

    Team Effectiveness Action Plan Step 1: Describe two situations in your team that lead you to think that there is a need

    for team building.

    Step 2: Describe two situations in which your team is working well together.

    1.

    2.

    Step 3: What forces in your team are working toward effective teamwork?

    Step 4: What forces in your team are working against effective teamwork?

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    Handout 11.1 (concluded) Step 5: Keep adding to the forces for and against teamwork as you gain insights

    during the event.

    Step 6: Prepare an action plan that builds on positive forces and try to eliminate or

    reduce the negative forces.

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    Activity 12

    Brainstorming

    PURPOSE: Many normal operating rules in teams restrict creativity. This activity helps to generate creative ideas and shows how much easier it is to do that when the normal constraints are removed.

    METHOD: To get the best results, it is important to follow the rules exactly: 1. Assemble your team and arrange for two to three hours of

    uninterrupted time.

    2. Decide on a subject in which change and creativity are important. If one does not come easily to mind, use the general topic, Ways of improving your teamwork.

    3. Start by explaining that the session is going to try brainstorming, which means that everyone is completely free to suggest ideas. Make it clear that all ideas, no matter how absurd or wild, should be contributed, and that there must be no discussion of an idea; as soon as one is introduced, go on to the next one.

    4. Record the rules on a flipchart as a general reminder for the rest of the session.

    5. When everyone understands the rules, begin the brainstorming session by writing the chosen topic clearly on the flipchart. For example:

    TopicWays of improvingour teamwork

    6. Brainstorm this topic for about 40 minutes and list (without judgment or discussion) every idea suggested.

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    Activity 12: Brainstorming (concluded)

    7. Now divide the team into two subgroups and ask each group to place each idea into one of these three categories:

    A Important and Feasible B Possible C Worthless Allow up to one hour for this phase.

    8. Ask each group to list all the A ideas on one sheet, all the B ideas on a second sheet, and all the C ideas on a third sheet.

    9. Ask each person to examine both lists of A comments and to choose the two ideas that he/she feels could make the greatest contribution to improving the business. Each time an idea is chosen, place a checkmark against it.

    10. Now take the three ideas with the highest score and ask each subgroup to choose from these the one idea it feels is the most important. Each subgroup is then asked to produce a written plan to carry out the idea.

    11. After six weeks, the whole group meets to discuss how well plans are progressing and to take any necessary action.

    12. When these first ideas have been successfully implemented, the subgroups can move on to the others. Project teams can also be formed.

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    1. 2.

    This simple technique can be varied to suit almost any situation. It shows how easily ideas come when there is no risk of censorship.

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    Activity 13

    Team Openness Exercise

    PURPOSE: Team effectiveness can be enhanced by greater openness among team members. This activity helps team members to be more open with each other by exploring work-related topics in greater depth.

    METHOD: 1. Invite participants to pair off, preferably with a team member they do not know well.

    2. They should then find a comfortable and private place where the following ground rules should be applied: Take turns asking the questions on Handout 13.1, choosing

    them in any order. Ask only those questions that you are prepared to answer. Any member may decline to answer any question that is asked

    of him or her. Follow-up questions may be asked to ensure that replies are

    fully understood. Both participants should agree that answers are to remain

    confidential. Questions may be asked more than once.

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    1. 2.

    The activity can also be used in triads or in an open group setting. Similar in concept to Activity 23, Intimacy Exercise, the topics raised are more work-related and less personal.

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    Handout 13.1

    Questions (These may be asked in any order)

    1. Are you happy in your present job? 2. Are you effective in your present job? 3. What do you see as the next step in your career development? 4. What personal weaknesses inhibit your performance? 5. What do you regard as your major strengths? What are your main development

    needs? 6. What are the principal achievements you are looking for in your work right now? 7. Where do you see yourself ten years from now? 8. What do you think I think of you? 9. What do you think of me?

    10. Describe your different responsibilities. 11. What was your first impression of me when we first met? 12. Has your impression of me altered since we first met? 13. How do you respond to pressure? 14. Are you enjoying this activity? 15. What barriers do you see to your own advancement? 16. To whom are you closest in our team? 17. Why do you think that is? 18. How committed are you to our team? 19. What is the major contribution you make to our team? 20. Do you receive sufficient feedback from other team members? 21. Do you think I am devious? 22. Does anything about me puzzle you? 23. Describe the politics of our team to me. 24. How do you think our team is seen by the rest of the organization?

    Before closing the activity, each person should answer:

    1. How could we better help each other in our work? 2. How else can we jointly improve the effectiveness of our team?

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    Activity 14

    Review and Appraisal Meetings

    PURPOSE: In any team there needs to be constant concern with what has to be done and how the best results can be achieved. A discipline of regular target-setting and review often helps team members to work more effectively. In addition, the intention is to give each employee an accurate view of how the company values his or her contribution and to enable all concerned to understand what has to be done in order to improve performance. Special attention is paid to what the person needs to learn in order to better meet future needs.

    METHOD: The way in which review and appraisal is tackled can vary. In some larger organizations, formal appraisal procedures are introduced that involve a general organizational commitment, a great deal of planning, and often an elaborate system of paperwork. Many books and articles have been written about such procedures, and anyone wishing to introduce a more formal type of system should consult them. This activity is intended for the manager or team leader who wishes to adopt a more informal approach to review and appraisal, and use basic principles in a relatively unstructured way. To do this, follow these simple ground rules:

    1. Essentially, the activity consists of a meeting or series of meetings between two or more people in which they seek to review the past, learn from the experience, and improve the future.

    2. You will need to decide on: The interval between review; Who is going to be involved in the procedure; The basis on which the review will be carried out; Whether the procedure is likely to conflict with any other

    established practices.

    3. It is essential to obtain commitment from all those who are to be involved, and the first thing to do is to explain to everyone what you intend to do.

    4. At an early stage you should decide whether you wish to keep any records concerned with appraisal. It is often particularly useful to have the areas of achievement recorded in writing and to use this record as the basis for the next review.

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    Activity 14: Review and Appraisal Meetings (continued)

    5. One of the weaknesses of many review and appraisal procedures is that they concentrate on personality rather than performance. Personality should only be considered if it is seen to be a barrier to good performance. Therefore, it is necessary to agree with each individual on the achievements and standards expected from him or her as a datum level. This agreement should be confirmed at each meeting.

    6. It must always be kept in mind that review and appraisal is a two-way process. Always ensure that the individual who is being appraised assesses his or her own performance against the expected areas of achievement as well as you doing it yourself. In this way, people are more likely to recognize their own weak-nesses and development needs and therefore be more committed to action. Most people really do appreciate being given feedback on how they are performing. This part of the process can be made more comfortable by asking the individual to relate his or her own self-assessment first before you make your own comments.

    7. Remember that others may also have a legitimate and valuable view about the persons performance. Always ask for other opin-ions if it will help to produce a more accurate assessment, but you should always make it clear to the person being reviewed that you are doing this.

    8. Remember that the end product of any review and appraisal approach is actionimprovement targets that are agreed to and regularly reviewed and development activities that are arranged and followed up.

    NOTES AND VARIATIONS:

    1. This informal approach to review and appraisal offers a manager or team leader the chance of making a more objective assess-ment of the individual development needs of his or her team members. It also allows the individual to be involved in the proc-ess of identifying his or her own development needs. It need not be a ritual that happens once a year to please the personnel department. It can be varied in timing and method to suit the needs of you and your staff.

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