Category Archives: Team

TWO ACTIONS FOR FORMING A TEAM

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This mini-session titled – TWO ACTIONS FOR FORMING A TEAM, is a virtual training activity that can be used as part of a team-building training session.

In the session, two key actions that can help to form a team are explored.

INTRODUCTION

We get work done in teams. No matter how talented or skilled an individual is, they cannot get all the work done by themselves. This is why teams are so important. In this mini-session, participants will identify two actions they can take as part of the process to form a team.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

After going through this session, participants will be able to:

  • take two actions that can help to form a team.

DELIVERY MODE

  • Virtual

DURATION (ESTIMATED)

  • 20 minutes

HANDOUT

  • Yes

PREPARATION

  • Read through all the resources (facilitator’s guide, participants handout, and presentation) to understand how they all work together to deliver the session.

PREREQUISITES

  • None

INTRODUCE THE SESSION

Introduce the session by sharing the learning objective with them. Display the slide titled – LEARNING OBJECTIVE.

After displaying the slide, tell them that:

  • Teams are a very important aspect of work, and they help us to get things done.
  • There are various things we can do to help form an effective team.
  • In this mini-session, we will explore two key actions that can help to form a team.
  • A team leader may have the opportunity to form a completely new team.
  • But even the team leader of an ongoing or inherited team can still influence the team members to some degree.
  • The team leader can replace someone who leaves the team, shift responsibility from one team member to another, or recruit additional team members if they are given the resources to do so.
  • Whatever the case may be, the team leader needs to think carefully about the kinds of people she wants on the team.
  • To think about that challenge briefly, let’s look at Matthew’s situation.
  • Go to the part of your workbook titled – WHO SHOULD BE THE ART DIRECTOR?

Give them time to read the information there (about 2 to 3-minutes).

After that use the ‘breakout rooms’ feature to put them into pairs and give them 6-minutes to do the activity.

When the time is up, stop them and bring everyone back to the main room.

Allow each pair’s nominated person to feedback their answers. Make sure they all speak about why they chose the person for the role of Art Director.

After they finish sharing their answers, thank them for doing the activity and then direct them to the part of their workbooks titled – WHAT MATTHEW COULD DO.

Tell them that:

  • The information describes what Matthew could do and that is not to say that the answers you gave were wrong.
  • However, it is a situation that Matthew needs to think about carefully before making a final decision.

Let them read the information there for about 2 to 3-minutes.

After they’ve read the information, ask them for any questions or comments. Listen to them and respond appropriately (answer any questions if you can. If you can’t, let them know and if possible, tell them you will get back to them later with an appropriate answer).

Next, let them know that, when forming a team, there are two important actions they need to take.

Display the slide titled – TWO KEY ACTIONS.

When the slide displays, it will be blank with just a title.

Click  on the slide once to display information and say that:

  • The first action is to clearly identify team roles.
  • Different teams will have different skill requirements, but every team needs some predictable roles to be filled and shared.
  • Some of these roles can overlap and can be rotated to allow team members to serve in different roles, gain new experience, and spread duties around.

Click on the slide once more to display more information and tell them that:

  • The second action is to select the right kind of team members.
  • When choosing team members, it is important to recruit individuals who can contribute a complementary mix of skills.
  • Look not just for those who already have the skills needed for the team but also those who have the potential to develop.
  • What each team will need will depend on the goal of the team but every team will need a blend of technical/functional expertise and three skills.
  • Here are three skills every team needs.

Display the slide titled – THREE ESSENTIAL SKILLS.

When the slide is displayed, information will appear on it automatically. You don’t need to click on the slide.

Tell them that:

  • Every team will need people who can solve problems and make decisions effectively.
  • Teams also need people with good interpersonal skills such as effective communication skills and a positive attitude.
  • Also, you need people who can work well in a team. People who have a good spirit of cooperation and are mutually supportive.

Let them know that the information about the two actions you’ve just shared with them is also in their handouts in a section titled – TWO KEY ACTIONS.

After that let them know that you’ve got a question for them in the form of a poll.

Display the poll titled – WHICH OF THESE WOULD YOU CONSIDER?

This is what the poll will look like:

Give them 90-seconds to respond to the poll. They can choose multiple answers.
After 90-seconds, stop the poll and display the results. Then tell them that:

  • All the options are things we should consider when selecting team members.
  • It is very important that we select people with the required skills but you also want people with good attitudes. It is easier to train people than try to change their attitude so it makes sense to recruit those with a good attitude and provide training where skills are concerned.
  • We also need to think carefully about the size of the team. When teams are too big, productivity may suffer and a team that is too small may not have all the required skills. Getting the size balance right is crucial.
  • As you select team members you also want to take the time to understand what motivates your team members. It is important to find out people’s needs and desires and work towards meeting them.
  • While money is important to people, it is not what typically motivates them. Some of the things that may motivate people include:
    • the opportunity to learn and grow professionally,
    • recognition for achievements and accomplishments, and
    • the pleasure of team affiliation and working with others.
  • You should also be clear about contributions and rewards. Be sure that team members know how their contributions will lead to rewards. Even if you are not recruiting a new team member, you can convert a less-than-enthusiastic member by responding to their potential personal or professional desires.

Let them know that there is information about what you said in their handouts in the section titled – CONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING NEW TEAM MEMBERS.

There’s also some extra information on tips for selecting team members and establishing team size titled (TIPS FOR SELECTING TEAM MEMBERS AND ESTABLISHING TEAM SIZE).

Give them 3-minutes to read the information there.


After they have finished reading, ask them for any comments or questions. Listen to them and respond appropriately to them if necessary.
Then end the activity.

VIRTUAL TRAINING ACTIVITY: HOW PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE IS YOUR TEAM – LEARNING OBJECTIVES

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Previously I introduced a new virtual training session I am developing titled – How Psychologically Safe is your team? You can read that post here. In this post we open the session by sharing the learning objectives for the session.

FACILITATION

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

  • Display the slide titled – LEARNING OBJECTIVES.

Slide4

  • Tell them that – by the end of the session you will be able to:
    • describe what psychological safety is,
    • identify the benefits of psychological safety, and
    • take steps to implement psychological safety in your teams.
  • After sharing the learning objectives, ask them for any comments and/or questions. Respond to any they have appropriately.
  • After that move to the first topic, which is to define what effective psychological safety is.

In the next post the participants will discuss what psychological safety is.

VIRTUAL TRAINING ACTIVITY: HOW PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE IS YOUR TEAM – INTRODUCTION

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This virtual training resource which will cover a series of posts is about introducing first-line managers to the concept of psychological safety. During the session managers will explore what psychological safety is, why it is important and steps they can take to manage and maintain psychological safety in their team. Following is a description of what the session will be cover.

INTRODUCTION

Managers must achieve objectives through their teams, and this means that the team environment matters. A team is likely to be more successful in achieving their objectives if team members have the belief that the work environment is safe for interpersonal risk taking, an environment where people feel able to speak up with ideas, questions, and concerns. Such environments have psychological safety, and it should be the goal of every manager to ensure that they help create psychological safety in their teams. In this session participants will explore what psychological safety is and actions they can take to develop and maintain psychological safety in their teams.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this session participants will be able to:

  • describe what psychological safety is,
  • identify benefits and challenges associated with the presence or lack of psychological safety,
  • explain how to access the level of psychological safety in their teams, and
  • take steps to implement psychological safety in their teams.

QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE ANSWERED

  • What is psychological safety?
  • What are the benefits of psychological safety in a team?
  • What are the challenges of no psychological safety in a team?
  • What does psychological safety look like?
  • How can I access the level of psychological safety in my team?
  • What steps can I take to develop and maintain psychological safety in my team?

In the next post we will start the session by welcoming the participants and sharing the learning objectives with them.

VIRTUAL TRAINING ACTIVITY – REVIEWING WHAT MEETINGS ARE

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INTRODUCTION

This short activity is part of a virtual training course on How To Prepare For A Meeting. This activity will allow the participants to review the basics of meetings before going on discuss how to prepare for a meeting.

THE ACTIVITY

  • To review meetings, the delegates will do a three-question quiz that will review:
    • What a meeting is?
    • Why have a meeting?
    • Who should be invited to a meeting?
  • To set up the activity:
    • Direct each participate to the section in their workbooks titled – QUICK REVIEW QUIZ.
    • In the section is a quiz with three questions.
    • Give them 2-minutes to complete the quiz.
    • They should write their answers to the questions in the chat window.

QUICK REVIEW QUIZ (questions in workbook)

Below are three questions about meetings, answer them and be ready to discuss your answers with the facilitator.

  1. Which of these statements best describes what a meeting is (you can choose multiple answers)?
    1. The act of coming together for the purpose of transacting business.
    2. An assembly or gathering of people to build trust.
    3. A meeting is when two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal or business setting.
    4. An assembly of people for a particular purpose, especially for formal discussion.
  2. Which of these is a good reason to call for a meeting (you can choose multiple answers)?
    1. When you need a group or team to provide information or advice on a topic.
    2. When you want the group or team to participate in making a decision or solving a problem.
    3. You are dealing with a problem that needs input from members of different groups who have a varying perspectives or agendas.
    4. The subject is a personal issue.
    5. The issue has already been decided.
  3. You want to have a meeting, who should be invited to the meeting (you can choose multiple answers)?
    1. Everyone in the team or group irrespective of if they will contribute to the meeting or not.
    2. Key decision makers for the decisions that will be discussed at the meeting.
    3. People with the relevant information and knowledge.
    4. People who have a commitment to, or a stake in the issues to be discussed at the meeting.
  • After 2-minutes stop and appreciate them for doing the activity.
  • Tell them you are going to display the answers for the quiz.
  • Press on the slide currently displayed (QUICK REVIEW QUIZ) to display the answers to question one. Allow them to review their answers.
  • Then do the same to display the answers to questions 2 and 3.

SLIDE – QUICK REVIEW QUIZ

  • After that, tell them that:
    • With this short quiz we have briefly reviewed what a meeting is, why have meetings and who to invite to a meeting.
    • There is more information about this in your workbooks under the section titled – WHAT, WHY AND WHERE.
    • You can read that information in your own time.

WHAT, WHY AND WHO?

What is a meeting?

A meeting is an assembly of people for a particular purpose, especially for formal discussion. It is when two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal or business setting, but meetings also occur in a variety of other environments. Meetings will have intended outcomes that those coming together aim to achieve.

Why have a meeting?

Meetings must be conducted for the right reasons. Here are some reasons why you may want to call a meeting:

  • When you need a group or team to provide information or advice on an issue.
  • If you want the team to participate in making a decision or solving a problem.
  • You need to clear up an issue that cannot be dealt with in a one-to-one meeting.
  • You want to share information, a success, or a concern with the whole team or make everyone aware of a particular situation preferably face-to-face.
  • You are dealing with a problem that needs input from members of different groups who have varying perspective or agendas.
  • Your team has a strong feeling to meet.
  • To deal with a responsibility in an area that requires two or more members of the team to be present.

You don’t need to call a meeting if:

  • You are dealing with a personal matter that requires one-to-one meetings.
  • Another method of communication would work as well or even better.
  • The issue has already been decided and you don’t require input from the team.
  • The subject is not important enough to justify people meeting.
  • The team are upset and need some time apart to address the source of conflict. You may need to meet team members individually first before having a team meeting.

Who needs to be invited to a meeting?

  • Key decision makers for the decisions that will be discussed at the meeting.
  • People with the relevant information and knowledge.
  • People who have a commitment to, or a stake in the issues to be discussed at the meeting.
  • Those who need to know about the information that will be discussed in order to do their jobs.
  • Anyone who will be required to implement decisions made at the meeting.

This activity is taken from a virtual training resource titled, How To Prepare For A Meeting. The resources is aimed at supporting team leaders to develop the necessary capabilities to prepare for a meeting. To get the full resource go here.