To help your organization end the old year and begin the new one on just the right note!

PINNACLE

MANAGEMENT

GROUP

PRESENTS

OUT WITH THE OLD – IN WITH THE NEW!

A ‘PARTY’ PLANNING GUIDE

© 2011 Pinnacle

OUT WITH THE OLD – IN WITH THE NEW!

A ‘PARTY’ PLANNING GUIDE

BY PINNACLE MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.

THE END OF THE YEAR IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. WHAT A PERFECT TIME TO DO

SOMETHING THAT WILL GIVE YOU AND YOUR TEAM A LITTLE BOOST TO WRAP UP THE OLD

YEAR AND LAUNCH THE NEW YEAR ON THE RIGHT FOOT.

THIS SHORT PLANNING GUIDE IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A PLAN TO HAVE A YEAR

END/NEW YEAR ‘PARTY’ THAT WILL GET EVERYONE MOTIVATED AND EXCITED ABOUT THE

POSSIBILITIES FOR THE NEW YEAR. THIS CAN BE A 2 HOUR GET-TOGETHER OR AN ALL DAY

EVENT. IT ALL DEPENDS UPON HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO DO.

FOR EACH STEP, WE WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO LEAD

THAT ACTIVITY OR ASSIGN IT TO A STAFF MEMBER. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL TELL YOU

APPROXIMATELY HOW LONG EACH STEP WILL TAKE AND THE BENEFITS OF THAT PART OF THE

PARTY.

ABOVE ALL, THIS IS INTENDED AS A FUN MOTIVATOR. IT IS AN INTERESTING THING THAT WE

GROWN UPS SOMETIME HAVE DIFFICULTY INFUSING FUN AT WORK. SOME PEOPLE THINK

THAT FUN AND WORK ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. SOME PEOPLE JUST FORGET TO HAVE

FUN. STILL OTHERS SEE NO BENEFIT.

OUR GUESS IS THAT IF YOU ARE READING THIS GUIDE (ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS WRITTEN IN

PURPLE) YOU ARE ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES WHO UNDERSTANDS THE BENEFITS OF HAVING

FUN AT WORK. MORE THAN LIKELY YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT FUN INSPIRES CREATIVITY, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, OPEN COMMUNICATION AND HIGHER LEVELS OF PRODUCTIVITY.

IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT WE’LL SAY IT ANYHOW, USE THIS AS A GUIDE – MAKE IT

YOUR OWN BY ADDING THINGS THAT WILL BE MEANINGFUL TO YOUR TEAM.

OH, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE RESULTS OF YOUR ‘PARTY’

LET’S MAKE IT A PARTY!

1. TO GET THE BALL ROLLING YOU HAVE 2 OPTIONS: A. DO ALL THE PLANNING YOURSELF (ONLY DO THIS IF YOU WILL ENJOY IT, AND

HAVE THE TIME TO DO IT WITHOUT BEING STRESSED). B. INCLUDE THE NATURAL-BORN PARTY PLANNERS IN PLANNING AND EXECUTING

THIS EVENT.

2. ESTABLISH THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU WANT TO DEVOTE TO THIS PARTY. YOU WILL

NEED A MINIMUM OF 2 HOURS AND AS MUCH AS 6 HOURS DEPENDING ON HOW

MUCH YOU WANT TO INCLUDE. NOTIFY YOUR STAFF OF THE TIME, ETC.

3. PLAN DECORATIONS IF YOU WISH. THIS IS WHERE THOSE NATUAL-BORN PARTY

PLANNERS ARE LIFESAVERS! ALSO, PLAN THE FOOD…IT ISN’T A PARTY/CELEBRATION

WITHOUT FOOD!

4. MATERIALS NEEDED: FLIP CHART, TAPE, MARKERS, AND TAPE (BLUE PAINTERS TAPE

IS TYPICALLY GOOD AND IT WON’T DAMAGE THE PAINT). BE SURE TO HAVE

SOMEONE SCRIBE WHAT IS WRITTEN SO THAT THE INFORMATION GATHERED WON’T

BE LOST.

CELEBRATE!

STEP 1: CELEBRATE

AS SIMPLISTIC AS IT MAY SEEM, EVERY TEAM NEEDS A TIME SET ASIDE TO CELEBRATE. IT

ISN’T JUST THE GREAT THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, IT IS ALSO HOW WELL YOU

HAVE WEATHERED THE STORMS…AND 2011 HAS BEEN A VERY STORMY YEAR FOR MANY

ORGANIZATIONS. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND CELEBRATE IT!

• DURING THIS PHASE OF THE PROCESS, THE FACILITATOR (YOU?) WILL ASK THE TEAM

TO BRAINSTORM ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO CLEBRATE. EVEN THE SMALL

ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE REASON TO APPLAUD FOR THEY LEAD TO BIGGER

ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

• LIST THESE ON THE FLIP CHART AND HANG THEM PROUDLY ON THE WALL FOR ALL TO

SEE. LET THEM BRAINSTORM AS LONG AS THEY HAVE NEW THOUGHTS TO INCLUDE. DON’T LET ANYONE POLLUTE THE PROCESS WITH NEGATIVE COMMENTS.

• ONCE THEY HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, YOU MIGHT GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK AROUND THE ROOM AND READ

THROUGH THEM ALL AGAIN JUST TO GET THE FULL IMPACT OF ALL THAT THEY HAVE

ACCOMPLISHED. WHEN THEY ARE BACK IN THEIR SEATS ASK THEM TO GIVE

THEMSELVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

• YOU MIGHT WISH TO GIVE EACH TEAM MEMBER A SMALL TOKEN OF

ACCOMPLISHEMENT (IF YOU ARE A FAN OF THE BOOK “WHALE DONE” YOU MIGHT

GIVE EVERYONE A WHALE). IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE MUCH. IT IS SIMPLY A

RECOGNITION OF ALL THAT THE TEAM HAS DONE.

• LEAVE THE FLIP CHART PAGES HANGING AS A REMINDER FOR AT LEAST THE REST OF

THE SESSION

BENEFITS OF THIS STEP: PEOPLE WANT AND NEED TO FEEL APPRECIATED. THEY ALSO ARE

MORE LIKELY TO BE ENGAGED IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO RECOGNIZE THE STRUGGLES

THAT THE TEAM HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH AND TO CELEBRATE SUCCESSES.

TIME REQUIRED: HOW LONG THIS STEP TAKES DEPENDS ON HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU HAVE

ON THE TEAM. PLAN APPROXIMATELY 45 TO AN HOUR SO THERE IS NO PRESSURE TO RUSH

THE PROCESS.

SWOT’S NEW?

WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE COMPFORTABLE DOING A FULL SWOT ANALYSIS, LOOKING AT THE

ORGANIZATIONS STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IS A GREAT

WAY TO STRENGTHEN THE TEAM AND BUILD A SENSE OF INCLUSION.

• EXPAIN BRAINSTORMING GROUND RULES (NO IDEA IS A BAD IDEA, NO NEGITIVE

RESPONSES SUCH AS ‘WE TRIED THAT AND IT DIDN’T WORK’, MONEY IS NOT A

BARRIER DURING THIS EXERCISE, ETC).

• WE SUGGEST USING A DIFFERENT COLOR OF MARKER FOR EACH SECTION.

• WE SUGGEST HAVING A SCRIBE SO YOU CAN CONCENTRATE ON FACILITATING.

• STRENGTHS: THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS INSIDE YOUR ORGANIZATION THAT THE

TEAM CONSIDERS TO BE STRENGTHS. EXAMPLES: STAFF, BUILDING, ETC. PUSH

THEM TO KEEP THINKING IF THEY STALL. THE MORE THAT THEY COME UP WITH HERE, THE BETTER IT IS FOR MORALE.

• WEAKNESSES: THESE ARE THE THINGS INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION THAT THE TEAM

CONSIDERS TO BE WEAKNESSES. EXAMPLES: AGING EQUIPMENT, NEED FOR

ADDITIONAL STAFF, ETC. ENCOURAGE THEM NOT TO LOOK AT THESE AS NEGATIVES. THE MORE THE TEAM ACKNOWLEDGES WHERE THE WEAKNESSES AND THREATS ARE, THE BETTER THEY CAN PREPARE FOR THEM.

• OPPORTUNITIES: THESE ARE THE FACTORS OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION THAT

MIGHT WORK TO THE BENEFIT OF IT. EXAMPLES: NEW TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE, NEW FUNDING SOURCES, COMPETITOR’S BAD CUSTOMER SUPPORT, ETC. OFTEN

THIS PHASE TAKES SOME PROMPTING AND GUIDANCE BY THE FACILITATOR TO GET

THE TEAM TO BE CREATIVE, BUT TYPICALLY THEY ARE MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGABLE

THAN EXPECTED.

• THREATS: THESE ARE THE FACTORS OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION THAT MIGHT WORK

TO THE DETRIMENT OF IT. EXAMPLES: CUT BACKS IN FUNDING, INTREST RATES

IMPACT ABILITY FOR CUSTOMERS TO OBTAIN FINANCING, CHANGES IN LEGISLATION, CHANGES IN INSURANCE, ETC.

(OPTIONAL STEPS)

• ONCE ALL FOUR ARE COMPLETE AND THE PAGES ARE HANGING ON THE WALLS YOU

MAY WISH TO GROUP COMMON THEMES. YOU MAY HAVE 50 ITEMS THAT ALL FIT

INTO 3 OR 4 THEMES. THIS MAKES IT EASIER TO MANAGE AND ADDRESS.

• ASK YOUR TEAM MEMBERS TO VOTE ON WHAT THEY FEEL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

ITEM (OR THEME) FOR EACH OF THE 4 CATEGORIES. WE TYPICALLY PROVIDE EACH

PERSON WITH SOME COLORED ADHESIVE DOTS (20 DOTS – 5 FOR EACH OF THE 4

CATEGORIES). THEY CAN, FOR EXAMPLE, USE ALL 5 FOR ONE STRENGTH OR THEY

CAN USE 1 DOT EACH FOR 5 OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF.

• YOU CAN THEN ASK THEM TO BRAINSTORM WAYS THAT THEY, AS A TEAM, CAN HELP

ADDRESS ANY OR ALL OF THE TOP VOTE-GETTERS. IF IT ISN’T FEASIBLE THAT THEY COULD BE

OF ASSISTANCE, THEN LOOK AT SOME THAT THEY COULD. *** TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THIS EXERCISE AND TO INCREASE TRUST, COMMUNICATION, AND THE WILLINGNESS TO OFFER SOLUTIONS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE

LEADERSHIP TEAM TAKE THIS INFORMATION SERIOUSLY AND PROVIDES FEEDBACK TO THE

TEAM ON WHAT IS BEING DONE WITH THEIR INPUT. IF NOTHING CAN BE DONE, TELL THEM

THAT TOO. ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS THAT WE HEAR FROM TEAMS IS THAT

LEADERS ASK FOR INPUT THEN IGNORE IT. IT ISN’T THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THEIR

SUGGESTIONS SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED, BUT THEY WANT TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED. IF

POSSIBLE THEY LIKE TO KNOW WHY A SUGGESTION WASN’T IMPLEMENTED, BUT, AGAIN, THE MAIN THING IS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. BENEFITS OF THIS STEP: EMPLOYEES IN MOST ORGANIZATIONS HAVE MORE KNOWLEDGE, INSIGHTS AND SOLUTIONS THAN THE LEADERS EXPECT. WHEN THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNIT

TO SHARE THE ORGANIZATION BENEFITS BY HAVING A THIS WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND BY

HAVING A TEAM THAT IS MORE ENGAGED IN ACHIEVING THE MISSION AND VISION. THE

TEAM MEMBERS BENEFIT BECAUSE THEY FEEL VALUED AND THEY WILL BENEFIT FROM TH

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMPANY. TIME REQUIRED FOR THIS STEP: THE AMOUNT OF TIME REQUIRED FOR THIS STEP DEPENDS

ON THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT YOU WISH TO GET TO. IT S BEST TO ALLOW 2 HOURS FOR A

TOP-LEVEL TEAM BUILDING SWOT.

TEAM SCORECARD™

IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR YOUR TEAM TO REALLY BE ON BOARD WITH MAKING 2012 THE

BEST IT CAN BE, THE TEAM SCORECARD IS AN EXCELLENT TOOL TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE

AND A ROADMAP.

THE TEAM SCORECARD GATHERS INPUT FROM EACH MEMBER OF THE COMPANY AND THEN

COMPILES THIS INFORMATION INTO A REPORT THAT SHOWS THE FORCES WITHIN THE TEAM

THAT ARE HELPING IT TO THRIVE OR ARE PREVENTING IT FROM THRIVING. THE TEAM

SCORECARD NOT ONLY BASELINES THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, IT ALSO ESTABLISHES WHAT

THE TEAM WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH – WHAT KIND OF AN ATMOSPHERE WOULD THEY

LIKE TO CREATE.

THE TEAM SCORECARE OFFERS A SERIES OF STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO HELP YOU AND

THE TEAM GET FROM WHERE YOU ARE TODAY TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE. WHAT WE

SUGGEST ARE A SERIES OF SMALL, EASILY MANAGED STEPS THAT, WHEN PUT TOGETHER, MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

IF YOU ELECT TO USE THE TEAM SCORECARD IN THIS PROCESS, HERE IS HOW WE WOULD

SUGGEST THAT YOU USE IT (AND WE WILL ALSO COVER THIS IN OUR CONSULT WITH YOU):

• THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION AND HONESTY!

• SHARE THE SCORE! SOME LEADERS DON’T WANT TO IF THE SCORE IS LOWER THAN

THEY HAD EXPECTED. HOWEVER, IT IS AN IMMEDIATE BOOST TO TRUST IF YOU

SHARE THE SCORE. ODDLY ENOUGH, THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IF THE SCORE ISN’T

GREAT.

• SHARE THE SCORE OF WHAT THE TEAM WANTS (BEST SHOWN ON A FLIP CHART OR

PPT SIDE BY SIDE WITH CURRENT SCORE). REAFFIRM THAT THE TEAM WANTS TO

ACHIEVE THAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT. ASSUMING THAT THE RESPONSE IS

POSSITIVE (AND WE HAVE NEVER HAD ONE THAT WASN’T), ASK IF THEY ARE WILLING

TO HELP ACHIEVE IT.

• STATE THAT EVERYONE IS PART OF THE TEAM, THUS EVERYONE IS NEEDED TO HELP

MAKE THE DESIRED CHANGES. TALK ABOUT YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING WITH

THE CHANGE. THEY WILL BE LOOKING TO YOU AS THE ROLE MODEL. A LEADER WHO

IS WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEED/DESIRE TO IMPROVE IS A GREAT ROLE

MODEL AND WILL INSPIRE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A

TEAM THAT HAS A LOW LEVEL OF TRUST, THEY MAY DOUBT YOUR SINCERITY UNTIL

THEY SEE EVIDENCE. THUS, THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO TELL THEM SOME OF THE STEPS

YOU WANT TO MAKE. THIS MAKES ‘CHANGE’ LESS NEBULOUS AND EASIER FOR THEM

TO SEE AS TIME GOES BY.

• THE TEAM SCORECARD REPORT PROVIDES YOU WITH THE AVERAGE SCORES FOR THE

RESPONSES GIVEN IN THE ASSESSMENT. THESE ARE RANKED FROM STRONGEST TO

WEAKEST. AS AN EXERCISE, HAVE THE TEAM STATEGIZE ON METHODS TO MAKE

ENHANCEMENTS TO SPECIFIC ITEMS. IF YOU HAVE A TEAM OF MORE THAN 10 WE

SUGGEST BREAKING THEM INTO SMALLER WORK TEAMS. YOU CAN ASSIGN A

DIFFERENT ITEM TO EACH TEAM.

SCRIBE THE RESULTS AND USE THE FOLLOWING FORMAT FOR ENSURING THAT ACTIONS WILL BE

ACCOMPLISHED:

1. WHAT MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED? 2. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? 3. WHEN WILL IT BE STARTED? 4. WHEN WILL IT BE COMPLETED? 5. WHAT RESOURCES ARE REQUIRED? 6. HOW WILL SUCCESS BE MEASURED? 7. HOW WILL PROGRESS BE COMMUNICATED? 8. HOW WILL YOU MONITOR FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENHANCEMENT?

BENEFITS TO THIS STEP: THE WORK ENVIRONMENT/CULTURE IS CREATED BY EVERYONE. CONSEQUENTLY, IT REQUIRES EVERYONE TO HELP MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS. THE TEAM

SCORECARD HELPS TO CREATE THAT COHESIVENESS REQUIRED TO MAKE THE CHANGE BECAUSE

EVERYONE HAS HAD INPUT REGARDING WHERE THE TEAM IS CURRENTLY AND WHAT THEY WISH TO

CREATE.

THERE IS A VERY REAL ROI TO THIS PROCESS. IN FACT, IT IS ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 2 AND 3

PERCENT IMPROVEMENT IN REVENUES FOR EVERY ONE PERCENT IMPROVEMENT TO THE CULTURE.

TIME REQUIRED FOR THIS STEP: PLAN FOR 60 TO 90 MINUTES FOR THIS PHASE. BECAUSE IT IS

FOCUSED ON MAKING IMPROVEMENTS, ALLOWING MORE TIME IS BETTER THAN MAKING THE

PARTICIPANTS FEEL RUSHED. YOU WILL REAP DIRECT BENEFITS FROM THIS!

I SEE GREAT THINGS IN YOUR FUTURE!

THE LAST PART OF THIS ADVENTURE IT THE FORTELLING OF THE FUTURE. REALLY!

REMEMBER WHAT THE GREAT DREAMER WALT DISNEY SAID, “IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU

CAN DO IT. REMEMBER IT ALL STARTED WITH A MOUSE.”

THAT IS WHAT THIS STEP IS ALL ABOUT – DREAMING.

MAYBE WE COULD EVEN BORROW A TERM FROM DISNEY AND CALL IT ‘IMAGINEERING’ YOUR FUTURE.

IN AN INTERVIEW A CELEBRITY MENTIONED THAT HE WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF AN

EXPENSIVE HOUSE AND HE SAID, “I CANNOT IMAGINE EVER LIVING IN A HOUSE LIKE THAT.”

HIS WIFE, WISE WOMAN THAT SHE IS, TOLD HIM, “THEN WE NEVER WILL.” HE CHANGED

HIS THINKING AND A FEW YEARS LATER, THEY BOUGHT A HOUSE THAT WAS JUST AS BIG AND

EXPENSIVE AS THAT ONE. IF WE PLACE LIMITATIONS ON OUR DREAMS, WE WILL NEVER

ACHIEVE ALL THAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF.

IN THIS STEP, ASK YOUR TEAM:

“WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE CELEBRATING THIS TIME NEXT YEAR?”

• WRITE DOWN WHAT THEY SAY ON THE FLIP CHART AND HANG IT PROUDLY ON THE

WALL.

• AFTER THE MEETING, GIVE EACH MEMBER OF THE TEAM A COPY.

• MAKE SURE IT IS HUNG IN THE BREAK ROOM, THE CONFERENCE ROOM AND

ANYWHERE ELSE WHERE IT WILL BE A STEADY REMINDER.

• AFTER THE NEW YEAR, YOU CAN TAKE THOSE PROPHESIES AND COLLABORATE WITH

THE TEAM TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE THEM.

• START PLANNING THE PARTY THAT THE TEAM WILL HAVE TO CELEBRATE THE

SUCCESSFUL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PROPHESIES. MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS SHARED

WITH EVERYONE. THE MORE PEOPLE CAN ‘SEE’ WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE THE

MORE LIKELY IT IS TO HAPPEN.

BENEFITS TO THIS STEP: PEOPLE WILL WORK IN AMAZING WAYS TO ACHIEVE A DREAM. IT IS NOT WRITTEN DOWN AND IN FRONT OF THEM, THEY WILL FORGET OR THE DREAMS

GET LOST IN THE DAY-TO-DAY STRUGGLES. “IF YOU CAN DREAM IT – YOU CAN DO IT!”

TIME REQUIRED FOR THIS STEP: ALLOW APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES SO THERE IS

PLENTY OF TIME TO BE CREATIVE AND TO HAVE FUN!

OUR FINAL THOUGHT TO YOU…

HAVE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

For information about how Pinnacle Management Group can assist you and your team please contact us at solutions@pmginternational.net. For more resources, be sure to subscribe to

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