ESSENTIAL TEAMING SKILLSPresented by University of Southern Indiana Extended ServiceSue Ellspermann, PhD

SO, YOU WANT TO GET GOOD RESULTS? Quality Results =

Content (people, perspectives, data, facts)

Process (a method of working together)

Process skills (know how to use the method)

Teaming skills (know how to work together)

ROLES IN WELL RUN MEETINGS

Coach

“Owner(s)”

Facilitator

Participants

Process

Content

Manages the process of the meeting

Engaged in the content and outcomes of the meeting

HTC ROLES IN MEETINGS: PHASE 1

Site Coach“Facilitator”

Pillar Team Leader

Community Coordinator

Pillar Team Members

Process

Content

THINKING SKILLS EXERCISE

Many communities will want to develop a “tagline” to go with their HTC effort.

You have 5 minutes to develop one. A tagline is a “branding slogan” that

describes your product, service or initiative. Typically a short phrase or sentence.

Ex. Nike’s “Just do it!”Lay’s “No one can eat just one.”

TAGLINE EXERCISE DEBRIEF

How many options did you create? How many team members

participated? Who led the meeting? What was your process? Did you get a good option? Do you have consensus around it? How good was your process?

PSA 590 Winter 2008Week 4

EXERCISE 1: WHAT DO YOU SEE?

DRAW THIS SYMBOL

PSA 590 Winter 2008Week 4

KILLER PHRASES

DIVERGENT THINKING

Generating options without prematurely judging.

Do not kill others’ ideas and options. Focus on quantity, not quality. Build on others’ points of view and

ideas. Push for novel and unusual thoughts, ideas and challenges.

CONVERGENT THINKING

Selecting the best option(s) to move forward.

Consider criteria for choosing (what’s important).

Refine potentially good options into stronger, more polished options.

In a team, strive for consensus.

PSA 590 Winter 2009Week 4

PROCESS SKILLS

CONSENSUS

Consensus is general agreement of the team on an option.

This does not mean all like the option equally, but all have agreed “they can live with it”.

Identify those options which the team feels are most promising.

Discuss these for looking for common ground. Speak up for promising options. Listen for understanding as team members share their concerns. Try to bridge differences. Once the decision is made, all will agree

to support its implementation.

TAGLINE EXERCISE 2

Diverge possible taglines (3 minutes). Converge on those which are most

promising.(2 minutes).

Reach consensus on the best tagline (1 min).

EFFECTIVE MEETING MODEL

Plan

Meet

Debrief

AGENDA DEVELOPMENT

This is the planning step. Typically developed by the facilitator and

“owner” (site coach and pillar team leader). Consider what the objectives of the meeting are. Identify prework to be completed prior to the

meeting. Build a behavioral agenda with time and process expectations. End all agendas with a debrief and action plan.

EXAMPLE: BEHAVIORAL AGENDA EXCERPT6:30 p.m. Welcome and purpose of the meeting (Pillar Team Leader)

Review the agenda (Site coach)

6:40 p.m. Review possible assessment tools available through HTC (Site coach)

Q&A

7:00 p.m. Diverge additional methods and data available to assess

7:30 p.m. Converge on assessment tools to pursue

8:00 p.m. Develop action plan to refine the tools

8:25 p.m. Debrief and next meeting time/date.

8:30 p.m. Adjourn

EXERCISE: YOUR FIRST HTC STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

Diverge objectives of the meeting. Identify prework that needs to be

completed prior to the meeting. Develop an behavioral agenda. Be realistic with times.

You can always end early. People don’t appreciate being held late.

MEETING MANAGEMENT

In facilitated meetings, the facilitator manages the meeting allowing the “owner” to focus on the content of the meeting.

If there is no facilitator, it is typically the owner’s responsibility to manage the meeting.

Notes are important to capture decisions and action steps. Other items are optional.

A flipchart is helpful to capture divergence and convergence, as well as the action plan. It also demonstrates that all points of view and ideas are valued.

Dotting is a useful method to quickly converge and helpful in reaching consensus.

Frequently reference the agenda to keep team members on task. Before changing the agenda, ask permission of the group to do so. Debrief at the end of all meetings to allow for continuous improvement.

ACTION PLANWhat How Who By When

A specific action beginning with a verb.

Explain how the action will be accomplished.

Must be someone(s) in the room.

A specific date by which the step will be done.

Example.

Refine the survey. Identify additional questions to be added.Review revised questions with BSU.

Shawn*Laura

2/5/2009

DEBRIEF QUESTIONS

“What are we saying and doing that is helping us

make progress?”

“What are we saying and doing that is hindering

our progress?”

“What are we learning about our pillar,

the team and the HTC process?”

PHASE I MEETING SEQUENCE FOR FERDINAND

Time frame Meeting Description Length of meeting

February Introduce HTC and plan Kick-off Retreat – Steering Committee

2 hours

Late Feb/Early March

Kick-off Retreat 2 hours

Early March Review purpose of HTC pillar team, review and select assessment tools – Pillar Teams

2 hours each

Late March Refine assessment tools – Pillar Teams 2 hours each

Late April Review results of assessment tools – Pillar Teams 2 hours

May Identify Key Findings and Key Opportunities – Pillar Teams

2 hours

Late May/Early June

Update on Pillar Teams and plan the Opportunity Retreat – Steering Committee

2 hours

June Opportunity Retreat 2 hours

Late June Review community feedback and develop consensus on opportunities for report – Steering Committee

2 hours

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

USI at Innovation Pointe (Evansville)Simplex: Solving Complex Problems WorkshopFeb 3-4 or Feb 3, 10, 17, and 24 (half days)

USI at Innovation Pointe (Evansville)Simplex Facilitator TrainingSummer 2009 (date to be announced)Contact: Gene Recker grecker@usi.edu