Team Building Exercises

In an early post, I referred to a document to help you evaluate your team - a good exercise for any team. There are many other activities you can do to support the members of your team.  An Internet search will produce a number of options ranging from ice-breakers to activities for small or large groups. 

Ask your HR department for some resources that are readily available. Personality or behaviour assessments are often provided and popular. The premise for personality assessment is to give team members a better awareness of their behaviours and how they may be viewed by others. Having a better understanding of your teammate is viewed as helping team members work together better. 

Here are five tools that I have experienced at different organizations:

• DISC: assessment based on four different personality traits. Promoted as a means to build more effective relationships in the workplace
• True Colour Key System uses four colours to describe and explain temperaments and personality types with the goal of building more effective relationships
• Strength Finder 2.0 by Tom Path - a book that helps you discover your talents and better leverage them. Being self aware is key for leaders.  Each leader's different strength combination were shared as a means for better awareness
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator with 16 personality types. It gives a description of your personality type when you're at your best and when under stress and not working at your best.
• Experiential Training: there are a wide range of services who offer different elements to have team members work together.  It included a wide range of activities specifically designed to work with people's dislikes e.g. we had to climb 50 foot poles, work in the dark, and play games under extreme elements such rain and mud. Think of the activities done in the reality show, Survivor.  It was very similar.  I loved the experience and I left with a greater appreciation for a wide range of people.  It is an more expensive option and not often frequently in my experience. 

So what has worked well for me in the past?

Scenario: I had two team members who were generally in conflict.  It was evident that they were very different people just by looking at their style of dress and the work spaces.  One individual had a wide assortment of whimsical elements in her workspace and a kitten calendar.  The other team member was more spartan and had a NASA calendar.  

Myers-Briggs: Their different approaches frustrated each other and projects were suffering as a result. Thankfully they realized this and when I suggested that all three of us take the Myers-Briggs assessment, they were were open and willing to do it. 

The result was that the two individuals scored exactly the same except for one indicator: one was an introvert and the other was an extrovert.  

• The introvert was ISFJ (Introverted sensing feeling judging and is often summarized as the "Protector."  Her celebrity counterpart was Mother Teresa

• The other team member was ESFJ (extroverted sensing feeling judging) and can be summarized as the Provider personality because people with this personality type are interested in taking care of others in practical ways.  Celebrity counterpart is Barbara Walters

This was a break-through moment for the two individuals.  They realized that they both wanted to take care of people but with a different approach. We started focusing on the end result of the project noted how the project was helping people. We incorporated their different approaches into the project charters and work plans.  

What did not work well?
True colour key system's success has not been largely successful in my experience.  I've been at two different organizations where this has been facilitated and both were not particularly successful. People have a tendency to rate different personality types as superior to others.  Even though the facilitator emphasized that each "colour" has inherent strengths and weaknesses, the sessions seem to be more divisive than creating better working relationships.  

One staff member, for example had a rating for Green at the highest range (24) and was seated next to a Gold who also rated at the highest range (referred to as a 24 karat gold personality).  They both had nothing but disdain for Oranges who were far too "flighty and disorganized" for their preferences.  The Blues were tolerated because they were seen as "friendly."  

Workplace relationships did not improved and this session actually created more conflict as people would say such statements as, "I'm a 24 karat gold. Deal with it," or "It's not easy being Green. But I will continue to ensure all processes are adhered to for the benefit of all."

People are complex and nuanced and working with them can be challenging. It is also very rewarding.  Make the effort to know and understand people.  Find out their pain points and what makes their hearts sing. Be kind and generous and focus on the positive. Recognize that people won't generally change unless you change your approach. You need to be flexible in your approach (this is not the same as weak).  If you are working with a Green for example, focus on the process and how it will improve things.  You may explain the exact some situation to an Orange but focus on how things will be fun, and the processes will support them in an emergency. 

And my final point is never give up on an individual.  If they drive you crazy, give some thought as to why they push your buttons and try to adapt your approach.  Make sure you spend ample time with the people who you are aligned and develop them.  Success breeds success and can often help that who you don't feel an alignment to be more willing to accept your leadership. We can discuss conflict and mitigating it in future discussions. 

The Creative Process

Here is some comfort for the times when you need to a creative solution. It could be a project, initiative, framework, book or a craft. The example doesn't really matter as the process tends to be the same. 

Creative Process:

• Fear
• Self Doubt
• Questioning yourself - Should I do this?

Why would anyone do something creative if these are the initial steps? How is knowing this comforting in your leadership role?

Because we are creative creatures, we need a means of self expression. There are so many vehicles to express yourself creatively.  It can vary widely - from the way you dress or the way you play chess. 

Your work place is a perfect environment to let your creativity shine - and by extension, your leadership.  In public service, creativity is often demanded.  Where you have policies, and processes and a high level of accountability and scrutiny you often need to be creative to work within that construct. Add politics and public opinion to add to the mix, and you have an environment that can be challenging. It requires a lot of creativity - in your thinking and problem solving.

So how is the fear, self doubt and questioning a comfort? 
If you are feeling these emotions, then you are on the right path - you're willing to look at things differently.  Growing to new levels is not a comfortable state. I'm sure you can think of a number of times when you felt "growing pains" in past leadership opportunities. 

Fear is such a prevalent element that it has been fully fleshed out in the book, Feel the fear and do it anyway, by Susan Jeffers.  It is one of my favourite books and I recommend it.  There are many YouTube summaries including this one that will give you a sense of the book and fear. 

Examples

Some of my most creative endeavours have been working with the policies, processes and people to create a necessary framework.  You noticed, I didn't say that I ignored the policies, processes and people.  True, there have been times when I had to re-write a policy and revise some processes, but the majority of the times project and initiatives have been successful because the environment required a more creative approach to work in that environment. 

• Instituting logic models into work initiatives
• Launching new software
• Lean processes (yup, a very creative process)
• New frameworks

Team building exercise: Zoom by Istvan Banyai

As a new leader, you will want to do some team building or team bonding exercises.  Not only can the activities be illuminating, they can be a lot of fun and start your leadership off on the right foot.  

You may find that after completing team building activities together, your staff better understand each other's strengths, weaknesses and interests.  This understanding helps people work even better together on future progress.  Here is an example of successful team building activity that is low cost and flexible.

Zoom by Istvan Banyai

This activity is based on the picture book Zoom by Istvan Banyai. It consists of 30 sequential “pictures within pictures" (there is also a second book titled, Re-Zoom).  
The team is tasked with putting together the story - a set of sequential images. Each person is given an image, or a number of images based on the size of the group.  I inform the group that they are creating a sequential story and they have to work together to build the story.  The only help I give them is the first and last image and tell them the title of the book needs to be their guide. Together, the team has to figure out the correct sequence. The activity focuses on effective communication and problem-solving skills.

When the team feels that have completed the task, you have to confirm it is correct.  If it is not correct, you may simply say it is incomplete, or you may say where the problem is occurring.  

As the team leader, take notes as the team works through the task. Note good questions, moments of disagreements, or spontaneous celebration. Review these observations with the team. 

Discussion

Here are a few suggested questions to ask the team:

• What difficulties did your team experience?
• What communication methods did you team use?
• What did  your team do well when you discussed the sequence of images?
• Is there anything that frustrated you?
• Did everyone agree with the sequence? If not, did you have to compromise?
• How well did you work as a team? Is there anything you could have done better?
• Did others in the team listen to your opinion? Did everyone have input?
• Did anyone emerge as a leader? How did having a leader help?
• What is the one thing you can take away from the task?

Now discuss the key elements of an effective team (see earlier post).

Variations

• If there are more people than cards, you can pair up participants
• For smaller groups or to increase difficulty, don’t let participants talk at all during the activity. Let them use gestures and actions to put the images in sequence.
• For smaller groups, you can give each participant more than one image.
• You can make the activity more competitive and measure team performance by the number of images that are in the wrong sequence.
• You can enforce a time limit to make it more difficult. 
• You can tell people that they cannot show anyone else their picture/ page of the book until it is put down as part of the sequence. 

Different applications and settings:

• I have used this in a Library setting as a team building exercise.  It doesn't matter if an individual is familiar with the book. The individuals knowledge provides the opportunity to discuss the benefits of having experienced staff or subject specialists.  
• This team building exercise was introduced to me at a coaching certification course. Basically, 30 strangers were given a page of the book and we were told to create a cohesive story. 
• This was a useful exercise to introduce project management concepts to a small department in a large municipality.

Resources: 

• Two copies of Zoom by Istavan Banyai in paperback format. Tear one copy apart at its spine.  These will be distributed to the team.  Keep one copy as the source document to confirm the team puts the story in its proper sequence.  
• You need a room that is spacious enough to have all the pages displayed in sequence (either on the floor or around a long, narrow table) 

This exercise can be done in 30 minutes: 

• 5 minutes to explain and clarify the task
• 15 minutes to do the task
• At least 10 minutes for discussion

I thoroughly enjoy this exercise and hope you can apply and modify it to best suit your situation. Enjoy.

Is your team effective? Key categories for success

There are 5 key areas or categories that need to be functioning in order for a team to work and be effective:

1. Mission, vision and goals 
2. Team roles
3. Operating processes
4. Interpersonal relationships 
5. Interteam relationships

A description of the first three categories was described in my previous post.

1. Mission, vision and goals
2. Team Roles
3. Operating Processes

Now comes the tricky part and often times the most rewarding part - your people.

4. Interpersonal Relationships
For effective teamwork to occur, interpersonal relationship must be of high quality. Each groups member needs to be fully interactive with every other group member. A high level of trust is required if problems are to be solved and group work is to be satisfying.

Ineffective groups often have poor interpersonal relationships. Members may be cautious in their disclosures and unwilling to take interpersonal risks. Constructive feedback may not be an operating norm. Until all of the interpersonal relationships are dealt with, it will be close to impossible for a group to function effectively and solve problems as an authentic team.

5. Interteam Relationships
One of the most serous drains on organizational energy results when departments or devisions within the same organization compete inappropriately.  The more specialized various work groups become, the more difficult the problems of coordination become.  Research suggests that from variables are at the root of cooperation between groups:

1. Time orientation: depending on the nature of the work, groups operative with different time frames
2. Goal orientation: different groups have different goals
3. Interpersonal orientation: some groups emphasize task-oriented styles while others have relationship-orientated styles
4. Internal formal structure: some groups have more written policies, systems, and controls for performing their work.

Theres differences can serve to weaken intergroup relations.

Think of your different areas of responsibilities.  Are there different groups with conflicts? Think of what could be the root cause? It can be rampant in libraries. Think of your Marketing department and its timelines and the different work structures in I.T.  Then add the general public into the mix and you can see that interterm relationships can often be improved.

Real-life Scenarios:
To make this information come alive, think of personal scenarios that people can relate to easily. Family gatherings can often be used to start conversations. Listen to people after large family gatherings and you often hear of people coming late, bringing an extra guest, there are some interpersonal relationships that have been festering for years, and there is little formal structure UNLESS there is a strong leader (in my experience, the matriarch).  She let's people know what to bring to the family gathering, when things will happen, she will deal with those who don't live up to the time, goals of the event, and she will certainly deal with interpersonal issues and interterm (inter-family) issues.  In short, she runs a tight ship and there is respect and a healthy outcome - family time together.  It may or may not be a big love in, but it works.

Do many of your team watch or participate in sports? Bring that forward for discussion. Curling has become very popular and since I curl, I sometimes use it to demonstrate the five important elements. While not everyone has played the sport, the size of the team is small and the goal of the game is easily explained.  More importantly, curling fulfils the 5 elements clearly:

1. Mission, vision, goals:  The mission is to win the game.  Each end of the game has a goal, and every team member knows the goal.  Every shot is visualized and all of these elements are used to make a successful team.  There are know different games in curling -- doubles and skins have different goals to fulfil of the mission of winning. 
2. Team Roles: every team member has a specific role and every team member is involved in each and every short. Poor shots can be saved through good sweeping or by having the skip to change thinking as a result and call "plan B." Every team member knows that communication is key and there is frequent feedback between members and especially the skip. 
3. Operating processes: the team knows the rules. No discussion. Problem solving and decision making is left to the skip (captain) unless input is requested. Off the ice, there are many opportunities to review and analyze the game and individual skills can be discussed in a social and supportive setting. 
4. Interpersonal relationships.  The team that has strong interpersonal relationships typically does well.  They know each other well - both their strengths and weaknesses. They know who needs more feedback and when someone is "off" their game.  But a team with strong interpersonal relationships are close and generally produce results.  It is not unusual for large competitions that a team may enter with a "stacked team." In short, all the team members are skips and are skilled players.  This does not always work.  Many skips are not great sweepers simple because they don't have to do it for 30 seconds at a time (they do short bursts of powerful sweeping).  
5. Interteam relationships: you need to ensure your team has good relationships with other teams, and clubs. Having a strong network ensures you are kept informed, have additional support and minimize internal sabotage.  It just makes life a whole lot easier and nicer. 

Give this some thought, and have some fun thinking of some real-life scenarios that work for you.

Is your team effective? Key categories for success

In previous posts, when to do team building was reviewed, as well as the different phases of team building.  But how do you really know if your team is effective? What does team building really look like?  There are tools that can support you.  I'll be referring to the Team Effectiveness Profile developed by HRDQ, 4th edition. Ask you HR team about it.

Here is a summary:
There are 5 key areas or categories that need to be functioning in order for a team to work:

1. Mission, vision and goals 
2. Team roles
3. Operating processes
4. Interpersonal relationships 
5. Interteam relationships

Description of the five categories

1. Mission, vision and goals
Healthy organizations and their subsystems have compelling visions of the future and clearly defined and well-communicated statements of purpose. Plan are developed collaboratively and work is managed against goals or objectives by the group. In your situation, in a public library, these are well articulated. Your have a strategic plan, an operation plan and a number of goals and objectives for your area of responsibility.  As a new leader, don't take for granted that staff know them or think they apply to them.

The mission may have been clear in the organization's history, but it may have become muddled. Staff my know the mission, vision and goals, but carry on their own activities or refrain from engaging in other activities.

Library service is changing but there are still staff who may think they are in the book business.  They may be have different responsibilities regarding the books -- selecting them, shelving them, recommending them, processing them - the list is quite lengthy, but I would ensure that staff members realize they are in the people business and  the community-building business.  Books are just one element of the service they provide.

Additionally, priorities may shift rapidly and if you're not talking to your team, they may appear to change without apparent reason.  So make sure the mission, vision and goals are revisited frequently, they are understood, clarified and measurable goals and objectives are readily available, and reviewed.

2. Team Roles
In highly effect teams/groups, work is organized to support the team's function(s). Roles, relationships, and accountabilities are clear to everyone. Members are technically qualified to perform their jobs or have immediate plan for acquiring needed knowledge and skills.

An inappropriately structured group or now which the members have unclear or confused perceptions about their roles and relationships, can lose considerable energy in performing its tasks.  The group may not have identified clearly all of tis tasks or agreed on the exact nature of the work to be performed. Standard job descriptions are usually inadequate because they do not specify the exact nature of the accountability each person has to each task or to each person in the group.  Lack of role clarity results in poor quality work, missed responsibilities and overlapping accountabilities that ternate needless conflict.

3. Operating Processes
Policies and procedures used to manage the work of the group support both task and maintenance needs.  Task needs refer to activities required to accomplish work objectives. Maintenance needs refer to the human needs for recognition, participation, appreciation, and vernal quality of group life.  Operating processes include such activities as problem solving, decision making, conflict management and meeting quality.

In order to have effective operating processes, your team needs to have examined each policy and procedure by which the group functions for efficient and effectiveness. This needs to be analyzed periodically to ensure important processes have not become dysfunctional.

Meeting example: You meet with your different teams regularly and the format needs to be discussed periodically to confirm that this important element of your leadership is serving the needs of all group members to communicate with each other and solve problems.  Are agendas posted in advance? How many walk-on items are generally created? How are the minutes taken? What do you want to include in the minutes?

Teams with ineffective operating procedures have unproductive or too few meetings. And the meetings are typically regarded as irrelevant or providing info they already know. Serious problems are not addressed or when addressed are neither systematically analyzed nor creatively solved. Group decisions are made by the appointed leader or a strong coalition of a few people. Disagreements are ignored or swept away so that hostile feelings remain in the group and colour future interactions.  <sigh> Unfortunately, many of us have experienced a dysfunctional group so give this three areas.  I'll post Interpersonal relationships and Interteam relationships shortly.

Leadership isn't always easy, but it is rewarding and you will bring your team up and they will appreciate it.  Hang tough!