Leading or facilitating groups and working successfully with group dynamics is an art form. We offer practical tools that will help improve you and your colleague’s proficiency, artistry and ability to achieve group goals.
1. Team-builders’ Toolkit. This customized toolkit can be made available in printed or electronic form for team leaders, managers, supervisors, trainers, and human resource professionals. It provides a package of resource materials for improving collaboration and team effectiveness in the workplace, addressing topics such as
- Setting groundrules and expectations
- How to brainstorm; different types of brainstorming
- Leading change: how to get from goals to lasting agreements
- How to quickly handle differences of opinion, build consensus
- Reminders to make sure that listening is based on facts, not just interpretations
2. Workshops and Seminars. We provide meeting management and facilitation skills programs to help professionals reach the next level of mastery. E-courses, live training and “train the trainer” courses provide convenient delivery options. Brief presentations, video showcase, or face-to-face interviews can be conducted to answer any questions and find out if these programs will meet your needs. See course descriptions.
3. Peer Coaching or Manager as Coach are powerful tools for assisting others with more effective teamwork and collaboration. What is coaching? or When to use Coaching
4. The Qualities of Effective Teams — the latest research in group dynamics has shown that there are five essential (and invisible) qualities to effective teamwork. They are
- Safety – the “absence of threat” – demonstrating healthy conflict resolution techniques, patterns of health assertiveness (no passive-aggressiveness), clear groundrules, structures, and agreements help increase trust and provide a sense of safety)
- Participation – involve all members of the group or team; invite participation, don’t demand it.
- Spontaneity and fun – the facilitator must be flexible enough to move with the group’s interests without getting distracted by side issues. We use techniques such as setting up a “parking lot” to record tangents, encouraging (rather than resisting) so-called negative emotions, and setting a light-hearted tone
- Effectiveness – Making sure we accomplish what we set out to do, that we can reach the goals the team sets, and individuals take responsibility for their part
- Recognition – Helping members of the group receive recognition for their contributions and accomplishments encourages and motivates. Recognition must be balanced with feedback about commitments made but not kept.
5. Article: Meeting Expectations — some of the top mistakes meeting leaders and organizers make — and how to avoid them.
For examples of our past success with complex, large group facilitation and mediation, click here
