Rx for Teams or… Help! We Need Teambuilding! A Model for Restoring Team Health Presented by: Dawn Baker, Medica Vince Therrien, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota

Session Objectives By the end of this session, you will be able to… Describe a best practice team effectiveness model. Identify methods to “diagnose” team development needs. Use a variety of tools and approaches to: Strengthen a team’s operating foundation (prevention) Intervene when a team is ailing (treatment) Evaluate the effectiveness of your teambuilding service.

Introduction: What is a Team? A team is… A community is… Differences in issues typically presented by teams vs. communities Dawn will define a team vs. a community and briefly discuss approaches to working with both types of entities.

Evaluating Team Effectiveness Think about the most dysfunctional team that you either were on, or with whom you provided team building consulting. Answer the following questions as they would pertain to that team. Use audience response technology to do polling This is Vince’s section

The purpose of this team is clear to all members of the team. Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Mean =

The goals of the team are clear to everyone. Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Mean =

Each team member knows the role he/she plays in achieving the team’s results. Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Mean =

Work processes within the team are consistently followed. Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Mean =

People on the team treat one another with respect. Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Mean =

A Model of Team Effectiveness Mission, Vision, Purpose Values Strategies, Goals Roles Relationships Work Processes James Shonk This model corresponds to diagnostic questions you can use in your team needs assessment process. Vince Adapted from Working in Teams: A Practical Manual for Improving Work Groups, James H. Shonk

Exercise: Diagnosing Teams With your small groups, generate several diagnostic questions related to the section of the model the instructor assigns you. Example: Roles “Can each team member describe how his or her role relates to the team’s overall mission?” Participants divide into five small groups. Each group tackles one portion of the Team Effectiveness Model. Each group brainstorms diagnostic questions to ask pertaining to their portion of the model. Groups share their questions. We distribute Team Effectiveness Critique as a different kind of assessment tool.

Mission, Vision, Purpose, Values Sample Diagnostic Questions Do you have a clearly articulated mission or purpose in place? Do you frequently talk about the mission with employees? Would employees say they’re clear on why they do what they do and how it benefits the company? Do you use the mission as a guide when you set strategy, make decisions or solve problems?

Strategies, Goals Sample Diagnostic Questions Do you have a strategic plan in place? How does it relate to your mission? Did you involve the team in making the plan? How? Do team members share accountability for achieving your work unit’s goals? Do they have individual goals? Collective goals? Is it easy for employees to see how their individual goals tie to collective goals? How collective goals tie to the strategy? How does the team stay updated on strategic plan progress?

Roles Sample Diagnostic Questions Are employees clear on their roles? Are there role boundary issues – areas of confusion on who is to do what? Are employees in agreement and on board with why the department is structured the way it is and why the roles are in place? Do any of your team members feel that they are mismatched for their role? Are there power and control issues present? Is there confusion around lines of authority?

Work Processes Sample Diagnostic Questions Is the team structured for maximum efficiency and effectiveness? Are policies, procedures and hand-offs documented? Are quality expectations clear? What are the consequences for lack of accountability and follow-through? Are there issues with task completion? Are tasks dropping through the cracks? Is there task handoff confusion? Are processes redundant? Is the environment structured for maximum efficiency? Do employees have the tools and supplies they need to do the job?

Relationships Sample Diagnostic Questions At what stage of development is the team? (Forming / storming / norming / performing) Is there triangulation going on within the team (i.e. two members ganging up on a third)? Are there issues between levels of authority (problems between the team leader and the team) Are there interpersonal issues between two team members that may or may not be affecting the rest of the team? How do team members normally approach and work through conflict? Are there clear team norms for how this is to be done? What are the team’s strengths when it comes to collaborating, supporting one another, solving problems, achieving collective goals?

The Rx Considerations for Formulating your Approach Motivation Ability Tap intrinsic desire Build new behaviors Individual Group Structural Foster mutual account- ability Harness collective group power Most change initiatives require multiple strategies from all of the above! Build in extrinsic reinforce- ment Alter the environ- ment Adapted from Influencer: The Power to Change Anything, Patterson et al

The Rx: Tools, Constructs and Approaches What have you tried? For Mission, Vision, Purpose Values? For Strategy, Goals? For Roles? For Work Processes? For Relationships? (share exercise via paper handout)

Prevention Rx for Team Strengthening Facilitate a mission and visioning session Structure strategic planning so that employees play a part Instigate job shadowing, cross training and temporary functional reassignments Engage the team in high-level process mapping to tie their jobs to the broader company benefit Facilitate an operating norms session Hold a Strengthsfinder session Engage employees in style identification and versatility skillbuilding sessions (using a styles or preferences profile instrument)

Treatment Intervene When a Team is Ailing Coach the team leader on strengthening mission communication practices Provide a training session on effective goal setting Facilitate a brainstorming session to generate role or department structure improvement ideas Use problem solving tools to diagnose and solve persistent process issues Hearken back to the team’s mission, vision and values, and challenge employees to generate ways they can change their day-to-day behavior to be more congruent with their stated aspirations

The Teambuilding Session Remember that your program is one event in what should be a series of change and behavior sustaining efforts! Considerations for structuring a custom teambuilding program: Purpose and objectives Who should participate Logical ordering of activities Balance of modalities Pre- and post assignments Follow up activities to sustain behavior change Dawn Share a sample teambuilding session proposal

Did the Rx Work? Evaluating Your Program’s Effectiveness What to do… Determine the expected results prior to designing the team building session. Discuss ways to determine how you’ll know when they have been met. Assure that you follow-up when you have agreed to, then conduct that assessment. Vince to flesh out

Did the Rx Work? Evaluating Your Program’s Effectiveness How to do it… Informal: Meet with team manager and/or team at agreed upon time, reviewing expected results. Others? Formal: Pre and post-session surveys. Custom surveys based upon team building outcomes Other corporate-wide measures such as employee opinion surveys Vince to flesh out

Conclusion and Evaluation Did we meet the session objectives? How will you use this learning? Please complete session evaluation.