EXTRAORDINARY GROUPS: How Ordinary Teams Achieve Amazing Results with Kathleen Ryan 1Bellman/Ryan © 2009

Today Your own experience with an amazing group Key concepts from our field study Application of concepts to your role as a member or facilitator of groups in trouble 2Bellman/Ryan © 2009

Starting Questions  Why do some groups achieve amazing results while most others do not?  What do extraordinary groups have in common that sorts them from the rest?  How might we create these terrific results more often? 3Bellman/Ryan © 2009

What’s Your Experience? 1.When you join or are assigned to a group, what do you hope for? 2.Think of an amazing group experience you have had. Identify three things that enabled that experience to be so memorable. 3.What feelings do you associate with that experience?

Our Field Study  Sixty groups of 2-20, incl. virtual  Work, volunteer, personal life  Self-identified as “amazing”  Interviews with 1-3 members  1.5 to 2 hour phone interviews  Open ended questions and stories 5Bellman/Ryan © 2009

An Extraordinary Group… Achieves outstanding results while members, individually or collectively experience a profound shift in how they see their world. 6Bellman/Ryan © 2009

Exercise  Find a partner  Briefly describe the essence of your experience (2-3 sentences)  Discuss, What factors enabled your experiences to be so outstanding? 7Bellman/Ryan © 2009

Eight Performance Indicators 1.Compelling Purpose 2.Shared Leadership 3.Just-Enough Structure 4.Full Engagement 5.Embracing Difference 6.Unexpected Learning 7.Strengthened Relationships 8.Great Results 8Bellman/Ryan © 2009

Indicators of Extraordinary Groups IndicatorDefinition Compelling PurposeAn inspiring and shared understanding of why group members come together. Shared LeadershipA designated leader assures that the group is led rather than being the one constant leader; members take mutual accountability for outcomes and the way the group works. Just-Enough StructureMembers develop only the plans, systems, roles, and agreements necessary to help them move forward, but not so much as to be bureaucratic or burdensome. Full EngagementMembers enthusiastically participate in the group’s work. Embracing DifferencesMembers see, value, and use their diversity as a strength. Unexpected LearningIndividual and collective learning exceeds expectations, reaching beyond the work at hand to members’ careers and lives. Strengthened Relationships Trust, respect, collegiality, and often friendships grow among group members. Great ResultsTangible and intangible outcomes surpass members’ expectations. Bellman/Ryan © 2009

Intangible Results  Learned about one’s self  Gained or deepened knowledge/skills  Applied to other parts of life  Built new or strengthened relationships  Increased pride of accomplishment  Heightened self confidence  Greater sense of community 10Bellman/Ryan © 2009

Groups in Human History  Thousands of years of living in groups  Survive together, perish alone  Genetically, instinctively informed to group  It’s easy to relate to a group; it’s hard to relate to a large organization  Groups are the way to get things done 11Bellman/Ryan © 2009

Getting Below the Surface Why do we human beings group? What is it that motivates us to join with others? 12 Bellman/Ryan © 2009

13 Six Group Needs  Accept one’s self while moving toward own Potential  Bond with others while pursuing common Purpose  Understand Reality of the world while making an Impact Bellman/Ryan © 2009

14 Four Feelings at the Heart of Transformation Energized ! Connected ! Hopeful ! Changed ! Bellman/Ryan © 2009

15 Energized Connected Hopeful Changed Bellman/Ryan © 2009

Getting Below the Surface 16 Eight Performance Indicators Four Feelings of Transformation Bellman/Ryan © 2009

High Performance Behaviors and Techniques 17 Group Dynamics Meeting Management Leadership Strategies Employee Engagement Team Development Collaborative Decision Making Conflict Management Brainstorming Effective Dialogue and Discussion Bellman/Ryan © 2009

The Power of Embracing Difference c. 2010, Bellman and Ryan Just-Enough Structure Compelling Purpose Shared Leadership Embracing Differences Full Engagement Unexpected Learning Strengthened Relationships Great Results Transformation: a fundamental shift in individual perceptions that accelerates behavior change and personal vitality True Collaboration which leads to discovering or creating something new together

Meeting Group Needs, or Not… Group NeedsResultsThe Group Experience Meet Group Needs (intentionally or not) Increases likelihood for great tangible and intangible results and personal transformation Amazing! Don’t meet Group Needs Group does the best it can when it comes to both task achievement and relationship development Some groups better than others Less-than-effective dynamics Ordinary Contradict Group Needs Individuals feel directly ‘dissed’: disrupted, disliked, disconnected, disrespected Destructive conflicts Ineffective to Awful c. 2010, Bellman and Ryan

Going from Me to We c. 2010, Bellman and Ryan ME WE!!! ME  Desire for True Collaboration  Passionate debate  Let go of strongly held beliefs  Find a new view together  Breakthrough

Using the Group Needs to Embrace Difference c. 2010, Bellman and Ryan Compelling Purpose Embracing Differences Engagement: What could we do to meet our Group Needs as a way to go from ‘me to we?’ Assessment: What’s going on in the situation that contradicts someone’s Group Needs? Using Group Needs to Assess and Engage Self Acceptance: knowing and accepting ourselves for who we are Potential: sensing and growing into our fuller and better selves Purpose: why we come together Bond: our shared sense of identity and belonging Reality: understanding and accepting the world as it is and how it affects us Impact: our intention to make a difference and our readiness to act

22 Life is too short to spend time in groups that do not fulfill their promise. Energized Connected Hopeful Changed Bellman/Ryan © 2009

23Bellman/Ryan © 2009