1. Tools for Process Improvement Team Leaders
Train The Trainers
Tools for Process Improvement Team Leaders
Rod Wells
Quality Management

2. Team Leader Tool Kit Understanding of Team Dynamics
Facilitation Skills
Data Collection Knowledge
Organizational Communication Skills

3. Team Dynamics Four stages of team development
Forming - learning stage; people are cautious
Storming - leaders start to emerge; energy may focus on each other instead of the problem; beware of dominant personalities
Norming - understanding of the project and how to attack it; some people start helping others
Performing - real change being made; team enjoying success

4. Facilitation Skills Know how to manage meetings
arrive early and make sure everything is in place and functioning
create an agenda and stick to it
define roles (who will take minutes, etc.)
set ground rules (phones, breaks, etc.)
always evaluate the meeting afterwards
Brainstorm to generate ideas
Organize ideas, identify priorities, drive decision making
Know Thyself
don’t pretend to be an expert if you’re not
don’t tell jokes if you’re not good at it
if you’re not assertive, find someone who is to keep things moving forward
just because you’re good with a hammer doesn’t mean everything is a nail…

5. Data Collection
Avoid the temptation to demonstrate your knowledge of statistics; match the techniques to the audience
Be careful in how you sample, analyze data and present conclusions
Understand the concept of variation
Understand bias in sampling
Know the difference between correlation and cause and effect
Know the difference between accuracy and precision
Understand how people lie with statistics:
“The rich will benefit disproportionately from this tax reduction.”
Don’t start with the conclusion; be objective and let the data tell the story
If it isn’t working, STOP
GIGO
some people are better than others when it comes to drawing conclusions from data
(hand out exercise)

6. Organizational Communication
Consider Storyboards to make the project visible and encourage feedback and involvement from others outside the Team
Consider a Team Center where the culture of improvement can have a home
Celebrate the process, not just the results

7. Dealing With Difficult People
There are three types of people in most meetings or seminars:
Learners
Vacationers
Prisoners
Deal with negative people by focusing on their issue, not their behavior. Don’t take it personally. Control your response.
Acknowledge the importance of what talkative people have to say, but also emphasize the importance of sticking to the schedule.
Consider talking to disruptive people during breaks.
Above all, don’t let someone else control your meeting.