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words 'team building? trigger instant images for most of us. Climbing walls Jason Zucker Womens Jersey , outdoor settings, group hugs, and of course the kum ba ya jokes.


There are reasons why our past experiences were ineffective and a waste of time and money. Not because the workshop was necessarily bad, but because nothing changed when the group went back to work. The activities and metaphors created by these types of sessions do a wonderful job creating insights Joel Eriksson Ek Womens Jersey , but high performance team functioning is a discipline. The bad reputation comes from the inability to turn these insights into applications.


So how does one invest time and money in these programs and get a positive return?


There are basically three opportunities for using 'team? types of programs. Actually there are probably more, but here are the most consistent trends:


? Conference workshops


* These sessions are designed to support the concepts and themes for a specific conference. This may include a content speaker and interactive learning sessions that usually last between four and eight hours in length.


* Or participants may be in break out sessions for a few days and it's nice to have a fun, yet tangible release.


? Performance development


* These are the ?roll-up your sleeves?, let's get at the issues of our organization Zach Parise Womens Jersey , types of programs. The may be the result of change, or just dysfunctional team behavior.


* Measurement and assessment, as well as action planning, in conjunction with interactive learning work best. Sessions can be four hours to four days.


? Social interaction


* These are recreational events with little to no insights. They might include corporate olympics Mikko Koivu Womens Jersey , paint ball, or boat building types of activities.


* They are fun and social, but no epiphanies are going to take place.


All three types of programs can be well run with varying degrees of effectiveness. The first two, though Mike Reilly Womens Jersey , are workshops that can be disappointing if expectations are not met and no positive results have occurred.


The management of expectations is crucial to the success of any team development process. Your odds for success increase dramatically when you address five key components. These include the needs assessment, interactive learning, the debrief, action planning and follow up.


The needs assessment


Basically Chris Stewart Womens Jersey , putting the custom back into customer. Every organization's culture is different and so are their needs. So, how do we customize a program to get the largest return on investment? For this we reference Stephen Covey and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People specifically by ?beginning with the end in mind?.


Once the information on the dynamics of the group are understood, which could include organizational or industry changes, specific interpersonal issues Eric Staal Womens Jersey , or recent events that have impacted this group, then we can start painting the picture of what an absolutely successful program really looks like. What are participants walking away with? What behavior or process changes will take place? Visualize success?what does it look like? Basically, ?begin with the end in mind?.


I have a friend who owns Sandler Sales Institute in Tampa, Florida and he describes this as 'defining the pain?. Why have you here today? When the elements of a successful team development program are visualized and verbalized Tyler Ennis Jersey , then a customized program can be designed to accomplish these desired outcomes.


A well executed needs assessment will allow the mapping and customization of an effective team development program. Information and data gathering can happen through:


? Interviewing team leaders andor participants


? Measurement tools


This data is useful as both a diagnostic and for tracking development. Team development has often been perceived as an intangible. The fact is groups can apply metrics and track a team's development and hold its members accountable.


By ?beginning with the end in mind? facilitators can clearly identify the pain and begin to manage expectations of the outcomes.


Interactive Learning


Whether you chose to call it action learning or experiential learning, these activities can be fun and insightful.


How does one select the appropriate activities for a results driven program and what are the options? There are hundreds of choices to choose including cognitive problem solving activities, board games, philanthropic community projects and of course ROPES courses.


Truly Jared Spurgeon Jersey , the purpose of these activities is to create insight. The activities are not 'team building? in and of themselves. They are the prompts for discussion. Trust Falls don't build trust and climbing 60 feet in the air doesn't make you a risk taker in business.


If you want to be trusted be trustworthy and if you want to be respected be respectful.


What program should provide are experiences to look at individual and group dynamics regardless of the activity. It's the insights extracted during the conversation after the activity that truly begins the developmental process.


The debrief Very simply three things