Teamwork Training: Learning to Build a Successful Team

Teamwork is a process that can be experienced outdoors and well as in the workplace. A lesson learned in one environment can be applied equally well in another. Teamwork: We Have Met the Enemy and They Are Us, a book by Dr. Steven Stowell and Matt Starcevich, describes actual teams that have participated in a variety of outdoor teamwork training programs. These programs have been as long as five days and as short as one. Each account has been chosen as illustrative of one of the phases all teams go through in the progression from inception of a team to fully functioning interdependence. This sampling of teams has been selected for each particular event, one or another best illustrates why some teams work together better than others. Not all teams engage in the events reported here, nor are these events an exhaustive report of all the teamwork training actives that could be used to improve teams.

A majority of the accounts in this book describe teams that have failed to succeed at their assigned task. We focus on their failure to highlight those factors that contributed to the team's demise. We do not to suggest that all these teams are failures. The best discussion and insights have resulted when the teams have had to explain why they did not accomplish their objective in a teamwork training event.

The client teams we work with already see themselves as effective. What they are seeking from us is teamwork training to improve on their effectives ? to be stretched, tested, and to grow as a group. As we said before, not all teams fail, but these accounts are typical of how a majority of teams approach the outdoor challenges they face. As with an actual team, if you focus on success or failure, you will miss the important opportunity in exploring how the teams functioned in performing the tasks, or their processes.

Each account in this book has been written as an independent narrative followed by a summary of the key points that would have contributed to better teamwork. The summaries are in varied formats including a didactic approach, a panel of experts' discussion, participants' personal reflections, a fable, and the team's own reflective discussion.

Our hope is that you can translate the outdoor teamwork training metaphors and summaries to the workplace and to situations within your own team. The crucial leap involves taking the lessons these teams have learned experientially and applying the concepts to improving your teamwork.

Like any journey, many different routes can be taken. You don't have to read the book from cover to cover to capture the significant messages. Choose those topics or aspect of teamwork of most interest and zero in on them. We hope the format will lend itself to an enjoyable journey into the inner working of group dynamics and teamwork.

Chapter 2 and 3 discuss the problems that start-up teams face. Issues of individuality versus team, low trust, who's in and who's out, and an unwillingness to listen will be explored.

Chapter 4 and 5 study the issues existing groups have in working as a team to solve problems and accomplish their tasks. Specific ways to overcome poor planning, lack of commitment, unequal participation, an inability to deal with difference in the group, and the under-utilization of resources are presented.

In Chapter 6 and 7 we look at the problems two independent teams have when they must operate and cooperate as one. Managers who confront the challenge of melding two competing groups into one team will find these sections of particular value.

The subject of teamwork would be incomplete without a discussion of "resistance to change." Chapter 8 and 9 explore why teams become too comfortable and resist change even in the face of extinction. Our focus is on not only why this happens, but what a team can do to overcome this growing entropy.

Successful teamwork is the subject of Chapter 10 and 11. Here readers can watch a group of individuals operate as a winning team. Through this unique looking glass, readers see first hand the component of effective teamwork and how team members create and maintain the element necessary for team survival.

Chapter 12 is for the reader who is concerned with bringing team members to a common vision and way of operating. We discuss the importance of a team vision, consider what this vision entails, and suggest a process any manager can implement with his/her team to establish the commitment needed to adopt a vision of team excellence.

For those teams or managers who would like to start off by assessing their team's strengths and weakness, Appendix I is the answer. We present a model for thinking about team effectiveness and a questionnaire to assess how your team rates itself on each component of this model.

Appendix II is provided for readers interested in using outdoor adventure-based training to empower their teams. Specific guidelines, as well as caveats, are presented. In Appendix III we present unique issues when facilitating an outdoor adventure-based teamwork training exercises.

If you would like to learn more about our books, programs, and workshop on Teamwork Training please contact a Regional Manager from CMOE. You can reach them at (801)569-3444 or visit our website.

---

Problem-Solving Success Tip: Measure the Right Things.

Measure the right things. It's not enough just to measure-you... Read More

Communicating In Chaotic Environments

How do you, or would you, communicate in a chaotic... Read More

Executive Performance -- Whos to Blame for Incompetent Managers?

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal raised the... Read More

Holding Effective Meetings Can Be Easier than You Think!

I'm sure you've experienced those typical "headache" meetings! You know... Read More

Key Control ? Who Has the Keys to Your Kingdom?

Key control, or more accurately the lack of key control... Read More

Conflict Resolution Training- When Personal Safety is an Issue

Conflict generally arises by having your needs, desires, perceptions and... Read More

Prepare A Winning CV

There is every chance that elements of this article may... Read More

How To Decrease Profits Without Really Trying

Hurting your sales efforts can be accomplished easily with the... Read More

Create Your Methodology Based on a Standard Framework - Part One

OK. So you have decided that your organization has to... Read More

Your Company Without Training - Any Questions?

Okay, be honest!Are you guilty of sticking in a few... Read More

The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Communication Breakdown

An ongoing series of articles exploring the seven critical areas... Read More

Indecent Proposal in the Workplace ? An Overview of Workplace Harassment & Employer Liability

An allegation of harassment in the workplace is a growing... Read More

What Is Business Sense?

What is the principal thing you need to succeed in... Read More

Sweet Parting Of Ways

Why settle for bad feelings when your employee leaves the... Read More

The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Conflict Becoming the Norm ? Part 2

A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that... Read More

Performance Appraisal Scenarios: Improve Your Communication

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION DURING THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: If the employee has... Read More

Why Do Managers Create Low Morale? Or Does My Bum Look Big In This?

Why do managers create low morale as a product of... Read More

Agendas Make Meetings Productive

Having an agenda template that works well for you, week... Read More

Are Your Meetings Smart?

Soon after I finished a brief seminar on how to... Read More

5 Ways of Increasing Business Profits

The economy may finally be turning around and showing signs... Read More

Conference Calling Can Save Your Sales OrganizationTime and Money!

Conference calling can save you money. There is no doubt... Read More

10 Steps When You Need Help in Your Business

If you think ahead and plan, many nightmare panic and... Read More

Managing Workplace Conflicts

Kinds of Workplace ConflictsLet's start by identifying where conflicts happen.... Read More

Action Learning: Its More Than OJT

For centuries companies have used on-the-job training (OJT). OJT works... Read More

The ?Better People? Fallacy

It's easy enough to convince your own staff that better... Read More

A Leadership Screw Driver: The 90 Day Improvement Plan

I was talking with first-line supervisors in a utility company... Read More

MANAGING CRISIS; when you?re too good at it

When you are acclaimed for excellence during times of crisis... Read More

How Bad Communication Can Hold You Back and How to Break Free of It

The reason jobs are often not done right and employees... Read More

Learn How To Get The Most From Your Team

Being a leader isn't easy. Every one looks to you... Read More

How to Create an Operations Manual

An operations manual can act as a tool for training... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Responsibility for Job Security

This article relates to the Job Security competency, commonly evaluated... Read More

Build Rapport Fast! - Eight Easy Steps

Building rapport is all about creating a relationship, in the... Read More

What to Ask When You?re Invited to a Meeting

1) Where is the agenda? A meeting without an agenda... Read More