Ron Weisinger An Action Learning Success Story Leading Effective Teams Greater Boston ASTD Meeting March 15, 2011 An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
Pre-training Assessment An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
Leading Effective Teams-Life Sciences Division Pilot Objective Increase Team Leader Capabilities in the Life Sciences Division. Training Format 1. Spaced learning to optimize impact. 2. Facilitated as highly interactive workshops with ample opportunity for hands on practice. 3. Sessions will foster networking among participants. 4. Participants will have “ homework ” assignments that require practical application of the learning. 5. Managers of participants will be coached to play a coaching role before, during, and after the training. Schedule Kick Off with Coaches 8/31 The Leader ’ s Role in… Training Design, Content and Delivery by Building Teams 9/9 Karen Bennett Facilitating Meetings 9/27 Leadership, Team & Organization Development Working with People 10/7 karenmbennett@mindspring.com Decision Making 10/21 Influencing Others 10/29 Managing Conflict 11/11 Close with Coaches 11/22 An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
Tools Provided to Team Leaders Force Field Analysis Cause & Effect Diagram Affinity Diagram Decision Matrix Structured Brainstorming An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
Behaviors That Support Development Actively soliciting and embracing feedback Introspection; a willingness to look at oneself Being receptive to changing conditions or circumstances Venturing outside one ’ s comfort zone An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
Application of Classroom Learning Answering these three questions should help you determine if you are effectively applying what you ’ ve learned in “ Leading Effective Teams ” How does the activity relate to the Team Leader dimension 1. I ’ m working on? How do I make it actionable? 2. How will I know if it ’ s having the desired impact? 3. An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
Using Your Manager as a Coach An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
The Five Questions of Highly Effective Team Leader Coaching Support Just as the participants in Leading Effective Teams need a plan for how they will apply key learnings back on the job, you will need to think about your own “ plan ” for providing effective and efficient coaching support (just in time/just enough) In deciding the “ time, place and manner ” of your coaching support ask yourself these questions: 1. Do I know what knowledge or skill my direct report is working on during the time between classes? 2. How can I help him/her identify specific behaviors, techniques, or actions to practice? 3. How can I monitor his/her efforts? 4. How can I solicit third-party feedback? 5. How can I help him/her reflect on the “ application of learning ” An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
The Five Suggestions For Highly Effective Team Leader Coaching Support Within two days of each class, meet with your direct report 1. Ask what s/he ’ s going to work on, how s/he intends to do it, and if there ’ s any help you can provide (such as preparing for a difficult team meeting) Ask how s/he ’ s going to solicit feedback Ask how s/he ’ s going to reflect on his/her own progress Attend a team (or other) meeting to observe for yourself how your 2. direct report does with his/her planned application Have a brief “ skip-level ” discussion with people on the team for 3. their feedback Have a discussion 1-2 days before the next class to review and recap 4. what ’ s been practiced during the last two weeks Ask for his/her self assessment first Ask for insights gained, difficulties encountered, barriers overcome, etc. If you have more than one direct report in the training, you could 5. meet with them as a group to accomplish suggestions 1 and 4 An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
Reminders for Effective Coaching Test for receptivity before offering “ advice ” Don ’ t be judgmental; preserve self-esteem and acknowledge that taking risks with new behaviors is hard work Use of open-ended probes is a very effective way to help your direct report “ self critique ” An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
Application of Learning Ideas Generated by Team Leaders at Final Session An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
What Participants Are Saying Now I recall the course fondly. It is amazing how relevant this course is a few years after taking it. Planning is everything. I looked up my summary presentation where I put together a detailed agenda for a 5 minute talk to show how you can get things done if you plan. Knowing where you want to go before the meeting, and preparing to drive the Team there together is the Holy Grail. Awareness of what is going on in yourself and others is paramount to getting decisions made versus protracted discussions. You have to live it (i.e., the Team Leadership Experience) to know it. And the way the course was done, we lived it, practiced it, so we could incorporate it into the way we do things. Peter R. R&D Manager An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
What Participants Are Saying Now The training not only focused on developing essential team leadership skills, but it also formed and strengthened a strong sense of team and empowerment throughout the organization. More impressive, however, is that years later many of the trainees still reference the course materials and practice what they learned. The organizational impact is indeed lasting. Mike C. R&D Manager An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
What Participants Are Saying Now The two things that stand out in my mind from that training were meeting management and decision tools. For the former, I still use the practice of sending out a firm agenda prior to the meeting, trying to stay on schedule to the agenda, and making sure action items are clearly assigned and committed to by the assignees. The decisions tools are memorable because of the comparative approach used to weigh options that factor in criteria like cost and customer need. Matt D. Group Product Manager An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
What Participants Are Saying Now I come back often to the training. I would say the two biggest things are: ask why we have a team in the first place; i.e., make sure there is a clear business purpose that the whole team is aligned on with the sponsor(s) every now and then, step back from the "content" focus of the team and assess the process of the team to see how we are relating to each other and to see whether our roles are clear with shared processes John L. Director, R&D An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
The Participants An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
Ben E passed her therapy dog test on Sunday! An Action Learning Success Story: Leading Effective Teams
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