Course Description

Managers can misdiagnose the root causes of team conflict or less-than-optimal team performance when they consider only the capabilities or character of individual team members.

Often more systemic conditions undermine a team’s cohesiveness, collaboration, or ability to achieve goals.

Course Outline

This course focuses on how leaders can work with their teams to build the infrastructure that enables maximum performance. Leaders gain experience in diagnosing and applying the five Team Success Factors—Results, Commitment, Communication, Process, and Trust.

• Getting to Know the Success Factors: Learners participate in an opening activity in which they use identified behaviors from their Course Prep. Facilitator introduces a framework for teams to work efficiently together known as the five Team Success Factors—Results, Commitment, Communication, Process, and Trust. In groups, participants discuss how ineffective behaviors affect the success factors. Learners diagnose their team’s performance by completing Team Success Factors Survey. The Team Resource Guide is introduced.
• Strengthening the Process and the Team: The Process success factor is introduced, and learners explore the Team Success Factors accelerators. A video of a leader using the Process accelerators is shown. Participants then explore a useful tool for improving processes—The Team Charter.
• Exploring Results and Communication: Learners work in small groups and discuss either the Results or Communication success factor, then answer questions together. The facilitator leads a debrief of the activity.
• Building Commitment and Trust: Facilitator introduces the Commitment success factor and accelerators. In a team activity, learners choose one Commitment accelerator that would most help build commitment to their team. A debrief follows. The Trust success factor is explored with learners completing the Trusting Others Survey and sharing insights with a partner.
• The Challenges of Virtual Teams: In a team activity, learners take on the role of either a leader, virtual team member or team member, then identify challenges from each position and ways to overcome them. The debrief includes a discussion on the importance of trust and communication for all teams, especially those that have virtual members.
• Maximizing Team Performance Action Plan: Learners identify a Team Success Factor they believe will help improve their team’s performance. They begin to build a plan to use this factor, referring to tools in the Team Resource Guide. Facilitator debriefs by asking participants to share how to enhance their team’s performance with the larger group.

Learner Outcomes

At the end of this program, learners will be able to:  

• Avoid misdiagnosing problems that negatively affect team performance
• Focus their team's efforts on high-priority actions that directly support the organization's goals and strategies
• Enhance the effectiveness of their team by addressing conditions that prevent it from achieving higher levels of performance
• Foster an environment of collaboration and shared responsibility (with virtual team members, as well), to achieve team goals 

Notes

Accrediting Associations

• HRCI 3.5 PDC
• SHRM 3.5 PDC

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Performance Management Certificate : Performance Management Certification