Here’s the solution. The facilitator must expose the team to content for planning and effective steps to use for planning of a team. This can be accomplished using a power point presentation, a handout, ask the groups to break into smaller teams for group learning by peers. Supplying the team with a model of planning will allow understanding. Using the planning model as an objective metric to evaluate where they stand on the continuum.
The methods & models used vary according to the group and the team, their objectives, etc… below are some steps for effective planning;
Purpose, Vision, Inventory, Goals, Action Steps, Resources, Communication, Execution, Follow-up – Sample Planning questions list
If the objective of your process is to develop team planning and have the team practice & strengthen their ability to collaborate and become effective, then expose them to content for planning.
Develop some questions and thoughts about the content. Ask the teams to illustrate how they completed, delegated, and were accountable for the planning.
What’s the Problem? As a facilitator, consultant, trainer, speaker, teacher, etc… I have been guilty of it…not supplying the group with content to be successful.
I will paint you a vision using a simulation in project planning.
The group is tasked with planning how to accomplish a challenge in the shortest possible time. Following 2 or 3 preliminary rounds where the facilitators has set the guidelines.
I ask the group take 15 minutes to plan and practice the most effective way your group can accomplish the task. Following the 15 minutes you MUST have a goal and the agreement should be reached by consensus. The group freezes…stares at each-other…all start yelling and talking…then have a goal within 2 minutes. The activity takes place and the team obviously has no plan. During the processing I ask “What was your plan?”
the response “We didn’t have one.”
This group was set up for failure. The objective of planning and teamwork has not been accomplished. This failure is from the lack of content…the failure is from me the facilitator.
When a team does not know how to plan the failure reinforces the negative planning skills and behaviors that the group already contains. Nothing is learned nor gained.
Utilizing content to develop teams is Team Building – It is the facilitators responsibility to supply the team with tools, ideas and experiences to explore the content – see how it applies to their context, story & construct. Then collectively the team and facilitator work to create action plans and follow-up to see how effective the content is to the team.
michael cardus is create-learning
- photo by doug88888
- by Thomas Shahan