How does one lead AWESOME team-building programs? The ones that ensure that content and learning take place. A teambuilding program that is fun, and teams leave better than when they arrived?

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The STAR method is a behavioral interviewing method that organizations use to explore predictors of performance.

This STAR method can also be used for processing (de-briefing) a team building and training simulation.

Here is the Model – from MIT Careers Office

STAR Method

• Situation: give an example of a situation (goal, task, planning, project, etc.) you were involved in.
• Task: describe the tasks the you were directly involved in that situation.
• Action: talk about the various actions that you were directly involved in the situation’s task.
• Results: what results directly followed because of your actions.

The use of open ended questions and ability for reflection fit into the Experiential Learning Model where learning and transferable application of skills is processed.

Processing Team Building Experience

Here is my alternative facilitation processing application of the STAR method.
The team completes a team building activity, then the facilitator guides the team in the following manner;

• Situation: What from the (situation) experience resulted in a positive outcome?
• Task: Describes the tasks (steps, processes, planning, etc…) involved that resulted in that positive outcome.
• Action: share with the team your personal actions involved in the task (steps, processes, planning, etc…) the personal action is used because every person experiences differently. Once the individual contributors share their knowledge a deeper pool of team knowledge can be constructed to read more about this
• Results: Describe the results. How can we transfer these team & personal actions that led to these results back to your team (organization, community, family, etc…)? List the action steps that can be taken to implement the new actions (learnings, skills, communication, etc…).

image by Neal.