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Slide 2: Terms and Conditions LEGAL NOTICE The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this report, notwithstanding the fact that he does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet. While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, the Publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein. Any perceived slights of specific persons, peoples, or organizations are unintentional. In practical advice books, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made. Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly. This book is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in legal, business, accounting and finance fields. You are encouraged to print this book for easy reading. -2-
Slide 3: Table Of Contents Foreword Chapter 1: Team Training Basics Chapter 2: Problem Solving Chapter 3: Personality Assessments Chapter 4: Empathetic Listening Chapter 5: Spoken Communication Training Chapter 6: Written Communication Training Wrapping Up -3-
Slide 4: Foreword The mere gathering of a group of people does not necessarily constitute to the effective beginnings of a team training exercise that is going to be productive and successful. Several different aspects need to be taken into careful consideration before such an exercise even begins. This book will show you how. Team Training How To Build Powerful Corporate Teams That Win -4-
Slide 5: Chapter 1: Team Training Basics Synopsis The primary and most important element of team training lies in the ability of the leader to instill the motto of working together towards the effective and successful achievement of a goal. -5-
Slide 6: The Basics Understanding the various elements involved, such as specifics of the theme within the training exercise, the measurable and achievable standards set, the relevant processes that enable the afore mentioned items and the time frame in which all this is to take place. Discussions on project plans, schedules and budget should all be held at the onset of the training exercise to ensure the overall performance of the team properly reflects the management systems in place. Within the team training exercise elements like the results to be produced by the team and clear objectives for measuring these results are outlined to be followed diligently and any deviations should be monitored and controlled. The communications mechanism should also be clear and concise as not all participants within the team will have the same level of technical understanding. Such divulging of information can be done regularly through different yet equally effective tools such as meetings, emails, collaborations, newsletters and many other high tech avenues. Developing staffing procedures that encourage team participations also allows for the platform where only appropriate participants form the team. Randomly throwing together a group of individual and expecting them to work as a team is not only ludicrous but it can also have disastrous results. -6-
Slide 7: Assigning an individual within the team training exercise to be responsible in ensuring all the participants are always kept abreast with all the relevant information is also important, as this ensure the smoothness of the overall team participation. -7-
Slide 8: Chapter 2: Problem Solving Synopsis In the very competitive and cost conscious environments today, a lot of companies are beginning to realize that most matters can be successfully dealt with within the company if there are workable teams of problem solving expertise in place. By getting the most out of the resources available from the people already knowledgeable on the problem the company can problem solve more effectively and in a fraction of the time. -8-
Slide 9: Work It Out The successful companies realize that by getting the employees to work in teams, ongoing challenges, opportunities, improvements, reengineering, product development and many other aspects can be better addressed and solutions found simply based on the oneness effect of the problem solving mindset. Being able to quickly deploy teams whenever there is a need, can only be done if the proper complimenting tools and training are constantly available. Some of the problem solving areas that should be covered within the exercise should be clearly defined. These may include clearly defined goals, indentifying and priority listing the barriers pertaining to the said goals, suitable development of solutions that are not only clever and cost effective but should also be workable. Not forgetting the cooperation of all involved, is another very important element that should not be overlooked as this one element can derail any problem solving exercise. When all this has been discussed and explored, the next step in the problem solving venture should be to ensure the proper execution of the plan takes place. -9-
Slide 10: Constant or periodic checks should be practiced to ensure the exercise is kept on track and the problems are effectively solved or at the very least some success is shown in understanding the problem and addressing it. All this is done with the end goal in mind to ensure its smooth and speedy attainment. With the necessary tools and techniques available, most teams can help to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the company. - 10 -
Slide 11: Chapter 3: Personality Assessments Synopsis In the process of trying to put together a team for any endeavor it would be most useful to carry out some sort of personality assessment. This is because the eventual group that is formed has to be able to work closely and competently until the goal of the project is achieved. When all the participants in the team are on a similar wavelength or mindset then the various functions of the group will be easier and smoother. - 11 -
Slide 12: Differences In order to do this personality assessment exercise there are many ways available, some of which are easier and straight forward while others may be a little more complex. The choice made would really have to depend on the type of project and personalities involved. Simply conducting common type tests like self-report inventories which involves the participant addressing a set of questions is sometimes enough for the powers that be to make the decisions for team formation. However there is also more complex test that may require a more in depth amount of information before any decision is made. The different types of test may eventually produce the data in the form of percentile ranks, z scores, sten scores and many other types of standardized scoring platforms. When all the relevant data is collected then the assessments can begin and the best choices can be made to form the team. Perhaps the most important elements most team leaders look for would be the reliability and validity factors within the individual chosen. This of course is over and above the relevant technical expertise that may be needed for the project to be able to achieve its goal successfully and smoothly. - 12 -
Slide 13: Though these personality assessments are a huge help when trying to determine the best people for the team, it is not always a full proof method, as some individual react to different situations where there is pressure from the need for collaboration. Thus these assessments can only be used as a guide. - 13 -
Slide 14: Chapter 4: Empathetic Listening Synopsis Working together often has the very rudimentary problems that can eventually be worked out fairly quickly and comfortably. However there are also times when the team leader has to make decisions that are not going to be very popular which may cause negative repercussions among the other members of the team. One method popularly advised to be used when this occurs is empathetic listening. Studies have shown that this method has proven it worth many a time for its effectiveness and swiftness. - 14 -
Slide 15: Really Hear Empathetic listening is basically a techniques adopted to help an individual manage and avoid disruptive and negative behavioral patterns from becoming a problem within the team that working towards the successful completion of a project. This technique can also be used in other circumstances where there is a need to hear and understand all views and thoughts on any particular situation or circumstance. The exercise of empathetic listening involves the ability to provide the platform for the speaker to enjoy undivided attention, as any distractions can be deemed disrespectful to the speaker. It also encourages both parties to be completely committed to solving the perceived problem at the time. Being non judgmental is also another very important criteria. Embarking on the exercise with preconceived notions can only distort any effort to solve the problem. Making a conscious effort not to minimize or trivialize the speakers concerns is also equally important. Making observations from the visual impacts showed when the speaker is expressing himself or herself is also another form of gaining insight into just how the speaker is effected by the perceived problem. The emotions expressed through the course of the exercise - 15 -
Slide 16: can help define the method eventually chosen to defuse or address the problem. Offering verbal solutions before the speaker completes explaining his or her perspective is also not encouraged, however asking clarifying questions may be welcomed. - 16 -
Slide 17: Chapter 5: Spoken Communication Training Synopsis A lot of times simple communication is misinterpreted and ends up creating situations that are damaging and out of control. Therefore spoken communication training should not be taken lightly or dismissed as unimportant. - 17 -
Slide 18: Speaking There are several reasons why there is a need to explore and even implement periodic exercises within a team for spoken communication training. Some of the elements that should be addressed within the spoken communication training are as listed below: Ensuring that all involved learn to speak clearly and audibly is the first step to effective communication. Taking the time and effort to stop where the impact is needed for all listening to understand the importance of a particular point being made help to emphasize the point. Using clever or bombastic language is often more confusing than enlightening. By the constant use of such language the listeners would either lose interest in what is being said or worst still go about doing things in a way that quite contrary to the purpose at hand, thus causing even further complications. The idea of effective communication is not to impress but to ensure the contents of what is being said is completely understood by all. When delivering important instructions, adopting a method where the listeners are asked to repeat the said instructions, ensures complete understanding of what is required by both - 18 -
Slide 19: parties. Also giving the instruction in an orderly format helps to keeps confusion levels minimal. If the intention is to keep everyone relaxed, simple and easy to understand language should be used. Avoid making too many jokes especially if the connotations are ambiguous, as it can not only cause confusion but also cause misinterpretation and the feeling of being slighted. Using active rather than passive language patterns is also encouraged. There is more emphasis on the importance of the action requirement through active language patterns. - 19 -
Slide 20: Chapter 6: Written Communication Training Synopsis To ensure the success of any team training exercise, some form of easy to follow written communication style should be followed. In doing so there are several different aspects that should be addressed to ensure all parties privy to the written communication can easily understand both its contents and the eventual goal intended. - 20 -
Slide 21: Writing The following are some of the issues that should be considered when designing the written communication material for training: Avoid the urge to design impressive sentences as this does not serve the purpose of getting the message or idea across clearly and effectively. Keeping the sentences short and to the point also help to keep the attention of the intended parties. Writing sentences that are specific in its instructions and ideas prevents the likelihood of being vague. Also avoid generalizing as this gives way to unnecessary assumptions which may end up being disastrous. Using active verbs in the sentence design also keeps the written material within the conversational context, thus giving the illusion of a conversation. It also gives the written communication a sense of priority and purpose. Separating each point into different paragraphs or sections makes the tacks of pinpointing any particular aspect faster and more effective besides the obvious benefits of clearly defining every point. - 21 -
Slide 22: Editing and proof reading all material is a good and beneficial habit to form. This eliminates the likelihood of mistakes and also ensures no sentences are misconstrued or misunderstood. Poor grammar and misspellings will reflect poorly on the individual and the company. Written communication for the training should also be gender sensitive. Though it may seem trivial, some parties may be offended it this aspect is not considered. The written material should also always reflect a positive tone. When the tone is positive the probability of getting a positive response is also far greater and this also limits the possibility of a negative or hostile response. - 22 -
Slide 23: Wrapping Up There are a lot of benefits to creating a team environment in the office. Teams can frequently achieve tasks that may not have been otherwise finished An effective team attitude also improves motivation and job satisfaction, which add to productivity, innovation and retention. Teams can also perk up coordination between workers and enhance the decision-making procedure. With correct preparation and training, you can construct a team environment inside your workplace. - 23 -