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? click here for the how-to book.

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 TeamBuilding 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…).

Create-Learning Team Building & Leadership offers Team Building & Leadership Train-the-Trainer programs. Interested? Contact Mike

michael cardus is create-learning

image by Neal.

Laura and Matt at 12Grain Studio have been creating some amazing new branding and identity work for me over the past couple months.

You will notice the new blog title image and above is the new logo…what are your thoughts? likes / dislikes?
Soon a re-launch of the Create-Learning Website (I will keep you all informed)

Also the blog will be moving to a new site and location once all that is complete and I am ready for the reveal I will send notice.

Thank you all for allowing me to serve and facilitate you, your teams and organizations, and I look forward to many more great years sharing and creating new ideas with you.

Mike Cardus

Did you ever wonder “How does one lead AWESOME team-building programs? Programs that ensure that content and learning take place. A teambuilding program that is fun, and teams leave better than when they arrived?” Now you can find out; In this 55 page E-book you will find applicable strategies, team-building activities, facilitation, de-briefing, and processing activities + theory that you can use immediately.

Above is an image from a Corporate Team Building Program

Following a content training on inter-department collaborative project planning with a step-by-step action plans for enhanced collaboration on team projects including the following steps:

• Purpose
• Vision
• Inventory
• Goals
• Action Steps
• Resources
• Communication
• Execution
• Followup

The teams were challenged to get into mixed department teams and place their collaboration project plans into action.

Gutterball
Gutterball offers insights into the needs that different team members have for information and detail, how people like to work in either a structured or unstructured approach to problem solving and change, and how quickly and slowly people are willing to move ahead with a plan based on how much they know and understand about the solution.

Michael Cardus

While a decision within organizations often relies upon facts and data, teams must agree upon a method for making decisions based upon the data. Ensuring that the decisions made are done with a process and purpose that the team can utilize to make the best possible decision with the given facts and data.

There are many different decision making styles, two methods must be chosen to serve as guideposts for decisions made. The primary method must be agreed to by the team and a back up method must also be chosen. The methods can and will vary upon the people and stakeholders making the decision as well as the knowledge of the facts and data that the team possesses when making the decision.

Below is a decision making spectrum as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

You are paid to make decision and use your best judgment. The amount of success you have and money you make is conjoined to the decisions you make. You NEED to make the best decisions possible;

This process shows you how.

Decision making is necessary in every role; the value in one’s role comes from the decisions made. Learning to make effective decisions includes: time span for manager and employee, when to delegate decision making, and the use of several decision methods.

Here’s What’s in it for you;

• A proven process for making the BEST Decisions.
• Gaining evidence and buy-in for decisions made.
• A model and step by step process for decision making in teams
• An execution based model for Planning; Taking action; Checking to see what was right; Acting on the best decisions.
• Access to Mike for Coaching & Feedback

Click to Purchase…

• Consultant. In this role, he establishes and maintains contact with the client, jointly assesses the client’s situation, elicits information, designs programs, serves as confidant and adviser to the primary client contact.

• Trainer. In this role, he sets the tone of the training, then communicates, educates and improvises as he orchestrates and delivers the content through a sequence of activities and facilitated group discussion

• Facilitator. In this role, he leads the debriefings [processing], engaging and challenging participants to dig for deeper meaning, mediating disagreements and pushing for ever-greater clarity and understanding.

Each of these roles is inter-dependent upon each other. For example if the training lacks the full “buy-in” or approval of the primary client contact, (usually Executive Level, Team Leader, or a Supervisor in some capacity), the program will fail to reach a higher level of success and fail to have a long term effect on the team and the participants within the team.

It is imperative that a discussion takes place between the Team Building Consultant and the client contact. All parties need to reach an agreement on how the program will progress, what objectives and goals are going to be reached as well as how to follow up the Team training program.

What if the client contact is unclear about what objectives and goals to be reached? That is where the Team Building Consultant should meet, process and enable the client contact to better see and understand what it is that really needs to be addressed in the training session. If the Team Building Consultant can not facilitate a discussion to lead to clarity on goals and objectives both parties, the consultant and the client, should agree to go elsewhere.

Additionally during the training new evidence of inter-behavioral barriers may present themselves and the program takes an unexpected turn. This is when the true test of a trainer’s ability becomes evident.

• Does the facilitator choose to stay the course and work on the pre-defined objectives?
• Does the trainer choose to go in a different direction and follow what has just arisen?
• Does the trainer have the skills, knowledge and abilities to in a synergistic fashion meld both together?

Experienced Team Building Consultants have been in all three situations and the answer really is “YES”. It all depends on the situation at hand.

That is why when choosing a team building consultant and team building company an organization must research and feel comfortable with the qualifications of the facilitator.
Some questions to ask team building companies are as simple as;

• who are your facilitators?
• Can you tell me an example of a program you have lead that is like our situation?
• Can you supply me with a list of sample questions you ask during the debrief [processing]?
• Give us a specific example of a program you have created that was a success? A failure?
• Can you provide my organization with a written proposal or agenda of what will be accomplished during our team training?

An effective team building consultant has the ability to move seamlessly through the consultant; trainer; and facilitator role. This comes from experience and Team Building consultants who are well educated and trained, in several fields. Choose the right consultant and who puts your team and success first.
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Michael Cardus

photo by Kecko

Did you ever wonder “How does one lead AWESOME team-building programs? Programs that ensure that content and learning take place. A teambuilding program that is fun, and teams leave better than when they arrived?” Now you can find out; In this 55 page E-book you will find applicable strategies, team-building activities, facilitation, de-briefing, and processing activities + theory that you can use immediately.

5 Questions for Processing;

1) Did you notice…..? by opening with a closed ended question you give the group a common starting point, this opening question will set the tone, if possible keep it a positive observation.

As a facilitator take special notice to what is happening, this is challenging and takes practice. Pay attention to the power dynamics, who is taking the lead and who is following, watch body language active and inactive movements, additionally focus on how topics are being addressed and spoken about the tonal culture of a group will give you some great starting points.

2) Why did that happen? or What factors led to that happening? or How does something like that happen? all variations on the why did the 1^st question that was noticed happen. Allow group members to discuss keep them at the current position, DO NOT GET AHEAD keep the focus on why that happened in that activity. Allow what you feel is sufficient amount of time, when the energy drops and the group is silent for ~45 seconds move on…

3) Does that happen in life? or Does that happen in the office, classroom, playing field, team meetings? insert proper context to question based upon who you are working with.

Returning to a closed ended question will again give the group a common concept to think about. At this point you are transferring the program to their lives moving into the conceptual concrete of the learning.

4) Why does that happen? or What factors lead to that happening? or How does that happen in office, classroom, life, etc…?

Now returning to an open ended question…facilitating the group to a convergent thought of the activity in a context of their lives and workplaces.

5) How can we apply this?

At this point challenge the group to find the connections and develop some action plans on learning and transference of gained skills, techniques and behaviors can return to work with them.

Michael Cardus

Idea from: Open to Outcome (Jacobson & Ruddy 2004)