Tonight I taught the opening three hours of my very last Team Skills Workshop. Tomorrow, the main course of the team contract and communication skills. These workshops are not unlike the one I attended one snowy December day in Medford almost 20 years ago. That one wasn't offered by a college but by a for-profit business training organization. I liked the energy of the one day format and even at the time knew I'd one day be using it.
I forget when I created the one credit speech courses. I know it was donkey's years ago, probably while I still had a Mac on my desktop at work. I know I should probably have gone to H.R. today to look at my file but I was too busy focusing on finishing up the online interpersonal and prepping for this last edition of Team Skills.
I invented the one credit courses -- Team Skills, Conflict Management, Listening, and Emotional Intelligence -- back in the day when we were all supposed to be thinking about entrepreneurial education. Originally I thought about promoting and selling the courses outside of school but for various reasons (my own lack of actual entrepreneurial energy being one of them) the classes never actually "sold." They weren't even in the schedule until early in this century when my program leader Jon Bouknight said, "Let's put those one credit classes in the schedule." So we did!
When I first developed the classes I actually got one or two Oregon colleges to send me letters to say that they would accept the three classes as a replacement for interpersonal communication. But at the state level, that never flew, in spite of their original design to have some intellectual rigor as well as plenty of skill building.
So now, the way I teach Team Skills, it's all workshop with a paper at the end asking them to analyze either their own skills or those of a media team. (I enjoy reading papers about NCIS.) I don't even use a textbook anymore because the cheapest Crisp training manuals wind up over $20 at the school bookstore and it just wasn't worth having my students pay for that so I developed my own coursepack. I developed a public speaking coursepack years ago because the textbooks were just way too much information that few of the students read.
Tonight I tried a new activity. I have a picture in the coursepack of the seven universally recognized facial expressions. So I had them make these faces at each other in groups. Much laughter ensued. I told them that I had them making faces in part because it amused me and in part because I wanted them to realize that their faces were under their control and that they needed to use their face as they communicated with team members.
The workshops are fun, if exhausting. It will be a good day tomorrow.
Showing posts with label teams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teams. Show all posts
Friday, October 18, 2013
Monday, February 9, 2009
Team Skills Class and The Great Escape
My Team Skills Workshop rocked! It met this last Friday night and all day Saturday. What a great mix of people -- blue collar, pink collar, white collar and no collar. Both days were very energetic. I liked the positive attitude that most students brought to class. I lost a couple of people after lunch on Saturday, but those who remained worked hard and seriously at our various activities. At the end of class I asked people to talk about how they'd change their behaviors, based on the course material, and several folks said that they would use the team constitution and work at being more open-minded.
Although I always approach a weekend class with some trepidation, I was very happy with this one and quite up and excited when I left. One of the reasons that it worked so well was that I used my own versions of two of Thiagi's favorite games. I took a course back in the mid-nineties from Sivasailam Thiagarajan and learned how to put games in the classroom. Recently I purchased a collection of his hundred favorite games. I used his "Communication Problems" game to go over issues of conflict. This is a game with six teams that write down a communication problem. The teams then start passing papers to other teams around a circle. First, the problem is passed to another team who writes a solution to the problem on another piece of paper. The two papers are passed on to a third team that writes a critique of the solution. Pass the three papers to a fourth team who writes a "testimonial" in support of the solution. Pass the three papers to a fifth team that writes an "enhanced solution." Pass the papers to the sixth team who distributes two hundred points between the two solutions.
It's a great game and the class did well with it. I was happy that I was able to get folks working so often in teams in the class and that I only had really one excruciatingly boring powerpoint lecture.
After class I went out to Bo Restobar with my friend Carolyn Esky. I drank champagne and ate a bunch of appetizers (love the mini ribs and Koba beef sliders) and ended with a huge French press pot of coffee. So I was wired when I got home and stayed up late watching The Great Escape. I loved this flic when I was a kid. It's based on a true story of allied prisoners of war attempting to escape from the Nazis holding them a WWII prison camp. Watching it after a day of talking teams and then drinking, I noticed that it offered a lot of examples of team skills in action. Every person working on the escape plan has a special role -- the forger, the digger, the scout, the planner, the scrounger, etc. They completed a long tunnel, scrounged civilian clothing, and created false passports. Everyone's skill was necessary and vital to the success of the project. People who don't necessarily like each other have to get along for the sake of the project.
Eventually, 76 men escaped the camp. Unfortunately, only three ultimately made it to safety. The rest were captured and fifty of them were then murdered in cold blood by the Gestapo. For more information about the true story behind the movie, see the History in Film website.
I remembered this film with great love. Unfortunately, seeing now it seems really dated. Many of the central characters were played by hot young actors who eventually became television or movie stars: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, David McCallum, and Charles Bronson. Older British actors Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasance, and Gordon Jackson also had important roles. Unfortunately, at this point in time the hot youngsters all shine a bit too brightly. They are always highly lit. Their hair is clean and washed, their faces scrubbed. Their clothes are MUCH too clean for the situation. They are also carrying more weight than would have been likely in the late war period (1944) when many in Germany were starving. And not only are their clothes clean, their mouths are as well. There is no swearing. And, in this day and age, having military personnel who don't curse just seems kinda silly.
I also disliked the lighting effects. The film is shot in "high key" -- there aren't many shadows. Even in the tunnel we can see faces. The interior shots all seem to have light coming from all directions. It's not moody at all. And because of that relentless sound track, it's an upbeat film. And that makes it seem very dated, considering the subject matter.
As a kid though, I loved the movie and after seeing it I started sitting in the hallways at school, bouncing a ball against the opposite wall like Steve McQueen, the "cooler king." "To ze coolah!"
Although I always approach a weekend class with some trepidation, I was very happy with this one and quite up and excited when I left. One of the reasons that it worked so well was that I used my own versions of two of Thiagi's favorite games. I took a course back in the mid-nineties from Sivasailam Thiagarajan and learned how to put games in the classroom. Recently I purchased a collection of his hundred favorite games. I used his "Communication Problems" game to go over issues of conflict. This is a game with six teams that write down a communication problem. The teams then start passing papers to other teams around a circle. First, the problem is passed to another team who writes a solution to the problem on another piece of paper. The two papers are passed on to a third team that writes a critique of the solution. Pass the three papers to a fourth team who writes a "testimonial" in support of the solution. Pass the three papers to a fifth team that writes an "enhanced solution." Pass the papers to the sixth team who distributes two hundred points between the two solutions.
It's a great game and the class did well with it. I was happy that I was able to get folks working so often in teams in the class and that I only had really one excruciatingly boring powerpoint lecture.
After class I went out to Bo Restobar with my friend Carolyn Esky. I drank champagne and ate a bunch of appetizers (love the mini ribs and Koba beef sliders) and ended with a huge French press pot of coffee. So I was wired when I got home and stayed up late watching The Great Escape. I loved this flic when I was a kid. It's based on a true story of allied prisoners of war attempting to escape from the Nazis holding them a WWII prison camp. Watching it after a day of talking teams and then drinking, I noticed that it offered a lot of examples of team skills in action. Every person working on the escape plan has a special role -- the forger, the digger, the scout, the planner, the scrounger, etc. They completed a long tunnel, scrounged civilian clothing, and created false passports. Everyone's skill was necessary and vital to the success of the project. People who don't necessarily like each other have to get along for the sake of the project.
Eventually, 76 men escaped the camp. Unfortunately, only three ultimately made it to safety. The rest were captured and fifty of them were then murdered in cold blood by the Gestapo. For more information about the true story behind the movie, see the History in Film website.
I remembered this film with great love. Unfortunately, seeing now it seems really dated. Many of the central characters were played by hot young actors who eventually became television or movie stars: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, David McCallum, and Charles Bronson. Older British actors Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasance, and Gordon Jackson also had important roles. Unfortunately, at this point in time the hot youngsters all shine a bit too brightly. They are always highly lit. Their hair is clean and washed, their faces scrubbed. Their clothes are MUCH too clean for the situation. They are also carrying more weight than would have been likely in the late war period (1944) when many in Germany were starving. And not only are their clothes clean, their mouths are as well. There is no swearing. And, in this day and age, having military personnel who don't curse just seems kinda silly.
I also disliked the lighting effects. The film is shot in "high key" -- there aren't many shadows. Even in the tunnel we can see faces. The interior shots all seem to have light coming from all directions. It's not moody at all. And because of that relentless sound track, it's an upbeat film. And that makes it seem very dated, considering the subject matter.
As a kid though, I loved the movie and after seeing it I started sitting in the hallways at school, bouncing a ball against the opposite wall like Steve McQueen, the "cooler king." "To ze coolah!"
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
First Team Presentations
I am so happy now! Both my small group communication classes did such a great job with their first team assignments.* While the teams differed in terms of their practice level, each of them did a great job satisfying the requirements of the assignment while showing a noticable level of comfort and solidarity.
Morning Class
I especially enjoyed the first team, Conflict Island. These folks not only did everything they were supposed to do, they went the extra step and did a PowerPoint with photographs of each team member's food item as well as notes on what they learned from our text (Dan Rothwell's excellent but overpriced In Mixed Company).
Pictured above are the table decorations made by one of the team members for their event. The beauty of this table setting is just one example of the time and effort taken by team members to make their "feed" a positive and cohesive experience. During their presentation they made excellent use of photographs of their event. They also used humor in their presentation and talked about humorous aspects of their team members. While only two team members gave the oral presentation, the other members stood quietly on the other side of the screen, smiling and paying attention to their colleagues. The team showed a lot of solidarity.
But then, every other team showed solidarity as well. The other four teams took turns presenting different aspects of the Feed assignment, thus giving each member the opportunity to perform for the class. Team Five shared plenty of laughter with us as they reviewed what they learned at a Feed they called "Breakfast for Dinner." They didn't offer pictures of their Feed itself but instead used borrowed images that symbolized what they learned about their team members. For example, a team member who is an ex-Marine who worked in the Presidential Detail was represented by a picture of the White House. Team Five has six males and one female and they showed an awareness of gender diversity and its lack, calling their one female a "token."
Just Seven used the text thoughtfully as they talked about making "the best fajitas." There was plenty of positivity both on the slide, with its images of a happy team eating, as well as in the language they used to describe each other's food. They described a meeting in which they shared lots of good stories, including a series of anecdotes about broken bones (one team member had broken collar bones four times and another had broken both legs as a child). The two four member teams, The Out-of-Towners, which is all male and Team Thundercat, which is all female, both showed an appreciation for the smallness of their groups, sharing the hope that they would experience excellent cohesiveness. I really enjoyed the pictures of the Thundercats -- they showed a group of four smiling young women who seemed be be having a good time. The four men talked about meeting for a bar-b-que in 12 degrees. I hope the toughness this required carries through into their commitment to their team project.
The imbalance in the team sizes and gender mix makes me think I needed to rethink the way I have people select their teams. But, teaching is about learning from your mistakes, kinda like life.
Afternoon in Redmond
My afternoon class has only three groups because of some early shake-ups in attendance. Each team had to take on a new member when the fourth team imploded. Each group this afternoon showed plenty of solidarity through the use of each other's names and allowing each team member to take a turn presenting information.
My favorite display of cohesiveness, however, was by the Sunshine Posse whose members all wore yellow or orange shirts. The colors themselves expressed positivity. The Posse also showed a lot of cohesiveness in their use of friendly nonverbal cues in their team photographs. (But I will be suggesting to them that they should not have print across the tops of their photographs unless its a contrasting color.) Comm Group had attractive slides and made excellent use of the text. They did a very good job talking about how what happens when a newcomer enters the team. Plenty of positive language was used in describing their activities and the space where the Feed took place. The Dominators had an excellent presentation in which they used a slide show on automatic rotation to provide an account of their experience. Because their extra member appeared after they'd experienced the Feed, they made a special effort to take pictures with him and describe his entrance to the team. Unfortunately, they also lost a team member who chose not to communicate appropriately. This team has a very strict contract in which team members who miss meetings will be asked to leave the group.
I am really pleased with the work done by all of these teams. The Feed is an important event because it helps establish cohesiveness, promotes synergy, and allows them to get to know each other. Although I was worried by the chaos at the the quarter, I now feel good about the teams and expect them to do well through the rest of the quarter.
* This is The Feed assignment from my Small Group Communication Class
Rules for The Feed
1. Don’t go out to eat. You should create the meal together.
2. It may be breakfast, lunch or dinner.
3. Each team member should bring something.
4. The meal should be presented with some ceremony. Don’t just flop down in front of the tv and stare at someone else’s world. Set the table. Have a toast with a legal and appropriate beverage. Make things look nice. TALK with each other.
5. Possible discussion topics: Your team contract, how you will encourage “we” instead of “me” orientation among teammates, and/or what behaviors you think most enhance teamwork.
Graded product: Report on The Feed
Oral report: 2.5% Written Report: 2.5%
Each team should create an oral and written report about The Feed. Your written team report should have all the team members’ signatures on it when it’s turned in. The oral and written report are due on the same day.
What should be included in the written report:
1. A list of the foods people brought, identified by team member.
2. A description of The Feed environment. (Table settings, lighting, where was it, were there other people present, etc.)
3. Something the team learned about each team member. This should be something that the team thinks it’s important for Huck to know and that no member is embarrassed about sharing with Huck.
4. Three references to ideas in Rothwell’s In Mixed Company and an explanation of how each idea was illustrated by your team’s experiences at The Feed. (You might actually have covered these during your Feed discussion.) References must be cited appropriately with a page number. (You need not use MLA or APA style for this report.)
Criteria for Success on the written report (to receive an “A”)
· Report must be keyboarded
· Report must have all four requirements.
· Report must avoid spelling and grammatical errors (with the exception of appropriately used fragment sentences).
Criteria for Success on the oral report (to receive an “A”)
· All team members must be present.
· Team must offer at least one visual aid.
· Report should be between 4 – 8 minutes long.
· The oral report may cover the same material as the written report or it may cover a team concept of your choice.
Morning Class
I especially enjoyed the first team, Conflict Island. These folks not only did everything they were supposed to do, they went the extra step and did a PowerPoint with photographs of each team member's food item as well as notes on what they learned from our text (Dan Rothwell's excellent but overpriced In Mixed Company).
Pictured above are the table decorations made by one of the team members for their event. The beauty of this table setting is just one example of the time and effort taken by team members to make their "feed" a positive and cohesive experience. During their presentation they made excellent use of photographs of their event. They also used humor in their presentation and talked about humorous aspects of their team members. While only two team members gave the oral presentation, the other members stood quietly on the other side of the screen, smiling and paying attention to their colleagues. The team showed a lot of solidarity.
But then, every other team showed solidarity as well. The other four teams took turns presenting different aspects of the Feed assignment, thus giving each member the opportunity to perform for the class. Team Five shared plenty of laughter with us as they reviewed what they learned at a Feed they called "Breakfast for Dinner." They didn't offer pictures of their Feed itself but instead used borrowed images that symbolized what they learned about their team members. For example, a team member who is an ex-Marine who worked in the Presidential Detail was represented by a picture of the White House. Team Five has six males and one female and they showed an awareness of gender diversity and its lack, calling their one female a "token."
Just Seven used the text thoughtfully as they talked about making "the best fajitas." There was plenty of positivity both on the slide, with its images of a happy team eating, as well as in the language they used to describe each other's food. They described a meeting in which they shared lots of good stories, including a series of anecdotes about broken bones (one team member had broken collar bones four times and another had broken both legs as a child). The two four member teams, The Out-of-Towners, which is all male and Team Thundercat, which is all female, both showed an appreciation for the smallness of their groups, sharing the hope that they would experience excellent cohesiveness. I really enjoyed the pictures of the Thundercats -- they showed a group of four smiling young women who seemed be be having a good time. The four men talked about meeting for a bar-b-que in 12 degrees. I hope the toughness this required carries through into their commitment to their team project.
The imbalance in the team sizes and gender mix makes me think I needed to rethink the way I have people select their teams. But, teaching is about learning from your mistakes, kinda like life.
Afternoon in Redmond
My afternoon class has only three groups because of some early shake-ups in attendance. Each team had to take on a new member when the fourth team imploded. Each group this afternoon showed plenty of solidarity through the use of each other's names and allowing each team member to take a turn presenting information.
My favorite display of cohesiveness, however, was by the Sunshine Posse whose members all wore yellow or orange shirts. The colors themselves expressed positivity. The Posse also showed a lot of cohesiveness in their use of friendly nonverbal cues in their team photographs. (But I will be suggesting to them that they should not have print across the tops of their photographs unless its a contrasting color.) Comm Group had attractive slides and made excellent use of the text. They did a very good job talking about how what happens when a newcomer enters the team. Plenty of positive language was used in describing their activities and the space where the Feed took place. The Dominators had an excellent presentation in which they used a slide show on automatic rotation to provide an account of their experience. Because their extra member appeared after they'd experienced the Feed, they made a special effort to take pictures with him and describe his entrance to the team. Unfortunately, they also lost a team member who chose not to communicate appropriately. This team has a very strict contract in which team members who miss meetings will be asked to leave the group.
I am really pleased with the work done by all of these teams. The Feed is an important event because it helps establish cohesiveness, promotes synergy, and allows them to get to know each other. Although I was worried by the chaos at the the quarter, I now feel good about the teams and expect them to do well through the rest of the quarter.
* This is The Feed assignment from my Small Group Communication Class
Rules for The Feed
1. Don’t go out to eat. You should create the meal together.
2. It may be breakfast, lunch or dinner.
3. Each team member should bring something.
4. The meal should be presented with some ceremony. Don’t just flop down in front of the tv and stare at someone else’s world. Set the table. Have a toast with a legal and appropriate beverage. Make things look nice. TALK with each other.
5. Possible discussion topics: Your team contract, how you will encourage “we” instead of “me” orientation among teammates, and/or what behaviors you think most enhance teamwork.
Graded product: Report on The Feed
Oral report: 2.5% Written Report: 2.5%
Each team should create an oral and written report about The Feed. Your written team report should have all the team members’ signatures on it when it’s turned in. The oral and written report are due on the same day.
What should be included in the written report:
1. A list of the foods people brought, identified by team member.
2. A description of The Feed environment. (Table settings, lighting, where was it, were there other people present, etc.)
3. Something the team learned about each team member. This should be something that the team thinks it’s important for Huck to know and that no member is embarrassed about sharing with Huck.
4. Three references to ideas in Rothwell’s In Mixed Company and an explanation of how each idea was illustrated by your team’s experiences at The Feed. (You might actually have covered these during your Feed discussion.) References must be cited appropriately with a page number. (You need not use MLA or APA style for this report.)
Criteria for Success on the written report (to receive an “A”)
· Report must be keyboarded
· Report must have all four requirements.
· Report must avoid spelling and grammatical errors (with the exception of appropriately used fragment sentences).
Criteria for Success on the oral report (to receive an “A”)
· All team members must be present.
· Team must offer at least one visual aid.
· Report should be between 4 – 8 minutes long.
· The oral report may cover the same material as the written report or it may cover a team concept of your choice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)