Are you doing your "Great Work"?

Here at the IATF we believe Teamwork Facilitators must help teams and organizations focus on the work that makes the most difference (we call this "great work").

Please join us for an interactive, fun and practical TeleClass that will give you new tools and insights for the work you’re doing with teams and leaders.

In this class we'll work through three of the coaching and facilitation tools from IATF’s Visiting Faculty Member Michael Bungay Stanier's latest book:

 

Do More Great Work: Stop the busywork and start the work that matters

In this TeleSeminar you'll learn:

• What's the difference between Great Work and Good Work - and whether you should care or not.
• How to help a team or an organization focus on the work that makes the most difference - and how to deal with the work that doesn't
• Two words that will significantly increase the power of your facilitation questions

Do More Great Work has been endorsed by 10 past presidents of the International Coach Federation. Michael was the 2006 Canadian Coach of the Year and was a Rhodes Scholar.

“If I had to pick a person to have dinner with, when I need to be prodded and challenged and inspired to think about the things I really am committed to think about for myself and what I'm doing, I'd pick Michael Bungay Stanier. He has an ability to shake our tree and make us more conscious and responsible about what we know but aren't willing to admit we know yet. And the best part – he makes it easy and fun. Great work, Michael!”
David Allen
 Author of Getting Things Done

In the world of teamwork there is something we call “synergy”. When a group of individuals work together with passion and focus, they produce a result that is much greater than the sum of the individual effort. When interviewed, team members will use the word “magical” to describe these types of experiences. Creating teams that work in this way are what managers dream of. For too many managers the dreams are never realized because they don’t know how to help their team members do more Great Work. I love Michael’s book “Find Your Great Work” because it provides a powerful, step-by-step system managers can use to help coach their team members to making the shift from good (or even bad) work to great work. How many team and leadership development books have you read that leave you wondering how to implement the author’s wisdom? This book is different. Michael literally maps it out for you. We’ve entered a new age in teamwork - - the inspiration age - - and this book will help managers build inspired teams.
Tom Heck
IATF President & Founder

Call Details

TITLE

Do More Great Work TeleClass

DATE

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

TIME

Starts at 1 pm Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

• Michael Bungay Stanier, IATF Visiting Faculty Member
• Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

The recording is archived in the IATF Members Only Area

COST

Free

REGISTER HERE

172 people from around the world registered for this program.  Registration is now closed.

Free 27-minute laser-like learning session for Teamwork Facilitators!

There are 5 distinctions that are most important to Teamwork Facilitators.  Team success is ten times more likely if you “get” these.

A distinction is a subtle difference that becomes clear when you contrast like-seeming words. 

The strongest Teamwork Facilitators understand and use distinctions to enable teams and the people who lead them to see things in a new way and take more discerning actions.

Take this image of a lady.  Depending on how your eye perceives the subtle distinctions in the picture, you'll either see an old lady or a young lady.  A strong Teamwork Coach is able to see both.  When you can see both more possibilities are open to you. 

We are now in week # 7 of the 10-week IATF Leader As Coach Fast Track Program.  During this course we study many important distinctions.  However, there are 5 distinctions that are foundational.  They are critical to team success.  If you miss them you and your team will struggle.

Join Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF, for this 27-minute laser-like learning session as he shares the Top 5 Teamwork Distinctions.

Call Details

TITLE

Top 5 Teamwork Distinctions

DATE

Wednesday October 21, 2009

TIME

Starts at 1 pm Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 30 minutes

PRESENTER

Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

This recording is available in the IATF Members Only Area.

COST

Free

REGISTER HERE

Registration closed.

Have you participated in a ropes course teambuilding event? 

Most ropes course experiences are advertised as a way to help teams become more effective.  A ropes course experience is most likely to help a team when it is part of a larger, integrated training plan.  Unfortunately, many teams think a one-day ropes course experience is going to solve all their problems.  The one-day ropes course experience becomes another mirage (read more about the training mirage HERE).

Ropes course experiences are a tool - - neither good nor bad.  It's all in how you use the tool.  Unfortunately, too many people have participated in ropes course experiences that are a joke which is why the video below hits home for too many people.

The North American National Wife Carrying Championship was held recently in Newry, Maine.  See the video below.

Husbands carry their wives through an obstacle course with the best time winning.

During the pre-race interviews with contestants, you'll see "Joe Decker the World Record Holder for Fitness".  Conventional thinking would say that he will win.  Clearly Joe is strong, fast and competitive.  Only he doesn't win.  Joe Castro and his wife win.

When it comes to winning as a team, it's not so much about having outstanding individuals on the team.  It's more about how those individuals work together. 

Patrick Lencioni is the author of "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" and many other books on leadership and teamwork.

Lencioni has a new article on motivation over at BusinessWeek.com:

"Now listen to me, all of you. You are all condemned men. We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well, and live." Those were the words of Quintus Arrius in the movie Ben-Hur. And while he was speaking to Roman slaves, one can almost imagine a modern version coming from a manager today. "O.K., people, you all know that unemployment is at a 50-year high. You're lucky to have jobs. So work hard, and no more complaining."

Lost amid the justifiable concern about the 9.7% of U.S. workers who are unemployed is the well-being of the other 90.3%, many of whom are miserable. They feel they're out of options and that management has little incentive to make their work lives more meaningful.

Even well-intentioned managers—as most are—feel their hands are now tied when it comes to motivating and engaging their workers. Salaries are stagnant. Perks and benefits are only going to get slimmer. What can they do?

CLICK HERE to continue reading the article.

IATF President and Founder Tom Heck leads a Group Coaching / Q&A Call where you can ask questions and receive support.  This is the perfect environment to brainstorm with other IATF members on your particular challenge or opportunity.  All Q&A / Group Coaching Calls are recorded and posted in the Members Only Area.

Date:

Friday October 16, 2009

Start Time: 

1 pm ET (NY City time zone), runs for 60 minutes.

Phone Number: 

Login to the IATF Members Only Area HERE and click on the "Share" tab and select "Calendar" - - when you click on "October 16" you'll be able to see the special call in number.

CLICK HERE to learn more about IATF member benefits.