Student Only Area

TRUE STORY…

The manager was at her wits end. 

The team was clearly stuck.

Everyone was frustrated. 

But what was the source of all this trouble?  The manager was unable (or unwilling) to say. 

Had I met with team members in advance I would have quickly realized the problem.  But I was young and didn’t think to meet with some of the key team members.

Fast forward to game day.

The team walks in the room.

You could hear it right off.

They were using the language of the victim.

At first I thought it was just the “normal” resistance to training. I was wrong.  This group was so wrapped up in their victim mentality they couldn’t see what was happening to them.

When we launched into the first big challenging exercise of the day the group practically attacked me.  It was what I wanted.  Having intuited what was going on with the group, I deliberately put myself in a position of authority during the activity and the group let their anger fly. 

That one activity became the launching pad for an amazing discussion that helped them take a look (a scary look) at what they had become. For the first time they realized how deeply they had adopted the role of victim, individually and as a team.

On Wednesday December 13, 2006 at 3 pm EST my colleague Michael Goldman of FacilitationFirst.com and I will share strategies and techniques we’ve successfully used to help teams release themselves from the oppression of victim mentality and reclaim it's power.

At the end of the call Michael and I will provide you with detailed written instructions so you’re ready to begin assisting the teams you serve.

This is an exciting collaboration between Michael and myself as we bring you the best of both worlds:  teambuilding games and facilitation skills.

Here are the details:

Title of This Special TeleForum:

Teams In Trouble # 11: The Team As Victim – How To Help A Team Get Unstuck And Reclaim It’s Power

Time of the Call:

Wednesday December 13, 2006 at 3 pm EST (New York City time zone)

What You Get:

1. 75 minute LIVE TeleSeminar with experienced leaders Michael Goldman and Tom Heck.
2. Clear and detailed notes on how to lead the teambuilding game and the facilitation process. 
3. License to use the teambuilding game and facilitation process with the groups you directly serve. 
4. Recording of the TeleSeminar in mp3 format.
5. Save $25 (a 50% discount) on Teams In Trouble Vol. 1 multimedia training CD.  Discount only available to those who register. This CD contains recordings and class notes from FIVE Teams In Trouble TeleSeminars.
6. Time with Michael and Tom during the Q&A session.  This is your time to ask questions about how to apply the lesson with your team.  A Q&A session like this normally costs $600/hour

Cost to you: $37

Register Here

CLICK HERE to register.  Registration closed.

A Teambuilding Nightmare.  How would you handle lies, threats and accusations (and maybe a mutiny) in the middle of your next program?

Student Only Area

TRUE STORY: 

A couple of years ago I was contacted by the principal of a public school and asked to deliver a day-long teambuilding games workshop.  The idea was to help his teaching staff learn how to lead teambuilding games in the classroom with their students.  I regularly lead this type of workshop for educators so I expected the “normal” program. But I was in for a rude awakening.

We were at at small conference center.  It was just after lunch, half way through the program, when suddenly two teachers started to cry, accusations were made and two staff members became so angry they jumped in their cars and sped off with gravel flying!

The workshop came to a standstill.  What should I do?  Do I continue on with the workshop?  Do I cancel the workshop and send everyone home?  Do I address what just happened and if so how?

What would YOU do?

On Tuesday August 22, 2006 at 1pm EST you can learn how I made the shift from leading a teambuilding games workshop to leading a crisis intervention workshop (the staff was on the verge of mutiny) and helped this team move forward in a healthy and conscious way.  I’ll even share a teambuilding game I led that helped create an opening in the group that allowed for calm and deliberate discussion.

And as an additional bonus...

On this special TeleSeminar my colleague Michael Goldman of

FacilitationFirst.com will be joining me to share a three step strategy which will help any facilitator manage a “facilitation crisis” with poise.  When you hear the strategy Michael has to share you’ll be ready to professionally handle a situation where you’re called into deliver “X” facilitation only to discover at the event that the group needs “Y” and you must change mid-stream. 

At the end of the call we will provide all who've registered with detailed written instructions on how to lead the team building game AND detailed written instructions on how to lead the facilitation process.

NOTE:  Your registration fee includes a license to use BOTH the facilitation process and the teambuilding game with the groups you directly serve.

This is an exciting collaboration between Michael and myself as we bring you the best of both worlds:  teambuilding games and facilitation skills.

Here are the details:

Title of This Special TeleSeminar:

Teams In Trouble: Lies, Threats, and Accusations - - How To Handle A Facilitation Nightmare

Time of the Call:

Tuesday August 22, 2006 from 1 pm - 2:15 pm EST (New York time zone)

Register Here:

CLICK HERE to register.  Registration closed.

Cost to you:  $27

What You Get:

1. 75 minute LIVE teleclass with experienced TeleSeminar leaders Michael Goldman and Tom Heck
2. Clear and detailed notes on how to lead the teambuilding game - - your registration fee includes a license to use this teambuilding game with the groups you directly serve.
3. Clear and detailed notes on how to lead the facilitation process - - your registration fee includes a license to use this facilitation process with the groups you directly serve.
4. A recording of the TeleSeminar in mp3 format.
5. 50% discount on Teams In Trouble Vol. 1 multimedia training CD
6. Time with Michael and Tom during the Q&A session.  This is your time to ask questions about how to apply the lesson with your team.

About The Presenters

Michael Goldman is the senior consultant and President of Facilitation First. With over twelve years in the field, Michael facilitates and designs interventions to meet the changing needs of his clients' business strategies. Michael enjoys long standing relationships with a diverse clientele ranging from financial institutions to First Nations. Among his areas of expertise, Michael has a passion for team interventions, guiding strategic planning sessions, and building internal capacity.

Tom Heck is the President & Founder of the International Association of Teamwork Facilitators. Tom is a veteran of the team and leadership development field and has trained leaders and Teamwork Facilitators from North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, Central & South America, and Australasia.  The tools he’s developed (books, multimedia training CDs, teambuilding activities, audio programs, etc.) are used by facilitators, trainers and coaches to transform teams around the world.  Through the IATF, Tom leads a team of subject matter experts (Visiting Faculty Members) who provide cutting edge strategies, tactics and tools for Teamwork Facilitators around the world. 

What participants say about previous Teams In Trouble TeleSeminars...

As a coach and trainer, I work with managers who need to be able to get their teams and workgroups on the same page.  In this interactive teleseminar, Michael Goldman and Tom Heck provided a clear, easily understood model for reaching consensus in any group and an experiential activity that helps people "get it."  The top-notch content and thorough notes were definitely valuable.  If you want to improve your skills at consensus building, this class is your answer. I look forward to future teleseminars on related topics.  Keep up the great work!

Patricia Beaugard,
M.S., Executive Coach & Trainer
Improving workplace communication
www.PatBeaugard.com

Thanks Tom and Michael for a really helpful, interactive session on Building Consensus (8.2.06).  I was quite impressed with the diverse, global online attendees.  The session was extremely affordable and well organized.  It was convenient, efficient and very comfortable -- a great combination of voice communications with online resources.  I especially appreciated the tools provided that I can implement immediately with our non-profit agency of staff, youth, adult volunteers, families, etc.  This session fits  non-profits, small businesses, corporations, churches, governments, etc, etc ... great Q & A at the end too. Thanks to the group and to Tom and Michael for making the 90-minute session so worthwhile.  Look forward to future sessions,

Liz
Salisbury, NC (USA)

Student Only Area

Everyone is in the room.  It’s time to make a decision and run with it.  You want buy-in from everyone.  You want consensus.

But how do you know you’re truly building consensus?

TRUE STORY:
A team recently met to decide on their top three departmental objectives for 2006. The decision would affect everyone in the department.

After 20 minutes of discussion, the team leader summed up what he thought were the top three objectives on the table. He then asked the group if there was a consensus in adopting his stated objectives. Some people nodded, others remained silent but did not raise any concerns. Based on what the leader observed, he felt a consensus had been reached. 

However, a week later he heard through the grapevine that a couple of his team members had serious reservations about the objectives and where the department will be focusing its future resources.  One member even said “There’s no way I’m going to support this!”

The team leader was heard saying “Why the hell didn’t someone speak up when I asked if we had a consensus?”

You are the facilitator and you’ve been called in to help the team.  What do you do?

On Wednesday August 2, 2006 at 11 am EST you can learn how my colleague Michael Goldman of FacilitationFirst.com uses a proven tool to help a team reach consensus.  He will answer these questions:

• What makes consensus building difficult to attain? 
• Why is consensus the preferred decision-making option on teams?
• What are the 3 key components of a consensus building process?

I’ll share one of my favorite teambuilding activities that helps teams EXPERIENCE what it takes to reach consensus in a conscious way.  Come to this TeleSeminar with your computer connected to the internet and you can watch me lead this experiential learning exercise LIVE (in real time) with a couple of volunteers from the TeleSeminar audience!

The live team building activity I’m leading requires everyone to have access to the internet while they are on the call.  If you come to the call without internet access you’ll just have to use your imagination during the 5 minutes I lead the activity.

Once you learn the activity, you’ll be able to lead it with a group over the phone (like I’m going to do) or you can lead it live at your next workshop.

NOTE:  Your registration fee includes a license to use BOTH the facilitation process and the teambuilding game with the groups you directly serve.

At the end of the call we will provide all listeners with detailed written instructions on how to lead the team building game AND detailed written instructions on how to lead the facilitation process.   \

This is an exciting collaboration between Michael and myself as we bring you the best of both worlds:  teambuilding games and facilitation skills.

Here are the details:

Title of This Special TeleSeminar:

Teams In Trouble: Strategies for Consensus - - How To Avoid False Agreements

Time of the Call:

Wednesday August 2 at 11 am Eastern (New York) time
call runs for 75 minutes

Register Here:

CLICK HERE to register.  Registration is closed.

Cost to you: $37 

What You Get:

1. 75 minute LIVE teleclass with experienced TeleSeminar leaders Michael Goldman and Tom Heck
2. Clear and detailed notes on how to lead the teambuilding game - - your registration fee includes a license to use this teambuilding game with the groups you directly serve.
3. Clear and detailed notes on how to lead the facilitation process - - your registration fee includes a license to use this facilitation process with the groups you directly serve.
4. A recording of the TeleSeminar in mp3 format.
5. 50% discount on Teams In Trouble Vol. 1 multimedia training CD
6. Time with Michael and Tom during the Q&A session.  This is your time to ask questions about how to apply the lesson with your team.

About The Presenters

Michael Goldman is the senior consultant and President of Facilitation First. With over twelve years in the field, Michael facilitates and designs interventions to meet the changing needs of his clients' business strategies. Michael enjoys long standing relationships with a diverse clientele ranging from financial institutions to First Nations. Among his areas of expertise, Michael has a passion for team interventions, guiding strategic planning sessions, and building internal capacity.

Tom Heck is the President & Founder of the International Association of Teamwork Facilitators. Tom is a veteran of the team and leadership development field and has trained leaders and Teamwork Facilitators from North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, Central & South America, and Australasia.  The tools he’s developed (books, multimedia training CDs, teambuilding activities, audio programs, etc.) are used by facilitators, trainers and coaches to transform teams around the world.  Through the IATF, Tom leads a team of subject matter experts (Visiting Faculty Members) who provide cutting edge strategies, tactics and tools for Teamwork Facilitators around the world.

TRUE STORY:

He remembered saying “How hard can it be leading a Virtual Team?”

After all, everyone on the team had access to each othervia phone (land line and cell), email, Blackberry.  He thought it wouldn’t matter that the team members lived so far from each other.

The team had an initial face-to-face - - a one day meet-and-greet session to review the specs for their assigned project.

The goal was clear:  develop a new marketing plan.

And then reality…

The team wasn’t acting like a team at all.  10 months had elapsed and there was nothing to show for their efforts.

Working with the team was like herding cats - - the team was all over the place.  Hard to lead.

Team members complained about the lack of face-to-face meetings and that the project appeared to have come to a halt with poor communication being the major problem.

The team’s sponsor needs results now.  Flying everyone in for another face-to-face seems like the only way out but the cost (time, money) is prohibitive.

How do you get this team remobilized and working given the resource constraints?

On Thursday May 25, 2006 my colleague Michael Goldman of FacilitationFirst.com and I led our tenth Teams In Trouble teleseminar in which we shared proven strategies for running Virtual Team meetings.

Topics we covered:

• Defining Virtual Teams
• Typical Virtual Team Meeting Issues
• Preferential Methods for Communication
• Advantages of Teleconferencing
• Getting Ready (how to prepare)
• How To Lead a Virtual Team Meeting
• and more...

Listen to the 60 minute teleforum now for free (limited time offer).  Click the link below to download the mp3 file.

Free audio download expired

Download directions to the team building game (Virtual Team Maze) I shared during the teleclass for free (limited time offer). 

Free Teambuilding game download expired.

Michael provides a free (limited time offer) detailed step-by-step write-up of Virtual Team meeting process at his website.  free offer expired

Student Only Area

“Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation.”
-- William Arthur Ward

TRUE STORY
Alex is a project manager and he is frustrated. 

He heads up an intact Business Process Improvement team composed of individuals from multiple support functions in the company. They’ve been working on a project aimed at reducing the number of complaints for on-time delivery to their customer groups. 

Alex is the group leader and he’s supposed to have the skills to lead this group and produce results.

But that’s not what’s happening.

A handful of dominant people have hijacked the agenda and now they decide what gets discussed and action planned.

The passive members aren’t speaking up.  Participation has dropped off.  Alex has met privately with the more passive team members and encouraged them to speak up and participate but little has changed. 

He’s asked you to come in and facilitate his team with the hope that they will start leveraging their collective strength.

How do you get the best input from ALL participants?

How do you most effectively create an environment where idea creation is easy and natural? 

The Teams In Trouble TelSeminar series is delivered live by Tom Heck of the International Association of Teamwork Facilitators and Michael Goldman of FacilitationFirst.com.

Michael shares a proven strategy to reduce the negative effects of dominant leaders while showing how you can leverage the power of the team. 

I shared one of my favorite teambuilding activities that creates an awareness among the team members as to the cost of “going it alone” vs. working as an empowered high functioning team. 

When you purchase access to the class recording of this 60 minute TeleSeminar you'll also receive all of the class notes and resources.

“Things go wrong when people build walls instead of bridges.”

TRUE STORY: 
Joe and Martha don’t get along.  It’s been getting worse and worse.  It’s gotten to the point where other team members don’t want to be around them.

Joe and Martha are members of a Business Process Improvement Team.  Joe complains that Martha isn’t supporting his ideas for improving the data entry process.  Martha gets upset when Joe suggests solutions that are unrealistic (even “stupid”). 

Initially it didn’t seem like a serious problem but team members are beginning to complain that in the meetings both Joe and Martha are throwing off snide remarks behind each other’s back.  And now it’s graduated to another level - - cliques are forming, one that backs Joe and the other backs Martha. 

The team leader met with Joe and suggested that he and Martha sit down to resolve the problem.  Joe attempted this but the conversation deteriorated in to a shouting match with Martha leaving the room very upset.

The team leader is at wits end.  He needs your help.  Your job is to meet with Joe and Martha and re-engage them.  They are valuable team members and you’ve got to help them get past their differences.

What will you do? 

On Thursday February 23, 2006 Michael Goldman of FacilitationFirst.com and I led a free TeleSeminar where we provided our solutions to work with these two people.  Michael shared  a proven 5-step Mediation Model and I shared a wonderful puzzle that creates an "opening" for mediation (picture of the puzzle to the left).

Listen to the 60 minute TeleSeminar now for free (limited time offer).  Click the link below to download the mp3 file. 

Free download expired

Download directions to the team building game Tom shared during the TeleSeminar for free (limited time offer). 

Free download expired

You will find the mediation model process notes for free at Michael Goldman's website

Free download expired


 

Everyone is in the room.  It’s time to make a decision and run with it.  You want buy-in from everyone.  You want consensus.

But how do you know you’re truly building consensus?

TRUE STORY:

A team recently met to decide on their top three departmental objectives for 2006. The decision would affect everyone in the department.

After 20 minutes of discussion, the team leader summed up what he thought were the top three objectives on the table. He then asked the group if there was a consensus in adopting his stated objectives. Some people nodded, others remained silent but did not raise any concerns. Based on what the leader observed, he felt a consensus had been reached. 

However, a week later he heard through the grapevine that a couple of his team members had serious reservations about the objectives and where the department will be focusing its future resources.  One member even said “there’s no way I’m going to support this!”

The team leader was heard saying “Why the hell didn’t someone speak up when I asked if we had a consensus?”

You are the facilitator and you’ve been called in to help the team.  What do you do?

I led a free teleclass today with my colleague Michael Goldman (pictured) of FacilitationFirst.com in which we address this situation.

Michael shared a proven process that helps teams build consensus.  His process answered the following questions:

-- What makes consensus building difficult to attain? 
-- Why is consensus the preferred decision-making option on teams?
-- What are the 3 key components of a consensus building process?

I shared one of my favorite teambuilding activities that helps teams EXPERIENCE what it takes to reach consensus in a conscious way.  Unlike in past Teams In Trouble TeleSeminars, I actually lead this experiential learning exercise LIVE with four volunteers from the class!

Listen to the 60 minute TeleSeminar now for free (limited time offer).  Click the link below to download the mp3 file.

Free offer expired

Download directions to the team building game Tom shared during the teleclass for free (limited time offer). 

Free offer expired

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
-- George Bernard Shaw (Nobel Prize winning playwright)

When it comes to communication within a team, Mr. Shaw hit the nail on the head.  Lack of communication (clear, timely, purposeful and considerate communication) is a problem faced by many every team.

And what happens when communication runs afoul on a team?

TRUE STORY...

A VP overhears some employees discussing how poor communication is between regional and corporate offices.  At the next senior management meeting the VP shares what he’s heard to determine the validity. 

And that’s when it happens.

Voices suddenly become raised, fingers start to point, and sweeping statements are made like “Forget about the communication issues between regional and corporate, we don’t communicate properly on this senior management team!” 

Suddenly, the group goes quiet.  The truth has been revealed.

You are the trainer called in to help the team.  What do you do?

On Wednesday October 5, 2005 I led a free teleclass along with my colleague Michael Goldman of FacilitationFirst.com to answer this very question.

Michael shared a proven tool to help a team develop an effective communication strategy.  His 2-step process is recommended for assisting a team or department in defining it’s internal (member to member) and external (stakeholders outside the team) communication strategy.

I shared two of my favorite teambuilding activities that help teams EXPERIENCE what it takes to communicate effectively and with focused purpose.

The number of people attending the Teams In Trouble TeleSeminars is growing.  For the first time, we actually ran out of space - - we reached the capacity of the conference bridge line (150 people). 

Access to the free recording of the teleclass and the written material has expired.

Trust.  It’s the foundation for all valuable relationships and is at the core of all high performing teams.

But what happens when a team lacks trust?

My colleague Michael Goldman of FacilitationFirst.com relates this TRUE STORY of a team in trouble that he was called into work with...

A new product is developed and feedback is needed from within the company to make some critical decisions on how to proceed. 

A diverse group of staff is formed to provide the needed feedback - - only there is a problem.  There is “history” between some of the staff members. 

It’s a trust issue. 

There is reluctance within the group to speak their mind.  It will be a waste of time and energy to bring the group together unless the feedback is honest and unfiltered.  But that’s not going to happen because the staff doesn’t trust each other.

What would you do?

On Wednesday September 28, 2005 Michael and I held a TeleSeminar for over 80 people from around the world to share strategies, tactics and tools for helping a team with trust issues. 

Michael shared a proven tool to help teams  build trust and move forward with speed and grace. 

I shared one of my favorite teambuilding activities that helps teams EXPERIENCE trust.  The activity creates an opening for the group to discuss what trust is and how they want to experience it on a day-to-day basis within the team.

There were some good questions and comments at the end of the call.

Access to the free recording of the teleclass and the written material has expired. 

Training nightmares.  They can happen.

Here's a true story of one that happened to me...

A couple of years ago I was contacted by the principal of a public school and asked to deliver a daylong teambuilding games workshop.  The idea was to help his teaching staff learn how to lead teambuilding games in the classroom with their students. 

I regularly lead this type of workshop for educators so I expected the “normal” program. Silly me.

It was just after lunch, half way through the program, when suddenly two teachers started to cry, accusations were made and two staff members became so angry they jumped in their cars and sped off with gravel flying!

The workshop came to a standstill.  What should I do?  Do I continue on with the workshop?  Do I cancel the workshop and send everyone home?  Do I address what just happened and if so how?

What would YOU do?

I led a lively TeleSeminar with my colleague Michael Goldman of FacilitationFirst.com to answer these questions. 

As in previous Teams In Trouble TeleSeminars Michael shared a thought provoking facilitation model that he has successfully used in situations just like the one described.  When you hear the strategy Michael shares you’ll be ready to professionally handle a situation where you’re called into deliver “X” facilitation only to discover at the event that the group needs “Y” and you must change mid-stream. 

I described a teambuilding exercise called "Hidden Numbers" I led with the group that created an opening for them to address the conflict consciously. 

We wrapped it all up with a question and answer period. 

To our amazement and joy we had callers from arond the world including Malaysia and Ghana.

This is an exciting collaboration between Michael and myself as we bring you the best of both worlds:  teambuilding games and facilitation skills.

Access to the free recording of the teleclass and the written material has expired. 

How do you help a team get unstuck from lose-lose thinking? 

TRUE STORY:  40 managers from an international company met at a resort facility for a teambuilding workshop I led.  The team works in geographically dispersed offices and upper management clearly sees that group members (consciously or unconsciously) compete with each other.  Information flows slowly and sharing of best practices doesn't occur. Everything takes longer than it should and opportunities are lost (revenue is lost).

What would YOU do in this situation to expand their thinking?

How would YOU facilitate this group to be open to new ways of behaving?

I led a lively TeleSeminar with my colleague Michael Goldman of FacilitationFirst.com to answer these questions. 

I shared one teambuilding game that I used with this group that created the opening to allow the group to shift from win-lose and lose-lose consciousness (or "scarcity" mentality) to win-win (or "abundance" mentality) - - you can see a photo of this above. 

Michael shared an amazingly simple and powerful 5-step facilitation process that he’s used to move a group from win-lose behaviors to action planning win-win behaviors.

We wrapped it all up with a question and answer period.  How about those callers from Switzerland and South Africa?!

This is an exciting collaboration between Michael Goldman and myself as we bring you the best of both worlds:  teambuilding games and facilitation skills.

Access to the free recording of this TeleSeminar and the written material has expired. 

Here's a true story about a team in trouble...

I was contacted by the owner of a restaurant who said his staff was about to mutiny.  The wait staff and the kitchen staff were not on talking terms.  Each group said the others were idiots.  People were quitting.  Revenue was falling like a rock.

What would YOU do in this situation?

How would YOU facilitate and lead this group?

(Yes, there is a reason the Darth Vader Mr. Potato Head is pictured.  Read on...)

To answer this question I've teamed up with my colleague Michael Goldman, president of FacilitationFirst.com.

I'm sharing a teambuilding game that I led with this group that created the opening to allow the group to shift from being angry and closed minded to being open to possibility. 

Michael is sharing an amazingly simple and powerful facilitation process that he has used with hundreds of clients to help teams create the shift to possibility thinking with ease.

This is an exciting collaboration between myself and Michael as we bring you the best of both worlds:  teambuilding games and facilitation skills.

Michael and I plan to lead several of these live teleclasses (teleforums) where we share real life stories of teams in trouble and how we've helped them.  Today we had 120 people on the call with us from all over the world.

Access to the free recording of the teleclass and the written material has expired.