7. Team Building book - YASHADA€¦ · Carry out purposeful activities for team building in ......

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Team Building

Learning Outcomes

After the session the Headmasters will be able to...

1. Realize the importance of team work in the schools

2. Identify the skills required for team building

3. Learn various ways to encourage school staff to work inteams

4. Carry out purposeful activities for team building in schools

5. Prepare for developing team spirit in their schools

Team Building

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Utkarsh : Upgrading Teachers' Knowledge and Attitude Towards Reforming Schools

Session Plan

5 min

SN Content points Learning experience Duration Material

1 Team Building: Importance

1.1 Introduction Master Trainer....

• Screens photograph on the slide 3 andencourages the participants to realizethe message through the photographs(slide 4)

• Encourages participants to share theirexperiences where they used the teambuilding as a tool for achieving outcomeand where they succeeded or did notsucceed

2 Team Building skills

Master Trainer conducts the activities in the following order and lists out the team buildingskills after each of the activity. (Remember that Master Trainer need not tell the skillbefore the activity. Let the Participants (HM) go through the activity and mention theteam building skill they envision. Master Trainer will write on the Black Board the skillenvisioned by the participants (HM). The session should be totally based on experientiallearning)

2.1 Skill 1: Master Trainer....

Developing the • Uses the clip 'Have a Common Goal'orientation from Hindi film 'Chuk de', on the CD,towards the to explain the importance of orientationcommon goal towards common goal.

• Discusses how the orientation towardscommon goal could be developedamong the school staff.

• Encourages the participants to sharesimilar experiences from real lifesituations.

2.2 Skill 2: Master Trainer....Involvement • Forms three groups of participants.of people One participant in each group will actin the team as Headmaster and others as teachers.activity Let the group decides it.

• Takes an example of an activity, whichthe participants will find difficult, e.gcleaning the benches. Tells, only to the

PPT(slides 3and 4)

20 min

CD (FilmClip: 'Have a

CommonGoal')

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35 min -

30 min

CD(Film clip:'Managingthe differences')

60 min -

Headmaster in the group, that he/shehas to involve teachers in his/her groupin the activity of cleaning the benches.Tells that one of them HM, will be.He/she 'force' the teachers, the otherHM will 'convince' the teachers and thethird HM will 'encourage the teacherstoparticipate in the activity'

• After the groups perform their role play,discusses the best way of involvingteachers in the work

2.3 Skill 3: Master Trainer......

Managing • Uses another clip 'Managing thethe differences differences' from English film "Invictus"

todemonstrate the ability of NelsonMandela, Ex-President of South Africawhile handling differences among his staffmembers on account of racial difference.

Or

• Conducts the role-play as follows:Ask any two participants to act asteacherswho always are in the state ofdispute with each other. Asks any ofthe participants to come forward andsolve their dispute. If the firstparticipant vparticipant fails ask theother one to try. Discusses at the endwhich is the effective strategy formanaging the differences among the staff

2.4 Skills 4: Master Trainer.....

Communication Conducts the activities given at A 2.4 skills. and highlights the communication skills

required while building a team.

2.5 Skill 5: Master Trainer.....Taking • Reads aloud a paragraph from the bookresponsibility "Agnipankh" by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

given at P 2.5 and discusses the strengthof our Ex-president, Abdul Kalam

• Encourages the participants to sharesimilar experiences

10 minParagraph

atP 2.5

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3 Summarizing and Self assessment

3.1 Summary Master Trainer• summarizes the learning from the session

with the help of Power Point Presentation(slides 5 to 12)

3.2 Self Inventory Master Trainer....• Asks to refer 'Team Building :

Self-Assessment Inventory' given intheir reading material at I 3.2 to theparticipants and explains the rules offilling it up.

• Asks them to score with the help of'Scoring Key' and mark their score onX and Y scale.

• Explain that 'X' behavior tend to focuson controlling and 'Y' behaviour onfacilitating

• Let them decide how to change theirleadership style

5 minPPT

(slides 5and 12)

20 min

TeamBuilding:

SelfAssessmentinventorygiven at

I 3.2

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Team Building

A 2.4Communication Skills 1Take care of Non-verbal behaviour

Objective :

To illustrate the positive and negative effects of nonverbal communication

Material :

Paper chits on which an emotion is named, prepared in advance by the trainer

Procedure :

1. Write a different emotion or personality trait on a paper chit. e.g, excited, impatient, shy,board, tired, inconvenienced, mad, happy, etc.

2. Ask the participants to pick up one chit each. Ask them to imagine that they are in the stateof that emotion and then sit in the chair.

3. While one participant “Performs”, ask other participants to jot down which emotion theythink is being acted out and how they came to that conclusion.

4. After each participant has acted out an emotion, discuss results to see how many guessedcorrectly. Certain emotions are invariably mistaken for others – hurried/ impatient/ incon-venienced, or shy/ disinterested, Thus HM learn the importance of being more aware ofthe message they may be sending through their own body language.

5. To avoid putting people on the spot, attempt to assign the easiest emotions to portray(happy/ sad) to those who have proven more reserved throughout the session, and leavethe together, more subtle emotions to those you think wont embarrass as easily.

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A 2.4Communication skills 2The "I" Exercise

Objectives :

To help participants get off to their favorite subject - themselves - and listen to others.

Material :

None

Procedure :

1. Tell all participants to stand up and give them a topic to discuss with their peers for twominutes, such as the differences between being married versus single or the differencesbetween men and women.

2. Inform them that thought the conversation they can't use the words, "I", "me", or "my". Ifthey use one of those words, they must sit down.

3. Nearly all participants seat before the two minutes are up.

4. The exercise shows people how self-centered they can be during conversations.

5. The only way to be successful in the exercise - and as a good listener - is to focus on theother person by using open - ended questions to encourage the other person to speakabout their ideas.

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A 2.4Communication skills 3

Deciding the Reponses

Objectives :

To show managers and supervisors the value of response giving skills

Material :

Prepared "performance situations".

Procedure :

1. Master Trainer reads the 'performance situations' one by one given below

2. He/she asks the participants (HM) to mention the response that they will give to each ofthe situation (the responses could be praising, redirecting, construc tively criticizing, nego-tiating, resolving conflict, encouraging, neglecting, smiling only, counseling, exhibiting calmnessand patience etc)

Performance Situations (These are Examples. Master Trainer can prepare their ownexamples)

• A junior clerk is promoted. He is confused and does not understand the job work.

• A senior teacher is refusing to use computer

• A lady teacher lost her temper and beat to a boy in standard 9th with a rod

• The Head Clerk is not providing the experience certificate to a teacher, which the teacherhas asked before four months

• A 10th standard girl rushed to the hospital as she saw a girl in the 5th standard is injuredbadly

• Two teachers came to you with complain of a third teacher

• The new peon appointed is refusing to clean the classroom

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Try the alternative

Objective :

To show that force is not the most effective tool for communicating or for changing behavior.

Procedure :

1. Pair up the participants and face each other.

2. Ask one person in each pair to close his or her hand and hold it clenched in front of other.

3. Then tell the second person to get the hand of the first person as quickly as possible.

4. After 10 seconds, ask them to stop. Most the participants spent the time trying, unsuc-cessful in opening their partners' fists with force. The more force they used, the moreresistant their partners become.

5. Ask whether others found less forceful ways to open their partners' hands. Generallysomeone comes up with the quickest and most agree able solution to the partner, "Wouldyou please open your hand?"

6. Lead a group in a discussion about effective management techniques to facilitate change -creatively, not forcefully- and to have open minds to others' ideas.

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Importance of understanding Instructions

Objective :

To show the importance of providing clear instructions

Material :

• Markers or lengths of rope to indicate the boundaries (e.g., 50 yard rectangular field)

• Bowling pins or many soft objects, such as larger balls, stones etc, the more the better

• Blind folds

Procedure :

1. A popular and engaging game involving communication and trust. The task is very flex-ible, works for groups of various types and sizes, and can be adapted to youth, adults,corporate, etc.

2. Select an appropriate area. Go outside, if possible. Can be done inside, even in roomswith fixed furniture (which can become objects to be avoided).

3. Distribute "mines" e.g., balls or other objects such as bowling pins, cones, foam noodles,etc.

4. Establish a concentrating and caring tone for this activity. Trust exercises require a seriousatmosphere to help develop a genuine sense of trust and safety.

5. Participants operate in pairs. Consider how the pairs are formed - it's a chance to workon relationships. One person is blind-folded (or keeps eyes closed) and cannot talk. Theother person can see and talk, but cannot enter the field or touch the person.

6. The challenge is for each blind-folded person to walk from one side of the field to theother, avoiding the "mines", by listening to the verbal instruc tions of their partners.

7. Allow participants a short period (e.g., 3 minutes) of planning time to decide on theircommunication commands, and then begin the activity.

8. Be aware of blindfolded people bumping into each other. The trainer can float around theplaying area to help prevent collisions.

9. Decide on the penalty for hitting a "mine". It could be a restart (serious consequence) or

time penalty or simply a count of hits, but without penalty.

10. It can help participants if you suggest that they each develop a unique communication

system. When participants swap roles, give participants some review and planning time

to refine their communication method.

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11. Allow participants to swap over and even have several attempts, until a real, satisfied

sense of skill and competence in being able to guide a partner through the "minefield"

develops.

12. The activity can be conducted one pair at a time (e.g., in a therapeutic situation), or with allpairs at once (creates a more demanding exercise due to the extra noise/confusion).

13. Can be conducted as a competitive task - e.g., which pair is the quickest or has the fewesthits?

14. Discuss the experiences of the players and conclude about clarity in in structions.

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How best you coordinate?

Objective :

To show the importance of planning and coordination in the team work

Material :

Newspaper

Procedure :

• This activity requires working together in close physical proximity in order to solve a

practical, physical problem. It tends to emphasize group communication, cooperation,

patience and problem solving strategy, as well as issues related to physical self and physi-

cal proximity.

• The activity can be run in many different ways.

• Divide the participants into 4 groups. Make separate groups of ladies and gents. Spread

the four Newspapers on the ground. Ask the four groups to try to stand inside the area of

Newspaper.

• When the group succeeds, decrease the area (fold the newspaper) and chal lenge the

group again. How far can the group go?

• Cautions: Obviously people are going to need to feel physically comfortable in order to

get physically close and be supportive of one another. So make sure people are warmed

up and preferably have removed excessive jewellery, watches, tc.)

• Discuss the coordination, planning and innovation required in the team work.

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How best you coordinate?

Objective :

To show the importance of planning and coordination in the team work

Material :

Blank paper, Marker Pen, threads/ropes

Procedure :

1. Divide the participants into the group of 6

2. Tie 6 threads/ropes to a marker

3. The 6 participants should hold the ropes (They are not allowed to touch the marker pen)

4. The participants will sit around the blank page

5. Tell any one word to the participants

6. The participants have to write the word with the pen on the paper (remember they are notallowed to touch the marker pen)

7. The activities requires lot of coordination among the participants

8. Discuss the importance of coordination and innovation

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Team Building

Taking Responsibility

We had scheduled the first experimental fight trial of SLV-3 on 10 August 1979. Stage 1

was performed to perfection. There was a smooth transition from this stage to the second stage.

We were spellbound to see our hopes flying in the form of the SLV-3. Suddenly, the spell was

broken. The second stage went out of control. The flight was terminated after 317 seconds and

the vehicle's remains, including my favourite fourth stage with the payload splashed into the sea,

560 km off Sriharikota.

The findings were presented to Prof. Dhawan at a meeting of top ISRO scientists and

were accepted. Everybody was convinced by the technical cause and effect sequence pre-

sented and there was a general feeling of satisfaction about the whole exercise of failure -

management measures taken. I was still unconvinced and felt restless. To me, the level of re-

sponsibility is measured by one's ability to confront the decision-making process without any

delay or distraction. On the spur of the moment, I got up and told Prof. Dhawan, "Sir, even

though my friends have technically justified the failure, I take the responsibility for judging insig-

nificant, As a mission Director, I should have put the launch abroad. I therefore take the respon-

sibility of the SLV-3 failure."

For quite some time there was pin-drop silence in the hall. Then Prof. Dhawan got up and

said, "I am going to put Kalam in orbit", and left the place signaling that the meeting was over.

A paragraph from 'Wings of Fire' by Abdul Kalam

P 2.5

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Note: Explain that this exercise will examine some of the assumptions we hold about people,and how these assumptions affect the way we provide leadership to teams. Ask them to refer toTeam Building: Self-Assessment Inventory in their reading material. Allow about 4 min-utes for completion. Have participants score with the help of 'Scoring Key' their responses andmark their responses and mark their score on the "X"-"Y" scale. Let them decide what type ofleadership style they tend to adopt. Encourage the discussion about how to change the leader-ship style.

Team Building: Self-Assessment InventoryNote: Divide three points between each pair of statements. Use only whole numbers. Forexample:

2 I like Mango. 0 I like to drive.

1 I like grapes. or 3 My hobby is reading.

Generally, I think that...

1) A. ___ The school staff want to achieve the objectives of the organization.

B. ___ The school staff are not interested in the objectives of the organi zation.

2) C. ___ The school staff focus their attention on getting an appropriate amount ofwork accomplished.

D. ___ The school staff tend to get involved in inappropriate activity at work.

3) E. ___ The school staff should be told how to do a job.

F. ___ The school staff are able to plan their own work.

4) G. ___ The school staff need to be pushed to respond to unusual requests.

H. ___ The school staff take the initiative in anticipating unusual needs.

5) I. ___ The school staff are creative in devising better ways of accomplishing atask.

J. ___ The school staff need to be shown each step of a task.

6) K. ___ The school staff want to understand the "way" of a request.

L. ___ The school staff would rather be told what to do.

7) M. ___ The school staff would rather stay home.

N. ___ The school staff want to come to work.

8) O. ___ The school staff tend to let conflict get in the way of working together.

P. ___ The school staff work well together.

9) Q. ___ The school staff exercise good judgment.

R. ___ The school staff decisions need to be "checked" for quality.

I 3.2

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Team Building

Scoring Key

• Add the points you gave to these items

“X” “Y”

27 25 23 21 19 17 15 13 11 9 7 5 3 11 13 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25

• 'X' behaviors tend to focus on directing and controlling while 'Y' behaviorstend to focus on communicating and facilitating.

B A

E F

D C

G H

J I

L K

M N

O P

R Q

Total Total

Mark this total on the"X" scale.

Mark this total on the"Y" scale.

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Power Point Presention

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2

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3

4

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6

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7

8

173

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10

174


11

12

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Reading Material

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Team Building

Making schools successful takes more than just individual effort - it takes teamwork.Schools are using teams to accomplish many tasks. Teams may work on site-baseddecisionmaking, curricular reform, implementing new programs, or restructuring. For teamworkto be successful, teams and individual team members need to have clear, shared goals; a senseof commitment; the ability to work together; mutual accountability; access to needed resourcesand skills; and other elements of effective teams.

While successful teamwork can be rewarding in itself, teamwork should focus on meetingthe academic and social needs of all students in the school. Just as the school vision and missionshould focus on student learning, team building, team planning, and team developing should bedirected toward improving student outcomes.

In many schools, teachers work in isolation, administrators try to accomplish tasks alone,and the responsibility of implementation new ideas falls to individuals. Working together in teamsoften is a more effective way to accomplish important tasks. Teams have many advantages overindividuals working in isolation. Teams tend to be better at solving problems, have a higher levelof commitment, and include more people who can help implement an idea or plan. Moreover,teams are able to generate energy and interest in new projects.

Both research and practice demonstrate the advantages that teams bring to accomplishinggoals. But effective teams do not develop by accident. Teams take time, skills, and knowledgeto be successful.

The term 'team building' refers to a range of activities executed in order to enhance theperformance of a team. Primarily, a component of organizational development in business context,team building has also been applied in various other fields, including sports, academics, or justa group of individuals working for a particular cause. In simple words, team building is a process,which inculcates the importance of participation, collaboration, unity and other such team buildingskills in the team members to enhance the performance of the group or organization as a whole.

Development of a Team

There are four stages of team formation. An efficient team is formed after goingthrough these four stages.

• Forming - Team members get to know each other and their roles in the team.

• Storming - Members come up with ideas which are discussed within the team.

• Norming - Differences pertaining to ideas are resolved.

• Performing - A perfect team is created and the performance graph goes upwards.Whilst going through these stages the team members assess their roles as well as theroles of other team members.

Effective Team Building Skills

As a leader, you need to know that team building doesn't happen on it's own. You will geta group of people, but you need to put in some efforts to carve that group into a perfect team,which can yield good results. This can be done through various team building activities such as

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trust building exercises and outdoor team building games. As a team leader, it's very importantthat you inculcate the following team building skills in the group.

Coordination Within the Team

When it comes to team building, one of the most important aspects of a successful team iscoordination between the team members. Only when information will seep through each layerof the organization, various fractions of the team will know what the other fractions expect fromthem. Ideas and suggestions communicated during team meetings have to be properly scrutinizedand implemented if feasible.

Efficiency and Competence Levels

As the leader of the team, the individual must be well versed with the efficiency of the teammembers and thrive to increase it with time. The competency levels of the team members doreflect on the final achievements of the team as a whole. Therefore, it's important that the teamleader ensures that every person in the team gives his or her best. This is, in fact, one of the mostimportant team building skills for leaders to inculcate in their team.

Distribution of Power and Responsibility

Each member of the team should be given equal freedom. They should be motivated tocome up with new ideas, methods, skills etc to enhance team productivity. Encouraging suchbehavior will fine tune the participation by all team members, thus improving the efficiency of theteam as a whole. At the same time, it's also important that all the team members are aware abouttheir responsibilities and limits. Untoward behavior, if any should be promptly brought undercheck.

Team Bonding

Providing team members with a flexible work environment can help in ensuring that themembers give their best performance. The flexibility aspect can be defined as the open mindednessand trust between the members of the team. Leaders can work to ensure that there is properbonding within the team, and personal differences if any are promptly resolved. Trust doesn'tjust refer to trust within the team members, but also the trust of the organization leadership onthe team.

Optimal Performance

The team as a whole should be accountable for the results as well as the stipulated deadlines.Instead of coaxing team members to give their best performance or to complete the specifiedtargets, the leader should ideally make the members understand the importance of giving theirbest performance, achieving their targets, teamwork etc. Once the team understands this, theywill indeed work as a single unit, which will indirectly show in the performance of the organization.Optimal performance is in fact the best measure of proper team functioning.

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References1. http://www.teambuildinginc.com/article_conflict.htm

2. http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/twelve_tip_team.htm

3. http://wilderdom.com/games/TeamBuildingExercisesAbout.html

7. Team Building book - YASHADA€¦ · Carry out purposeful activities for team building in ......

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