Themes:

-Enterprise as a social system
-Conversations that bind social systems
-Meeting together in a group setting
-Policies and procedures guiding actions
-Celebration of success

Issues:

-Keeping everyone informed
-Creating buy in and action around what needs to be done
-Reducing wasted time in meetings
-Team members feeling unconnected, isolated
-Inconsistent application of policies and procedures

Concepts:

Conversation
Social systems
Coaching
Team
Collaboration
Policies
Procedures
Problem solving
Decision making
Meeting management
Celebration

Skills:

1. Conduct effective meetings
2. Conduct coaching conversations
3. Model effective face to face communications in all settings
4. Solve problems collaboratively
5. Make decisions collaboratively
6. Coach team members on conducting effective meetings
7. Use policies and procedures to guide actions

Materials

Time

Process

 
Flipchart:

Markers

Handouts

Segment time:
15 minutes

Running time:
15 minutes

Introduction

Introduce the outcomes expected from self-study learning assignments nine and ten. Have outcomes pre-written on flipchart. Tape outcomes on wall for rest of session after they are introduced.

Discuss objectives for today's session. Ask for managers objectives for today's session. Have objectives pre-written on flipchart. Capture manager objectives on flipchart as well and post both on wall for the rest of the session.

Room is to be set up café style from the start of the session.

Flipchart

Markers

Masking tape

Meeting model for each group

Segment time:
1 hour

Running time:
1 hour 15 minutes

Note to trainer: Review the simulation strategy if needed before proceeding.

Purpose of this exercise is to have managers simulate the experience of working with other team members to set up and run a meeting. We will separate into three groups and each group will self-organize defining roles and who will pay them, set objectives, and follow the protocol of a well run meeting.

• Separate the group into three teams.
  • Each team will set up a process where each person can share his/her meeting experience. This will be the content of the meeting but the context will be created by the team. Draw off of the assignments from week 9.
  • At the end of that process, the team will decide what and how to present to the whole group the results of their meeting. They will determine what those results are and what they want to present.
  • Make sure that each person has brought with them the write up from the meeting that they delivered the week before.

Final paper

Paper to take notes on for each manager

Pens or pencils

Segment time:
30 minutes

Running time:
1 hours 45 minutes 

Have managers return to their original tables of four. Make sure that they have brought with them their final paper on a plan to build their teams using what they have learned in this workshop. This exercise is designed to help the mangers critically review someone else's plan to help gain insights into their own plan.

• Have managers pair up at the table. Have each manager in each pair give her/his plan to the other manager in the pair. Take 15 minutes to review the plan and then come back together and offer insights and recommendations for 5 minutes each which will end up being 25 minutes for this whole process of review and feedback. If the team has time, have them, as a table of four, share their insights on the plans and process.
• Each manager can choose to add or not add any input from others into the plan to be implemented. After all, he/she must implement the plan and be comfortable with what is implemented.

Segment time:
15 minutes

Running time:
2 hours

During the break, assess where you are in respect to the schedule. 

• If the group is interactive and responsive and the session is running over, complete the exercise and then break.
• Negotiate a shorter break if possible. 
• If  the group is reserved and you end early, take the break when finished and then continue with the last part of the session, the café process. 

1 Flipchart sheet on each table

Cup of markers on each table

Masking tape

Café etiquette table cards

Segment time:
2 hours

Running time:
4 hours

Note to trainer: Review in depth the the world café process well before proceeding. Room set up and conversation processes are critical to this powerful process.

This process demonstrates in a very real way the power of conversation within a social system. Through the café process, managers will experience what conversation can do within their work settings.

• Make sure that the room is set up in the café style outlined in the manual. Use the small dining room tables.
• Go over the ground rules and the process with the managers.
• Introduce the questions that will be the topic of conversation at this café. Recommended questions might be:
  • How do we as managers create high performance teams based on what we have learned?
  • What is the role of policies/procedures in helping us create high performance teams?
• Have each rotation between tables last 20 minutes. Allow 5 minutes between each rotation. After the first two rounds addressing the first question, have the conversation focus on the second question during the third round. On the fourth round, have the managers return to their original tables and complete the conversation integrating the insights from both questions..
• After the fourth round, have each table put on the wall the results of their conversations. Allow 20 minutes for people to walk and reflect on the results before moving into our celebration.

Cake and refreshments

Awards

Certificates for each manager

Segment time:
1 hour

Running time:
5 hours

Party time! Sharing time! Reflection time!  

• This is time to casually mix, talk, and share stories.
• Insert every once in a while five minutes of awards and certificates.
• Ask people to share with the group if they wish stories, insights, and experiences.
• Turn in copy of final project so that we can track results of the work in this workshop.