2. Leader Meets Facilitator. Shares Purpose and Outcomes.
In Step 2 of our 12-step course in how to design a Right-Minded Team Building Workshop, you’ll learn how to:
- Understand the team leader’s outcomes, which include what they want to achieve in
- the overall team building effort and
- the first team building workshop
- Agree on a time frame and start to plan forward
- Create a good working partnership
All good counselors know they must start their work by understanding where the client is, or where he thinks he is. Only then can they begin helping him get to where he wants to be.
Guess what? You must do the same. In Step 2 of the Right-Minded Teamwork workshop process, you’ll begin to understand what the team leader thinks is happening in their team and why.
To put it another way, you need to understand the specific outcomes the leader wants from the workshop, as well as what they want to achieve as a result of the overall team-building effort.
By the end of your first meeting with the team leader, you will:
- Understand the leader’s outcomes and overall team building goals
- Agree to follow the 12 design steps; the leader will love them!
- Be well on your way to creating a good working partnership
Preparing for Your First Team Leader Meeting
Remember what an outcome is and is not; discussed below.
Think over what you know about their needs? What are the leader’s pressures?
Put together 4–6 questions to ask. You’ll find some ideas in your book’s Resouces section: Possible Questions to ask in First Leader Meeting.
Accept that there is never enough time to discuss everything. Be patient. You will have future conversations.
Conducting Your First Meeting with the Leader
Most leaders have little difficulty saying what they want to achieve. Often, their desired outcomes are symptoms of dysfunctional teamwork behavior. Most team building workshop desired outcomes involve removing some pain or cost.
- Pains are things like frustrations due to constantly having to deal with poor work behavior.
- Costs are things like budget reductions or the loss of a valued customer.
Whatever the leader may say, capture their desired outcomes. Repeat those outcomes back to them during the meeting to show you are truly hearing them. Later, you’ll translate them into clearly written outcome statements when you write the First Draft Plan.
What’s a Workshop Desired Outcome?
Good question!
Clearly written outcomes describe WHAT will be accomplished by the end of the workshop.
Think of them as products or results that the team will have produced by the workshop’s end.
That means an outcome is a List, or a Plan, or a Work Agreement.
Contrast outcomes with goals, such as “increase sales by 15%” or “reduce costs by 10%.”
Can you see those goals cannot be achieved in a workshop, but that a plan or Work Agreement that supports those goals can? Make sense?
Here are a few examples of good team leader outcomes:
- Discuss and agree on how to improve team interactions and communications.
- Brainstorm and prioritize how we will improve customer satisfaction.
- Agree on the top 3 improvement initiatives for the next quarter.
- Agree on roles and responsibilities for implementing the new software.
IMPORTANT: Clear workshop outcomes are the most critical element of an RMT workshop design.
Why? Because everything that is involved in designing and facilitating the workshop must work together to achieve those outcomes.
Agree on a Time Frame and Plan Forward
This first meeting will take about two hours:
- The first 1–1-1/2 hours: Understand the team leader’s outcomes.
- The last 30 minutes: Propose a time frame and discuss a plan for moving forward.
- Please don’t skip this last 30-minute task. You’ll regret it if you do.
The best way to discuss a time frame is to briefly walk through the 12-Step process map and agree on milestone dates. Using these steps will ensure you don’t miss important tasks, and the leader will be even more confident in your ability to design a successful workshop, for sure.
Remember – How You Interact in This Meeting is Critical
When you interact with the leader in a genuine and caring way, you will gain a greater understanding of the team’s issues. Why? Because the way you interact creates trust and confidence.
The more the leader trusts that you can indeed help the team, the more open and honest they will be with you. For more on this, in your book’s Resouces section, read the 5 Key’s to Proper Communication.
Creating a Good Leader & Facilitator Partnership
The way you manage yourself with the leader and their teammates is critical, too. You know how important first impressions are, right?
For example, when the leader and their teammates see you are thoroughly prepared and that you are offering practical suggestions, they will realize you are a valued team-building partner. Their confidence in you is exactly what you want to achieve.
IMPORTANT – Be Humble. Your primary function is to help the leader and teammates achieve their workshop outcomes. It’s not about you. When their workshop succeeds, it’s because the leader and teammates did their work. Let the leader and the team enjoy a healthy and boisterous celebration … while you celebrate quietly.
OK, now you’ve completed the first leader meeting.
Next, you have to go off and process what you learned from the leader. In the next lesson, we will help you make sense of what you learned in this first team leader meeting.
Can’t Wait? Links to All 12 Lessons
Over 2 Hours of Audio Instruction from Dan Hogan, Certified Master Facilitator.
These lessons will continue to arrive in your email.
Introduction – How to Design a Right-Minded Team Building Workshop |
Step 1 – Start with the End in Mind. Leader Defines Purpose |
Step 2 – Leader Meets Facilitator. Shares Purpose & Outcomes |
Step 3 – What the Leader Wants May Not Be What the Team Needs. Facilitator Uncovers Root Causes |
Step 4 – Facilitator Presents First Draft Team Building Plan to the Leader |
Step 5 – Leader Announces Workshop and Prepares Teammates |
Step 6 – Facilitator Conducts 9 or 20 Question Right-Minded Teamwork Survey |
Step 7 – Facilitator Interviews All Teammates |
Step 8 – Facilitator Presents Second Draft Plan to Leader |
Step 9 – Leader & Facilitator Finalize Agenda and Workshop Plan |
Step 10 – Achieve Workshop Outcomes |
Step 11 – Track & Report Progress for the Next 90 Days |
Step 12 – Leader & Facilitator Begin Designing the Second Workshop |