The Jungle of Teamwork

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Navigating the ins and outs of teamwork can be as difficult as trekking through the jungle.  In the jungle we can try to push through the dense vegetation with no tools – just like we can push teams to work together – but without the right tools we just get nowhere.

Teamwork is vital to the workplace but we often don’t know how to deal with teams when conflicts arise and productivity drops.  So, where and how do you start addressing these problems with teamwork?  By demonstrating how a well-oiled team acts and thinks.

Teamwork

A well-oiled team recognizes the impact of individual behaviors on group activities and demonstrates a balance between planning and execution.  It clearly understands the project’s purpose and feels enthusiastic about its contribution. Each team member is aware of the dynamics that operate within the team and finds ways to encourage the critical teamwork elements so that the team is empowered to grow, develop and become more productive.

Jungle EscapeDiscover how a well-oiled team works by taking your team on an adventure with Jungle Escape. Teams will discover where they are and create an action plan for improvement. This exciting, bestselling game provides a unique experience for teams to explore their interaction by being flown away from the classroom and into the jungle.

After a crash landing, teams must work together to plan and then build a helicopter to escape the jungle.  Jungle Escape’s hands-on design enables players to practice and discover critical group-process skills such as team planning, problem solving, decision making, and conflict resolution. This memorable experience is an excellent way to introduce basic teambuilding, improve productivity, and energize teams.

Start your adventure now!

Learning HOW to Learn How to Swim

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As the weather gets warmer, it’s more and more common to see people learning to swim.  This can be a great experience for some, and a traumatic one for others – for a number of reasons, but the one we’ll explore is learning style.

Learning to Swim

Whether you’re the one teaching or the one learning, you’ll find that there’s no one way for learning to happen.   You could…

  • Throw the baby in the pool and see what happens.
  • Sit on the deck and watch other people swim.
  • Shave your entire body and buy webbed gloves before getting in the water.
  • Position yourself next to someone else and copy their movements as you go along.

You could do any number of things, really.  There is no “right” or “wrong” way, and each of these methods has the potential for a successful outcome, especially if it fits with your individual learning style.

In the Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ), authors Peter Honey and Alan Mumford acknowledge learning as a cycle – the output of which is the possession of new knowledge or the ability to perform a new skill.  The cycle looks like this:

Learning Cycle

The question then, is where to start?  The answer is not the same for everyone – that’s where learning style comes in.  Different people have natural preferences for different behaviors, which correspond to phases of the learning cycle, and determine how they will learn most effectively.

The LSQ learning style assessment identifies these behaviors in individuals and ties them back to the learning cycle, allowing participants to develop and awareness of their natural strengths and weaknesses and plan for a more balanced approach to learning.

  • Do you have a preference for Experiencing?

You’re an “Activist” and the baby-throwing method would probably work well for you.  You value action more highly than analysis, and “learn by doing.”

  • Do you have a preference for Reviewing?

You’re a “Reflector.”  You want to gather data and analyze it as thoroughly as possible before coming to a decision.  You might want to observe other swimmers and wait until you’ve had time to consider every possibility before jumping in.

  • Do you have a preference for Concluding?

You’re a “Theorist” – you have all the facts you need and you know what’s what.  You’re not afraid to make a decision, and you may have already purchased those gloves I mentioned before getting this far into the post.

  • Do you have a preference for Planning?

You’re a “Pragmatist” and there’s a duck right behind you.  And another duck right behind him – and you’re all headed in the same direction.  You trust your plan and follow through.  You’re confident about getting in the water and moving forward (even if you have to keep an eye on the guy next to you).

Learning styles QuestionnaireKnowing your learning style – and understanding that you may learn differently than those around you – can help you with a lot more than swimming.   Once you’ve completed the Learning Styles Questionnaire, you’ll be on your way to improved communication, team membership, project management, and decision making.  A complete soft-skills training program with self-assessment, interpretation, and action planning, the LSQ is a precursor to better learning and better performance across the board.

Quick!  Before you learn anything else, give the Learning Styles Questionnaire a try!

Personality is a Part of Performance

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When seeking sustainable performance improvement, it’s important to look at things holistically.  Personality is not separate from performance, just as relationships are not separate from teamwork.

Knowing that, it’s often easiest to make large-scale changes by unpacking complicated, synthetic concepts like performance, and making sure that each component is cared for.  Personality is a good place to start.  Performance, when broken down, is a series of decisions – behavioral choices – that we use to accomplish our goals.  It’s important to know where these decisions come from and how they affect one another.  Our preference for certain types of decisions and behaviors is determined by our personal style.

Personal Style

But, that is not to say that we are limited by our personal style.  Simply acknowledging our personal style makes it possible to choose behaviors that are not in line with our natural tendencies, but that are more effective for the situation at hand. When that situation involves dealing with someone who is very different from us, understanding their personal style is the most fundamental aid to presenting and gathering information to and from that person – to communicating with them.  Learning the difference between our preferred methods of communicating and the methods of others will make working together more efficient and effective.  It may also reveal which methods are more successful than others when approaching certain tasks and goals – helping everyone involved become more effective when approaching similar tasks in the future.

There are many ways to measure personality style.  One very popular and proven method is presented in the Personal Style Inventory (PSI) – a personality assessment and soft-skills training program based on the theories of Carl Jung.  Starting with a quick and easy-to-score self-assessment, the PSI ascribes a style to each participant based on their responses.  Participants are guided through an explanation of how these styles are differentiated, which behaviors are associated with them, and how they are perceived by people with opposing styles.  The PSI includes style strengths and action-planning to avoid ineffective, style-specific behaviors.

Personal Style Inventory

On an individual level, knowing our own natural strengths and weaknesses helps us decide where to focus our energy and which of our skills need refinement.  Whether we are working together or separately, performance – just like personality – is a relative measure.  When working to accomplish any goal, it’s always important to consider our actions as they relate to others.  That’s how we build organizations, communities, families, and ourselves.

Experiential learning activities like the Personal Style Inventory allows for application of new knowledge in the moment – a positive change just by participating.  Improvements in performance and interpersonal relationships take effect immediately, and become part of work life.

The Personal Style Inventory is your first step toward sustainable improvement – try it today!

It’s going to be summer time. School’s out forever.

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LearningAnd honestly, that’s pretty awesome.  Once we let go of the constructs that frame positive change, we see that it is possible – and happening – everywhere.  Learning is happening everywhere, all the time.

Learning is great – it makes you strong and self-sufficient.  It makes you able to travel through social spaces, figure out what’s right and wrong, and help those in need around you.  To make learning possible and accessible to others is one of the most valuable things you can do for them.

As a trainer, you are always looking for the most efficient ways to deliver that value.  You need:

  • A renewable resource – something that functions as a part of your organization – something that’s always there to support and enrich your organization’s culture.
  • A tool (not a prescription) – something that provides all the content you need, while giving you the freedom to tailor that content to your organization’s brand, values, and goals – something that lets you be the trainer.
  • A catalyst – something that reminds your participants that improvement is always possible – something that develops a critical society within your organization to incite a desire for positive change.

The Reproducible Training Library is all that, and more.  A comprehensive library of customizable soft-skills training resources, the RTL is your source for research-based content that will improve performance in your organization.

The RTL isn’t about seduction or prescription – it’s about proven models for positive change.  Participants will apply effective behaviors to their current work, and experience the benefits of behavioral research as they grow and excel.

The RTL is a collection of 75 programs, addressing all aspects of work like and how best to approach the challenges of organization membership.  Each program is complete and training-ready from the moment you make your one-time, license-free purchase.

Reproducible Training Library

What makes the RTL truly unique is its plasticity.  All programs in the library are delivered to you as native files in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint format.  You’ll be able to apply your organization’s brand to the materials, add your own examples and talking-points, and provide a take-away that’s exactly what you want your participants to hold onto.

Whether you’re training an audience of one or one hundred, the Reproducible Training Library is the most efficient way to make learning happen – because you don’t need school to learn – all you really need is a library.

And if that don’t suit ya, that’s a drag.

Doing a Little Spring Cleaning in Your Office?

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What your workspace tells about your co-workers and your communication styles.

Throwing away old papers? Dusting off that top shelf? During your office spring cleaning, take a closer look around your workspace. Does your desk have an endless supply of papers strewn across it; or is it so clear of clutter that you can see every inch of the desk with charts and graphs on your wall? Are papers arranged in neat organized piles?  Or mixed with personal photos and some clutter? Your work space can provide insight into your personality style.

Personal style is developed over time and revealed by the level of assertiveness and expressiveness you display. Assertiveness is the amount of effort you make to influence or control another’s thoughts or actions, and expressiveness is the amount of effort you make to control emotions when interacting with others. By measuring your levels of assertiveness and expressiveness, you can discover your preference for one of the four personality styles.

HRDQ Style Model

Identifying an individual’s preferred personality style as Direct, Spirited, Considerate, or Systematic enables us to develop better interpersonal connections while recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each style. By understanding the strengths of each style, we can flex our own style to work with those strengths – communicating and interacting better.

The next time you enter into your or a co-worker’s space, take some time to look around  - take mental notes about the space.

Personal StyleIf you have a hard time finding their desk under all the papers, notes, books, or magazines, they are displaying a spirited personality style and you should turn on your listening ears because they like to talk.

Do you see family photos prominently displayed? Is there a comfy couch or chairs? This type of space reflects considerate personality styles. Create rapport by making small talk.  You’ll build a solid relationship before jumping into projects.

Personality StyleIf you see piles of papers nicely organized with personal photos discreetly placed in the corner, you are meeting with a direct personality style. Be direct and to the point with clear instructions.

When you pass by your co-worker’s workspace at night and all you see is the desk, they are displaying a systematic personality style. Provide and focus on the facts in an organized way.

Simple clues such as how a co-worker’s workspace looks help identify communication styles and enter into more effective relationships.

What's My Communication Style?The HRDQ Style Series provides quick and accurate ways to identify personality styles and the impact they make in the workplace. Using self-assessments, participants can better understand how personality drives behavior, improve their people skills, and successfully create interpersonal relationships.

What’s My Communication Style? is the perfect place to start!

ASTD Goes Platinum

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A post from HRDQ President, Brad Glaser

A post from HRDQ President, Brad Glaser

Years before the majority of today’s training professionals were in grade school, 15 men from the petroleum industry gathered for the first meeting of the American Society of Training Directors. It was the beginning of the ASTD we know today. It was 1943 — a time when the world was in the midst of World War II. A time when training was emerging as a formal organizational function, corporate strategy, and necessity of a highly skilled workforce.

ASTD 2013

From chalkboards and whiteboards to smart boards, e-learning, and virtual classrooms, the face of training has experienced an amazing transformation since that first meeting 70 years ago. And ASTD has been a guiding influence every step of the way. Now the world’s largest association dedicated to the training and development field, ASTD represents every industry — and every sector — across 122 U.S. chapters, 100 countries, and 39,000 members. While its name has since changed to the American Society of Training & Development, its mission remains largely the same: to empower professionals to develop knowledge and skills successfully. ASTD’s goal is to raise the standards of the training profession and it accomplishes that through its publications, forums, education, research, resources, and conferences.

I attended my first ASTD conference when I joined HRDQ fresh out of college. I’ve been there nearly every year since, and I’ll attend the 2013 International Conference & Exposition next week when training professionals from around the world come together in Dallas, Texas. Frankly, there isn’t a better way to catch the latest trends, meet face-to-face with training colleagues, hear from industry leaders — and simply be inspired. Be sure to visit HRDQ in Booth #1053. We look forward to seeing you!

How has ASTD influenced your career? Post a comment and tell us.

HRDQ @ ASTD 2010

HRDQ @ ASTD 2010

Team Emotional and Social Intelligence

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There are many measurable skills that contribute to individual high performance.  Furthermore, there are essential soft skills that make possible the delivery of that performance to an organization.

A majority of these soft skills pertain to interpersonal relationships, and so are only visible in team settings.  Working as part of a team is much more difficult than working on one’s own – it means having to rely on others, committing to a common set of objectives, and modifying one’s own behaviors to accommodate those of others and move everyone toward shared goals.

Team EMotional and Social Intelligence

There are, however, simple choices that can improve overall team function, and allow individuals to contribute their individual best – unhindered by team discord.  These choices amount to team emotional and social intelligence, which, in turn, enables sustainable productivity.  Intelligence, here, s used in a non-traditional way – meaning something closer to awareness than ability.  For everyone is able to choose “emotionally intelligent” behaviors, but we to be cognizant of their value and how to put them to use.

To develop this awareness, self-assessment couldn’t be more valuable in providing insight into current behaviors and tendencies as juxtaposed with statistically sound, effective behaviors.  The Team Emotional and Social Intelligence (TESI) soft-skills training program is the perfect way to develop a practical picture of an entire team’s effectiveness.

Team Emotional and Social IntelligenceRevealing a 360 degree evaluation of a team’s “Collaboration Skills,” the TESI shows common strengths and weaknesses in seven areas of teamwork.  Stressing the idea that each member of a team needs a personal association with their team (a reason they have to continue working toward team goals), this program shows participants that it is possible for every team to possess excellent collaboration skills, achieve high performance, and feel emotionally and socially well while acting as part of their team.

An experiential learning program, the TESI will not only allow participants to learn from their self-assessments, but to participate in activities and action planning that will apply directly to their own experience – learning that can take effect immediately, and that will resonate with teams as they work together.

Try TESI today!