A Team Building Exercise for Developing a “Best Practice” or Process

Getting Started: (30 - 60 minutes)

· The whole team assembles for the first time. Facilitator will allow team members to introduce themselves and express expectations/concerns. Recorder will document these - note; you’ll revisit these later to see if expectations were met and concerns were addressed.

· Brief team on the mission, approach, roles and rules:

qMISSION: Develop and document a BEST PRACTICE (process) for performing a particular task.

qAPPROACH: Use the Diverge/Converge Teambuilding Technique (see Team Members Roles defined below and attached rules) to reach CONSENSUS on a BEST PRACTICE, with RESULTS documented as follows:

ü Process Start and End Point

ü Process Inputs/Outputs and Assumptions

ü Process Map (Key Process Steps, Sequence, and Interaction)

ü List of Potential Problems and Suggested Solutions

ü Estimated Labor Hours Associated with Documented Best Practice

qROLES AND RULES:

ü FACILITATORS/RECORDERS: Ensure team reaches consensus and achieves/documents the desired results. NOTE: facilitators/recorders ARE NOT TEAM MEMBERS and MUST NOT contribute ideas or otherwise become directly involved in developing or influencing team results/output.

ü TEAM MEMBERS: Accomplish mission under guidance of facilitator. Be prepared to:

Ø CONTRIBUTE your points/ideas during DIVERGE (i.e. brainstorming) activities. NO IDEAS PRESENTED DURING DIVERGE ACTIVITIES ARE BAD and none should be criticized. Rather, team members contributing the idea will be given the opportunity to CLARIFY a point to the satisfaction of the team member raising a question - no more, no less. Remember, clarification of points and ideas is the objective of diverge activities - not agreement or consensus.

Ø COMPROMISE by focusing on things ALL team members can agree on during CONVERGE (i.e. consensus development and decision making) activities. No ideas, points, wording, or other contributions will be removed from consideration during converge activities unless ALL team members agree - including the one who originally made the contribution. The thing to strive for during converge activities is combining ideas/words in terms all can agree upon.

ü TEAM PRESENTER: A team member selected by the team to present team results to all other teams. The Presenter represents the Team; they MUST REFRAIN from interjecting personal comments/criticisms of what the team agreed to present.

Stage I: DEFINE PROCESS (30 - 60 minutes)

· Examine / organize the Mess (drawings, pictures, specifications, etc) given to the team and facilitate discussions that result in two distinct OUTPUTS:

qPROCESS DEFINITION CHART: a clear definition of what the BEST PRACTICE process involves, required process inputs (such as drawings/plans, trained/available workforce, correct/suitable materials, etc.) and other assumptions (i.e. number of units to which the process applies, etc.). Facilitators will document this information in a manner visible to all team members - and use to keep team activities get “off track”.

qLIST OF KEY PROCESS COMPONENTS: a definition of the key parts, materials, etc. to be referenced in the method. This is to ensure all key components are accounted for and to ensure consistency of terms/definitions used. Have team members write these on “stickies” and past them on a board randomly. Once all are on the board, allow team members to “combine” and organize them in any suitable fashion. Remember, this is primarily to ensure the method does not overlook key components - you can always update or modify it as the team wishes.

Stage II: DEVELOP/DOCUMENT PROCESS MAP (30 - 60 minutes)

· Have each team member write (on colored “stickies”) the overall process in 3-5 steps (no more than 8 words per “sticky - and each sticky numbered to show process sequence).

· Place each “process” on a board in a manner that allows for comparison.

· Clarify the content of each process step with each contributor (don’t worry about sequence for now). Obtain agreement on all process steps that say the same thing (regardless of order).

· For unique or distinctly different process steps, allow the contributor to explain if/why the process step is critical to a BEST PRACTICE. As appropriate, rewrite process step(s) in a manner all understand and can agree on.

· Discuss process sequence for clarity. To the degree possible, obtain agreement on the order of process steps. Where sequence of process steps are clearly different, allow the original contributor to explain if/why the order of the process steps is critical to a BEST PRACTICE. As appropriate, reorganize the process steps in a manner all understand and can agree on.

· Facilitate discussions (or repeat the same process used above) to identify the description and sequence of lower level steps associated with each of the 3-5 key process steps identified above.

Stage III: DEVELOP/DOCUMENT “TIPS”, PROBLEMS & LABOR ESTIMATES (30 - 60 minutes)

· For each of the lowest level steps identified during Stage II above, identify and document any “tips” or guidelines that would facilitate the process or prevent problems from occurring.

· Identify and document any actual or potential problem whose cause could be significantly reduced or eliminated with proper advanced preparation, planning, training or other action. To the degree possible, define and document proposed solutions/actions.

· Identify and document labor estimates associated with the best practices developed.

Stage IV: PREPARE PRESENTATIONS (15 - 30 minutes)

· Prepare/revise documentation in a manner that will clearly communicate team results.

· Select (from among team members) a team presenter.

· Practice presentation at least once. Note: presentations must not exceed 30 minutes, and allow 10-15 minutes for discussion/questions.