Your Team Tool Kit on how to run a team workshop

Here is your handy Team Tool Kit, which you can use if you want to run a two-day workshop with your team, to fast-forward teamwork and results. The basis of the workshop is around getting the team members to know each other better, at a deeper level, and to create/clarify the shared purpose and clear way of working together, going forward. If you can only spend one day, adjust the agenda based on your desired outcomes for the session.

What to do before the workshop

Plan and do your research

Review your organisation’s vision and the company values: how are people expected to behave/operate? What are the long- and short-term strategies, goals, plans? Who are the main competitors? What’s the current market situation, threats and opportunities?

Then consider where your team fits into the overall picture and how you contribute to the vision. Review any data about the team: employee engagement studies, goal achievement, challenges, etc. Decide what you want to get out of the team workshop, the objectives.

Set the date

Make sure the date works for everyone, so that each team member feels important to the success of the event. Make sure all team members will be able to attend, because a team journey needs to include the right people.

Choose the venue

In-house or offsite? If budgets allow it, we recommend offsite as it keeps the team focused on the task at hand, rather than their normal work. For example, people tend to go back to their desk at lunchtime if the event is in-house, checking email and getting into work tasks.

Communicate

Explain to the team what the purpose of the team workshop is, when and where it will happen and what will be expected of them (e.g. full participation, an open mind etc.).

Pre-work

Give team members some pre-work to prepare. This should include some kind of reflection exercise where everyone reflects on their own strengths and development areas, what they enjoy the most about their work, how they contribute to the success of the team or something similar. Before you decide what to go for, carefully consider what outcome you are looking for and choose the individual reflection subjects that will be most valuable and relevant.

What to do at the workshop

This two-day agenda gives you some ideas on the contents you should consider.

What to do after the workshop

• Finalise the output from the discussions into a Team Charter Template (see http://www.leadingteamsbook.com/)
• Get all team members to sign the team charter, showing their commitment and buy-in.
• Make sure the team charter is distributed to everyone and/or placed on the wall in a central location so all can see it.
• At regular intervals:
  • spend time as a team
  • continue to build the team and get to know each other better
  • continue to give each other helpful feedback
  • review the Team Charter to ensure it is still relevant. If needed, update it – and get all to sign again.
• When new people join the team, brief them on the team charter (if possible with the help of the rest of the team so they can bring it to life with their input of the value it’s brought) and get them sign it too (once they fully understand it).

For more ideas and details on how to run a team workshop, visit http://www.leadingteamsbook.com/