Teams: How Do I Help You Help Me? (part 1 of 2)

One of my favorite exercises in team-building workshops is a simulated "survival" activity. It begins by having participants complete a paper and pencil instrument independently, ranking fifteen items in terms of their importance to surviving a crisis event (e.g. a crash landing in unknown territory like a desert, subarctic, or jungle region). The idea of the exercise is to examine how people make decisions, first individually and then as a team. Once everyone has completed ranking the items independently, they form teams and repeat the exercise using an interdependent, consensus process. In both cases, the participants select their items based on limited information and assumptions. It becomes quite clear that flawed assumptions can be disastrous in the exercise, just like in real life. An interesting result of this simulation is that the teams consistently outperform their own average individual scores. In fact, most teams survive (according to a survival expert's well-researched ranking), while most individuals do not. Why is this? What is the secret? It is clearly more than coincidence. The answer is interdependent thinking: How can we help one another help one another? How can I help you help me? Where is the creative, win-win solution? One of the most powerful and creative problem-solving techniques I know is to find at least three options for each problem. It is simply too easy for someone to say, "Don't come to me with a problem without a solution." We all hear this from time to time. But the wise leader suggests, "Don't come to me with a problem without at least three solutions!" Why is this important? Because when we explore additional options with an open mind, new insights appear. Do you need help developing or leading a high-performance team? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/