Team Leaders or Team Managers play a crucial role in the success of the team. A team without a good leader is like watching dogs running around without their heads. They are strong and they run fast, but they do not know where they are going and they do not know what they are going to do. A team without an effective leader is the same. The members are skilled and talented, but without an effective leader, they will lack direction and motivation.
MBTI assessment, start with a getting-to-know you activity with your leaders. Share with them a bag of M&Ms by passing the bag around and asking them to get as much as like (remind those seated at the front of the room to leave some for the rest of the group!). Next ask them as few questions about their role in the company like, what are your strengths for the role, what are your weaknesses, what do you like most about your role? The number of details they share will depend on the number of M&Ms that they got from the back.
Another tool that you can use for the leadership team building is the Strong Interest Inventory, where your leaders will discover their interests for certain tasks such as planning, implementation, marketing, training, etc. These are skills that they will likely need to master as leaders if they will be involved in goal setting or profit and loss analysis for their company. Assign your leaders as task called “Nuclear Power Plant.” Inform your participants that for the duration of the activity, two of their members will be blindfolded, two will be allowed to use one arm only and two will be allowed to use one leg only. These will form part of their “weaknesses.” You will barricade an area or space that will be marked as “high radiation” zone. Inside the zone are “equipment” that they need to salvage in order to save the “Nuclear Power Plant.” Only two persons are allowed inside the “high radiation” zone. Give your leaders some time for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis before starting on their “mission.” This activity will reinforce the results of their Strong Interest Inventory, such as who are those more interested in the planning or what styles or approach will each person suggest for the problem, etc.
Finally, talk about the five TKI conflict-handling modes, competing, accommodating, avoiding, collaborating and compromising. Which of these modes came to play during the “Nuclear Power Plant” activity? Were these modes used appropriately given the situation? What are other situations that they, as leaders in the organization, face? This discussion will strengthen their knowledge of Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, which will also be vital for their roles.
Effective teams are important in the success of the organization and effective leaders will help ensure that success. Investing time, money and effort on a Leadership Team Building will go a long way to strengthening the teams for your organizational growth.
A Chicago Housewifey 