Course description

This course provides a team development process that facilitates the development of a new team or the revitalization of an existing team. Project managers and team members must be able to successfully collaborate in a team environment without positional authority and deal with different priorities, difficult behaviors, and team challenges. Whether you are working with a co-located or virtual team, you will rapidly increase your team’s effectiveness with the use of these best practices, team tools, and collaboration skills.

This two-day course will familiarize participants with tools, techniques, and strategies that successfully foster a collaborative team environment and help them effectively respond to any conflict that may arise during a project life cycle. Participants will gain confidence and expertise in contributing to and motivating a productive, high-performing team.

Who should attend

Individuals who will benefit from this course include: new and experienced project managers, team members, and individuals who wish to become better collaborators in team environments.

What you will achieve

• Skills to collaborate effectively
• The confidence and ability to deal effectively with challenging team situations
• Facilitative leadership strategies to promote team communication, collaboration, and performance
• Tools and techniques to work with team members’ differences in communication needs and motivations
• Assessment tools and feedback to develop accountability and project team performance

What you will learn

• Gain familiarity with the seven factors project teams need to produce results.
• Develop an accountability model and understand the importance of the cycle approach to accountability.
• Learn collaboration best practices, including behaviors, values, and mindset to work collaboratively.
• Practice virtual and co-located meeting effectiveness.
• Develop tools and strategies for any type of meeting.
• Use teamwork tools used to align individuals and project teams with the organization.
• Develop team communication strategies and skills for clear communications, decision making, and positive interactions with all stakeholders.
• Learn a structured and creative problem-solving process that utilizes the team to overcome obstacles and reach project goals.
• Develop approaches and models for constructive conflict management.
• Recognize the four cores of trust and the ability to develop trusting relationships.

Course Outline

Day One

Module 1: Set the Foundation

• Goals, Roles, Process
• Agenda and Ground Rules
• Collaboration Requirements
• Stakeholders
• Communication Plan
• Key Relationships
• Exercise: Team Collaboration

Module 2: Guidelines for Interactions

• Six Principles
• Relationship Success Factors
• Understand and Value Difference
• Communication Process
• Breaking Communication Barriers

Day Two

Module 3: Difficult Conversations

• Emotional Intelligence
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Influencing
• Conflict Management
• Conversations and the Brain
• Balance of Advocacy and Inquiry
• Exercise: Use the Difficult Conversation Steps
• Cycle of Accountability

Module 4: Meeting Effectiveness

• Meeting Best Practices
• Roles
• Remote Meetings
• Managing Meetings Before, During, and After
• Communicate for Engagement
• Decision Making
• Problem Solving
• Managing Conflict
• Prevention and Intervention Techniques
• Exercise: Situation — Outcome — Solution