Teambuilding & Problem Solving

Organizations cannot any more ignore the power of teams. Evidence keeps pouring in, both within Australia and overseas, of the success of teams.

Teams can help to push responsibility further down an organization, deliver enhanced job satisfaction (partly because of the former point), and improve results. If organizations are to get the best from teams, training is necessary. Many organizations restructure, tell their staff that they are now working in teams - and expect productivity to rise. This is not a new phenomenon, as the following writer proves:

"We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganised . . . and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation." - Caius Petronius AD66.

There are specific skills involved in working in teams, and it is only fair, both to the organization and to the team members, that staff gain these skills in order to produce the best results. As well as consulting services in this area, JMA offers training programs.

A typical teambuilding program involving team leader and team members results in:

• Introduction and Expectations
• Identification of differences between teams and traditional hierarchical work groups
• Team mission statement
• Recognition of team members' different approaches
• Guidelines for team behaviour
• Focuses on areas that can lead to enhanced cooperation within a team.
• Priorities for action
• Follow-up programs generally concentrate on reviewing residual problems and gaining skills in specific problem solving strategies in order to create continuous improvement. Programs are also available specifically for team leaders.

Some comments from recent programs

• Jo McLachlan was an excellent presenter. Made me see exactly what is needed to be done to achieve a team environment. I found it very informative
• Staff members opened up - voiced opinions
• I found the whole program very interesting and helpful
• I want Johanne to be involved again
• Well presented and NOT boring. Did not see anybody having 40 winks
• Very impressive - terrific personality - also a good listener to problems
• Johanne is an EXCELLENT presenter - very good at promoting group discussion, use of overheads/whiteboards etc. very good
• I liked the way we took away a plan for action. At one stage early in the day I was thinking, "oh hell how am I ever going to put this together later on". But I left on a very hopeful note
• A surprising amount of tips and techniques (practical) in what could be a nebulous subject as "team leading".
• Thank you! You tailored this workshop to our direct needs and presented it in a wonderful way - non-threatening and effective.
• The presenter is one of the best presenters I have ever seen. I really enjoyed the session and she made it very enjoyable.