Why Do Visuals Work with Teams?
The Grove Consultants host a Visual Teams Workshop at Ft. Mason in San Francisco, CA on March 29, 2012. © Vance Jacobs 2012.
What do loosely coupled systems, a stand-up meeting, and tequila have to do with each other? They were all elements in our successful Visual Teams workshop a few weeks ago at Fort Mason, in San Francisco, and argue for why visuals are working with teams.
At the opening of the workshop we invited everyone to share his or her best team experience, and then identify the relevant qualities on a Mandala Vision Graphic Guide® (Groups invariable rediscover the success factors described in the Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model® through their own experiences). I noticed one table group in back where everyone was standing up, gesturing, circling around to place a blizzard of sticky notes on various circles labeled with high-performing team qualities.
Top 10 Reasons to Use a Storymap
1. Gain Alignment. Need to get everyone on the same page in your organization? The Grove‘s Storymap™ process is designed to reveal and resolve alignment issues, refine the message and get all stakeholders on the same page and moving toward the same goal.
Helping Veterans Come Home: How Grove Templates are Assisting Military Career Coaches
Military members are coming home to the U.S. in growing numbers. Drawdowns in overseas operations, and new budget realities at the Department of Defense (DOD), have accelerated the move back to civilian life for many military members and families. For some, this situation has interrupted long-term career plans. For most, the transition comes at a time of economic uncertainty and job search challenges.
As they head home, military members and families can draw on help from the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) co-sponsored by the DOD, the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Veterans Administration. TAP includes face-to-face job search training, online information, and individual coaching. In our Aligned for Results workshops with military support staff, we’ve been impressed by these resources. And we’ve often wondered how The Grove’s visual tools could further improve their intended results.
The Team Performance Model and Person-Centered Planning
The Challenge
The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire is an entity that focuses on support for people with disabilities and their families. Through person-centered planning, the Institute enables individuals to create a plan for their future through a process-oriented approach, and it became evident that a manual for creating these customized plans was an imperative. “Because the purposes for planning are so diverse there’s been a tendency to oversimplify. We needed a tool that would address the dynamic elements of the process,” said Patty Cotton of the Institute.
The Process
Patty Cotton attended several Grove graphic facilitation workshops and was intrigued by the visual nature of the Group Graphics® Keyboard. When she subsequently encountered the Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model® (TPM), Patty immediately started using it in her work with person-centered planning.
“Person-centered planning uses a collection of visual tools. However, there is no sequencing or order to the process. The TPM provides that order and allows one to assess what tools to use and when to use them,” says Patty. “People are in a situation where they are completely dependent on others to act on their behalf. If you don’t attend to those early stages of trust building, the process can go awry very easily.”
Your Questions Answered About Team Performance Tools
When and Why to Use Certain Team Tools
We receive many questions from customers about the Drexler/Sibbet/Forrester Team PerformanceTM System of products. We thought it would be helpful to compile some frequently asked questions with our best answers.
Q. I want to introduce the Team Performance System to a group. What products would you recommend?
A. As a facilitator or manager you will need some background on the Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model® and best practices that go with it.
Reading Material:
We recommend the Team Leader Guide—Strategies and Practices as the most comprehensive book for this. Another book, Team Startup—Creating Gameplans for Success, is packed with best practices specifically for starting teams. The Model Abstract is a short academic booklet that dissects the Model and its stages.
Presentation Material:
To present the Model we recommend the Model Wall Poster and the Model Overview, which can work as a handout or take-away for team members.
Hands-on Facilitation Tool:
The Team Performance Puzzle is a highly engaging way for teams to work together to quickly understand the Model. The Puzzle stimulates interesting discussions about a group’s experiences while introducing the Model.