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Transforming Potential into Peak Performance!

FREE TEAM TOOLS

On this page, you can obtain free tools to try out with your team, compliments of IN FOCUS Consulting. Click on a topic below or browse the entire page if your time permits.

TOOLS FOR JAZZING UP YOUR MEETINGS!

To Develop Creativity:

To Introduce Members:

To Generate Ideas:

	Story Spine
	Invisible Ball
	Dream Team

	Winds are Blowing
	Hidden Agenda
	Index Shuffle

	Silent Gallery
	Photo Gallery
	Building Blocks

Communication Style Assessment Tool: DiSC (abbreviated)

Flu Vaccine: Anecdotes for Negativity

Life Satisfaction Survey: The 3 R's (NOTE: To download this PDF document, you will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer. If you do not have this software, click here to obtain a free copy.)

Performance Evaluations: Top Ten List

CREATIVITY DEVELOPERS

Story Spine: In an “around the table fashion” have group members fill in the blanks in this story. “Once upon a time there was a(n)...(operations team)

Everyday… (they worked their fingers to the bone)

But one day…(they decided to have a party instead)

Because of that…(no work was accomplished that day)

Because of that… (the customers were irate)

Until finally… (the operations team decided to hold another meeting)

The moral of the story…(the team decided to hold parties outside of work hours and work diligently on

customer service when "on the clock")

SUPPLIES: Story outline

Invisible Ball: Inform participants that you will be throwing an invisible ball into the meeting. Whoever has the ball will need to contribute the first idea that comes into his/her head. Encourage participants to throw the ball quickly.

SUPPLIES: none

Dream Team: Divide your group into teams no larger than four members. Ask everyone on each team to pretend there are NO barriers or restrictions to developing the perfect organization. Assign unusual roles to each partner (examples: HR for the Accountants, Quality Control for the Customer Service Representatives). Assuming the perspective of the newly assigned roles, ask participants to generate ideas for developing the perfect organization. Share and combine solutions from different teams.

SUPPLIES: paper and pencils, white board and markers

MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS

Winds are Blowing: Have members sit on chairs in a circle facing one another. Remove one chair. Have one member stand in the middle of the group and share the following: “My name is (insert name). Something unique about me is (hobby, travel, family). Winds are blowing for everyone who has (shoes on, glasses, and twin sister, etc)." All the members to whom the “Winds are blowing” applies must run to a different chair. The person remaining without a chair is the next person in the middle and goes through the same monologue.

SUPPLIES: chairs

Hidden Agenda: Before meeting participants arrive, hide stickers under the chairs. Use the stickers as a method to pair up members or generate volunteers.

SUPPLIES: stickers, chairs

Index Shuffle: Have each participant write one idea on each of the four corners of an index card. Ask participants to pair up and silently read each other’s index card. After 15 seconds, each pair should break up and find another partner. Continue in this manner for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the group.

SUPPLIES: index cards

IDEA GENERATORS

Silent Gallery: Pose a question to your group such as, “How can we increase customer service?” Have each participant list his/her ideas on a sticky note and post them around the room. Allow the group time to view all the anonymous sticky notes. Ask the group to summarize the trends on the sticky notes.

SUPPLIES: sticky notes, pens

Photo Gallery: Take pictures at an event. Post them around the meeting room. Facilitate a discussion of the high and low points of the event as memories are recalled from the pictures. Use these ideas to make recommendations for planning the event next year.

SUPPLIES: white board and markers

Building Blocks: On the top of each index card, write a different element of the problem you are trying to solve (budget, staff, facility, etc.). Provide each participant with an index card. Ask each participant to write one idea for resolving this element of the problem on the card he/she is holding. After everyone has written one idea on their card, pass each card to the left. Each participant should now contribute an idea to the new card he/she holds. Continue in this way until each card has reached everyone.

SUPPLIES: index cards, pens

COMMUNICATION STYLE ASSESSMENT TOOL: DiSC (abbreviated)

This helpful tool can be used to assess your behavioral style. This abbreviated assessment, developed by Sue and Gary Sager and David Bruner, is an original, thumbnail sketch of more elaborate versions of the DiSC instrument. Over 300 participants have used the DiSC in our seminars to enhance their relationships at work and at home. Managers have used this abbreviated tool to enhance their effectiveness with their supervisors.

Download the PDF file of the abbreviated DiSC here. If you do not have Adobe Reader installed on your computer, you must do that first. To download a free copy, click here.

For a full DiSC assessment, contact Sue Sager by email or calling 928.525.2012.

FLU VACCINE: Anecdotes for Negativity

Check out How Full is your Bucket? by Tom Roth and Donald O. Clifton for a further explanation on some of these anecdotes.

Sifter	Accept any positive and useful information provided. As you would use a colander, sift through the negative information and let it fall away from the positive information.
Name the Game	Inform the negative person you can not and will not listen to the negative comments. Confront the behavior head-on.
Buck Stops Here	You may not be able to stop the negative behavior, but you can prevent the spreading of the contagious disease. Be sure you aren't passing along the negative perspective.
Avoid Triangulation	Refuse to participate in subversive discussions about others. Don't allow others to drag you into their conflict.
Benign Neglect	Simply refuse to participate in the negative interaction. This may include walking away from the discussion or significantly limiting your interaction. When you refuse to be an audience, they will have to find another.
Shine the Light	While ignoring the negative influence you can also present the positive in the situation. Find the silver lining and present this as a counter-influence to the negative information.
Make Real Friends	Real friends will not just tell you what you want to hear. They will look out for your best interest and confront you when you need it. A real friend is essential to counter-balance the unhealthy influence.
The Golden Rule	Treat others as you want to be treated. This NOT an eye for an eye. It is returning negativism and pessimism with YOUR preferred perspective, positivism, and optimism.
Monitor Your Automatic Thoughts	We've been talking to ourselves since before we could speak out loud. Taking your automatic thoughts captive and analyzing them for their emotional charge is critical for countering negativity.
Question the Origin of Your Thoughts	If you are stuck replaying negative thoughts, ask yourself where that thought came from. Was it an experience you had or a story someone told? Rid yourself of others' perceptions and negative interactions.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS: Top Ten List

If you are writing performance evaluations, here are some tips to enable you to create more meaningful, less controversial performance evaluations:

NEVER

ALWAYS

	Use absolutes like "always" and "never" in your evaluations.
	Make promises in writing that you can't keep (such as "you'll get a promotion...").
	Set unrealistic goals. Get the employee's commitment that the goals are achievable before including them.
	Include inflammatory language such as "your attitude" or "hostile to customers." Instead, describe the specific behaviors while pulling out words that imply judgment.
	Write the appraisal when you're angry with the employee. Make notes of the issue that you are angry about. After you have cooled down, rewrite the incident on the evaluation.
	Focus the evaluation on a single event. Be sure to cover performance from the beginning, middle, and end of the time frame that the evaluation covers.
	Consider an evaluation a one-way street. Allow opportunities for the employee to share his/her perspective. Ask questions to get the employee talking.
	Surprise an employee with a comment on the performance evaluation that has not previously been discussed face-to-face.
	Use a performance evaluation as a motivator. Evaluations should be used to document factual information and create future goals, not inspire.
	Include the employee's personal information. This gives the impression that the evaluation is based on personal preferences, rather than factual job performance.

	Describe behaviors, not attitudes. Include specific descriptions of observed behaviors. Include dates when possible.
	Write the evaluation for a third-party reader. This document may be used in court one day.
	Have the employee complete a self-evaluation. Provide a blank evaluation form to your employee at least one week in advance of the performance evaluation meeting. Ask the employee to complete the evaluation and use it as a spring board for discussion.
	Consider the best location: your office, the employee's office, or off-the-premises at a neutral location.
	Consider providing a copy of your evaluation to the employee the day before your meeting. This allows the employee time to develop questions and create a more thorough discussion.
	Hold confrontational evaluation meetings in the afternoon. If the meeting gets too heated, send the employee home and resume it in the morning.
	Consider your safety. If the employee has a violent temper, involve a third party as an observer and meet in a central location.
	Allow yourself enough time to discuss specifics about the evaluation. Don't schedule any meetings immediately following the evaluation.
	Get input from your employee about his/her performance during the meeting, especially about goals for the upcoming rating period.
	Draft your evaluation, then come back and revise it later. After the third reading, your evaluation will be more objective, factual, and thorough.

IN FOCUS' CROSS CULTURAL INCLUSION MODEL

PHASE 3: CROSS CULTURAL INCLUSION

PHASE 2: CROSS CULTURAL ABILITY

PHASE 1: CROSS CULTURAL APPETITE

PHASE 1: CROSS CULTURAL APPETITE FORMULA

Goal: Cross Cultural Appreciation

Cross Cultural Awareness: Awakening and Recognition

+ Cross Cultural Knowledge: Information and Communication

+ Cross Cultural Appreciation: Values and Sensitivities

CROSS CULTURAL APPETITE: HUNGER AND DESIRE

PHASE 2: CROSS CULTURAL ABILITY FORMULA

Goal: Cross Cultural Behaviors

Cross Cultural Appetite: Hunger and Desire

+ Cross Cultural Experiences: Exposure and Interactions

CROSS CULTURAL ABILITY: COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

PHASE 3: CROSS CULTURAL INCLUSION FORMULA

Goal: Cross Cultural Organizational Health

Cross Cultural Appetite: Hunger and Desire

+ Cross Cultural Ability: Competencies and Skills

+ Cross Cultural Investment: Plan and Implement Policy and Programs

CROSS CULTURAL INCLUSION: EMBRACE AND NURTURE

Cross Cultural Appetite: Day One

	ü Cross Culture Awareness: participants recognize cross cultural issues
	ü Cross Culture Knowledge: participant explore cross cultural leadership issues
	ü Cross Cultural Appreciation: participants value and aspire to lead cross cultural teams

Cross Cultural Ability: Day Two

	ü Cross Cultural Appetite: participants expand and demonstrate cultural desire
	ü Cross Cultural Experiences: participants integrate cultural exposure and Interactions

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