TEAM BUILDING
Making it all mesh.
We’ve been helping teams flourish for 25 years.
Highly engaged teams can be the difference between a thriving organization and one that's stuck in ineffective methods and mindsets. An important key to employee engagement and high morale is a positive workplace environment where deep trust and mutual respect are part of the culture's DNA.
Whether through retreats, seminars, staff meetings, or outside events, we help groups develop what we call Team Adaptive Skills – those behaviors that build and maintain trust and respect and that truly make or break a team's effectiveness (as well as an individual’s success). These skills include the ability of team members to:
Receive feedback (without freaking out)
Respect, honor and learn from one another’s diverse backgrounds, opinions and cultural experiences.
Listen so others feel heard
Respond positively and effectively to change
Collaborate skillfully
Develop ‘elasticity’ (the ability to let go, forgive and move forward)
Engage with and resolve conflict, both one-on-one and collectively as a team
Problem solve, disagree with grace, give helpful feedback, and more
This emphasis on Team Adaptive Skills – along with a focus on team values, ethics and agreed upon expectations – makes our workshops and events practical, life-changing, and yes, even fun.
POPULAR TEAM BUILDING WORKSHOPS
Common Commitments
Highly engaged teams can be the difference between a thriving organization and one that's stuck in ineffective methods and mindsets. An important key to engagement and effectiveness is a positive team environment where deep trust and mutual respect are part of the culture's DNA.
We help teams create and claim ownership of Common Commitments - the practice of living out a set of agreed-upon guidelines that increase trust, respect, and clarity around expectations, and that support the practices of accountability, teamwork, respect, attention to results, healthy relationships, and more. While the series is built to be three parts, this popular workshop series is highly customizable, and can run anywhere from one day to several days, plus a follow up session several months later for review, accountability, trouble-shooting, re-commitment and sustainability.
Topics may include:
Team and trust building. (Note: This is not a “touchy-feely” process involving trust falls or hugging. It’s about real commitments to and training in authenticity and trust.)
Work on “disagreement styles” and training in how to discuss, debate, compromise, and decide.
A deep-dive into Behavior Styles, in which the team would gain valuable knowledge regarding each member’s way of showing up, reactions, impact on others, processing style, and much more, culminating in each team member choosing three custom-designed growth opportunities.
A focus on Adaptive Skills and emotional IQ, such as listening so others feel heard, receiving feedback non-defensively, conflict resolution, giving feedback, courageous conversations, and approach-ability.
Theory and practice in how to hold an excellent team meeting, including decision-making, supporting decisions after the fact, facilitation, authenticity, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” trust, conflict, and much more.
Discussion of “group elasticity." (The ability to let go, forgive, and move forward.)
Commitments around avoiding triangulation and negativity in the workplace, and the five healthier ways to deal with workplace angst.
These training modules culminate in a group consensus on a shared set of commitments and a discussion about sustainability to help avoid the flavor-of-the-year syndrome.
Understanding People
This fun, interactive workshop explores the four spectrums of human behavior and uncovers how Behavior Styles Theory can increase trust, respect, and morale in the workplace. This session helps participants identify and appreciate their own style, make small adjustments to work with others better, improve decision-making, meetings and collaborations, and learn to live with those “porcupine people” we all know and try to love.
The Art of Giving & Receiving Feedback
Learn specific, practical behaviors in giving effective feedback while maintaining positive relationships, as well as receiving feedback without “punishing” others with defensiveness. These basics will help your team get better results, work quality, and customer service…and most importantly, higher overall morale leading to increased employee engagement.
Facilitating Effective Meetings
Done well, meetings build morale and teamwork. Done poorly, they waste time and can really suck your soul. This workshop offers training on all aspects of effective meetings, including creating agendas, constructive facilitation skills, engaging employees in decision-making, brainstorming, positive group behaviors, and how to make sure meetings actually produce results. You know, like they're supposed to.
The Positive Workplace Environment
You can’t pay employees to contribute to a positive workplace culture—each person ultimately makes that choice for themselves. This workshop helps team members see their part in creating an excellent workplace and taps into their personal “why” in bringing their best self to work every day.
Topics and Skill-Building:
Workplace morale – what it is, why it matters, and your part in creating it
Adaptive skills and emotional IQ – building trust and respect
Learn to listen so others feel heard
Giving and receiving feedback with clarity and non-defensiveness
Discover the five healthy ways to deal with workplace triangulation and negativity*
*Badmouthing, gossiping and recreational negativity (didn't know that was a thing? It totally is) can create dissension and disruption in the workplace and is a major factor in creating environments of low morale. Here we address this particular flavor of toxicity with humor, straightforwardness, and practical methods for creating a healthier and more positive workplace.
Emotional Intelligence
Workplace relationships can be challenging as individuals bring their unique experiences and perspectives into the mix of “getting the job done." Understanding our own internal experiences as we cope with complicated situations helps us create relationships that are rewarding and focused on meaningful work outcomes.
Emotional intelligence is our ability to explore, embrace, and rely on our emotions in a way that honors ourselves, others, and the work being done, as well as our ability to recognize and deal artfully with other’s emotions. NCI uses an emotional intelligence assessment tool that helps people identify how they shape their work relationships, learn within those relationships, and come to more fully enjoy those relationships as they do the work at hand.
We're happy to customize team building workshops to fit your time frame, desired outcome, and budget. Examples of how we've worked with other clients include:
Standalone workshops for a department, work team or management/leadership group
1- to 3-day retreats that integrate workshop content with other aspects of team building, such as brainstorming sessions, trust-building activities, etc.
Off-site events and activities
See a workshop you’re interested in? Or would you like to discuss a custom option for your team or organization? Drop us a line and we would love to start a conversation.