Beyond Team Building

8SPECIFIC TEAM-BUILDING INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS TEAM PROBLEMS

In Chapter 7 we described the characteristics of effective team-building programs. In this chapter, we will turn our attention to specific team interventions that we have found to be particularly helpful in improving team performance. These interventions are: (1) stop-start-continue activity; (2) force field analysis; (3) role clarification; and (4) appreciative inquiry. In addition to internal team conflict, we have found that there is often conflict between teams. Thus, we've also included interventions that we have used to manage inter-team conflict.

The Start-Stop-Continue Exercise

If the team is having performance problems and needs to quickly develop plans for improvement, we recommend the start-stop-continue exercise since it's relatively easy to understand and carry out. In this team-building exercise, each person lists what the team as a whole needs to (1) start doing, (2) stop doing, and (3) continue doing in order to improve performance. This process gives each team member the opportunity to clarify how the team should change—but also what current team activities or processes it should continue. Starting at the team level is a way to eventually examine the individual behaviors of team members. This process typically identifies areas where team members are in conflict in terms of expectations and priorities. So the team leader needs to be prepared to manage those conflicts as they arise. Each person explains ...