Chapter 6
Teamwork: Get to Know Your Team
Teams are important to every organization, and the number of submissions received for this topic (more than twenty) is proof enough for that statement. Because there were so many submissions, we decided to organize the ones we used into two groups and two chapters. The group of activities in this chapter addresses ways to help team members get to know each. The second set of team activities (to help participants address the challenges they face) is in the next chapter.
Clarifying backgrounds, exploring the likes and dislikes of team members—while at the same time improving team member skills—helps teams be more effective and efficient. Knowing who to depend on for what tasks or who has the knowledge, experience, or expertise to complete a project is often helpful information.
In many ways, teams are like cars. Teams need a tune-up now and then in order to run efficiently and reduce waste. The eight activities in this chapter will ensure your teams take advantage of the best tools available to run efficiently—while at the same time, laughing, thinking, competing, and praising their teammates. Use these activities as a team is forming or as part of regularly scheduled maintenance along the way. But don’t limit your team-building focus to the activities in this chapter. The truth is, almost any activity in this book can be used to help team members solve problems and/or get to know each other better.
Joni Goodman offers us an activity that uses the given names of individuals’ to describe themselves, while Cynthia Solomon shows you how to use the concept of speed dating as a team-building tool. Jennifer Fetterhoff presents an activity that expands the definition of art on the wall to build teams and Tera Denton uses the format of a commercial as a way to quickly reveal a great deal of information about team members. Luciana Rodrigues uses the power of storytelling to reveal new information about each team member.
Lisa Downs, Bob Zimel, and Laura Mendelvow round out the team-building activities offered in this chapter. Lisa gets team members all tied up as they express appreciation for each other’s support and Bob shows us how to energize a team with a game he invented called “Favorites Poker.” Finally, Laura’s activity uses the Myers-Briggs Personality Types as a basis to explore and strengthen teams.
The activities in this chapter (and the next) offer some great ways to build your teams in some surprising and powerful ways.
Overview
Participants use the letters in their first names to gain a better understanding of their teammates and of themselves.
Objectives
- To bond a new group into a team
- To gain better self-knowledge, ultimately resulting in a better understanding of others
Audience
Twelve to fifteen participants from an intact work group
Time Estimate
20 minutes
Materials and Equipment
- Markers with water-soluble ink
- One flip-chart sheet for each participant
- Masking tape
Area Setup
U-shape
Process
1. State that the purpose of this activity is to gain a better understanding of each member through the use of their first names. Give each participant a sheet of flip-chart paper as well as a marker.
2. Ask each participant to post his or her flip-chart page on a wall somewhere in the room.
3. Tell the participants to write their first names vertically down the left side of the flip-chart paper. Write your name down the left side on a demonstration flip-chart sheet.
4. Explain that they have 5 minutes to come up with one word (noun or adjective) that begins with each letter of their first names. Provide a couple of examples using your name and write them on your flip chart. Emphasize that their descriptors should reflect who they are or some aspect about them.
5. Start the timing period.
6. At the end of 5 minutes, ask each participant, in turn, to share his or her descriptors and explain why he or she chose the words.
7. Summarize the activity. Note that the activity was valuable because team members gained a better understanding of each other and of themselves. Make the point that this new level of understanding will translate to a greater connection within the entire team.
8. Ask for a few examples of what participants learned about their teammates. Ask what the benefit might be and how this benefit might be realized back on the job.
InSider’s Tip
- Leave the flip charts posted throughout the remainder of the training event if over multiple days. The participants will continue to reference the flip-chart pages throughout the session and continue finding new insights into each other.
Overview
One-on-one interviews between all team members highlight the need for getting to know other team members in this “speed-dating” inspired activity.
Objectives
- To engage new team members to know one another on a personal level
- To initiate conversations among team members about how they might work best as a team
Audience
Eight to twenty members of an intact learning team
Time Estimate
35 to 80 minutes, depending on the number of participants
Materials and Equipment
- One copy of the Speed-Dating Questions for each participant
Area Setup
Tables and chairs in a horseshoe fashion around a room with equal numbers of chairs on the outside of the horseshoe and chairs across the inside of the horseshoe
Process
1. State that the purpose of this activity is to allow participants an opportunity to get to know all the others in the group as part of the team development process. Distribute a copy of the Speed-Dating Questions to each participant.
2. Review the list of questions. Explain that participants directly facing each other on the inside and outside of the horseshoe arrangement are considered a pair. State that each pair of participants will interview each other and that they are to listen carefully to each other’s answers. Note that they have the option of recording responses on paper, but it’s not required.
3. Tell them that they will have 3 or 4 minutes to complete the interviews. Announce that they may begin the activity.
4. At the end of the time period, call, “Stop.” Ask the participants to switch roles so that their partners have an opportunity to be interviewed.
5. Start the timing period again.
6. At the end of 3 to 4 minutes, call “Stop.” This time ask the participants in the inner horseshoe to rotate clockwise to the next position. Tell the participants in the outer horseshoe position to remain in place.
7. Begin another interviewing session, as described previously with participants sitting inside the horseshoe shifting clockwise at the end of each round.
8. Repeat the process until each participant has interviewed all the other participants.
9. Conclude the “speed-dating” activity by asking participants to predict how the group will work together better as a result of the interviews.
InSider’s Tips
- Use or adapt the suggested list of questions to suit the needs of the group.
- Keep it as fast-moving as possible. When 1 minute is left in each session, announce “1 minute left” to help participants gauge the use of their remaining time. Part of the fun is that there is no time to stray off from the interview questions.
- If helpful, you may record on a flip chart any conclusions and observations the team suggests.
Speed-Dating Questions
Select or adapt the questions as appropriate for the unique nature of the team.
1. What is your name and what type of work do you do?
2. How do you usually like to contribute to a team activity or work assignment?
3. What four words best describe your personality? (If the participants have been assessed using Myers-Briggs, DiSC, or other types of assessments, they may refer to these behavior and style dimensions.)
4. What particular professional skills do you rely on to make yourself and our team successful?
5. What are you not very good at doing that you would rely on others to perform for the benefit of the team?
6. What “ground rules” are important to you to enjoy working with us and helping us be successful?
7. What experiences have you had in the past that interfere with a team working successfully? How can we avoid this happening to us?
Overview
During this activity each team member is allowed to select four bits of information he or she would like to know about the rest of the team and place those items on a flip-chart page to be completed by the rest of the team.
Objectives
- To improve the dynamics of a group
- To appreciate differences of individual members of a team, committee, or group
Audience
Six to ten members of a single group such as new employees, a new committee, or a team
Time Estimate
30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the group
Materials and Equipment
- One flip-chart page for each person
- Art supplies such as markers, scissors, colored paper, glue sticks, stickers
- Old magazines
- Masking tape
Area Setup
A room large enough for one flip-chart pages for all participants to be posted on the wall and space enough for a table of art supplies and magazines to be placed in the center of the other tables in the room
Process
1. Post one flip-chart page for each person on the wall. Place markers around the room.
2. Ask participants to each select a flip-chart page. Tell them to use the markers to divide the pages into four quarters by drawing a line down the middle both vertically and horizontally, as shown below.
3. Ask the participants to write their team names (department, committee, or project) through the middle where the two lines intersect.
4. Tell the participants to think of four things they would like to know about the other members of the team, such as favorite sport or activity, favorite season, favorite pet, family members’ names, best vacation, or other personal information. They should write these categories, one per quarter on the flip-chart page, as shown.
5. Tell the participants to begin filling in the information under the categories they have written on their own sheets. The responses may be communicated in the form of words or drawings, or by using the stickers and/or magazines you have provided. Allow 10 minutes for this step.
6. Once participants complete their own information, ask them move around the room and respond to all the other flip charts in the room. Allow about 20 minutes for this step.
7. Once everyone has responding to all of the charts, select a few interesting items and ask participants to guess who wrote or drew each item.
8. Ask the participant responsible for the item or drawing to explain why he or she chose to highlight a particular item or the meaning of the drawing.
9. Take some time to summarize the activity. Ask participants to find commonalities among team members. Allow at least 10 minutes for this step.
10. Utilize the examples to demonstrate how they may not have known about each other’s families, hobbies, likes, or dislikes previously, but they were able to work together as a team to find similarities and “common ground.” Note that we are each different and unique in our own way, but if we work together for the good of the organization (customers, team, department, or whatever is appropriate) and learn, we grow together and with each other. The more we know about each other, the better we can work together to overcome obstacles.
InSider’s Tips
- Be sure to use markers that do not bleed through the paper.
- Utilizing the participants’ specific examples and playing off of their conversations helps drive the “debriefing” portion of this session.
- This is a great activity to use for new employee orientation, especially when no one knows much about any of the other participants in the room.
Team CommercialA
Overview
Participants form groups tasked with creating commercials that tout the “greatness” of their group to highlight talents and expertise resident in a team.
Objectives
- To encourage a team to examine the strengths within the team
- To explore experience, expertise, and skills within a team
Audience
Ten to twenty-five participants who work together
Time Estimate
20 to 30 minutes
Materials and Equipment
None
Area Setup
A space large enough for groups of two to five to work without disturbing other groups
Process
1. Explain that this activity will give the group an opportunity to get to know their teammates better. Tell the participants to form subgroups of from three to five people.
2. State that the task of each group is to create a 30-second commercial that will inform the others in the room about the experience and abilities of their team. Encourage the groups to tout the greatness of their teams. Tell them that the commercial should include the following information:
- Name of the team
- Team “tag line”
- Special skills or talents of each individual on the team (preferably non-work related)
- Statement of why the team should be qualified as “great”
3. Start the activity with a 10-minute time limit.
4. At the end of the 10 minutes, ask each team to present its commercial, in turn.
5. Praise the diversity and richness of the experience. Laugh and have fun with the participants. Take notes on the styles and experience levels you see emerge. Use these notes to help group people for future assignments, pick team leaders, or facilitate contributions.
6. Summarize with a general discussion based on questions such as these:
- What did you learn about your fellow team members?
- What expertise do we have in the room?
- How can we exploit the expertise and experience of this group?
InSider’s Tips
- Encourage the team to be creative and add other elements to their commercial, for example, music, a logo or mascot, nicknames for individuals, and anything else they care to incorporate.
- This activity is a good “opener” to kick off a training session.
Overview
Each participant in this trust-building activity presents four separate personal stories to the entire participant group. Three of the stories must be true, but one story must be entirely fabricated. The participants decide among themselves which of the four stories is a lie.
Objectives
- To provide a forum for team members to get to know each other better and to strengthen the team
- To build trust in a team
Audience
Four to fourteen members of a work team
Time Estimate
45 to 120 minutes, depending on the number of participants
Materials and Equipment
- Pen and paper for each participant
Area Setup
A room arrangement that allows participants to see each other, such as a circle or U-shape
Process
1. Tell the participants that getting to know the other members of the team is the key to building understanding and trust. Explain that this activity offers team members such a learning opportunity. Hand out pens and paper to the participants.
2. Explain the activity. Tell the participants that they will each present four short stories about themselves. Note that the stories can be about anything: childhood, pets, sports, hobbies, funny situations, travels, unusual experiences, or other personal stories. Explain that three of the stories must be true, but one of the four stories must be entirely fabricated. Tell the participants to use the pen and paper you handed out to make some quick notes about the stories they will tell. Emphasize that writing out the entire story is not necessary. Encourage them to be creative. Allow 10 minutes for the preparation of the stories.
3. When everyone has finished, ask for a volunteer to begin. Tell the first volunteer to take a couple of minutes to briefly tell his or her four short stories. Remind the presenter to be as convincing as possible when telling the stories. Also encourage the volunteer and the rest of the participants to avoid telling the fabricated story in the same order as the other presenters do, that is, first, second, third, or fourth in the line up. Note: Participants often tell the fabricated story last.
4. When the volunteer completes the storytelling task, ask the group to work together to identify which story is not true. Remind the participants of the ground rule that all questions to the presenter must be closed-ended (yes/no) questions.
5. Tell the group they must reach agreement before the presenter can reveal which story is a lie.
6. Follow the same procedures for the rest of the participants until all participants have presented their stories and the group has rendered a decision about which story is fabricated.
7. Discuss the activity using questions such as the following:
- What new information did you learn about your team members?
- What information surprised you the most?
- What skills do members of your team possess that were not evident before the storytelling?
- How is your team strengthened by what you learned?
- How will you use the information you learned about your team today?
InSider’s Tips
- Encourage the participants to create believable stories that others might reasonably think are true based on interests that are not apparent at work.
- This is a good activity for new leader assimilation sessions.
- Keep the activity moving. Don’t let the guessing go on too long.
- This activity is a classic that has been around for at least thirty years. Its source is long ago lost. However, Bob Pike contributed a version in 90 World-Class Activities by 90 World-Class Trainers (Biech, 2007).
Overview
Team members toss a ball of yarn or string as they name other team members on whom they depend or appreciate.
Objectives
- To identify how each person contributes to a team or organization
- To show appreciation for others’ support
Audience
Ten or fifteen people within the same work group or department
Time Estimate
10 to 15 minutes, depending on the number of participants
Materials and Equipment
- A large ball of string or yarn
Area Setup
Space enough for all participants to stand in a circle
Process
1. Introduce this activity to the participants by saying that team members must depend on each other to reach their goals. Ask the participants to stand in a circle and to think about someone in the group they depend on or something they appreciate about another team member.
2. Give one person in the circle the ball of string and begin the activity. Hold onto the loose end and ask the person holding the string to cite one source of support, data, counsel/help, or resource they received from someone else in the group.
3. Once the person has been named, ask the person to throw the ball of string to that person.
4. When the second person catches the ball of string, that individual names someone he or she depends on and that person tosses the ball of string to the team member just named. Continue the process until everyone in the group has exhausted their lists of team members they depend on. By this time, each person should be holding a section of string to form a web.
5. Ask one person in the circle to release his or her section of the string. Point out to the group what happens to the web when one person is removed (there should be some collapse of the string web).
6. Ask the participants what conclusions can be drawn from this activity and what it implies about teamwork.
InSider’s Tips
- Ensure that all participants have a chance to say something appreciative about at least one other team member and has had something appreciative said about them so that no one is left out of the web.
- This is a good activity to use if conflict or tension has occurred among team members because it enables them to take a step back and appreciate each other.
- I’ve seen many variations this activity in Pfeiffer publications, but I’m not sure where. The words used here are mine and the instructions are my version.
Overview
Participants use the competition and challenge of a card game to match “favorite things” cards and discover new things about team members and the advantages of collaboration.
Objectives
- To help team members get to know each other so that collaboration happens more freely
- To energize a team by interlacing competition and cooperation
- To explore the compete/collaborate conundrum
Audience
Ideally, ten to twenty-five (With smaller groups, some of the competitive and cooperative aspects diminish. With larger groups, the dynamics of the activities can become overwhelming, and the preparation increases.)
Time Estimate
15 to 30 minutes, depending on number of participants
Materials and Equipment
- Memo to Participants for the trainer
- Five Favorites Cards per participant (see the Sample Categories, Sample Template, and Sample Completed Cards)
- (Optional) Instruction Sheet on a PowerPoint slide or as a handout
- (Optional) Sample Handout
Area Setup
Any room with space enough for all participants to meet and mingle in pairs and small groups. This activity works well in a hotel or office lobby or outside; since there will be a lot of talking, choose a location where participants will not disturb others.
Preparation
Before the session, ask each participant to provide his or her favorite things via email or in person using the Memo to Participants. Allow plenty of lead time for participants to respond and for you to create the Favorites Cards (see the samples). All submitters must participate in the session so that all the Favorite Cards are accounted for. If participants will be unavailable during the activity, do not include their information on cards.
Copy (either electronically or by hand) each of the five answers from each participant onto a 4-by-6-inch card. When you are finished you will have five cards for each participant. For example, with fifteen participants, you will create seventy-five cards. See the sample template for the 4-by-6-inch cards.
When you have finished, shuffle the cards so they are in random order. Place five random cards on a stack, creating a “hand” of five cards for each participant. If desired, complete a handout with all the favorites of all the participants, as shown in the sample. Participants like to see all the answers once the activity is completed.
(Optional: Add a code to the bottom right of each card to help you identify whose card it is. This will make it easier for you to recognize whether a person has “five of a kind” without having to ask the group. Participants should not know why that code is on the card, so it is important to create a code that is not recognizable. When asked, you might joke that the cards will be more valuable on eBay with the special codes on them. The code on the sample cards contains ten characters. The person’s initials are the first two letters when reading the code backwards. For example, if Dale Johnson’s favorite movie is Star Wars, the code on the Star Wars card would be something like 7H5FG9J8D7.)
Get excited, because your participants are going to have great fun!
Process
1. Explain the setup and rules of the game by explaining to participants how many cards are in the set (for example, one hundred cards for twenty participants). Tell them that each card shows one favorite item from one person, but does not indicate whose card it is since the name is blank (see the sample cards). State that everyone will begin the game with a hand of five random cards.
2. Tell them that the objective of the game is to get all five cards that belong to one person (not your own cards).
3. Explain the process and how the game is played. Tell them that that they will first pair up with someone to learn whether they have any cards that are the favorite things of the other person. If they do, they write the name of the person in the space provided.
4. Give additional rules by stating, “You can make a 1-for-1 trade with someone at any time, that is, you trade one card for another.” Tell the participants that they should continue to pair up and look for favorites. Remind them that they need to find five cards that belong to the same person.
5. Be sure they understand that the winner is the first person who collects five favorite things from the same person. You may find it helpful to model the first steps. For example, walk up to a participant and ask, “What is your favorite movie?” When the person answers, you respond “Oh, I don’t have that. How about your favorite book?” When the person answers, you respond. “Oh, I have that, so I’ll write your name on that card.” Remind them to continue until they both have shared all five favorite things. Move to another person to continue the demonstration.
6. Begin the game once you have completed the demonstration.
7. Hand out five cards to each participant and tell everyone to begin. Remind them to announce when they have five of a kind.
8. As the group completes the activity, offer help to anyone struggling with any part of the process. Other participants usually coach people, so there is usually little for you to do.
9. When someone has “five of a kind,” announce it to the group. Ensure that all five cards belong to the same person. If you do not use the codes on the bottom of the cards, you can ask that person whether the five favorites are truly his or hers.
10. The activity ends if someone has “five of a kind.” Continue the game if you discover the first “five of a kind” was announced incorrectly.
11. If you want to take this activity to another level, debrief with questions like these:
- What happened?
- Did people compete, collaborate, or both? Why?
- How does the compete/collaborate conundrum play itself out in the workplace? In this team? Why?
- What does this tell you about your team?
- How might what happened here help you in the future?
InSider’s Tips
- Participants will compete and collaborate at the same time. Watch the unique interpersonal and team dynamics unfold each time as participants learn about each other and become energized by the process.
- Although participants may wrestle with the instructions early on, participants “get it” quickly and start to gain momentum. Resist the urge to over-explain the activity; some ambiguity is expected until they begin.
- Move around the room to see progress and ask whether anyone needs help (which they rarely do).
- Don’t over-administer the activity. For example, some participants think that it might be beneficial to create small groups rather than pairs. Sometimes this expedites the activity, and for others it is not beneficial. These dynamics are all OK.
- The activity consists of two separate processes: (a) identifying the name that belongs on each card and writing that name on the card and (b) trading cards to collect five of a kind. Sometimes participants start trading cards before they have written names on all five of their cards. That is OK as well.
- Participants will find it enjoyable to have a list of everyone’s favorite things (see the Sample Handout). If you completed that matrix, you may wish to hand it out once the activity has ended.
- If guests will be joining the group, such as executives, clients, or others, feel free to request information from them and include them in on the activity.
Memo to Participants
Hi _____________________________:
As part of an upcoming activity for your work group, please tell me (just me) the following five things about you:
Please reply only to me—DO NOT “REPLY ALL.” Do not discuss this with members of your work group prior to the meeting.
Favorite Movie:________________________________________
Favorite Book:_________________________________________
Favorite Band/Singer:____________________________________
Favorite Vacation Spot (be specific):________________________
Favorite Food:_________________________________________
Thank you!!
Instruction Sheet
Setup
For seventeen participants, there are eighty-five cards; for twenty there are one hundred.
Each card shows one person’s favorite, but does not indicate who that person is.
Process
Everyone starts with a hand of five random cards.
The object is to have five of a kind (five cards from the same person, not yourself).
Action: Pair up and find out whether you have any cards that represent the other person’s favorites by asking each other the five questions. If you do have a card that matches the person’s favorite for that category, write the person’s name on your card.
You may make a 1-for-1 trade if you desire at any time. But remember that you always must have five cards in your possession.
Continue to pair up and ask questions of one another until someone has five of a kind and is declared the winner.
Sample Template
Sample Categories
Sample Completed Cards
Sample Handout
Overview
In this activity, participants form groups based on personality types and use differences to find new connection points.
Objectives
- To identify personality differences on a team
- To begin to establish a common language of type differences as a team
- To provide a snapshot of Myers-Briggs categories and temperament in a short period of time
Audience
Ten to twenty-five team members who have a basic working knowledge of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Time Estimate
45 to 60 minutes
Materials and Equipment
- One copy of the Personality Polaroid handout for each participant
- Flip-chart paper
- Markers
Area Setup
Any room that allows participants to walk and gather in the four corners of the room under signs posted in each corner identifying temperaments
Process
1. Introduce this activity by explaining that it allows for a quick snapshot of different types of personalities. Remind the participants that attending a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) session is a good idea to fully understand the model and theory.
2. Distribute the Personality Profile handout and briefly discuss each type highlighted and key information. Ask the group to share examples. Take about 10 minutes for this step.
3. Point out that each type of temperament is posted in one corner of the room. Ask participants to identify with one of the four temperaments and to move to that corner of the room.
4. Once the participants have taken their places in the four corners of the room, ask the four small groups to discuss what they bring to the team, under what conditions they produce the best work, and what upsets them when working within any team. You may wish to post these three items on a flip chart as a reminder.
5. Tell the four groups they should spend 15 minutes discussing these three topics—about 5 minutes on each.
6. Bring the entire group back together and ask for a brief review from each of the four groups.
7. Present a real work scenario such as “Imagine that you have been tasked to (you fill in the blank).”
8. Ask each small group to describe how they would respond from their perspective. Tell them to form their small groups again and discuss the question. Allow about 5 minutes for discussion. At the end of 5 minutes, ask each group to share their response and explain why they felt this way.
9. Lead the group in a discussion of the different approaches. Focus on what each group has to offer and how they can leverage each other’s differences.
10. Remind the group to imagine that what they have done is a snapshot of the team and what everyone brings to the team. Summarize the activity with questions such as:
- What did you learn about your team?
- What are your team’s strengths?
- How can you leverage the various strengths of each temperament type in your team?
- What can we all do as a team to be more successful in the future based on what we discussed today?
InSider’s Tips
- The most important thing to remember is to keep the activity positive and discuss how to leverage each other (rather than what’s so annoying or frustrating about other types).
- It’s sometimes hard to manage a large group when some are familiar with MBTI and others are not. Try to use the temperament words rather than say “J” or “P” because some of your audience may not be fluent with the MBTI letter codes.
- You should be qualified to administer MBTI or conduct workshops on temperament to be successful with this activity.
- This activity is new, and the content is based on the book Please Understand Me by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates. We often recommend this book or provide it as a take-away for participants.
Personality Polaroid
A useful way to group preferences is by temperament based on the book Please Understand Me by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates. Based primarily on observable clusters of behavior or “activity patterns,” there are four variations instead of the sixteen you may be familiar with from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Behavioral themes are easier for people to identify and remember.
The four temperaments are based on six of the MBTI dimensions: N (intuitive), S (sensing), J (judging), P (perceiving), T (thinking), and F (feeling)
- SJ—Guardians
- SP—Artisans
- NF—Idealists
- NT—Rationals
People with the SJ temperament are sometimes called the Guardians. Descriptive words include:
- Duty
- Utility
- Service
- Security
- Stability
- Membership
- Preservation
- Responsibility
Guardians:
- View logistics (how and when things are done) as important
- Value maintenance of the organization
- Regard efficiency as important
- Have a high need for membership and belonging
- Need to provide service
- Want to follow the rules
- Believe responsibility is important
People with the SP temperament are sometimes called the Artisans. Descriptive words include:
- Impulse
- Aesthetics
- Variation
- Action
- Impact
- Skillful performance
- Troubleshoot
- Tactics
Artisans:
- Want to make an impact
- Need freedom to act on impulse
- Are motivated to do things that are exciting (right now)
- Regard resolving a crisis as important
- Respond to what is currently happening
- Are risk-takers
- Focus on the present
People with the NF temperament are sometimes called the Idealists. Descriptive words include:
- Growth
- Integrity
- Imagine
- Ethics
- Unity
- Becoming one’s true self
- Meaning and significance
- Catalyst
- Authenticity
Idealists:
- Value personal relationships highly
- Strive to maintain individuality
- Believe in their own ideals
- Have ability to involve others
- Do things for the greater good of society
People with the NT temperament are sometimes called the Rationals. Descriptive words include:
- Knowledge
- Understanding
- Insight
- Competence
- Concepts
- Ideas
- Strategy
- Logic
- Design
Rationals:
- Value knowledge and competency
- Enjoy creating models
- Engage in logical reasoning
- Need to understand the underlying principles
- Are visionary
- Are skeptical, analytical, and self-criticizing
Reference
Kiersey, D., & Bates, M. (1984). Please understand me: Character and temperament types. New York: Prometheus.
A Originally inspired by Bob Pike’s “Write a Commercial” activity. Published in Bob Pike and Lynn Solem, 50 Creative Training Openers and Energizers. San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2000.
1Joni Goodman, CPLP, been a member of the national ASTD organization since 2006 and recently joined her local CIASTD chapter. She received her Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) certification in 2007. Joni is currently employed as a sales training consultant and has been involved in a training role for the past twelve years.
Joni Goodman, CPLP
12730 Bristow Lane
Fishers, IN 46037
(317) 443.1580
Email: [email protected]
ASTD Chapter: Central Indiana
2Cynthia Solomon, Ph.D., is an associate professor of education and coordinator of the graduate program in human resource development at Tusculum College, Greeneville, Tennessee. In addition to her primary academic responsibilities, Cynthia manages her own consultant service CSolomon and Associates, specializing in leadership and team development skills, organizational performance management, organizational culture studies and change, all functions of the instructional systems design model, and train-the-trainer workshops. Her work has been published in two ASTD Info-lines and in the Pfeiffer Team and Organization Development Annual.
Cynthia Solomon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Education
Tusculum College
114 Walosi Way
Loudon, TN 37774
(865) 408.1520
Email: [email protected]
ASTD Chapter: Smoky Mountain
3Jennifer Fetterhoff is the training coordinator with Belco Community Credit Union. She is responsible for ongoing strategic employee development, including leadership, service, and technical skills. She is currently working on her associate’s degree in business. She is passionate about learning and educating others and about spending time with her daughter, Kerri Anne, and her two dogs, Buttons and Kevin. She is also active within her church and community and is the 2010 co-editor of the Central Pennsylvania ASTD chapter newsletter, “Hello Central.”
Jennifer Fetterhoff
Training Coordinator
Belco Community Credit Union
449 Eisenhower Boulevard
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 720.6232
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.belco.org
ASTD Chapter: Central Pennsylvania
4Tara Denton has designed and delivered learning solutions since 2001. She specializes in building learning products that meet business objectives, facilitating training programs, and coaching others to deliver participant-centered experiences. Tara’s learning products have been named a finalist in training product competitions, and her jovial style has made her a repeated speaker and presenter. Tara’s flexibility allows her to work on a range of projects, from consulting to a Fortune 500 company on an internal certification program to designing and delivering live online courses.
Tara Denton
Life Cycle Engineering
4360 Corporate Road
Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 744.7110
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lce.com/institute
ASTD Chapter: South Carolina Midlands
5Luciana Rodrigues graduated from Mackenzie University in São Paulo, Brazil, with a B.S. in business administration. She has a master’s in human resources management from the same university and is currently enrolled in the M.Ed. training and development program at Penn State–Harrisburg. She has ten years of experience in human resources, mostly in organization development and learning. She works for Tyco Electronics as an organization development and learning manager in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where she is responsible for projects such as performance management, employee engagement, leadership development, and training programs for the Americas.
Luciana Rodrigues
6633 Terrace Way, Apt. B
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 805.1231
Email: [email protected]
ASTD Chapter: Central Pennsylvania
6Lisa Downs is a learning consultant with Intrepid Learning Solutions in Seattle, Washington. Previously, she was a leadership development manager with T-Mobile USA, where she conducted and developed manager, leader, and personal effectiveness training and coaching. Before working at T-Mobile, she worked in the accounting industry as a training manager and consultant. In addition to serving as the 2008 president and 2006–2007 vice president of membership for the ASTD Puget Sound chapter, she is the 2010 chair of the ASTD Chapter Recognition Committee and a member of the National Advisors for Chapters committee. Lisa is the author of three books in the ASTD Trainer’s Workshop series: Listening Skills Training, Time Management Training, and Negotiation Skills Training.
Lisa Downs
16207 NE 90th Court
Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 216.3015
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lisadowns.net
ASTD Chapter: Puget Sound
7Bob Zimel has experienced learning from both sides. With The Children’s Place and Benjamin Moore and Co., he has focused on identifying, designing, developing, facilitating, and managing organization development, learning, and talent management solutions. With AchieveGlobal and The Forum Corporation, Bob developed and managed client relationships and designed learning solutions for clients. Bob treasures his involvement with ASTD, both nationally and locally. After serving on the Mid-New Jersey ASTD chapter board for seven years, including two years as chapter president, he was appointed to the volunteer role of ASTD’s National Advisors for Chapters (NAC) for 2009–2011.
Bob Zimel
84 Washington Street
Rumson, NJ 07760
(973) 769.9443
Email: [email protected]
ASTD Chapter: Mid-New Jersey
8Laura Mendelow has a master’s degree in organization development, certificate in instructional systems design, and has extensive experience with experiential education techniques. She has been active in the learning industry since 1994 and joined Booz Allen Hamilton in 2002, where she now oversees the OD and coaching programs within learning and development. Outside of Booz Allen, Laura leads the American Society for Training and Development OD special interest group for the Metro Washington, D.C., chapter and also provides “Time Out” group coaching sessions for parents dealing with spirited children to help them reframe and reconnect with their children.
Laura Mendelow
16200 Kimberly Grove Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(301) 325.5123
Email: [email protected]
ASTD Chapter: Metro Washington, D.C.