Tips and Tricks for Implementation

Virtual Teams- It is recommended that an organization interested in a virtual workforce, assess and identify the organizations business needs prior to implementation (Garff, 2011).

Team building strategies such as the one listed below are a great way to help build comradere amongst team members and help them to get to know each other!

Team Strategies - Don’t Drop the Ball

Supplies needed: about 10 balls of various sizes, using very different balls makes the exercise work better (for example tennis balls, small bowling balls, pin-pong ball, stress balls, soft balls – use your imagination).

Form the team into a circle.

Instructions: pass the balls (each ball represents a work task/objective between team members - any order or direction. The ball must be kept moving (relate the ball to something they do every day). Allow the team to develop their own methods/pattern for passing the ball between members if they find this helpful. (See who steps up to help organize – remember who that person is). A dropped ball = a failed task (which you can equate to a specific work objective). A held ball (someone behind of confused about who to throw to next) equates to a delayed/late task. When the team can satisfactorily manage the first ball, pass in the second ball while the first is still circulation. The second ball is an additional task, or typical work complication, like a holiday, end of the month, third of the month, or an extra member requirement. Continue to introduce more balls one by one – not too fast – each time equating them to work situations and complications (someone call out sick, vacations, computer problems balancing, qualifying new members, phone ringing off the hook, etc.)

Three key take-a-ways regarding your intervention:

1. When teams work together they can improve by explaining why dropping the ball can equate to a failed task.

2. When teams work together we can achieve our goals.

3. Once the team develops a strategy that works for everyone the team will accomplished there goal of not dropping the ball.

7 Levels of Teams

Crystal Clear

Great

Good

Average

Inconsistent

Vague

Random