Flip Charts Captured

Table groups at the April 30th "Creating a High Performing Team" discussed a few questions. Below are the thoughts captured on flip chart sheets that day, available to you:

1. What are the challenges currently facing you and your team?

HR/Training Partnership
Team 1
Ø Role clarification and collaboration
o Getting the others involved (e.g., Recruitment, EE Issues)
Ø Smooth transitions
o Knowing who to hand off to
Ø Collaborative on-boarding
Ø Information sharing
Team 2
Ø Groom future leaders
Ø Talent Management
Ø Right fit hiring
Ø Education Managers importance of EE engagement
Ø Time for knowledge transfer
Ø Succession planning
Person 3
Ø Sharing information and knowledge
Ø Learn how to combine expertise of two areas
Ø Bread down barriers
o Corporation to local areas – communication
Team 4
Ø Communication (emerging issues)
Ø Joint meetings to identify gaps and obstacles
o Develop solutions (training/communication)
Ø HR (in LOB) partners with training department
o Develop customized solutions
Team 5
Ø Utilize/implement technology
Ø Collaborate to determine training needs, solution to problems
Ø Understand each other’s role
Ø Recognize available resources
Team 6
Ø Challenges for HR teams:
o Business acumen
o Need to network to build relationships
o Everything is a high priority
Ø Challenges across organization
o Unclear expectations
o Economy – lack of resources (do more with less)
o Not enough focus on teams – too much focus on individuals
o Change is constant (prioritization, hard to focus)
o Technology changes
o Lack of leadership skill in the “people” part of their roles (vs. results)
o Lack of open communication (to give feedback or work through conflict)
o Business realities that face us and no time to create strategy around the change (regulatory, economic, etc.)
o Not enough bench strength to be resilient with turnover
o Lower standards to get work done
o Lack of accountability – “I’m not part of the problem.”
Obstacles
Team 7
Ø Involvement of key decision makers
Ø Company structure and differing cultures
Ø Limited time outside daily tasks
Ø Competing interests of teams
Ø Communication dysfunction
Ø Geography
o Teams not in same location
Team 8
Ø Personality conflicts
Ø Unclear roles
Ø Remote team members/offices/shifts/schedules
Ø Communication
Ø Poor leadership
Team 9
Ø Lack of technology (restrictions, lack of infrastructure)
Ø Introduction of new technology without training
Ø Too many leaders and conflict amongst them
Ø Not seen as consultant
Ø Understanding and acceptance of your/their own roles (may be more or less than thought)
Ø Different definitions
o (e.g., training vs. staff dev.)
Ø Senior leadership support and understanding of roles/definitions
Ø Conflicting priorities and get paralyzed , overwhelmed
Ø Accepting change
o (“This is way we have always done it.”)
Ø Communication and not enough, not the right things, or don’t share why
Ø Leaders not always self-aware
Ø Time
Team 10
Ø Location
Ø Time
Ø Multiple Silos
Ø Overwhelmed with commitments
Ø Lack of clarity of direction
Ø Accountability
Ø Quality of Information
Ø Lack of leadership or someone commands/controls
Ø Not right roles/room
Team 11
Ø Fear
o Of change, it’s constant
Ø Blame and pointing fingers
Ø No consistency in communication
Ø Shifting priorities
Ø Resource constraints: money, people, time
Ø Keeping up with the market
Team 12
Ø Data conflict
Ø Communication
Ø Lack of resources
Ø E-mail
Ø Personal Productivity/Time management
Ø When to say no
Ø Lack of clarity-WIGS
Ø Hierarchy (bottlenecks)-decision makers
Ø WIFM v. good of the whole
Ø Miss the gap
Ø Vulnerability
Ø Safety (pink elephant)
Ø Walking retired
Ø Lacking/missing champion
Ø Door managers
Ø Wrong person in wrong seat
Ø Holding peers accountable
Ø Friendships
Ø Favoritism – perception
Ø Pro-active vs. reactive
Ø Trust
Ø Growing too fast

Team 13
Ø Lack of clear communication from senior leaders (goals/visions)
Ø Lack of trust
Ø Fear
Ø Unaware of diversity of strengths – translates to a lack of respect
Ø Protection of turfs/ silos
Ø Lack of commitment or engagement
Team 14
Ø Promotion for staff and technical skills but not necessarily manager skill sets
Ø Logistics/multiple locations
o 2 bargaining units at one location
Ø Limit cross training
Ø Personal baggage from personal life brought to work and our teams daily
Ø Department compartmentalize (don’t integrate toward goal)
Ø Communication
Team 15
Ø Sharing industry knowledge
Ø Asking/listening
Ø Understanding roles
Ø Location
Ø Effective communication
Ø Humanize relationships
Ø Common language
Ø Define processes
Ø Understanding generations and all other diversity issues and performance styles
Ø Touch points for alignment
Team 16
Ø Communication strategy
o Plan, consistent, training, feedback
Ø Reassessing on regular basis
Ø Intentional and purposeful and falls in alignment with goals
Team 17
Ø Education
Ø Building relationships/collaboration
Ø Goal setting
Ø Tying training to long term objectives
Team 18
Ø Identify and define goals
Ø Combine knowledge
o Bring in other knowledge experts with authority and decision-making
Ø Agree on direction
Partnering
Team 19
Ø Collaborate with others from different areas
Ø Learn the business – how it works (“the language”)
Ø Provide data from sources like exit/retention interviews, employee opinion survey to gauge trends
Team 20 (what practices have we used to set leaders, teams, EEs up for success?)
Ø Attend meetings – be present and listen
Ø Be a “full service “ HR department
Ø Support and practice good communication strategies
o HR one-on-ones
Ø More collaborative efforts
Ø Have an HR business plan

2. What learnings (skills, behaviors, techniques) have you learned that can help you face and overcome these team challenges?
Best Practices
Team 1
Ø Measure organizational culture, share best practices
Ø Accessibility - Reaching out
Ø General Reorganization (e.g., no duplicated efforts, appropriate span of control)
Ø Coaching culture
Ø Performance management – goal cascading
Ø Training from the top down
Ø Training with multiple roles, functions participating
Ø Senior leaders communicating at an operational level
Ø Teamwork competency
o What to do, or not to do
o Senior level expectation of accountability
Ø CEO connecting to individuals
Ø Career coach on staff

Team 2
Ø Expanded on-boarding
Ø New employee (quarterly company meeting)
Ø Purpose statement/Mission-vision
Ø Share-point
Ø Web resource
Ø 360 feedback
Ø Communication/teambuilding/self aware
Team 3
Ø Upper management support
Ø Collaboration HR/training get resolution
Ø Two-way communication
Ø Cross-function meetings
Ø Leader knows how to lead
Ø Confidence to ask for help
Team 4
Ø Leader Transition Workshop
o QNAs from department
o Leader/employees engaged in interactive discussion
Ø On-boarding
o Leadership (modules, soft sales curriculum)
Ø New leader on-boarding
o Culture, performance management, evaluations, network activities
Team 5
Ø HBDI (Herman Brain Dominance Index)
Ø Mentoring for on-boarding/ongoing development
Ø Performance strategies/plans
Ø Workforce (succession planning)
Ø Proactive
Ø Relationship Building/Networking
Tools, Resources, and Alliances needed
Team 6
Ø Business acumen to be a strong HR Partner
Ø Alignment of work and people
Ø Performance management
Ø Strong succession planning process
Ø Mentoring program for transfer of knowledge
Ø Social networking
Ø Expand on-boarding of new hires to the entire team, returning them to “performing” stage
Ø Increased capacity skill in innovation, creativity
Ø Programs to help us understand others
o Strengths finder
o 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
Ø Find people who are passionate and committed to being a high-performing team/organization
Team 7
Ø Employee on a stick!
Ø Direct questions/comments to remote team members
Ø Ask requestor to prioritize their needs
Ø Delegate authority and control or lead the show
Ø Team advisors with key decision maker buy-in
Ø Clear plans
Team 8
Ø Communication strategy
o Teleconference, email, technology, social media)
o Expectations (job/role description, mission/vision, department goals)
Ø Training, coaching, mentoring, relationship building
Team 9
Ø Senior leaders and all leaders support/sponsorship
Ø Building relationships inside company buy outside immediate department
Ø Bring in consultants
Ø Having clear expectations and common goals
Ø 1:1 meetings with leaders conduit for many things
Ø Technology can be a tool
Ø Data on and from the organization
Ø Having a company strategy
Ø Gaining knowledge about core business (being pro-active vs. reactive)
Team 10
Ø Right people, right seats, rights bus
Ø Clear, concise communication
Ø Leadership development
Ø Money
Ø Shared vision
Ø Culture of trust
o It’s okay to make mistakes and okay to succeed
Ø Commitment to common goal
Ø Measurable
o Clear objectives
Team 11
Ø Training and education on change and why to managers and employees
Ø Relationship management between managers and employees
Ø Allow/promote self-development opportunities
Ø Time management and planning tools
Ø See it – own it – solve it – do it!
Ø Access to decision makers to build trust then gain buy-in from employees
Ø Transparent environment
Team 12
Ø Training
Ø Learning opportunities
Ø On-boarding
Ø Mentoring/coaching
Ø Relationships with other departments and senior leaders
Ø Being valued
Ø Champion
Ø Celebrations!!
Ø Rewarding
Ø Friendships
Ø Trust
Ø Mutual respect
Ø Proper equipment
Ø Technology
Team 13
Ø Commitment from the top down
Ø Interdepartmental communication
o ( e.g., “spotlight”)
Ø Process improvement/management methodology
Ø Five dysfunctions of a team and other interpersonal skills training
Ø SHRM, ASTD-Networking
Ø Leveraging Relationships
Ø Time
Ø Technology connections (forums, blogs, webinars)
Team 14
Ø SMB buy in support
Ø Quarterly goals
Ø Continue education, performance plans, development
Ø Rewards that are tangible and intangible
Ø Orientation/mentoring/on-boarding
Ø Technology
Team 15
Ø Touch points
Ø Utilizing strengths
Ø Processes/templates/expectations for all
Ø 360’s
Ø Have all actions tied to company goal
Ø Honest and constructive feedback with good intent
Ø Drinks after work = team building
Team 16
Ø Pro-active vs. reactive
Ø Collaboration between departments/ areas
o “Who else needs to know?”
Ø Realistic and be willing to say no
Team 17
Ø Realign – change alliances
Ø Communications
Ø Corporate/business culture
Team 18
Ø On-boarding
Ø Responding to EE surveys
Ø Teams pursuing solutions, suggestions to HR/leadership team
Ø Town hall meetings
Ø Team building exercises/training
Ø 5 dysfunctions of team
Ø Committees – forming relationships, breaking down silos
Ø Goal alignment
Team 19
Ø “Lunch buddies”
Ø Hasting “café” dialogues
Ø Networking opportunities
Ø Smart goal writing workshops
Ø New leader assimilations
Ø “Oscar” – Oscar cares, recognition programs
Ø “Emerging leaders” program training
Ø Utilizing self-awareness tools
Team 20 – (How HR and training can partner to overcome obstacles)
Ø Constant communication
Ø Planning together
Ø Stay connected to teams in organization
o Know what is coming before it happens
Ø Create awareness that we are a strategic partner
o Make sure we are “top of mind”