Archive for October 18th, 2009

• Developing High-Performing Teams on Nov 12th

  Date: 2009.10.18 | Category: Agile, Communication, Team, Training | Response: 0

  Does this sound like your team?

  • Boring stand-up meetings that never end.
  • You need ten people in the room to make a decision.
  • Planning meetings are just about handing out work assignments.
  • Everyone has a different reason for why the current release is important.
  • Difficulty expressing your ideas at the whiteboard or in front of the computer.
  • An upset stomach just thinking about having to work with the “difficult” person.
  • Just writing the code people tell you to write and not contributing to the design.
  • Rather be at an all-hands meeting than a code review.
  • Blind to what other teams in your company are doing.
  • Having nothing to say at retrospectives.

  If your team feels listless and like more of the same but with all these new “Agile” labels attached, then perhaps you could use a refresher of some essential interpersonal skills to improve your daily interactions with your peers and management.

  In this one-day course, we will reawaken the parts of your brain which govern communication, observation, collaboration, conflict resolution, teamwork, decision making, facilitation, critical thinking and listening.  Through the use of simulations, we will strengthen these skills, give you a chance to try out a few new ones and prepare you to become a contributing member of a collaborative, self-organizing team.  Oh, did I mention it is going to be a lot of fun?

  Sign up today!

  Your day will start off with some basic introductory exercises and explanations and then we begin the first session of the simulation, named SIMSOC.  SIMSOC (pronounced sim-sock) can be thought of as a live-action version of “The Sims” combined with the cutthroat drama of “Survivor”.  The goal of each session is to remain “alive” and further your personal goals.  Some patterns of behavior will be more successful than others and it is up to you to discover the right strategy so you remain alive by the close of the day.  At the conclusion, you will be able to identify the forces at work in the simulation, how they are relevant to the workplace, the key interpersonal skills needed for a collaborative, self-organizing team and what you can do to make your Team better.

  Your facilitator will be Carlton Nettleton, President of Look Forward Consulting (www.lookforwardconsulting.com) .  Carlton has been coaching individuals and teams on how to implement Agile principles and practices and is passionate about helping your business and team succeed. He has nearly ten years of experience working with software products and services in both a technical and business capacity from small start-ups to FDA regulated medical products.

  Sign up today!