John wrote:
..."There is a small group that dominates team meetings. They have become
self-congratulatory while a majority of the team has tuned them out. I'd
like a way to intervene that tempers the lions without removing their
claws. Any suggestions? "
I agree with Lon's advice to enlist the group by calling attention to the
"problem" and let them moderate their own behavior. You could also assign
and rotate the role of team observer and let them make that observation
themselves.
One reason I got involved with MRCC's team learning programs is that I
liked the idea of providing a team training/learning experience in 1-3
hours chunks over the course of days or weeks, but most importantly,
because of the opportunity for all team members to develop confidence and
competence in speaking their mind and having the other team members listen
to them.
For example, teams facilitate themselves (supported by a coach) as they
work through programs (such as Giving Recognition, Effective Listening,
Successful Meetings, Addressing Conflict, Managing Change, and, of course,
The Team Learning Lab) using workbooks and video. Each participant
actually takes a turn at reading out loud and "leading" a page or two. It
sounds odd to everyone at first, but once teams are used to the process
they rarely elect to go back to a more traditional approach (each silently
reading the exercise/page, then having a group discussion). Teams comment
that they now hear from people that previously rarely spoke. Clients have
reported that these same people are now speaking up at meetings, etc.
There tends to be less domination since new norms have been established
and the result has been more satisfactory experiences. Talkable members
now have to share the time and often are glad to do so since others are
now contributing.
Lastly, the concept of the "talking stick" (which has been discussed at
length here before) might be useful.
Warm regards, Claire
Claire McCarty Kilian, Ph.D.
MR Communication Consultants
16700 County Hwy UN
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
715-726-0561 (phone) 715-726-0563 (fax) ClaireKil@aol.com
www.mrcomm.com
Offering "The Team Learning Lab" and 17 other team learning programs
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