Hart L.B., Waisman C.S. - The leadership training activity book (2005)(en)

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Her extensive work history includes human resources and training positions in a number of firms. Currently, Charlotte is the Director of Human Resources at Ischemia Technologies (a Denver biomedical research firm). In addition to those duties traditional for an HR Director, she also is in charge of the training program for ISO 9001 certification. Earlier, while at Keane, Inc., she was in charge of employee career development and planned the initiatives to prepare the staff for future positions of greater responsibility within the firm.

At Telectronics, a worldwide manufacturer/distributor of implantable arrhythmia control systems (i.e. Pacemakers and Defibrillators), she was responsible for the creation of a world class education and training program including succession planning and extensive career development.

Dr. Charlotte S. Waisman has a B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. from the School of Communication at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Her background also includes 14 years as a tenured professor of speech and communication at the University of Utah and Northeastern Illinois University.

Contact Charlotte at [e-mail]

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

TO THE CONTRIBUTORS

Our book was made possible through the inspiration and contributions of many of our fine colleagues.

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of The Leadership Challenge, Encouraging the Heart and Credibility, provided the well researched leadership model we describe in Activity 18: The Leadership Challenge: The Kouzes-Pos- ner Leadership Model. We utilize their model, books and instruments throughout our Women’s Leadership Institute program so our book’s content was extensively influenced by their work. Jim Kouzes graciously wrote the Forward for which we are most appreciative.

Lois first learned about leadership while a graduate student with Ken Blanchard. Activity 32: Flex Your Style, was inspired from Ken’s work on leadership style.

Ken, Lois and Mario Tamoyo created the model found in Activity 50:

Add Heart to Your Celebrations at Work.

Activity 23: Values—The Basis of Ethics, and Activity 24: Just Do the Right Thing: How to Make Ethical Decisions were adapted from Dr. David D. Dalke and Sheryl Ankerstar’s book, Balancing Personal and Professional Ethics.

Linda Rydberg, Nancy Whitsel, Brice Davis, and Joan French’s experience inspired Activity 15: Let’s Meet! Form A Professional Resource Group.

Activity 31: Making Connections—Networking, was adapted from the comprehensive work of Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon, authors of Make Your Contacts Count.

Every member of our Women’s Leadership Institute’s Leadership Team offered original creations for this volume. Our unique program and this book were truly the joint efforts of Linda Rydberg, Marilyn Laverty, Linda Bedinger and of course Lois and Charlotte.

Linda Rydberg’s contributions include Activity 38: Presenting with Pizzazz, Activity 42: Listen Up! The Leader as Coach, Activity 43: Pass It On! The Leader as Teacher, and Activity 46: Searching for Creativity.

Linda Bedinger created Activity 37: Toot Your Horn! Sell Yourself and Your Ideas.

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Marilyn Laverty contributed Activity 24, Dear Diary and collaborated with Charlotte on Activity 48, Leadership Stations and Activity 28 Balancing Balls and Balancing Life.

We sincerely thank each of these colleagues who, like us, are committed to the development of leaders.

Lois Hart

Charlotte Waisman

PART ONE

Lay the Groundwork,

Energize Participants,

and Then Close

Professional trainers always design workshops that will make such an impact on participants that they will retain and apply what was learned. The activities in Part One provide a variety of methods for laying the groundwork for the workshop, reenergizing participants as they learn,

and allowing them to close the program on a meaningful note.

The activity Get Them Ready prepares participants for the upcoming workshop. Other activities are geared to work groups or teams that can work together on assignments. Some leadership skills, such as storytelling, can be introduced at the beginning of the workshop and then built on at later points. Journaling is another useful training technique; it gives participants an opportunity to reflect on what they have learned and then record their ideas for putting the learning into action. Leadership is also about passing on what we know; The Exhibit Hall is one way to encourage participants to share their wealth of knowledge and experience.

Most day-long workshops run out of energy about halfway through, mainly because people need to get up and move around. Walk and Talk reenergizes participants as they continue their exploration of leadership. Make the review fun with the Koosh Ball Game midway through or at the end of your program. Other closure activities focus on identifying what participants learned or wish to put into action: try the fun game called Word Scrabble, do some journaling with Dear Diary, and be sure to check out the complete description of how to form a Professional Resource Group.

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GET THEM READY!

Pre-Workshop Meeting to Select and Prepare Your Participants in Advance

Overview of Activity

A straightforward explanation of how to plan and conduct a meeting to identify the leaders who will ultimately be part of your Leadership Training Group.

Objectives

To review participants’ prior experiences with leadership development.

To identify participants’ commitment to learning.

To identify participants’ strengths and skills.

To identify the skills each participant needs to develop.

To fine-tune the future workshop design.

Setting Up the Activity

GROUP SIZE

Flexible

ESTIMATED TIME

30 to 40 minutes

TRAINING METHODS

Presentation

Structured warm-up activity

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MATERIALS

None

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

None

ROOM SET-UP

Arrange chairs in a circle.

Comments

Your first connection with the participants is crucial, because it sets the tone for the workshop and provides you with an opportunity to outline the scope of the program. The fact that you took the time to carefully select and then contact participants beforehand indicates that you are taking their learning seriously.

The outcome of the workshop will depend on who the participants are, so think about the kinds of people who are likely to contribute the most. Who will benefit most from the experience? The following characteristics are often used to select participants for longer leadership-training programs:

Individuals who have expressed an interest in leadership.

Individuals who have time or who will take the time to learn the skills and then use them.

Individuals who are confident of their own abilities as managers and leaders.

Individuals who have the support of their managers to attend the program.

Individuals who demonstrate an interest in learning and in professional development.

Once you have selected the participants, use this activity before you begin the workshop. It will help focus participants on their expectations and needs. This activity will also assist them to identify what they already know and give you an opportunity to explain how the activity is organized.

No training can be successful without support from the organization’s supervisors, managers, and executives. It is wise to involve managers in the section process but be sure that you provide the criteria.

LAY THE GROUNDWORK, ENERGIZE PARTICIPANTS, AND THEN CLOSE

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Variation

One alternative to hand-picking participants is to select a random sample of individuals for this first meeting. Select both individuals who are likely to be supportive and interested in attending, as well as individuals who are skeptical. In your initial meeting, outline the goals of the program and ask them to tell you what they hope to get out of the workshop. We have found that participants who have been preselected often become promoters of the program. You may choose to communicate directly with the participants via E-mail.

Trainer’s Notes for Activity 1

ADVANCE PREPARATION

Develop your workshop plan, based on the information you already have about the organization and the individuals who will be participating.

Draft and send out a letter to participants that explains the purpose of the workshop and provides details about the workshop meeting (time, location, purpose of workshop, and so forth).

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE

Step 1: Introduce yourself and outline your qualifications as a leadership expert.

Step 2: Explain the goals of the workshop.

Step 3: Ask participants to share what they hope or need to get out of the workshop.

Step 4: Select a short activity that will give people an idea of what the typical workshop will be like (perhaps one of the warm-up activities found in this chapter, such as “Leadership Shield” or “Make It Rhyme with Leader”). For example, “Leadership Shield,” with its active art project component, has been found to be a great activity for mixed gender groups.

Step 5: Explain the workshop arrangements: directions to the site, beginning and ending times, appropriate attire, refreshments, how you will handle interruptions (beepers, messages), and so on.

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Step 6: Explain the benefits of attending the workshop, including how the organization as a whole benefits.

POST-ACTIVITY REVIEW

Take time shortly after conducting this activity to reflect on how it went, how engaged the participants were, and what questions they raised. Then, make notes that include how much time you actually spent on the activity.

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GET THE IDEA?

Form IDEA Teams

Overview of Activity

Small groups that can process the large concepts presented in the Leadership Training area are a valuable way for participants to practice through exercises. “IDEA” stands for Innovation, Development, Enthusiasm, and Application—all ways that the participants can build their teams.

Objective

To introduce the IDEA team concept and explain how it will be used during the workshop.

Setting Up the Activity

GROUP SIZE

Up to 20 participants

ESTIMATED TIME

30 minutes to 1 hour

TRAINING METHODS

Discussion

Art project

MATERIALS

A large sign that reads “IDEA”

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