Dr. WALKER’S APPROACH & MEASURABLE OUTCOMES:

In order for real change to enact within an organization, a transformation needs to take place. A team will rarely change its behavior just because someone tells them to.

This workshop addresses the need for a transformation of perception, and a transformation of how the work, the individual teams, and the organization as a whole come together to shape the future. It takes a unique approach to create these transformative changes in a way that yields measurable increases in business performance and team pride.

• Your company is on the cusp of experiencing what you believe will be phenomenal growth, but your team just can’t seem to get it together to make this growth happen. You can feel it and taste it, you are so close but can’t seem to pull things together.

• Your team needs to build trust and inspire collaboration so people can work well together.

• Your team is made up of highly independent leaders and professionals who now need to learn to work together.

• Petty competition and cliques are becoming problematic, they are wasting time and reducing productivity.

• Some team members simply do not communicate effectively.

• Most team members either have an aversion to conflict or don’t have the skills needed to manage conflict well.

• There are generational, cultural and stylistic differences that seem to get in the way and you can’t understand how this brilliant, visionary and energetic group can’t seem be as productive as the company needs them to be.  

• We start with interviews to gain greater insight into the challenges being faced by individuals and the group as a whole.

• We then follow up with scientific assessments to gain insight into the unique styles, skills and ways of seeing the world and interacting with others each team member brings to the group.

• We select from the following set of assessment tools based on the presenting challenges and concerns: Myers Briggs Type Indicator; Hogan Inventory; Birkman Behavioral Assessment; SDI Strength Deployment Inventory; EQi 2.0 & EQ 360 Individual and Team Emotional Intelligence Assessment; TESI Collaborative Growth Team Emotional & Social Intelligence; and Thomas Kilman Conflict Mode.  

• The assessments allow us to identify the unique styles and skills each team member brings to the group.

• We then facilitate a series of two-day team building workshops where the results of the assessments are presented and discussed. Real time feedback along with data from the assessments provide a powerful baseline of the issues and help the team identify the core challenges.

• A series of team building activities are used to help focus on skills related to team effectiveness on giving  and receiving feedback, effective communication, conflict management and the social and emotional intelligence of the team. These activities will allow team members to compare results in real time with their peers and discuss openly what they had often thought their teammates needed to do differently. This increased openness will create deeper connections, increase trust and get team members excited about the changes happening.

• Over a six month period group leaders and/or key members of the team engage in one-on-one executive coaching to work on enhancing leadership skills.

• A second teambuilding session, six months later will be used to apply foundational leadership skills developed in the initial session and review progress over the last six months. The focus will be on accelerating the impact on business goals through improved team emotional intelligence, leadership and collaboration.

• The team will be supported in identifying current obstacles to growth and developing a plan to address business goals.

• Increased listening and understanding across the team

• Aligned on a new way of working together for higher performance

• Increased feedback agility – leaders now know how to deliver feedback that people will act on

• Greater accountability as team commitment to making and keeping agreements is enhanced

• Team members less resistant and more open to learning, change and growth

• More effective actions and fewer breakdowns

• Resolution of long-standing complaints

• Build a foundation of integrity and trust which will in turn demonstrate respect for each person’s role and contribution, reduce anger, relieve stress

• Resulting in measurable increases in business performance and team pride

Resolving conflict is an ongoing part of any job. While some people develop strong skills to manage conflict effectively, others are not as proficient at handling disputes between themselves and others.

Conflict management workshops are custom designed to the types of disputes facing your team and organization. Assessments are used to help determine how best to structure the workshop itself. This is an ongoing process where Dr. Walker will work with her clients synergistically on ways to change conduct that does not work and replace it with new behaviors which are examined in the workshop.

• Quite often ineffective and problematic ways of handling conflict such as avoidance, taking punitive actions, providing careless and ineffective responses are the common modes used to address conflict.

• Strong leaders may be fighting over whose idea is best or which direction the project or company should go.

• Poor communication about differences may lead to resentment, damaged relationships, struggling teams and poor collaboration.

• The consequences of addressing conflict in these ways can have great negative impact on an organization’s productivity and their bottom line.

• The impact of unresolved and poorly managed conflict  results in unrest, stress, anxiety, anger, resentment and other emotions that hinder the company’s growth and development.

• Fully understand the downsides of conflict

• Understand the benefits of conflict

• Understand of the architecture of conflict

• Readily identify different types of conflict and the most effective management approach

• Learn how to prepare for conflict before it happens

• Clear options for handling conflict

• Conflict management strategies

• Participants will also develop skills for repairing relationships affected by conflict

This workshop may be conducted on or offsite.  

Conflict workshops are custom designed to the types of disputes facing your team and organization. 

Assessments are used as needed to help determine the how best to structure the workshop. The nature of the model require clients and coach to work synergistically on ways to change conduct that does not work and replace it with new behaviors which are examined in the workshop. The results of the workshop is significantly enhanced with one-on-one or group coaching after completion of the workshop. The coach and client continue to work on alternative ways of addressing conflict until the client comfortably and naturally chooses the new, more productive ways of responding to, and managing conflict. 

During the coaching process clients are encouraged in a non-judgmental manner through the process of self-discovery.  No judgment is placed on the clients’ “opponents” in the process of coaching. This approach helps people separate themselves from the dispute to the extent necessary to gain a more objective perspective. This creates opportunities for positive change.

This model is extended to support groups of people who work together and are experiencing continual conflict that is destructive to their well-being, morale and productivity. Conflict Resolution Workshop provides tools that can help any group enhance their skills in handling disputes, build a stronger team and prevent future conflicts.

The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory: Used to appropriately respond to cultural differences in conflict styles.

Diversity and Cultural Competency: Addresses how to work effectively with a culturally diverse workplace, client and customer base.