Actively participating teams contribute to the successful execution of the change process. Active participation in a change process requires that team members are able to actively listen to one another, and to communicate and interact effectively. Meaningful dialogue and skillful discussions provide meaning for the group (Senge, 1994, p. 353). Building trust and promoting respect and understanding strengthens a team’s ability to successfully approach change. As they work together and get to know each other, employees learn the strengths and talents that make up their team. The collective need/desire to pull together and solve a problem or create something new are characteristics of team learning (Senge, p. 356). Certain activities and exercises can promote active participation.
Consider what kinds of activities and exercises you’re currently implementing to strengthen your team. How effective are your current efforts? What other activities or exercises could you implement to further facilitate team building?
Let’s examine Senge’s (p. 382-383) projector and screens exercise. It describes a way for team members to see different perspectives. It offers the idea of looking beyond one point of view allows people to “see beneath the surface”.
In this simple exercise a group of three people address a problem or issue. One person takes the role of the projector while the remaining two are screens. The projector describes a problem or dilemma (preferable one with two alternatives between which the projector feels polarized). Afterward, without the projector’s involvement, the two screens (each taking on one alternative) debate the dilemma. After several minutes of debate the projector reflects on the issue and what it felt like to listen to the other two people debate the two sides of the problem.
Senge, P. M., Kleiner, A., Roberts, C., Ross, R. B., Smith, B. J. (1994). The fifth discipline fieldbook: Strategies and tools for building a learning organization. New York, NY: Currency.
