IMPACT TIP | TEAM BUILDING AND EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT EXERCISE
One of the key problems in teams is team leaders or team members who are perceived as difficult or do not meet the expectations of others.
They don't collaborate, annoy other team members, lack discipline, or do not deliver. Does this sound familiar?
Such perceptions, of course, are subjective and depend on the perspective. While you may perceive a person as difficult or non-performing, they may perceive you as difficult too. How do we deal best with "people that do not meet expectations"?
The good news is:
Almost all people want to meet expectations.
However, often enough, people are not clear about their expectations.
Here is a powerful exercise where team members can spell out their expectations towards their fellow team members in an open and safe environment.
Flowers and Wishes
Team members spend eight minutes each in a one-on-one dialogue.
If you have seven team members, there will be six rounds so that you can do the exercise in less than one hour.
IN THE ONE-ON-ONE DIALOGUE
STEP 1
Team member A gives the "flowers" to team member B by telling two appreciations.
STEP 2
Team member B returns the "flowers"
STEP 3
Team member A spells out the "wishes," the expectations towards team member B.
Expectations can be regarding actions but could also include attitudes or behaviors.
STEP 4
Team member B returns the "wishes"
Mix up the team members and repeat until all possible pairs have talked to each other.
End the exercise with a small reflection in the team to determine how people felt and if there were new insights from the exercise.
Ensure the exercise happens in a relaxed setting, for instance, in a park or as part of a team retreat. Encourage people to take notes.