EXECUTIVE EDUCATION AND TEAMBUILDING OPTIONS

Developing Cross-Cultural Competence

Differences between people can be an asset or a liability for organizations. On the one hand, differences can be a source of negative emotions and destructive conflict. On the other hand, differences can be a source of learning and value. The impact of differences on performance will depend on how well those differences are managed.

This seminar concerns creating value from differences. Differences between people have traditionally been analyzed according to race, gender, or sex. Our focus is on culture as a practical way for understanding and managing differences. We review what has been learned about differences from a cultural perspective.

A key part of this seminar is a group exercise that has been developed to show participants how differences can be an asset or a liability. Groups of participants complete the task and their “survival” will depend on how well they work together and learn from differences.

Participants will also learn practical ideas about the process of creating value from differences. Participants are introduced to methods for teaching and learning about differences. In addition, tips for managing conflict across differences are shared. This includes listening, giving criticism, and building relationships across cultures. Participants leave the seminar with a new perspective on differences and diversity in their organization as well as some practical ideas for how to create value from differences.  

Styles of leadership must be tailored to fit the situations that leaders face. However, few people have gone beyond this truism to specify how this should be done. At Yale University, Professor Victor Vroom and associates have been doing research on this question for nearly three decades. They have formulated a revolutionary new model that deals with how and when leaders should involve their associates in decision making. The model examines forms of leadership styles and specifies when each is effective in contemporary organizations. This seminar will introduce participants to these powerful ideas and give them an understanding of the alternative styles available to them and of their costs and benefits in different situations.

Participants will receive a CD-ROM version of the model in the form of an expert system, and learn how to use this tool in their own leadership situations. An important feature of the seminar will be the opportunity for participants to work on a set of 30 short cases in advance of the seminar. In each case they will be asked what they would do if they were faced with that leadership situation. Each person's choices are analyzed by computer, in which they receive a five-page, individualized analysis of his or her leadership style. The choices are also compared with a model that shows the strengths and potential weaknesses of each style and individualized suggestions for improvement.

This day long seminar ends with a description of results from over 125,000 managers who have worked the same cases. Results are reported about levels of participation as a function of age, gender, national culture, industry, and more.

Success in business, as in life, depends on negotiation skills. This seminar considers the practice of leadership to be made up of a series of negotiations, and assumes that leaders, in one manner or another, are engaged in constant negotiation.

Negotiation involves two distinct kinds of strategic processes -- capturing and creating value. Successful negotiators are adept in either kind of strategic process. Strategies and tactics for both capturing and creating value will be described in this seminar.Negotiation tactics are introduced through role-playing negotiation exercises. This approach is based on the idea that negotiation skills are best learned through hands-on experience, rather than lecture. By negotiating with each other, seminar participants are also able to give one another concrete feedback and coaching. It is a fun way to learn.

Participants will leave the session with an understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses as a negotiator, a practical framework for use in future negotiations, and advice for how to get better results in their on-going business negotiations.

The pace, scope and depth of change that is occurring in business demands that organizations are also extremely flexible, adept and quick. This session concerns the challenge of leading change in order to effectively implement new business strategies. Leading a change in strategy or in operating culture is necessary for any leader..

This seminar explains how successful change is possible only through effective leadership at both personal and organizational levels of analysis. At the personal level, leaders must develop their own knowledge base in order to chart new directions for their teams or companies. We will examine how leaders learn, and draw attention to the importance of educating, using science, and developing sound intuition and instincts. At the organizational level, leaders must accomplish the functions of a leader during change.This seminar explores four such leadership functions.

In a change process, leaders must diagnose the need for change, articulate a vision, implement change processes, and assess results and sustainability of change.We examine the challenge of learning and the process of leading change with in-depth analysis of several cases including PepsiCo, BP Amoco, Boeing, Procter and Gamble, Motorola and others.

Finally, seminar participants are given opportunities to apply lessons from the seminar to their own change problems through group discussion and analysis.

Leadership is about character. Leadership character is something that can be developed and is crucial for emerging leaders in the fast-paced global economy. Leadership character is especially important for emerging leaders in the wake of several well-known corporate scandals and leadership failures. Even leaders with established reputations are finding it difficult to compel others to follow them.

This seminar is focused on developing leadership character and on strengthening ethical judgment. We first examine the nuts-and-bolts of ethical decision-making. Participants are given a series of ethical dilemmas that are based on actual business situations. Through small group and class discussions of the scenarios, various ethical concepts and methods are introduced. Participants will also explore shareholder and stakeholder views of the role of business in society. We examine perspectives from various leaders as well as case analyses of Merck, BP Amoco, and others.

The Turknett Leadership Character Model is introduced. The model, based on 25 years of experience, asserts that character is grounded in integrity and achieved by balancing of respect and responsibility. The core qualities of respect and responsibility are described, and techniques for developing leadership character are introduced. Participants leave the seminar with a set of ideas about how to make ethical decisions and plans for developing their own leadership character.

Read more about  how to create an ethical culture by growing Leadership Character organization-wide.

Recent corporate scandals underline the importance of ethics. This seminar concerns the nuts-and-bolts of ethical decision-making.

Participants are given a series of ethical dilemmas that are based on actual business situations. Through small group and class discussions of the scenarios, various ethical concepts are introduced.

Participants leave the session a framework for understanding various methods of ethics from moral philosophy, as well as a set of practical tips for resolving ethical dilemmas.

Issues of power and politics are inescapable aspects of organizational life. Successful leaders must not only understand and grow their power, but also possess a set of political skills for exercising it.

This seminar examines several bases of power in organizations through case analyses and group discussion. This session also includes a role playing exercise on building strategic alliances that is designed to bring out issues of organizational politics.

This session concerns lessons about negotiation that come from some of the world's top corporate leaders. It includes in-depth cases analyses as well as behind-the-scenes insights about negotiation from one-on-one interviews.

Teambuilding/Team Development using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a tool for developing self-understanding and understanding of others. The MBTI provides a useful measure of personality by looking at eight personality preferences that all people use at different times.

In general, the MBTI functions as a tool that can help people in work groups or teams:

• Understand themselves and their behaviorsLearn to work more effectively with others
• Appreciate others so as to make constructive use of individual differences
• See that approaching problems in different ways can be healthy and productive for an organization.

Using the Myers-Briggs as a base, Turknett conducts a ½-day to 2-day workshop in which the team participates in various activities. Participants in the workshop will:

• Gain an understanding of the MBTI model
• Gain an understanding of their own MBTI preference and be able to use it to:
• Understand areas of strength and potential areas for growth
• Use their preferences more effectively in the workplace
• Gain an understanding of the MBTI preferences of others and use that knowledge to:
• Communicate and work more effectively with customers and coworkers
• Learn to appreciate the styles of others
• Build a more effective team
• Create an action plan for using knowledge gained

Photo/Video Scavenger Hunt as Part of Teambuilding or Off-site meetings

Turknett's Photo/Video Scavenger Hunt is a unique, interactive, highly energizing teambuilding event. While the purpose of the exercise can vary based on the desired outcomes of the group, the exercise itself promotes teamwork and unity and helps breakdown any barriers that may be present within the group. Coupled with facilitation, the exercise is designed to generate lively discussion and ultimately, devise solutions for better ways to work as a team. Having fun and learning are not mutually exclusive and this is an excellent way to do both.

To insure that the exercise and discussion are completely relevant and geared to the team's needs, a Turknett consultant will interview the team leader prior to the event regarding the desired focus and objectives. Some examples include enhancing working relationships, stimulating better communications, valuing differences, rallying the troops for new challenges, or a kick-off for the year or new quarter. An on-line, pre-workshop survey can also be created to gather input from participants.

The Hunt: This exercise typically takes about three-hours, but can be longer depending on the number of people involved. The number of participants can range from a small group of twenty to a much larger group. The exercise can take place in almost any location you choose, including indoor and/or outside facilities.

Outcomes: By posing for and creating photos (or videos) that capture the spirit and innovation of each team as well as their ability to collaborate with each other, the whole group has a chance to reflect on some key issues in a fun, non-threatening competitive way. Photos may be scored for creativity and involvement of all members. Each photo or video vignette demonstrates communication - from effective to ineffective - and the importance of working together to get the best results.The Photo/Video Scavenger Hunt is the perfect answer to the often-asked question, "What can we do with our team that's new and different, fun and informative, creative and contemplative, simple and cost-effective?"

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