We are a group of I/O graduate students of Florida Tech working on a big meta-analysis project. Thus, we are trying to gather empirical studies of evaluating the team training /building effectiveness as much as possible. If you have done some team training intervention and have data on that, we would appreciate that you contact us and let your study integrate into this meta-analysis. Thanks.

-- Mei-chuan Kung (maviskung@hotmail.com), June 18, 2001

Answers

Team Training and Building Effectiveness: The evaluation method.

My experience that seems to meet the organizations needs most is to ensure that current issues that are in the way of the team and preventing them from being effective are eliminated or improved.

I had tried various team building exercises and trainig programs to find sometimes the simplest solution is the best. Using a simple model of Katherine Dannemiller's called D-P-P-E (data, purpose, plan and evaluate). I work with focus groups on a team (if it is a functional team of up to 60 people) or meet individually if an intact team (of 12 or less). I collect data from people on what the issues are that are getting in the way of them being effective. We summarize and identify themes. We then talk about the issues and identify "Just Do It" plans, sub-team plans and team plans. We keep all the issues from the beginning and it becomes our checklist of improvements. So instead of it being a team training "classroom or instructional" ... it is a learning experience where real problems and issues are resolved.

FYI Lin

-- Lin Munro (lin.munro@wescast.com), November 04, 2001.