In keeping with the theme of the 2011 NFPA Annual Conference held in Bonita Springs, FL last week, one of the key speakers at the event was Ted Gerber of Guttman Development Strategies. Ted explained several priciples that applied to building any effective team with particular focus on building global teams.
Of course, time and place considerations are important for teams with members located around the world. Particular attention must be paid to differences in time zones, locations, and cultures.
Ted discussed the continuum of behavior and attitude patterns that range from Non-Assertive to Assertive to Aggressive asking the audience to consider where their team fits in ths range. He specifically asked us to consider if our team members were Players, Vacationers, or Prisoners with the above behavioral continuum in mind.
Some of the attributes of a high-performing team include 1) mission goals - priorities are clear, 2) team is comprised of the right players, 3) roles and points of interest are clear, 4) team members are committed to winning, 5) everyone takes ownership, and 6) all are comfortable with conflict.
This was a very enlightening session and clearly in line with the global theme of the Conference. I commend the NFPA team on their choice of speakers and topics.
