From Tension to Teamwork: Cultivating Positive Team Dynamics
This event has passed. SEE SIMILAR TRAININGSTurn challenges into growth to shift the culture of your team for peak performance.
What You'll Gain
- Identify and minimize team dysfunction using the Academic Impressions High-Performing Teams Assessment.
Practice difficult conversations that move teams past awkward or tense moments. - Navigate power dynamics using the Five Paths to Leadership® framework.
- Develop strategies to foster trust, clarify purpose, and improve team communication.
Overview
Problems in interpersonal interactions, communication patterns, and outcomes often reveal team dysfunction. While it’s easy to spot problems when all three break down, identifying issues in just one or two areas can be more challenging. Join us in person to explore how to recognize dysfunctional team dynamics and practice strategies to build trust, clarify purpose, foster positive group dynamics, and prioritize learning—ultimately transforming your team into a high-performing, cohesive unit.
To preserve an intimate and productive experience, this workshop is limited to 30 attendees.
Session Descriptions
More details about the timing of the days can be found by clicking Learn More and Register, but session descriptions of the two days are below:
The Five Paths to Leadership® Self-Assessment
In our opening session, you’ll have the opportunity to examine and analyze your results from the Five Paths to Leadership® Self-Assessment to identify your unique strengths under normal circumstances and under stress.
Identifying Toxic Team Behavior
Whether it’s toxic kindness, manipulation, or overt bullying, when team members are disruptive, it can have a dramatic impact on team morale and productivity. We’ll explore these behaviors and offer tools to address them before it’s too late.
Developing Trust Across Difference
In this session, you’ll have an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve learned over time about how to engage in conversations about personal frustrations at work. You’ll practice intentional engagement rather than simply moving past uncomfortable scenarios. You’ll arrive at a place where you’re more willing to actively take part in solution-oriented conversations, even when they are uncomfortable.
Difficult Conversations are Necessary …Not Unkind
You’ll learn to identify and practice new communication strategies for overcoming subconscious messages that may influence your engagement in conversations you find uncomfortable. You’ll acquire tools to help continuously uncover and deepen your understanding of personal conversation blockages. You’ll have the opportunity to connect in small groups and brainstorm actionable ways you can commit to the practice, learning, and reflection needed to use these tools in everyday interactions with your colleagues and team.
Emotional Table Setting
This session will guide participants in the self-reflective and meaningful process of setting personal boundaries for healthy dialogue when the stakes are high and team capacity for discomfort is low.
High-Performing Teams Assessment
The ability to cultivate high-performing teams is essential for achieving organizational success. This session explores the key characteristics that define high-performing teams and the common signs of team dysfunction that hinder performance and collaboration. Using the Academic Impressions High-Performing Teams Assessment designed specifically for academic leaders, we’ll present the indicators of high-performing teams. You’ll also have a chance to ask questions and think about how you could use the assessment with your team.
Navigating Power Dynamics Through a Lens of the Five Paths to Leadership® Self-Assessment
We’ll identify and describe sources of power in each path in this session, and we’ll pair these descriptions with practice scenarios. In small groups, you’ll rotate through role-playing and deconstruct the scenarios through the lens of the power from each path.
The Dangers of Toxic Positivity
This session will unpack our best intentions to “be nice” and illuminate the subtle differences between superficial niceness and the deep, hard work of being clear with kindness.
Action Planning
As we close the workshop, you’ll identify specific action items that you intend to practice both individually and collectively with your team. You’ll also share specific commitments for your teams to continue the work in the future.
Who Should Attend
This workshop is ideal for team leaders who are interested in learning more about team dynamics and managing within an environment where toxicity and/or ineffective communication may be present.
How You’ll Use This to Move Work Forward
- Leaders & Team Managers – Recognize patterns of dysfunction, implement team trust-building strategies, and establish a culture of accountability.
- Academic & Administrative Leaders – Learn how to identify and address toxic behaviors before they undermine team effectiveness.
- HR & Talent Development Professionals – Gain tools to support team cohesion and guide leaders in managing complex team dynamics.
Bring a team of fellow leaders to develop a community of practice on your campus! Register 3 or more people and save more than $1,000! Discounts will be automatically applied at checkout.
Past Attendee Breakdown
What makes our events different?
Academic Impressions workshops provide the opportunity for quality conversations and relationship-building through both formal and informal networking opportunities in an intimate setting. Our in-depth and hands-on approach to learning provides you with actionable takeaways.
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