Tools, Methods & Models

Leadership Training Models & Methods - Team Building Strategies - Pennsylvania

Sherpa's Tools, Methods, and Models allow our consultants to really get to know each client.

Critical knowledge of organizational context, culture, and strategy.
Insight into leadership's vision, hopes, and plans.
Deep understanding of the individuals and teams driving the organization's business outcomes and successes.

Corporate Culture Appreciative Inquiry Methods

A process for Co-Constructing Solutions to organizational challenges and Creating Sustainable Change

"No problems can be solved using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

~ Albert Einstein

Large & Small-Scale Organizational Change, such as:

Creating Winning Teams
Strategic Opportunities
Fueling High Performance
Work/Life Balance
Recognition Systems
Collaborative Cultures
Community Service Initiatives
Becoming Best-in-Class
Maintaining Customer Loyalty
Learning Design

Four Step Process (otherwise known as the 4-D Cycle)

Discovery (D1): "The best of what exists." Leveraging Best Practices
Dream (D2): "What we might become." Envisioning Results
Design (D3): "Steps for getting there." Co-Constructing Solutions / the Future
Delivery (D4): "How to maintain changes." Sustaining Change

Five Core Principles

Constructionist Principle: We construct our realities based on the images we create by our questions, conversations, and "organizational vocabulary."
Principle of Simultaneity: Change begins with the first questions we ask.
Anticipatory Principle: Our image of the future we anticipate influences our behavior in the present.
Poetic Principle: Just as poets have no constraints on what they can write about, we have no boundaries on what we can inquire and learn from.
Positive Principle: The more positive the questions used to guide a change process, the more long-lasting and effective that process will be.

AI Case Studies:

Case Study: Cultivating a Positive Culture through Appreciative Inquiry

Case Study: Appreciative Inquiry in Diversity Work

Case Study: Appreciative Leadership

Case Study: John Deere's Appreciative Inquiry Summit

Contact us to learn more about the AI process how it can impact positive change for you and your organization. Or call us at 610-287-2989.

The Experiential Learning Cycle for Creative Team Building

Our facilitation format is based on the Experiential Learning Cycle model developed by David Kolb (see illustration below). The model begins with a concrete experience that is framed to mirror your learning objectives. The experience is integrated with reflective processes to explore what happened during the experience and analyze the patterns that emerged. In the Active Experimentation stage we strategize for the next experience and transfer learning to another environment. This is often called the "What? So What? Now What?" processing cycle.

Sherpa's emphasis on the "Now What?" phase is what makes our team building sessions so impactful. We believe that a session should be fun and engaging, and at the end of the day, have relevant take aways and learnings applicable to the workplace.

Typical tools we use to help our clients keep the momentum alive include:

Wall-size Graphic Guide to capture key observations and learnings and brainstorm strategies for integrating ideas and improving workplace performance.
Individual commitment to a specific behavioral change. We often conclude our sessions with this powerful sharing of key learnings and commitments from each individual.
Formation of a temporary "committee" -- a group of volunteers to organize the notes and ideas coming from the session, prioritize them, and present recommendations to management.
Sherpa's Summary Report describes our observations about the group's dynamics and interactions. We present this report to the committee to assist them in making recommendations around integrating key session take aways.
Pre & post team surveys to assist management in evaluating teambuilding benefits and ROI.

Situational Leadership in Corporate Culture

The Situational Leadership model is based on the following:

It is important to be aware of one's own preferred leadership style
It is important to know how others perceive one's style of leading
No one leadership style is appropriate for every employee or for every situation
Each style is useful with specific people or during unique situations
A successful leader will identify which style is effective with certain situations and certain people, and will be able to adapt his/her leadership style accordingly.
An effective leader is knowledgeable about the needs, abilities, knowledge, and willingness of the employees with whom he or she works.

Four Basic Leadership Styles as identified by the Situational Leadership Model

Style 1: Directing

Leader provides specific instructions and closely supervises task accomplishment. Most appropriate with new employees, new tasks, situations where employees competence and willingness are both low.

Style 2: Coaching

(previously known as 'Selling'). Leader continues to direct and closely supervise task accomplishment, but also explains decisions, solicits suggestions, and supports progress. Most appropriate in two types of situations:

Employee is motivated and willing but lacks competence. Leader is directive around the goal and expectations AND involves employee in task structure and accomplishment. Leader also provides high amounts of support, feedback, and praise.
Employee is disillusioned (entered into the task and realized it was more difficult or more involved than they had anticipated). This leads to reduced confidence and reduced commitment. Leader behavior is same as #1 above.

Style 3: Participating or Supporting

Leader facilitates and supports subordinates' efforts toward task accomplishment and shares responsibility for decision-making with them. Most appropriate when employee has competence and experience around the task, but lacks confidence in him/herself. Employee needs leader to provide high amounts of supportive behavior and reducing amounts of directive behavior.

Style 4: Delegating

Leader turns over responsibility for decision-making and problem-solving to subordinates. Employee has a proven track record of successful task accomplishment in a given area, and does not need (or want) leader to direct task structure. Employee needs leader to trust them and to allow them to work autonomously. Employee needs leader to review/approve the goal(s) employee has set and to hold him/her accountable to them via a clearly defined performance review process.