Project Description

Reading Time: 2 minutes
Project ID: 8712
Project:

Product Owner Team Building Workshop

Time 01/2016
Abstract: Reading Time: 2 minutes For a German IT service provider delivering IT workplace management solutions I designed and facilitated an internal team-building workshop for the Product Owner team to foster their interal collaboration.
Duration: 3 days
Role: Agile Coach
Description:

For a German IT service provider delivering IT workplace management solutions to distribute SW applications on different technical platforms (Windows, Linux, Android, iOS) I designed and facilitated a team-building workshop for the Product Owner team.
My mandate was to support the PO team to achieve better personal acknowledgment and to foster their collaboration with each other. I chose a solution-oriented approach:

We don't want to unveil historic quarrels the 1000-th time again and again. We concentrate on building the future right now, instead.

Thus, I split the assignment into two parts: (1) personal appreciation and motivation, and (2) solution-focused exercises to identify the next steps (with LEGO Serious Play).

Part 1: Personal Appreciation and Motivating

To open communication and to get insights on personal motivation we did the Super-Hero exercise: each PO introduced herself metaphorically as a superhero figure and reflects the colleagues as superheroes. This part on the personal motives and engagement was closed with the Management 3.0 Moving Motivators exercise.

Part 2: Solution-oriented exercises

In four levels, we identified solution criteria and the steps needed to achieve them.  These levels were divided to individual and group reflections. LSP-01 Individual model: „Imaging the Future I“ Each participant was asked to build a LEGO model according to the questions:

„Image, you collaborate in your team optimally. By which criteria you would identify this ideal state?“

Then each participant used her model to shared her individual insights and thoughts with the group metaphorically. LSP-02 Shared model: „Imaging the Future II“ In this exercise, the participants were asked as a group: „Agree on as many common characteristics of the optimal future you see in the models. Build with these elements a shared  model reflecting the commonalities.“ LEGO Serious Play workshop — Team Building & Collaboration   LSP-03 Individual model: „Realising the Future I“ The participants were asked to reflect personally:

„What will YOU do to accomplish this state/these states?“

  LEGO Serious Play workshop — Team Building & Collaboration   Then each participant used her model to shared her individual commitments with the group metaphorically. I had planned to close the workshop by each participant identifying the support needed to achieve her goals and getting the promise of one or more of the group for help. However, the participants detoured in discussing the old quarrels. Since they took into account the new insights of the workshop this a valuable closing as well. Adapt the change — as a coach, you have always to follow the flow 🙂

QM Model applied: none
Size: 7 ppls
Industry: IT service provider