Leadership Skills and Team Development for Technical Professionals

Leaders of technical professionals face a substantial challenge: to achieve successful task completion through positive work relationships. Leadership team development is your ticket to getting things done. In this highly interactive seminar, you will learn how to build and lead a team...evaluate your team's performance...and develop an action plan for continued leadership success.

• Hands-on practice building and leading a team
• Maintain team performance during times of change
• Manage and resolve team conflict
• Develop the skills to manage the day-to-day challenges of team leadership

• Technical vs. nontechnical professionals: differences that impact the leader’s role
• Various types of teams: functional, cross-functional, self-managed and self-directed—how to vary your leadership style to meet the needs of the team
• Key steps to building high-performance teams
• Evaluating individual and team performance
• Using discipline, coaching, communication, problem-solving and authority to better manage your people

Learning Objectives

• Lead Teams of Technical Professionals
• Balance the Roles of Leading, Managing, and Doing
• Deploy the Appropriate Type of Team for Each Specific Situation That Warrants a Team
• Use the Team Meeting Success Tool to Improve Team Performance
• Train the Team Members on Effective Teamwork
• Analyze Changes in Team Dynamics and Take Effective Action
• Use Conflict Constructively
• Coach and Provide Feedback to Individuals and the Team
• Demonstrate Effective Motivation, Communication, Coaching, and Leadership Without Authority
• Evaluate Individual and Team Performance
• Develop a Plan, Monitor and Measure Performance
• Move a Team Toward High Performance
• Develop a Plan to Improve Your Individual Leadership Skills

Forming

• Identify the Unique Characteristics of Technical Professionals
• Identify How Technical Professional Are Like Most Other Professionals
• Use Your Understanding of Technical Professionals to Lead Teams
• Differentiate Among Doing, Managing, and Leading
• Plan Your Time Appropriately
• Rise to Some of the Challenges of the New Team Leader
• Deploy the Appropriate Type of Team for Each Specific Situation That Warrants a Team
• Assign Teams Appropriate Activities
• Use the Team Meeting Success Tool to Improve Team Performance
• Execute the Role of Team Leader and Train Team Members
• Establish the Basic Necessities of Team Building
• Use Your Leadership Style Effectively
• Analyze Changes in Team Dynamics
• Take Effective Action with Changing Team Dynamics

Storming

• Use Conflict Constructively
• Prevent or Minimize Destructive Conflict

Norming

• Manage the Team Day to Day, Applying Planning, Discipline, Problem Solving, and Delegating Responsibility
• Coach and Provide Feedback to Individuals and the Team
• Lead the Team Using Motivation, Communication, and Leadership Without Authority
• Evaluate Individual Performance Looking Forward, Not Backward
• Evaluate Team Performance Looking Forward, Not Backward
• Plan for Success, Strategically and Tactically
• Monitor and Measure Performance
• Take Responsibility and Improve Performance
• Plan and Improve Your Individual Leadership Skills

Performing

• Move a Team Toward High Performance
• Articulate What You Have Learned
• Decide Whether Your Concerns Have Been Addressed

LESSON ONE

Forming

• Understand the Differences Between Technical and Nontechnical Professionals
• Describe Why People Skills Are Important to Leadership
• Differentiate Among Doing, Managing, and Leading
• Describe Best Practices for Holding Successful Team Meetings and for Building a High-Performance Team
• Identify Your Leadership Style

LESSON TWO

Storming

• Describe the Stages of Team Development
• Apply Your Insight Work Style to the Stages of Team Development
• Identify Effective Approaches to Dealing with Team Conflict
• Describe the Steps of Assertive Communication
• Give and Receive Feedback

LESSON THREE

Norming

• Explain How to Delegate Responsibility
• Identify Effective Motivational Strategies for Your Team
• Describe Effective Coaching Behaviors

LESSON FOUR

Performing

• Describe the Stages of Team Development
• List Ways to Avoid Groupthink
• Develop a Plan to Improve Your Individual Leadership Skills
• Apply What You Have Learned to Your Own Team