On the 8th of October 2013, a group of 25 Directors from Catalana Occidente met in their central in Barcelona, for one training day different from the usual ones.
The project developed by Thinking-Big – “Maratones con chispa” (“Marathons with sparkle”) – was focused on how to achieve a final sprint in the end of the year, developing a new way of looking at work and their teams in a more positive and proactive way. But the training, far from being a place to teach and explain, was an opportunity to co-create, to share experiences and visions, to have debates about different points of view and ways of doing. A very intense and demanding process for all participants, following the themes:
1. Happiness at work – The differences between job, career and mission; working with meaning and the meaning of work; the role of personal and team strengths; getting to know the abilities of each team member to align them with the challenges, allowing the occurrence of “flow” in their tasks.
2. Positive attitude – being leader through a silent and inspiring example; the importance of communication oriented to build a vision, with a language focused on excellence; feedbacks as reinforcement and recognition; the importance of shared goals.
3. Innovation – create an abundance perspective; comparing with the best and celebrate small wins.
All this using the research from “Applied Positive Leadership”, by Kim Cameron.
More than answers the training presented questions: “What moves you?”, “Do we find excuses not to do it or do we create the way of doing it?”; “What are we missing to be the best that we can be?”, among others.
The group was amazing! With an incredible participation and compromise, they shared doubts and opinions about their ways of working with their own teams, generating very rich and useful debates, well rated by all participants. Learning from each other, with time for doubts, for exposing weaknesses and for sharing and teaching good strategies they already use.
Such a training demands a very strong preparation (several previous interviews with some of the participants, meetings for defining goals and perceived needs, close contact with the company), as well as a very specific attitude of the trainer. He ends up being more a catalyst/moderator, proposing subjects, giving light to some concepts, explaining points of view different than usual, but also giving opportunities to the group for the co-construction. This is only possible with an involved group, committed with the changes and with the attitude of daring to see and do in a different way.
One and a half months later, during the phone calls of half an hour of follow-up with each participant, the points that each one perceived as difficulties to implement were debated and the suggestions discussed, one by one.
When, in the end, we hear sentences as “I now manage my team not as 6 people, but as 6 families, with their stories, motivations and personal questions”, one feels like all the time and effort were definitely worth it!
The project developed by Thinking-Big – “Maratones con chispa” (“Marathons with sparkle”) – was focused on how to achieve a final sprint in the end of the year, developing a new way of looking at work and their teams in a more positive and proactive way. But the training, far from being a place to teach and explain, was an opportunity to co-create, to share experiences and visions, to have debates about different points of view and ways of doing. A very intense and demanding process for all participants, following the themes:
1. Happiness at work – The differences between job, career and mission; working with meaning and the meaning of work; the role of personal and team strengths; getting to know the abilities of each team member to align them with the challenges, allowing the occurrence of “flow” in their tasks.
2. Positive attitude – being leader through a silent and inspiring example; the importance of communication oriented to build a vision, with a language focused on excellence; feedbacks as reinforcement and recognition; the importance of shared goals.
3. Innovation – create an abundance perspective; comparing with the best and celebrate small wins.
All this using the research from “Applied Positive Leadership”, by Kim Cameron.
More than answers the training presented questions: “What moves you?”, “Do we find excuses not to do it or do we create the way of doing it?”; “What are we missing to be the best that we can be?”, among others.
The group was amazing! With an incredible participation and compromise, they shared doubts and opinions about their ways of working with their own teams, generating very rich and useful debates, well rated by all participants. Learning from each other, with time for doubts, for exposing weaknesses and for sharing and teaching good strategies they already use.
Such a training demands a very strong preparation (several previous interviews with some of the participants, meetings for defining goals and perceived needs, close contact with the company), as well as a very specific attitude of the trainer. He ends up being more a catalyst/moderator, proposing subjects, giving light to some concepts, explaining points of view different than usual, but also giving opportunities to the group for the co-construction. This is only possible with an involved group, committed with the changes and with the attitude of daring to see and do in a different way.
One and a half months later, during the phone calls of half an hour of follow-up with each participant, the points that each one perceived as difficulties to implement were debated and the suggestions discussed, one by one.
When, in the end, we hear sentences as “I now manage my team not as 6 people, but as 6 families, with their stories, motivations and personal questions”, one feels like all the time and effort were definitely worth it!
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