flowchART: 15 Tools that Ignite You & Your Team to Success

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you need a fast assessment of team engagement and satisfaction?
- Do you want to identify the issues you and your team should resolve to achieve breakthrough performance?
- Do you find most surveys too cumbersome for frequent use?
- Do you need an assessment that speaks in ‘real’ language?
- Do you want an assessment that will drive conversation?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “team barometer" will help.

What is it?

The “team barometer” is an activity that – like a weather barometer – quickly identifies short-term changes in your team environment.

When should I use it?

Anytime. It’s recommended that teams do a ‘check-up’ of some type at least once every three months.

Who should participate?

All team members should be present for this exercise. This assessment also works well for individual coaching.

How long will this activity take?

10 minutes to 1 hour

The “team barometer” exercise can be completed in less than 10 minutes. If there are changes from the previous assessment, or if the team wants to take action to improve a score, more time will be required.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you want your meetings to produce stronger results?
- Do you find that your agendas lack energy and direction?
- Do you need an easy way to plan and run a meeting / event?
- Do you need to communicate the ‘big picture’ of a meeting or event?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “agenda diamond” will help.

What is it?

The “agenda diamond” is a framework to design a meeting or event that produces energy, focus, and results.

When should I use it?

The “agenda diamond” should be used during a pre-meeting discussion to design any important meeting or event.

Who should participate?

The pre-meeting should be attended by the meeting leader, the facilitator (if one is being used), and someone who is familiar with both the challenge and the participants.

How long will this activity take?

Five minutes / On-going

The “agenda diamond” can be completed in five to ten minutes to design a short meeting. Up to thirty minutes will be needed to design a longer event. The diamond is then used throughout the scheduled event.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you need focus and efficiency in your meetings or discussions?
- Do attendees waste time debating irrelevant topics or uncontrollable factors?
- Do you need clear boundaries around what behaviors are and are not allowed?
- Do you want to quickly set limits?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “in play, out of play” activity will help.

What is it?

The “in play, out of bounds” activity determines which topics or behaviors will be in-bounds or out-of-bounds during a meeting, event, or project.

When should I use it?

At the start of any meeting, event, or project where clarity around boundaries will add value.

Who should participate?

All attendees or members of the targeted meeting, event, or project.

How long will this activity take?

Five to Ten minutes

The “in play, out of play” activity will take five minutes for a meeting, up to ten minutes for an event or project. The graphic can be updated as necessary.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you want to create more effective, efficient conversations?
- Do you find your meetings bogging down in off-topic discussions?
- Do you need to capture questions, comments, and ideas without losing momentum in an meeting, training, or event?
- Do you want to tie up loose ends more effectively?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the parking lot will help.

What is it?

A “parking lot” is a temporary repository for questions, ideas, and comments that are important, but off-topic. These will be reviewed at the end of the event.

When should I use it?

Always. A “parking lot” will improve any meeting, training, or discussion that has an agenda.

Who should participate?

One person should be designated to manage the parking lot. All participants can contribute.

How long will this activity take?

15 minutes

The “parking lot” can be run seamlessly during any meeting. Fifteen minutes should be set aside at the end of the meeting to ‘clear’ the parking lot.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you want to kick start a decision or project by setting context?
- Do you want an easy, engaging way to share knowledge?
- Do you need to teach a topic where there is little ‘black & white’?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “think, know, wonder” exercise will help.

What is it?

The “think, think, wonder” exercise helps participants capture known and unknown aspects of a topic, situation, or challenge.

When should I use it?

Anytime you want to help people share knowledge, or if you want to find out what is known and unknown.

Who should participate?

Anyone who needs the information and anyone who possesses some portion of the information

How long will this activity take?

Thirty minutes to Two hours

The “think, know, wonder” exercise can be used as a 30-minute discussion. It can also be extended up to two-hours for an in-depth knowledge sharing.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you want your team to make better independent decisions?
- Do you and your team need focus?
- Do you find employees spending too much time on irrelevant tasks?
- Do you want to see if your mission statement is relevant or useful?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “mission bulls-eye” will help.

What is it?

The “mission bulls-eye” is a tool that is used to write a new mission or validate an existing one. It can also be used as a tool to communicate and reinforce the team mission.

When should I use it?

Anytime. It is particularly useful for new teams, teams in flux, and when the environment changes.

Who should participate?

For the validation exercise, all members of the team should attend. For mission creation, consider inviting only core members of the team, depending on the maturity of your team.

How long will this activity take?

One to Two hours

The “mission bulls-eye” can be completed in one hour, when used for a validation of an existing mission. Allow two hours if you are creating a new mission.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you want to make a difference at work or in life?
- Do you find yourself wondering if things will ever get any better?
- Do you need to increase long-term engagement for yourself or your team?
- Do you want to point your team in a new direction?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, “a better tomorrow” will help.

What is it?

The “a better tomorrow” exercise helps you articulate a positive vision of the future for yourself, your team, or your business.

When should I use it?

When you want to establish a 2 to 5 year vision for yourself, your team, or organization. Progress against the vision should be reviewed quarterly. The vision should be challenged annually.

Who should participate?

All team members should participate if you wish to have a shared vision. Alternatively, you can create your own vision and invite others to join you.

How long will this activity take?

Four hours

The “a better tomorrow” exercise takes four hours. It is best broken into two sessions of two hours each.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you want to identify what really drives you or others?
- Do you find that there’s a disconnect between the beliefs and actions of yourself or others?
- Do you find most espoused values to be bullshit?
- Do you need an easy way to discuss values with your team?
- Do you want to see whether you or your organization ‘walk-the-talk’ when it comes to values?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “crossroads values” exercise will help.

What is it?

The “crossroads values” exercise reveals what you or your team values, by evaluating the crossroads decisions that you have made in the past.

When should I use it?

This exercise is ideal for coaching individuals or teams that are approaching a crossroads, are confused about their value system, or want to learn more about each other. It’s also a great interviewing tool.

Who should participate?

Any individual can use “crossroads values”. As a team exercise, all team members should be present. The majority of participants should have first-hand experience of the decisions made at a crossroads.

How long will this activity take?

One hour

The “crosswords values” exercise can be completed in one hour.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you find team members shirking or overstepping their boundaries?
- Do you want alignment regarding responsibilities?
- Do you want to end ‘turf wars’?
- Do you need to clarify the ownership of team activities?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “R.A.C.I. grid” will help.

What is it?

The “R.A.C.I. grid” is a tool that helps define – for a particular task or project – who is responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed.

When should I use it?

Anytime. The “R.A.C.I. grid” is particularly effective for new teams, large projects, execution of strategic plans, and integration of new team members.

Who should participate?

A manager and the level of employees below that manager. Outside parties can also be invited.

How long will this activity take?

Two hours

A group of 7 to 10 can typically review 35 to 50 tasks in two hours. A “R.A.C.I. grid” , however, is a living document that should be continuously updated as tasks, team members, or situations change.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you require a strategy to move from one situation to another?
- Do you need an interactive method to communicate your strategies?
- Do you need to build a connection between two groups?
- Do you want to transition from one role to another?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “strategy bridge” exercise will help.

What is it?

The “strategy bridge” is an exercise that helps you build a connection or path between two states, parties, or roles.

When should I use it?

Anytime you need a strategy to close a gap between two situations.

Who should participate?

Anyone with knowledge of at least one side of the bridge.

How long will this activity take?

One hour

The “strategy bridge” exercise can be completed in one hour or less.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you want stakeholders to publicly align on commitment levels?
- Do you find your projects / initiatives often die from a lack of support?
- Do you need people to ‘put some blood in the game’ to achieve success?
- Do you want to identify the level of commitment you currently have from team members?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “commitment gauge “ will help.

What is it?

The “commitment gauge” is a tool for discussing what commitment really means, what commitment level is needed, and how much is being given.

When should I use it?

Anytime. It’s best used before putting people on a project or team, but can also be used as a diagnostic tool, if commitment is lacking.

Who should participate?

The “commitment gauge” can be used:

- By an individual – to diagnose commitment levels for a project,
- By a management team – to discuss commitment gaps.
- With a stakeholder group – to communicate and align on needs.

How long will this activity take?

Thirty to Sixty Minutes

The “commitment gauge” can be run in less than one hour.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you need clarity around what decisions you are allowed to make?
- Do you want to find out how power is distributed in your organization?
- Do you find team members overstepping their boundaries?
- Do you want to teach team members to be more autonomous?
- Do you need to map a plan for delegation of authority?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “authority continuum” will help.

What is it?

The “authority continuum” is a tool that allows team members and leaders to articulate and align around who should decide what.

When should I use it?

Anytime. It is particularly useful for new managers or large teams to communicate their philosophy on decisions, power, and authority.

Who should participate?

A manager and team or individual.

How long will this activity take?

Less than one hour

The “authority continuum” can typically be completed in less than one hour for a team. An individual can take less than thirty minutes.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you need to increase productive behaviors and reduce unproductive behaviors on your team?
- Do you want agreement on how to engage in productive conflict?
- Do you find that some team members are unaware of how their behaviors impact the team?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “rules of engagement” exercise will help.

What is it?

The “rules of engagement” exercise allows a team to define how members should and should not interact and whether the current interactions are working well.

When should I use it?

The “rules of engagement” exercise is best used during startup to prevent issues, but it can also be used as a diagnostic tool at any time.

Who should participate?

All members of a team that interact with each other.

How long will this activity take?

One hour

The “rules of engagement” exercise can be completed in one hour.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you have new members on your team?
- Do you have conflicts over what the group culture is?
- Has your team lost a sense of identity over time?
- Do you want to change the current group culture?
- Do you want to understand the culture of another group?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, “team anthropology” will help.

What is it?

The “team anthropology” activity captures the current or desired cultural norms of a team or organization.

When should I use it?

The” team anthropology” activity is ideal for reviving a team, celebrating a shared history, or integrating new team members.

Who should participate?

All team members should be present for this exercise. Additionally, it can be useful to invite others who know the team well.

For a twist, ask a new team member or someone from another team to act as the anthropologist who observes, interviews, and presents the findings back to your team.

How long will this activity take?

2 to 8 hours

The “team anthropology” activity can be completed and shared in two hours, if team members split up the responsibilities. On the other hand, this activity makes a great half or full-day project.

Will this flowchART help me?

- Do you want to create an effective development plan for yourself or others?
- Do you find it difficult to discuss and align development gaps with your employee or manager?
- Are you a coach or consultant who needs an easy process for guiding development?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the “development dozen” will help.

What is it?

The “development dozen” is a tool that helps you identify an employee’s development status and gaps from both the individual’s point of view and the organization’s point of view. The tool then helps you identify gaps and build an action plan.

When should I use it?

The “development dozen” can be used at any time, but is particularly effective during an organization’s development plan cycle, at the start of a coaching / mentoring relationship, or for setting New Year targets.

Who should participate?

The “development dozen” can be used by individuals, but is best used in pairs (manager with employee, or coach with client) or teams.

How long will this activity take?

Three to five hours

The “development dozen” should be completed in five one-hour sessions. With repeated use, the time and number of sessions can be reduced.