Your Profit Team
A Guide to Getting Started
Slide Source:
Lisa Holden
Penn State Dairy Alliance
(814) 863-3672
[email protected]
A Guide to Getting Started
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How a team works?
Phases of Team Development
Role of the Facilitator
Monitoring data for the team
Questions
Mini-Team Meeting
Good Teams Have
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4-8 core team members
Regular, scheduled meetings
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1 to 1.5 hours in length
Written, shared agenda
Structured format for operation
Focused, productive discussion
Systems for monitoring progress/performance
Stages of Team Development
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Ending
A
B
C
D
E
Stages of Teams, con’t
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Forming – Anticipation, commitment, positive
feelings
Storming – Disagreement, uncertainty, negative
feelings
Norming – Some level of accomplishment,, positive
feelings – sometimes stop here.
Performing – Positive challenge, learn, grow,
achieve.
End – When team is no longer needed.
Storm to Norm to Perform
Lack of progress ---WHY???
 Too much info – overwhelming
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Dragging our feet (accountability)
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Clarity and consequences.
Think we know, but . . .
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Refocus, prioritize, accomplish, celebrate.
Use outside experts, review data, reset goals.
Dairy producer won’t change.
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Discuss. Direct. Disband team.
Ending the team
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Reasons to disband a team:
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Purpose completed (no new purpose).
Team is not functioning (and can’t be fixed).
Team members no longer committed.
Dairy producer does not value.
New team needs to be formed
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Different issues
New members
Questions??
Phases for Team Development
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Phase I – Planning for Success
Phase II – Starting Strong
Phase III – Keeping the Pace
Phase IV – Cycling Out (Ending)
Phase I – Planning for Success
I-1.
I-2.
I-3.
I-4.
Decide to use a Profit Team
Select of team members
Choose a facilitator
Organize first team meeting
Phase I-1. Decide to use a team.
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Why is the Profit Team Needed?
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ALL team members take an index card.
Think about WHY this team is needed.
Phase I-1. Why use a Team?
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Why is the Profit Team Needed?
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Improve dairy profitability
Improve communication and work together
Correct a specific problem – low milk production,
poor reproduction, low cash flow, others.
Plan for a significant change – herd expansion,
management succession, etc.
Make a good business better.
Phase I-2: Selecting Team Members
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Has an interest in being on a team
Willing to listen and learn
Willing to put “own” interests second to team
Committed to attending meetings
Usually, some area of technical expertise
Phase I-3: Choosing a Good Facilitator
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Someone who can guide the team
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Someone who can be organized
Someone who is a good communicator
Someone who is able to change “hats”
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Both the People and the Process
Technical specialist vs. facilitator
Asks tough questions, summarize data, manage time
Remember: ALL team members are responsible
for outcomes of the team.
Phase I-4: Organize the first team meeting
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Mini-meeting today
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Set date and time
Exchange contact info
Use your cards to get started on purpose for team
On-farm
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Walk through and review data
Analyze information, determine what else is needed.
Set goals, ground rules, “structure.”
Be clear about expectations!
Phase I-4: Planning for Success
First On-farm Team Meeting
1.
2.
3.
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5.
6.
Allow at least 90 minutes
Walk through farm operation at beginning
Evaluate data, trends, share thoughts
Identify strengths and areas for improvement
Ask producer to share expectations
Develop – ground rules, communication, expectations,
questions.
7. Assign roles to team members.
8. Begin to develop goals and monitoring systems
9. Identify “key items” that need to be worked on by next meeting.
10. Set meeting dates for next 6-12 months.
Phase II – Starting Strong
II-1. Defining the purpose of the team
II-2. Setting Goals
II-3. Building a Framework
Phase II-1. Finding a common purpose for
the team
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Clear, common goal or purpose
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Will NOT work well without this!
Think Sports – home run, touchdown, “win the game”.
Use cards to write down what YOU think the team’s
purpose is – What should be accomplished? Why is the
team needed?
Share ideas and develop a common purpose. Start this
during your mini-team meeting and finish at first meeting.
Phase II-2. SMART and DRIVE Goals
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Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Result oriented
Time bounded
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Attain pregnancy rate of
20% by June 30, 2008.
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Directional
Reasonable
Inspirational
Visible
Eventual
Improve reproduction in the
herd
Phase II-2. Setting Team Goals
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All teams need to have a shared vision or common
purpose.
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Write down and gain agreement on 2-4 shorter term
(first two months) and 2-4 longer term(6 months to 3
years) goals.
Don’t set too many goals
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It is overwhelming.
Set “stretch” goals that challenge a bit.
PhaseII-3. Building a framework
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Choose core team
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Establish communication expectations
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May need temporary team members
May need additional outside expertise
Both within and outside the team
Establish ground rules
Set GOALS
Set meeting dates/times
PhaseII-3. Building a framework
Analyze the Dairy Operation
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Gather Information
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Monthly Monitor Sheet
Profit Team Data
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Production information – DHIA (1 yr), on farm records
Financial information – balance sheet, income statement
SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Access to key information
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Must share data that will be monitored
Must have good tracking system in place
Must have common understanding
Phase III – Keeping the Pace
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Continue to celebrate successes
Seek new challenges to incorporate
Move from more “tactical” issues to more
“strategic” issues as appropriate
Refine communication
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Can meetings be shorter?
Can meetings be less frequent?
Phase III: Keeping the Pace
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Manage the information
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Analyze the data
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Remember: Not everyone has the same understanding.
Use benchmarks – internal and external
Agree on key areas that are targeted for improvement
Monitor the data
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One page “monthly monitor”
Charts, graphs
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Goal lines
Change or variation
Use time wisely
Phase III: Keeping the Pace
Manage through the “Storming Stage”
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Conflict occurs
Recognize and respond to it
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Disagreements or Disengaging
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Interpreting information
Next steps of action
Conflict offers opportunity for the team to grow
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Avoid it.
Accommodate people.
Competing – Majority vote.
Compromise – Best solution?
Collaborate – Spend time on the most important items
Phase III: Keeping the Pace
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Some teams get too comfortable, need new
challenges.
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Some teams get “stuck in the mud” or slow
down and need to refocus.
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Some teams accomplish goals and are no
longer needed.
Phase III: Keeping the Pace
Top Performing Teams
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Challenge and move to next level
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Strategic issues
More complex decisions
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Some of the original Dairy Advisory Teams in
Pennsylvania disbanded in their first year. Some
continue to operate and excel more than 10 years
later.
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Expect more!!
Phase IV: Cycling out (ending the team)
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Met purpose, no longer reason for team.
Team not functioning, can’t be fixed.
Social event, rather than real work.
Significant change in farm.
Not the right time for the dairy.
Other reasons?
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"There are no
problems we cannot
solve together, and
very few that we can
solve by ourselves."
--Lyndon Baines
Johnson
Questions?