Five Ways to Build Teacher Connections in Your School

A colleague recently shared this common experience from the beginning of her teaching career:

“When I first started teaching English at a public high school on the west side of Chicago, I had tons of resources at my disposal. There were the piles of grad school texts on my desk at home, the teaching portfolio I had diligently organized in advance of my interviews, and ideas from friends already teaching English. I was also clear on my job description - the curriculum I should pull from, what ELA standards applied to what quarter, and where to get a teacher’s edition of the textbook. I knew that lesson plans for the week ahead were due every Friday and would be reviewed by one of the assistant principals. And that the English department would be meeting every week on Thursdays during our common planning period.

“However, despite all of these teaching resources at my disposal, I felt very, very lonely on the job. At 24 years old, I could practically feel the naivety emanating from my first year teacher's skin; some days I felt more like a student than their teacher. As I watched more veteran teachers chat in the hallways or interact with students or head out of the parking lot five minutes after the dismissal bell, I decided that they all must be experts. They had an air of confidence about the work that I just didn’t feel in myself. But instead of walking up to any of them and asking to eat lunch together or talk about a challenging teaching scenario, I recoiled. For most of that first year I ate lunch at my desk, stayed in my room long after school ended and wallowed in figuring teaching life out alone. I couldn’t bring myself to spark the dialogue with the experts surrounding me, and they had no way to know that I needed them.”

Belonging is an innate human need. What this story and so many like it illustrate is that transitioning to any new job, especially one as demanding and consuming as teaching, can be made smoother by intentionally helping new teachers build connections. 

Below are five tips for school leaders that can help intentionally connect new teachers to others in the school community. Connection can be about work of course, but it doesn’t have to be. Creating space for all teachers to get to know someone beyond a hallway wave is a foundational step so that when a challenging situation arises, teachers are there to support one another. And, as the story above illustrates, it’s about building bridges so no one feels alone on their island.  

1. Create a lunch buddy schedule. This benefits new and old teachers alike by prompting them to step away from their desks. It’s simply an ask to eat in community once a week or once every other week on some sort of a rotating schedule. Authentic connection is often built at the table over food. Even if you only have 20 minutes to eat lunch like I did, it’s nice to pop into a lounge or classroom to talk to colleagues during quick breaks. 

2. Create a schedule for new teachers to observe strong teachers in the building. While this can require a bit of more logistical planning like sub coverage, it doesn’t have to be complex. Set up opportunities for teachers to see their peers in action and in doing so creating a common experience for them to discuss. Seeing a colleague using Total Physical Response techniques to engage a classroom of energetic teenagers immediately shifted my view of what to strive for as an educator and gave me immediate action steps to try in my own classroom. 

3. Build a quick check-in routine. The earlier we can celebrate teachers’ strengths and work to address challenges, the more comfortable we can all become with the idea of growth over time. We recommend school leaders do weekly or biweekly “pop ins” to all classrooms to see how things are going. The discussion afterwards can be brief and rooted in one or all of the following: 1. What were you trying to accomplish? 2. What went well? 3. What do you want to improve on? This practice gets teachers in the habit of self reflecting while also providing a place for their voices to be heard. 

4. Discuss working styles and communication preferences. Consider the team your new teacher will be working most closely with (co-teachers, mentors, department or grade level teams). Build in time to discuss working styles and communication preferences to improve communication and a sense of belonging, and to prepare folks to talk through conflicts when they arise. Be sure to provide a structure for the conversations including questions like: How do you prefer to communicate?  What motivates you as a teammate? What is your lesson planning style? When you feel stressed at work, what do you need most from those around you?

5. It’s never too late. If you’re a school leader reading this and wishing you had put something in place at the beginning of the school year to help build connections, it’s not too late! While the tips above may be different from how you’ve been operating, they can be implemented at any time. 

What’s most important is that we do not put the onus of “making connections” only on new teachers. They have more than enough on their plates to figure out. Creating space for one or two of the tips above can help ensure all teachers - including the brand new ones - feel part of the culture and ultimately invested in the school’s broader vision.

Reflect and Project Using the SWOT Tool

The KJCG team thrives on supporting organizations through individual and group reflection. One tool we love that drives current and future planning is the SWOT analysis process. This involves a group self-assessing their work’s strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T), thus helping the team evaluate its overall progress towards a goal. It begins with an internal assessment of the group’s current reality, then uses that information to consider what could go well and what barriers might get in the way. 

Teams can SWOT a variety of things - from team culture to goal progress to collaboration to a strategy for upcoming work. Below are a few things that our team at KJCG has learned about making the SWOT process most impactful.

Why SWOT?

• The process taps into different working styles. It honors linear thinkers who can make quick lists of information, while also valuing input from bigger picture folks who lean into the abstract more easily. 

• During a SWOT analysis, there is no right thing to share. Some feedback may be quantitative (i.e. a benchmark met) while other feedback is more relational; some points may be concrete, referencing specific instances, while others are abstract, focused on a feeling. All input is valid!

What to SWOT?

• A SWOT can be paired with a larger strategic planning process, or can work on its own to assess a project or period of activity. This might look like a team of teachers seeking to increase student test scores, a nonprofit seeking to grow its impact in a community, or a school seeking to reduce behavior incidents. The topic should be broad enough that everyone in the room can actively participate in the SWOT.

When to SWOT?

• Keep in mind is that the SWOT should be done before key decisions are made by the group leader(s). When done proactively, the SWOT has real impact and can be an inclusive tool. Team members who contributed should be able to see components of their SWOT feedback live out in strategic plans after the fact. This builds a more solid vision for the future and a strong foundation of investment for that work. 

Where to SWOT?

• SWOTs can happen virtually or in person. However, we always recommend that a group creates a common visual artifact during the process. The group needs to see and hear each other’s contributions. Virtually this can happen on a program like Jamboard, Miro, or Padlet. In person, participants write their thoughts on post-its/ whiteboard/ chart paper, OR a recorder can take notes from the group discussion. 

How to SWOT?

• SWOT dialogue can stir up some emotions in folks, so consider how you can prepare your team to name a few areas where improvement is needed, while honoring self care and care for each other along the way. Don’t let folks dig into a blame game here. 

• A SWOT can be facilitated by a team lead, a project lead, or an external facilitator so the entire group can participate. A third party can potentially get deeper input from the team - information on weaknesses (W) and threats (T) that individuals might not be comfortable sharing in a larger group or in front of their bosses. 

The most important part of a SWOT is not that this specific tool is used. The key piece is honest reflection followed by a “what’s next?” conversation. Anyone can scribble some ideas on a piece of paper and conduct a quick assessment, but that won’t always lead to change. Meaningful, sustainable change comes from intentional questioning and decisions around how the information in the SWOT chart will be integrated into future activities. 

The KJCG team can help build investment in and hold folks accountable to the ever important: “what’s next now that I have this chart?” conversation. Not only are we prepared to run the exercise as part of a retreat or stepback so that every member of the team can participate, we are also ready to help facilitate conversation and be a thought-partner for the implementation planning that follows. Our team continues to use and recommend this process because it is simple, versatile and inclusive; we would love the opportunity to share it with yours.

Brené Brown Live! + The 2 Word Check-in

If you know me (and even if you don’t know me very well), there’s a good chance you know how I feel about Dr. Brené Brown. She is 100 percent my role model, my hero, a celebrity I would most like to have dinner with- you name it.  I love how Brené speaks (relatable, authentic), I love what she speaks on (empathy building, compassion, human-centeredness), and I LOVE that I had the opportunity to hear her speak in person last week at the Texas Conference for Women. 

O.M.G. I don’t even want to hide my fangirl-ness. Listening to Brené speak on a podcast is one thing. But hearing her in person and feeling her live energy? I was awed at how relatable and brilliant she is - not an easy combination. I left the Conference feeling grateful, energized, and emboldened to continue pursuing human-centered work at KJ Consulting Group. 

Specifically, I loved hearing Brené talk about the so-called Great Resignation. Employee retention is a struggle for so many organizations and schools right now. And Brené referenced data from MIT that found the number one reason that folks are leaving their workplaces is NOT connected to salary but rather toxic culture. This study found that, “The leading elements contributing to toxic cultures include failure to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; workers feeling disrespected; and unethical behavior.” I’m not necessarily surprised, but it’s always nice to see your intuitions backed up with scientific research.  

According to Brené, one antidote to toxic culture is fostering a sense of belonging, work spaces where employees feel seen and connected. Brené shared a strategy that I can’t stop thinking about because it’s so simple - what she has coined the “two word check-in.” I’ve listened to her talk about this on her podcast, but again, to hear her talk through it live and answer audience questions about it? <Insert chef’s kiss here.> 

The two-word check-in goes something like this:

1. Framing: At least once a week during a team meeting, the manager asks the team to do a quick whip around and share how they are doing, in two words. 

2. Whip Around: Each team member takes a turn replying with two words or short phrases. 

• This boundary is important, so that all team members get a chance to share how they are doing, and so no one voice dominates.

• Someone may say, “Anxious and hopeful.” Someone else may say, “Tired and annoyed” and another, “Excited and optimistic.” It’s an invitation for a quick response from everyone present.

• As each team member gives their two words, the manager thanks each person for sharing and notes who they want to follow up with.

  3. Follow Up: Later that day - over Slack, or text, or whatever communication channel the team may use - the manager follows up with folks as needed. 

• They may reach out to folks whose response they want to hear more about (e.g., if they are worried about someone) and say something like, “Hey, I want to follow up after our meeting. You said you were “tired and annoyed. Can you tell me more?” It’s an invitation to respond but not a requirement. 

  4. Support: If the team member responds, the manager then asks another key question from Brené and her team, “What does support from me look like?”

I’m latching onto two things about this simple but meaningful practice. First, the importance of checking in on how your team is doing consistently - at least every week. Strong culture is built over time, and it doesn’t happen magically after a team is asked how they feel once. The second is Brené’s explanation of why this practice can feel so hard - because when I think about it, it seems easy enough. And yet alongside that, I feel a little nervous to actually implement it. Brené obviously knows this and she asked the room, “Why don’t we do this more often?” The answer: fear. Brené acknowledged that it is scary to ask a question when we may not know how to answer or how to support folks after they respond. What if the person shares something I don’t want to know? What if the person shares something I can’t help them with, like supporting a sick family member? 

However, because Brené is Brené, she went on. Daring leaders are able to push past this fear and “excavate the unsaid.” Brave leaders are really good at asking questions that both model and invite vulnerability and connection. Their individual follow-up after the two-word group check-in may include a qualifier like, “Hey. I don’t have all the answers, but I want to know more.” Brave leaders realize that it’s about asking great questions, more so than having the right answer every time. This creates opportunities for authentic dialogue that over time builds stronger teams and works against the “toxic culture” that prevents employee retention.  Asking the question increases a sense of belonging; it says,  “I see you as a full human being, beyond your ability to complete your work.”

After reflecting on Brené’s keynote, my two word check-in is: I’m Motivated // Hopeful. I’m motivated to put her advice into action as I support my own staff and clients. I’m hopeful that there is a community of incredible, brave leaders like Brené who are inviting more honest conversations and not operating from a place of fear. When we think about employee retention in the broader landscape, a caring community at work is what the data shows is more likely than money to encourage folks to stick around. To know how your people are doing and how to support them, even when it’s messy and difficult, is what matters most. 

Power in the Pause: The Ladder of Inference Tool

"When we feel safe in the presence of another, our breath comes easily, our heartbeat is regulated, we don’t sweat nervously, our thinking is clear, and we feel open, expansive, and in sync." 

- Zaretta Hammond, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain 

Our KJCG team loves supporting leaders at all levels - with or without an official “leadership” title. We love coaching brand new teams, teams that have worked together for a while, and teams that are experiencing transition. No matter what type of team we are supporting, we often step back for all participants to ground in our common humanity. We reflect on big picture concepts like: how our brains and bodies are connected, what are some needs that we all have, and how we might react to stress when we feel those needs are in jeopardy. 

For instance, we know that we all need to feel physically and relationally safe to function at our best. When we feel one of those needs is threatened, we go into fight, flight, or freeze mode, our stress response signal is activated in our bodies, and we have a difficult time thinking straight until we process this stress or feel safe from the threat. We’ve done a lot of reading and research on this; thanks to Dr. Bruce Perry, Zaretta Hammond, and others for great insights here! 

Since we all have this deep need for relational safety - in other words, for connection - at KJCG we help support leaders and teams with their team chemistry, connection, and navigating conflict. One tool that we love to use is the Ladder of Inference. The Ladder of Inference provides a frame for understanding how we process events, and it can often help us step back and recognize why something at work ignited our stress response system. Without taking time to pause and examine what's happening, our stress response can cause us to jump to unfounded conclusions, often compounding stressors and damaging our work relationships.

Let’s look at the ladder. On the first rung are Reality and Facts, followed by Selected Reality. It’s not possible for us to process all of the sensory information around us at once, so we select what to pay attention to, based on the limitations of our senses and the unique perspective of our own lived experience. Our perspective also causes us to Interpret that reality in a certain way. Next, we make Assumptions, draw Conclusions, and create or adjust our Beliefs based on our Selected and Interpreted Reality. We then Act on those beliefs, conclusions, assumptions, and so on. This is a natural process that all humans go through to protect ourselves and survive. But it’s a process we want to be aware of to better understand how we and others react to events based on incorrect assumptions, and what we can do about it.

The Ladder of Inference - adapted from Argyris, C., 'Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Organizational Learning,' 1st Edition, © 1990.

We would all be better served by becoming more aware of when we “jump up the Ladder of Inference.” We get into trouble when we act on our assumptions without pausing to reflect on how we are jumping to conclusions. When we act too quickly based on our Selected Reality and Assumptions, we cause ourselves additional stress, can add stress to our teammates’ lives, and can make a tense situation even worse.  Thus, there is power in the pause. When we pause and take time to reflect, we can avoid some stress on ourselves and teammates. 

Let’s think through an example. During the height of the pandemic I adopted a pupper. As a cattle dog, her natural instinct is to herd and to protect me, and she is not used to people coming into the house often. One day a man pulled up to the driveway in a brown box truck, wearing a brown hat with a matching brown short-sleeved collared shirt and shorts. He grabbed a box out of the back of the truck and walked down the driveway towards the door. I became excited, while my dog activated her protector mode and ran towards the door barking. 

Why did we react to this situation differently? Let’s consult the ladder of inference. We observed the same Reality and Facts, but our Interpreted Reality was dramatically different, and based on our interpretations, we made different Assumptions, Conclusions, had different Beliefs about what was going on, and as a result - Acted differently. I assumed that the UPS driver was delivering a package that I ordered, while my dog assumed she needed to protect me from a potential threat. Of course my dog is not a human, but this example is a fun way to think about how to use the ladder of inference as a reflection tool. 

To use a work example, let’s say my boss emails me and just says, “Meet me at 4:00 in my office.” Depending on my previous work experience with this boss and other managers, I might get super worried. My Interpreted Reality might cause me to assume that I’m “in trouble” for something I did, and I need to prepare a response so I’m not caught off guard in the meeting. This might take up a ton of mental energy, take my focus away from current priorities, and cause me a lot of stress as I try to figure out what I did wrong and what to do about it. If I jump to the conclusion that my boss wants to reprimand me for not finishing a project yet (though it is due in 2 weeks), I might start out the meeting by saying, “I know why you called me in here. I’m going to drop everything and work after hours until the project is done.” Instead, my manager might say, “Hey, no worries, that’s not why I asked you to meet me. We know you did a great job on your last project. There’s an opportunity for you to present your work at a conference next month, and I wanted to give you a heads up so you can start prepping.” 

Though of course it’s natural and a survival instinct for us to interpret reality and try to guess what might be going on, we are better served when we become aware of these tendencies. The Ladder of Inference gives us a way to interrupt less helpful behaviors when we feel ourselves getting stressed out over assumptions, by taking time to reflect, and address what might be at the root of an issue. It takes practice, but there are plenty of opportunities to do that. Have you used the Ladder of Inference before, or need a coach to get started? Reach out to let us know!

Retaining and Supporting Our Staff Through Thoughtful Hiring Practices

As we close out one school year and start preparing for the ‘22-23 school year, I want to offer a gigantic THANK YOU to all of the amazing educators and other critical folks who supported students and families during the 21-22 school year. What. A. Year. You navigated working through a global pandemic. You waded through the chaos of mask policies, book bans, speech restrictions, restrictions on culturally responsive pedagogy, and even socio emotional learning. You were forced to yet again contemplate the physical safety of yourself and your students after the tragedy in Uvalde. And all the while you worked to connect your students with needed mental services as they dealt with so many of the same issues. The weight of your work does not go unnoticed. I see you. I appreciate you. And I thank you.

Right now my team and I are supporting several schools as they close out hiring for the 22-23 school year, at a moment when many teachers feel more stressed and burnt out than ever before.  As a former teacher, I know a school that supports, values and listens to its people is of the utmost importance. There is so much power in a school where the staff is seen as necessary partners in the work. Hiring projects excite my team because we know that thoughtful, strategic hiring  can fuel a stronger school community. 

When the KJCG team enters into a partnership with a school around hiring, we truly see the work as a shared responsibility. Because the truth is that for such projects, the conversation is never JUST about hiring. Yes, we create sustainable recruitment and selection systems for the long term; we post open teaching positions on Indeed and Handshake; we reach out to university contacts; we connect with folks through NEMNET and other organizations seeking to diversify the teacher candidate pipeline. But in addition to this seemingly standard hiring work, we also encourage school leadership teams to consider how their hiring practices will continue to build support and  community for new staff once they’re hired. Our fundamental belief is that one cannot happen without the other. 

So where do we start? As a human centered organization, we start by encouraging school hiring teams (usually the administrators) to listen to their people. Just like we want classroom teachers to give up some control and invite in student voices, we want this same thing with adults. We want those at the “top” to cede some of their systemic control and understand that including other key voices will make their work better - and by better we mean that by getting more weigh in and involvement from the school community, hiring is more sustainable and aligned, and teams are ultimately more effective. We believe in gathering the voices of everyone involved in the daily work of schools to understand what’s going well, what’s NOT, and how to create solutions together.  In these instances where we’re working on a hiring strategy with a school partner, we’re really talking about the retention and support of their entire team. When creating recruiting strategies, crafting job descriptions, drafting interview processes, and writing interview questions, these rich conversations with our school partners help drive our work with hiring teams. 

 These last few years have brought a great deal of change to schools, to say the least. As organizations and teams chart the course ahead, it is more important than ever to be human-centered in pursuit of goals. We would love the opportunity to think with you about how your school’s current systems, practices, and procedures could be strengthened to inform the evolution of both your  work and workplace. Sign up for a free 30 minute “Connection with Katie” call and we can discuss your unique needs. 

Three Ways to Strengthen Team Cohesion

It’s easy to envision the “ideal team”- it’s one that communicates clearly, works well together, collaborates openly, practices often, and is committed to improvement over time. When obstacles appear, this “ideal team” seeks solutions and moves forward in the same direction. When this “ideal team” experiences a win, its members authentically celebrate one another. 

When I dig below the surface of this vision, however, I realize that it lives only in my mind. Abstractly, my brain can jump to find a perfectly functioning group achieving outcomes without thinking about how its members learn to work together. In fact, my own “team” experiences as an education professional have rarely played out so smoothly. I’ve been on teams where, in the face of challenge, many of us panicked. Or, in the presence of a win, one person took all the credit. And I’ve been on teams where we frankly didn’t get better at working together over time- teams where members left because they didn’t feel heard or valued.

When I was in high school, it seemed so easy to get my softball teammates and I aligned on our collective purpose: to win every game and bring home the state title at the end of the season. But for a team of adults in the workplace- adults with varying experiences coming in, different lengths of time in the role, different personality types, and potentially different roles within the team- getting aligned on our collective purpose is less clear than winning games. 

Building a team of adults who work well together takes time. And creating strong team chemistry is surely an art, not a science. There is not one magical way to make it happen in a single moment, but there are ways to invest in team chemistry continually over time. Here are three ways to strengthen your team’s chemistry:

1. Establish trust through vulnerability and authenticity - Normalize celebrating big and small wins, sharing struggles, and supporting each other through the inevitable ups and downs that we all experience. As the leader, be “appropriately vulnerable,” to paraphrase Brené Brown. Share questions you’re pondering, potential solutions brewing, and things that feel hard. A window into each other’s thinking followed by space for even brief conversation after builds authentic community and culture.

2. Strengthen communication - On your team, avoid assigning blame, and instead focus on co-creating solutions. Invite team input and model genuine listening.  “What are some glows and grows from this experience?” “What do we need to adjust for the future?” Help the group keep the solutions they generated in mind as the work moves forward, fostering a growth mindset.

3. Support your people - Be clear that when each staff member is successful, the team as a whole is successful. Find out what each team member needs to execute their role, and share what your support can look like to get them there and name how others on the team are also positioned to assist.  

Remember that many adults in the workplace today have learned to survive as individual contributors. A commitment to building a team mentality will take time. A strong leader will recognize unique individuals and connect their strengths to the collective power of the group.

Want to learn more? KJ Consulting facilitates team building workshops and 1:1 coaching sessions using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) and DISC tools as a powerful lens. Contact us at katie@kjconsultinggroup.come to book!

What can Mare of Easttown teach us about closing a meeting?

At KJ Consulting Group, we’re all about coaching teams to work better together. One piece of our formula - whether we’re training a room full of educators, working with a hiring committee, or coaching leaders - is that we are ALL constantly learning. Today’s blog invites you to consider the ways you are closing your team meetings and invite you, in the spirit of learning, to make a few adjustments. 

If you know me, you know I love movies and TV shows that make me think, challenge the world as I see it, and reflect about how I might apply a new perspective to my own life. One recent show that I became obsessed with was Mare of Easttown, starring an amazing cast including Kate Winslet. The show involved a central mystery, but it had a more lasting impact because of the exploration of the characters’ difficult family dynamics and long-lasting grief. The show didn’t stop at the climax —when we discovered who the killer was - but instead included a few final scenes of falling action and a resolution. The arc of the show and those final scenes have stuck with me, as my brain ponders Mare and her family’s journeys, my key takeaways from the show, and how I might apply them to my own life. 

Thinking about the show and its resolution prompted me to consider the arc of a standard team meeting. Most of us are pretty familiar with icebreakers to START meetings (we recently wrote about it here), but a carefully crafted meeting CLOSING can ensure participants leave with a stronger sense of what they’ve learned and a commitment to making change moving forward. 

We can draw a comparison between shows like Mare and collaborative meetings. As humans we like to draw conclusions and apply them to our own lives. However, to get to the application (or “now what?”) phase, we need to give ourselves time for reflection. How many times have you been in a meeting that never gets to the end? How often have you left a meeting without a clear idea of what to do next? We tend to get stuck in the heart of the content to ensure we meet objectives, when we need to save time for an intentional close, even if we don’t get through all of the content. Even when things aren’t going completely on schedule, saving time for a closing reflection will allow our teams to apply their learning, either as a shift in perspective or to plan action steps for their future work. 

Closings are an important part of all trainings we lead, so that the content we share and the dialogue we engage in during a session are not lost. I urge you to consider how closings might add value to your team meetings in a similar way. Whether you have 5 minutes or 20, saving intentional time in an agenda to allow participants to extract key learning points from the experience builds a culture of ongoing learning. Coming soon - a few of our favorite closing activities that only take a few minutes, while allowing for valuable reflection. Try one out, and let us know what closings you frequently use!

From the Classroom to the Boardroom: 4 Ways to Check for Understanding

How often have you been in a meeting when, after a quick icebreaker (if there was “time for one), the presenter ran through a deck of new information and sent the team on its way without pausing for anyone to take a breath? I have left meetings like this feeling overwhelmed and often unclear of my own next steps, much less how to communicate the information to the rest of my team. 

In our fast-paced workplaces, we must all tune in to take in new information, and many of us are responsible for quickly turning around that information to share with teammates. However, so often the focus is on getting the next thing done, rather than ensuring that all team members understand the new information and expectations on how to implement it. To make a shift, let’s turn to education. 

In the classroom, most teachers build in “checks for understanding” throughout their lessons to collect quick data snapshots around which students comprehend the key takeaways, who is struggling, and why. These moments ensure that learning is taking place and support the teacher in making decisions about what to do next instructionally (e.g. which concepts do they need to reteach and to whom, how can they present the information in a different way to support learners, and which students are ready for more of a challenge). We can all learn from this practice. Whether we are teaching young people or facilitating a meeting for adults, checking for understanding can be done quickly and will lead to more impactful outcomes, while guiding our work for the future.

Here are a few ways to check for understanding, regardless of your audience:

1. Fist to Five. Ask the group how they feel about new information by a show of hands. 

   • Holding up 0 (fist) or 1 finger = not super confident. 

   • Holding up all 5 fingers = I’ve got this! 

   • Skim the room to see if most people are in the 3-5 range. If not, pause for clarifying questions.

2. Thumbs up/ side/ down. Similar to “Fist to Five.” 

   • Ask the group how they feel about new information by giving a thumbs up / thumb to the side / or thumbs down. 

   • Scan the group to see where people are and follow up as needed.

3. Mentimeter. When you want to integrate technology, use a free, easy tool like this!

   • Mentimeter is one way to nab feedback and create a safe space for team members to ask questions anonymously.

   • As a presenter, you can prepopulate questions before the meeting and share a code with participants at various points to check for understanding. 

   • Participants can use Mentimeter on any device for virtual, hybrid, or in-person meetings.

   • As the results come in, you can share and respond to feedback in real-time.

4. Ask open ended questions. 

   • Instead of asking the group “Do you have any questions” at a pause point, ask instead: “What questions do you have?” Framing matters!

If the end goal is retaining information, we can’t blindly assume it will just happen. Embedding a check for understanding moment into an upcoming meeting agenda or presentation will build stronger team chemistry, clarify outcomes, and give you valuable information as the leader. The cost is low (less than a minute for most named above) and the gains are high. Try it out, and let us know your favorite CFUs!

4 Tips for Purposeful Team Retreats

Four tips for a top notch #teamretreat that builds collective purpose, impact, and - most importantly - JOY!

1. Co-plan with a group! A team is by definition more than 1 person, so more than 1 voice should be heard to create the retreat agenda.

• Keep the planning committee small enough to move the work forward (think 3-5 humans) but large enough to incorporate different perspectives. 

• Include representation from different identities in your organization (gender/ race/ ethnicity/ age, etc) as well as different levels of staff.  Remember that entry level staff have as much to add as experienced leaders! 

• INSIDER TIP: Have your planning committee evaluate a draft retreat agenda for a balance of strategy work AND culture building. Does one strongly outweigh the other? How can you adjust? A strong team needs to spend time on both! 

2. Intentionally infuse joy. A retreat should purposefully give team members time to pause as well as built-in mind/ body breaks throughout, not just at the start and end of the session.

• Moments of joy will also help team members calm their amygdalas, the part of the brain that controls emotional responses. When the amygdala is at ease, we’re better able to think deeply. 

• To kick off a retreat, check out our favorite icebreakers here. 

• For a mid-retreat pause, consider adding to a Shout-Out Wall where each team member has an envelope, and they can write short affirmations to each other. 

•  To close a retreat, have the team collectively identify wins (both large and small) that they’ve experienced together. 

• INSIDER TIP: We hear a lot that these moments are often skipped because there “isn’t enough time.” If this is the case for you, pausing for ONE MINUTE to ask your team to focus on their breathing and connect with how they are feeling in the space is worthwhile.

3. Use a common language or framework to get to know each other and build relationships over time. One of our favorite ways to build relationships is through the Myers Briggs (MBTI) tool. 

• The MBTI system provides insights about people’s working styles, energizers, stressors, and communication preferences. The MBTI is helpful on an individual level AND when considering how different people on a team interact, approach a project, and keys to navigating conflicts. 

• Read more about using MBTI to co-create psychologically safe spaces, the #1 predictor of team success according to Google’s Project Aristotle study. In a retreat setting, you can apply MBTI preferences as you dig into strategies and systems. 

• Allow for all voices to be heard by incorporating individual processing time before sharing out or use a tool like Padlet or Google Docs to capture team members’ thoughts throughout the session.

• INSIDER TIP: If your retreat is focused on longer term visioning and planning, the Back to the Future protocol is a good framework to use! 

4. Close strong. We’re big fans of properly closing ALL meetings, but a retreat closing takes on particular importance, as team members will likely be carrying bigger things to implement in their future work.

• Build into your agenda time to think, “Now what?”

• Remind the team in closing that the team is comprised of both culture (a deeper understanding of each other + human relationships) AND the strategies and systems for the work itself. 

• Post-retreat: Team members can help hold each other accountable for maintaining the systems and vibe established during an impactful retreat. As a team lead, you can be the one to follow-up on an ongoing basis.