Micro-Teambuilding

We all talk "teamwork".  But do we really know what we mean?  Are these expressions just feelings or are they skills that can be applied in seconds?  In critical, life-death environments?

Try this idea on...there are micro environments like operating emergency rooms, air traffic towers, international banking centers, military combat, police protection, life saving, rescue, air-sea, and on land.  Situations where hand to hand coordination among team members may mean life or death.  Environments of work or play where there is no room for error....nearly perfect situations.

In my teaching for many years I have struggled with this idea and how to bring the lessons dramatically to students beyond words...right to their knees...but without the real pain that actual errors may mean in real world work.  Thus, I have designed a simulation experiential learning module which simulates the approach to nearly perfect teamwork found in real work environments like emergency rooms, air-sea rescue, and piloting of aircraft.

It is an exercise with TinkerToys where students are given the chance to compete in teams to build a free standing tower (height only, not elegance) within thirty seconds.  We give them thirty minutes to plan and thirty seconds to execute.  They nearly all fail through the third or fourth try...then they get it and perform as an Olympic team, with deft skill and precision team play and handwork.  We have seen all kinds of groups from LAPD heavy duty males to surgical nurse teams to undergraduate students to executives.  All are the same.  All fail....until they learn finally to succeed.  Only one team ever was successful on the first try...a team of ER nurses who already worked together.

The exercise in micro teambuilding brings out the best and worst. 

Finally, teams learn their mistakes and dramatically and physically show success.  Most participants are blown away with how they learn this and how they see the connections with real world, real time workplace situations and in general life.

There are roles...people must get this clear.  There may be a perfect design...this must be learned...There is sub team assembly work...there is the critical role of timekeeper and process coordinator.  Leadership emerges.  True leaders come forward.  Frustration shows its face....ethics show...some people violate the rules...and in the end, teams celebrate and give each other high fives.....

Across cultures, old and young...this is the same.  Planes crash and pilots and crews must respond....ER teams must respond...surgeons and those who support them must save lives....and some are lost....this always has happened, always will and goes on....

We can learn in some micro-environments, what precision,Olympic quality teamwork looks like.  Engarde!  Celebrate!  Beware!  We are of one family.  We must learn how to be a team.  If only for sometimes seconds!