Creating a

Positive Team
Climate
20 Practical Ideas
Volume 4 of The Parker Team Series
The atmosphere in an effective team tends to be informal,
comfortable and relaxed. One signal that your team is effective is
that you enjoy being around the people. You actually want to
come to team meetings. You look forward to all associations and
contacts with other team members. You know the feeling because
you have had the opposite feeling so many times.
Glenn Parker

GLENN PARKER

HRD Press, Inc. Amherst Massachusetts

Copyright 2009, Glenn Parker

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CLIMATE = NO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

N o, we are not talking weather here. We are talking about the

interpersonal atmosphere of the team. It's an important
element of successful teamwork because we know that people do
their best work in an informal and relaxed environment. In fact,
some psychological studies indicate that friendly gestures such
as verbal compliments or small, fun gifts such as candy can
increase creativity and effective problem-solving.

On the other hand, when the climate is formal and tense:

Y Problem-solving will be rigid.

Y Decisions will be unnecessarily conservative

Y Creativity will be inside the box.

Y New product and service development will be extensions of

last year's models.

Y Risk-taking will be nonexistent.

Y Conflicts will be resolved by sweeping them under the rug.

Y Meetings will be boring.

Y Leadership will be by the book.

Y Discussions will be dreary and/or negative with lots of

whining.

Y The overall team atmosphere will be spiritless and not

much fun.

1
 Climate vs. Culture

Many people use the words climate and culture interchangeably,

as if they mean the same thing. While both team culture and team
climate are important, they are quite different. Climate measures
and describes how satisfied team members are with various
aspects of their team. We often get a climate reading from a
survey that measures satisfaction.

Culture, on the other hand, describes how things get done in

an organization or a team. Team norms or ground rules are a
practical expression of a team's culture. For example, if team
members consistently arrive late for meetings, that is a norm and
is a partial description of the team's culture. Climate and culture
often intersect. For example, a climate survey might measure the
team members' level of satisfaction with team meetings and,
more specifically, satisfaction with meeting time management. As
a working definition, we define climate as the feeling, tone, or
emotional atmosphere of the team. Therefore, climate includes
such components as trust, fear, communication, conflict and risk-
taking, among others.

Societyasawholebenefitsmeasurablyfroma
climateinwhichallpeople,regardlessofrace
orgender,mayhavetheopportunitytoearn
respect,responsibility,advancement,and
remuneration,basedonability.
SandraDayOConnor

2
 PLUSES OF A POSITIVE CLIMATE

There is a good deal of support for the belief that a positive

climatean atmosphere where team members are relaxed and
feel free to speak upleads to more effective teamwork. Our
personal experience tells us that good things happen when the
environment on the team is warm and supportive. In addition,
there are numerous studies of team climate that provide
empirical evidence that there is a positive relationship between
team member's satisfaction with the climate on the team and
various outcomes such as product quality, creativity, customer
satisfaction and overall innovation.

It is fair to conclude that a supportive environment on the

team leads to:

Y An encouragement of reasonable risk-taking.

Y Increased productivity, because team members are

motivated to work hard and do their best.

Y Decisions that are forward-looking and creative.

Y A willingness to speak up and share resources and ideas.

Y Meetings that are lively, interactive and productive.

Y A greater willingness to explore professional differences.

Y A higher level of overall team member satisfaction.

Y A greater likelihood of product quality in development

teams.

Y An increase in levels of customer satisfaction.

3
 Positive Team Climate
Produces Positive Results
There is plenty of empirical evidence to support the idea that a
positive climate on a team leads to a variety of positive
outcomes.

Y In a study of 35 software development teams it was found

that there was a positive relationship between certain team
climate factors (e.g., support for team member
participation) and software quality.

Y A longitudinal study of top management teams in 27

organizations concluded that the overall level of innovation
was directly related to the climate of the team.

Y A large cross-sectional study of 93 general practices,

including almost 700 doctors and more than 7,000
patients, found that team climate was directly related to
the job satisfaction of practitioners and staff, and higher
scores on a climate survey were associated with greater
satisfaction by patients with their care.

We could cite more studies but the results would be more of

the same: positive climate is directly related to positive business
results.

Justtaskingateamtobecreativewontget
youtobeinnovative.Itshavingacorporate
climatethatgivespeoplethespaceto
experimentandtakerisks.Onlythencanyou
trulysustainit.
SteveBrown

4
 Whats Your Slogan?

The purpose of this quick exercise is to reflect on the climate of

your team using images created by famous advertising slogans.

Resources: Give everyone a copy of the Slogans handout.

Time required: It takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

Process steps:

Explain that the purpose of this activity is to discuss and

try to agree on a description of the climate on this team.

Ask that people review the handout and select the slogan
that comes closest to describing the climate on this team.
Tell them to be prepared to provide the reasons for their
selection.

Facilitate a discussion based on the responses. You may

elect to go down the list, asking if anyone selected that
slogan. When you get a positive response probe for:

Y Why did you select this slogan?

Y What does the slogan mean (some slogans have double
meanings)?
Y What is it about our team that influenced your selection?
Y How might you edit the slogan to better describe our
team's climate?
Y Would you be proud to have this slogan represent us?

Does this discussion tell us anything about our team that needs
to change?

Slogansrarelyconvincetheunconvinced.However,
theydorallythetroopsalreadyonyourside.
JohnMcCarthy

5
 Slogans

Directions: Please review the list of slogans and select the one
that best describes your team's climate.

1. Just do it (Nike)
2. The real thing (Coke)
3. Think different (Apple)
4. We try harder (Avis)
5. We bring good things to life (GE)
6. A mind is a terrible thing to waste
(United Negro College Fund)

7. The relentless pursuit of perfection (Lexus)

8. Its not a job. Its an adventure. (U.S. Navy)
9. Be all that you can be (U.S. Army)
10. Like a rock (Chevy Trucks)

Note: Adapted from an exercise that originally appeared in S.

Thiagarajan & G. Parker, Teamwork and Team Play: Games and
Activities for Building and Training Teams, Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, A
Wiley Company, 1999.

6
 Negative Behavior

In their breakthrough book, Driving Fear Out of the Workplace,

Ryan and Oestreich pointed to a scale of behaviors that run from
lower to higher intensity or just bad to worse in terms of their
impact on climate.

1. Silence
2. Glaring eye contact (the look)
3. Brevity or abruptness
4. Snubbing or ignoring people
5. Insults or put-downs
6. Blaming, discrediting or discounting
7. An aggressive, controlling manner
8. Threats about the job
9. Yelling and shouting
10. Angry outbursts or loss of control
11. Physical threats

Letusnotlookbackinangernorforwardin
fearbutaroundinawareness.
JamesThurber

7
 Things to Watch Out For

Y The deadpan, cool eye, silent treatment

Y Sometimes silence is combined with the look
Y And when they do speak, it's brief or very abrupt (No
problem)
Y Snubbing or ignoring people or simply never looking
directly at them
Y Insults, ridicule, or sarcasm (You're not technical, are
you?)
Y Blaming (You didn't provide the necessary back-up)
Y Aggressive or controlling behavior (Because I said so!)
Y Threats (I'll remember this one)
Y Yelling (Stop wasting my time)
Y Angry outbursts or loss of control (Wheres the damn data
I asked for?)
Y Physical threats (We will settle this man-to-man)

While the silent treatment seems like a low intensity action, it can
have a more chilling effect on climate than a threat, for example,
because it may encourage the recipient to conjure up all sorts of
bad things about themselves or their job security.

Do you see any of these actions in your team?

If so, what has been the impact?
If so, what can be done to address them?

8
AT RISK CLIMATE

Your team's climate may be at risk if:

Y Sub-groups of team members meet or trade e-mails

discussing what's wrong with the team, the leader, or the
sponsor.

Y Members are absent from meetings when key decisions are

made.

Y Members sit quietly and show displeasure with a variety of

nonverbal gestures such as rolling their eyes, folding their
arms or leaning back from the table.

Y You hear that members have complained to colleagues or

their boss about the team.

Y Members straddle the fence when asked for their opinion

or expert advice.

Y Reports or presentations by members are long on data and

short on recommendations.

Questions:
Have you seen any of these actions?
Is your team's climate at risk?

Thelengthofthisdocumentdefendsitwell
againsttheriskofbeingread.
WinstonChurchill

9
 I was afraid to disagree

At a community board meeting, the president asked, How's

morale around here? The first person to respond said, On a
scale of one to ten, I'd say it was an eight. After that, everyone
said either seven or eight.

When my turn came, I really wanted to tell the truth and say,
Around three or four, but I was afraid to disagree. After the
meeting, several other members told me they also felt the morale
was bad but were reluctant to speak up.

Questions:
Can you imagine something like this happening on your
team?
What would be the likely outcome?
What is the long-term impact of this type of climate?
What can be done to change the climate on this team?

Justaswarisfreedomscost,disagreementis
freedomsprivilege.
BillClinton

10
 Describe Your Climate

One way to get a handle on your current climate is to try to

describe it. Here is a simple but powerful exercise designed to
both describe your team climate and develop a plan to improve it.

Purpose: To collect data on your current team climate and to use

the data to develop an improvement plan.

Resources: A copy of the Climate Descriptors handout for each

member of the team.

Time required: One hour

Process steps:
Distribute a copy of the handout prior to the meeting or
at the beginning of the exercise.

Ask each person to complete the form without discussion.

Collect the responses by asking each person to report the

words they checked.

Tally the number of responses for each descriptor.

Facilitate a discussion starting with the descriptor

receiving the highest number of votes using some or all of
these questions:

Y Why did you select this word?

Y What is it about our team that influenced your selection?
Y What specifically causes the climate around here to be
__________? (e.g., stressful)
Y What is the impact of that aspect of our climate on our
overall team effectiveness?
Y What can we do to improve and/or maintain our current
climate?

11
 Climate Descriptors

Directions: How would you describe the climate on this team?

Check as many as apply.

T Relaxed

T Collaborative

T Stressful

T Frantic

T Open

T Fun

T Boring

T Rigid

T Conservative

T Progressive

Ifitsnotfun,Imnotgoingtodoit.
AnitaBaker

12
 Quick Climate Quiz (QCQ)

Do you want to survey the members of your team to get their

assessment of the climate on the team? The QCQ is designed to
quickly collect data on the team's current climate.

Purpose: To get a data-based reading on your team's climate and

use the data to develop a climate change.

Resources: A copy of the survey for everyone on the team.

Time required: About one hour to summarize the results,

depending upon the number of surveys returned. You should
allow approximately 60 to 90 minutes for consideration of the
results and the development of a plan.

Process steps:
E-mail a copy of the survey to all team members with a
request to return it by a certain date. Include in your
request the purpose of the survey and a description of
how the data will be used.

Prepare a summary of the responses, including the

number of responses for each answer.

Present a summary of the responses at the next team

meeting, or a special meeting set aside to discuss the
results. You might want to send out the summary prior to
the meeting.

Facilitate a discussion of the results.

Conclude with a list of action items designed to improve

the climate on the team.

Anewsurveycameouttodaythatshowedthatthreeoutof
everyfourpeoplemakeup75percentofthepopulation.
DavidLetterman

13
 Quick Climate Quiz (QCQ)

Directions: Please review each question and then place a

checkmark in the box next to your response.

1. To what extent do I feel safe, relaxed, and myself on this

team?
T Almost never
T Rarely
T Sometimes
T Occasionally
T Almost always

2. To what extent do I have private thoughts or unspoken

opinions about the teams work that I do not feel comfort-
able expressing?
T Almost never
T Rarely
T Sometimes
T Occasionally
T Almost always

3. To what extent do we work to get out the opinions and

ideas of all team members prior to making a decision?
T Almost never
T Rarely
T Sometimes
T Occasionally
T Almost always

14
 Quick Climate Quiz (QCQ)
(concluded)

4. To what extent are differences openly shared and discussed

on this team?
T Almost never
T Rarely
T Sometimes
T Occasionally
T Almost always

5. To what extent would you describe the climate on this team

as open, informal, and relaxed?
T Almost never
T Rarely
T Sometimes
T Occasionally
T Almost always

Comments on the questions:

Adapted from W. Dyer, Team Building (1975).

15
CREATING A SUNNY CLIMATE

We have thought for a long time that our mood is affected by

swings in the weather. When the sun is shining, we feel better.
When it's raining and gray, we feel down. These are broad
generalizations that have many exceptionsnot everyone reacts
in the same way.

However, there is a documented condition called Seasonal

Affective Disorder (SAD) where people who are exposed to long
periods of overcast weather can become depressed or lack
energy. It's caused by lack of exposure to light and is not related
to temperature. When people are exposed to ultraviolet light,
their situation improves due, in part, to the maintenance of
appropriate levels of vitamin D. The key is to get enough expo-
sure to ward off those down feelings but not too much, so as to
avoid the burning associated with skin cancer. Some people are
prone to SAD but many or most are not.

So, how do we create a sunny climate on our team without

overdoing it? We want a positive, upbeat climate but not to the
point of being silly and lacking the seriousness necessary to get
the important work done.

Ifyouwanttoseethesunshine,youhaveto
weatherthestorm.
FrankLane

16
 Creating a Sunny Climate
A Quick Team Exercise

If your team's climate has become dark and dreary, formal and
forbidding, cold and cheerless, spend a few minutes at the end
of your next meeting engaging the team in a brainstorming
exercise designed to come up with ideas for climate change.

1. At the top of a sheet of flip chart paper or on a computer

projection screen, write the words, Ways to Create a Sunny
Climate on this Team.
2. Summarize the rules for brainstorming: no evaluation, lots
of ideas, encourage wild ideas, build on other ideas.
3. Open the discussion and record each idea just as it is
presented.
4. Discuss the list: clarify items, eliminate duplicates, combine
ideas that naturally go together.
5. Rank order the list or at least the top five items.

6. Select one or two ideas for implementation.

7. Form sub-groups to take responsibility for their

implementation.

Eachofusmakeshisownweatheranddetermines
thecoloroftheskiesintheemotionaluniverse
whichheinhabits.
BishopFultonJ.Sheen

17
THE LEADER SETS THE TONE

The style and actions of the team leader have a great impact on
team climate. You might even say, as the style of the leader
goes, so goes the climate of the team. If the leader is open,
relaxed and informal, then the climate of the team will be open,
relaxed and informal since the leader sets the tone by his or her
manner.

On the other hand, if the leader wears a conservative business

suit, rarely smiles, conducts team meetings in a formal manner
and, in general, is rigid in style and substance, the atmosphere is
likely to be humorless and efficient, but not necessarily effective.

Some ways the leader can set a positive tone include:

Y Communicate a can-do feeling. You can make it clear

that you believe that the team has the capability to achieve
its goals.

Y Empower members to do the job. Delegate action items

and other tasks in a way that gives members the necessary
latitude to use their initiative and skills.

Y Clarify your expectations. Eliminate the unknown and any

confusion by making it clear what it is expected of each
member of the team, especially in regard to specific tasks.

Y Recognize team member accomplishments. Share the

limelight by crediting people for the work they have done.

18
 Setting the Tone

Reflections on Climate-Setting: What have you done in the past

six months?

Check as many as apply.

T 1. Hold a celebration to acknowledge a team
accomplishment.
T 2. Bring some fun food to a team meeting.
T 3. Start a meeting by asking everyone to discuss their
vacation plans.
T 4. Facilitate a brainstorming session on a new way to
address a business issue or opportunity.
T 5. When a team member or subgroup comes to you for a
decision, say they are empowered to make that decision
and ask them to go back and work it out.
T 6. Accept responsibility for a problem, missed opportunity,
or customer complaint.
T 7. Change a decision or alter your point of view based on
feedback or other input from members.
T 8. Involve outsiders when you and the team cannot figure
out a problem or develop a solution.

Next steps: As you review your responses

Y Continue to do the things that are working.
Y Change the things that are counterproductive
Y Consider adding any of the items that are appropriate and
would help improve the climate.

Wemustbecomethechangewewanttobe.
MahatmaGandhi

19
CLIMATE WITHOUT WORDS

We all know that nonverbal communication goes on everywhere

and all the time. In fact, some communications experts believe
that up to 80 percent of all communication is nonverbal. The
problem is that we are usually not aware that we are communi-
cating nonverbally since these gestures, for example, are un-
planned and instinctual. Furthermore, we are also not aware of
the impact of these behaviors on others.

Another problem is that quick and easy interpretations

offered up by pop psychologists are usually too general to be
helpful in specific situations you may encounter. For example,
these so-called experts will say that when you fold your arms
across your chest, you are communicating that you are not open
to the idea that is being presented. However, in the real world it
may simply be that the room is cold and you are making an effort
to warm yourself. Similarly, if you lean back in your chair it is
assumed that you are not interested in the topic or what the
person has to say about it. In fact, you may be simply stretching
because you have been sitting straight for a long period of time.

A current and growing problem with nonverbal commu-

nication is the explosion of global teamwork and the corre-
sponding expansion in the use of teleconference meetings where
you are unable to see any nonverbal behaviors.

Shelearnedtosaythingswithhereyesthat
otherswastetimeputtingintowords.
CoreyFord

20
 Nonverbal Climate Tools

You can contribute to a positive climate by trying to reinforce

your verbal message with appropriate nonverbal signals. Your
gestures, tone of voice, and facial expressions can all play a part
in your ability to communicate with teammates.

Reinforcement. You can help your verbal message get

through to another person if your nonverbal behavior is
aligned with your verbal communication. For example, if
you point at an item on a chart or slide while you are
talking about it, this will help.

Supportive. For example, if you smile while you are

reporting great sales figures or a presenting a new
business opportunity, this will aid your communication.

Emphasis. You can tell people that something is

important, perhaps more important that other topics, by
the volume of your voice (higher), tone of voice (serious)
or a hand gesture (raised).

Touch. The manner in which you shake a person's hand

helps to support your verbal message of, for example,
How are you? or I'm glad to see you. In some cultures,
a person may touch another person on the arm to
support the message of I'm interested or I care.

Time. Although rarely discussed as a form of nonverbal

communication, if you come late to meetings, keep people
waiting for an appointment or fail to respond to
messages in a timely fashion, this sends a powerful
nonverbal message with negative consequences for the
overall team climate.

21
INVOLVE MEMBERS

The team's climate and the members' feeling about the climate
are, to a considerable extent, influenced by the extent to which
members are involved in discussions and decisions. When mem-
bers sense that their expertise, opinions and ideas are valued,
they are more likely to have positive feelings about the team.

When members are satisfied, the climate is a contributing fac-

tor in team success. In addition, when members actively partici-
pate in discussions and decisions, the team is making effective
use of all of its resources. There are two sides of the participation
equation:

1. Active involvement initiated by team members because

they feel free to speak up.

2. Active facilitation by the leader and others seeking the

input of team members.

Thereisadifferencebetweenparticipation
andcommitment.Inhamandeggs,thechicken
participates,thepigiscommitted.
AuthorUnknown

22
 Participation Tools

Team leaders can create a positive climate by involving members,

stakeholders and others in the team's discussions and decisions.
Team members can also play a role in climate-setting by using
many of the same interpersonal tools.

Y Use active listening techniques, such as paraphrasing, to

both grasp the meaning of what is said and communicate
that you value what is being said and the person saying it.

Y Use more open-ended questions to engage and draw out

the ideas and opinions of others. Open-ended questions
typically beginning with What, Where, Why, and
How.

Y When a brief answer is given, probe for more information

from the person (Tell me more about that) or ask others
to build on the idea (Brad, how do you think Erika's idea
would work in your area?).

Y Don't start off a discussion by giving your answer or

solution; rather ask others for their ideas first and only
provide your thoughts at the end or not at all.

Y Use nonverbal cues such shaking your head up and down,

smiling and looking at the person to support and
encourage participation.

In a teleconference, you may have to call on people to ensure

their ideas are included in the discussion and they participate in
the decision.

23
COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

The manner and clarity with which you communicate can help
build a positive team climate. The words and phrases you use
either facilitate participation or serve as a barrier to involvement.
When you use phrases or words that send unclear or mixed
messages, you effectively damage the climate.

Here are some types of words to minimize or avoid.

Jargon. When you use a word or phrase that is not

regularly used by other members of the team, you
exclude them from participation. It is also just plain
inconsiderate, especially if you are doing it to impress
others with your knowledge.

Euphemisms. People often choose other words to

describe something impolite, offensive or taboo such as
He arrived after the meeting started instead of simply
saying He was late.

Slang. Using an informal word that is not in the dic-

tionary can be problematic since it is often specific to a
particular culture or area. It may not be understood by
people outside of the group or it may be misinterpreted
as in pissed, which Americans use to mean mad but in
the United Kingdom it means drunk.

Vague Language. When you say things that are open to

interpretation, you create the potential for misun-
derstandings and bad feelings. For example, what is
meant by the phrase, I need this report as soon as
possible?

24
 Avoid These

The world of teams has changed. Now, many teams are global
and, therefore, include members from a variety of countries and
cultures from around the world. Therefore, many words or
phrases that were once easily understood by team members
whose primarily language is English can be just as easily
misinterpreted by many members of a global team. Here are
examples of ones to avoid.

Y You can lead a horse to water

Y Cash cow.
Y The 80-20 rule.
Y Give that team some props for
Y You can't tell a book by its cover.
Y Halo effect.
Y The whole enchilada.
Y Learning curve.
Y At the end of the day
Y We may need to call an audible.

IknowonlytwowordsofAmericanslang,
swellandlousy.Ithinkswellislousybut
lousyisswell.
J.B.Priestly,
Britishwriter

25
 BUILDING AN OPEN CLIMATE

In her best selling book, The Team Building Tool Kit, Deborah
Harrington-Mackin tells the story of a team that ordered a bulle-
tin board for their announcements. When it was being hung out-
side their meeting room, several of the members noticed that it
was glass enclosed and locked.

A discussion followed during which many members said

something like, what does it say about the atmosphere on our
team that we lock things up (they also found other things in their
work area locked)? A few members worried that their notices
would be stolen or defaced and some were concerned that other
people would post notices on their board.

In the end it was decided to take down the locked bulletin

board and replace it with an open one. The team wanted to strive
for an open climate and the bulletin board was a symbol of that
climate. The incident also provided an important learning oppor-
tunity for them.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What do you think of the team discussion and decision?
2. What similar symbols exist in your team's area, ground
rules or organizational policies?

26
 Some Assumptions about
People That Result
in a Closed Climate
Y They cannot be trusted to do the right thing.

Y They require a rigid structure to shape their behavior.

Y They require a comprehensive set of rules to govern their

actions.

Y They must be closely supervised at all times.

Y They will take advantage of the system if they think they can
get away with it.

Y They will not take responsibility for their actions.

Y They will lie and/or bend the rules to gain a personal

advantage.

Y They will not act in the best interests of the team and/or the
organization.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What other assumptions would you add to this list based
on your experience? Use the extra bullets to complete this
exercise.
2. Which of these assumptions is true about your team
and/or organization?

27
 WHEN ARE YOU MOST RELAXED?

I often notice that all kinds of great ideas come to me when I am

sitting in an Adirondack chair overlooking the rocky coast of
Maine.

If I am on a long plane ride to Europe, a difficult and

persistent problem that has bothered me for weeks becomes
much easier to solve.

When I am trying to come up with a catchy opening sentence

for a chapter of a new book, it seems to flow easily from the
keyboard to the page when I am watching the sunrise on the
beach in the Virgin Islands.

And right at this very moment, when I am sitting on my deck

overlooking the wooded area behind my home, the ideas for this
book are coming to me with ease.

With these real-life personal examples, I am telling you two

things:

1. Where and when I am most relaxed.

2. When I am relaxed, I do my best problem-solving,

brainstorming, decision-making and creative solution
development.

On the next page is a team exercise that puts this concept into
action for you.

28
 When Are You Most Relaxed?
Quick and Easy Exercise

Preparation: Prior to the session, prepare a slide with the

following questions:

When are you most relaxed?

Why are you relaxed in this situation?
What aspects of that situation can we bring into our team
environment?
What aspects of our team environment can we change to
make it more like the situation that you describe?

In addition, have a flipchart or computer white board available

to record the responses.

Process:

1. Begin by brainstorming answers to the first question.

2. Return to each answer to discuss the second question

(why?).
3. Move to a conclusion using the final questions where you
discuss ways to augment or change your existing team
climate.
4. Summarize and get a consensus on the climate changes.

29
BREAKING BREAD

It's a time honored traditionserving food to family, friends and

even strangers to establish a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
You may remember this from your childhood, where your mother
or grandmother would invite visitors to immediately sit down
and have something to eat (Mange! Mange!). You have certainly
seen it in the movies, for example, where a family stops at a
ranch to ask for water or directions and is promptly invited to
stay for supper.

Food appears to be the focal point, maybe even the excuse for
the gathering, but the real purpose is to create a warm and
friendly atmosphere where people feel welcome (some might say,
just like home). The phrase breaking bread feels a bit archaic
today but the concept is still valid. Today we might use the
phrase ice breaker. Where the atmosphere is cold and hard like
ice, we often use food, simple exercises and conversation to
break that icy atmosphere.

Even the traditional coffee and pastry can have a salutary

effect on team climate, because people are drawn to its location.
While preparing their coffee and selecting a muffin, it is easy to
engage in social conversation that helps break the ice before
the meeting starts and, thus, contribute to a positive climate.

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 Fun Food

Food can be a great ice breaker but it requires some thought and
a little imagination. The goal is to surprise or at the very least be
different enough to spark some conversation. Here are some
nontraditional climate building foods.

Y The Chocolate Explosion. We have used this one before

but it's worth repeating because it works so well. The break
table includes such items as chocolate brownies, cake,
cookies, candy (such as Kisses), chocolate covered
strawberries, pretzels, raisins and nuts along with
chocolate milk, chocolate drinks and chocolate flavored
coffee.

Y The Healthy Alternative. This one includes fresh fruit,

yogurt, popcorn (without butter, of course), multi-grain
pretzels, raw nuts, granola bars, healthy muffins, water,
juices, herbal tea and health drinks.

Y Ethnic Foods. Get team members involved in this one.

Invite members to bring in snack foods that reflects their
culture (e.g., scones, cannolis, croissant). If your team
includes several people from the same culture, ask them to
prepare a break that includes a variety of snack foods from
their country.

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CELL PHONE CLIMATE

Cell phones are usually considered a negative factor in team

climate. When a cell phone goes off in the middle of a meeting or
during a telephone call with a teammate, it is considered rude
and disrespectful to the group or person. In fact, many teams
have a ground rule that states that phones must be turned off or
set to vibrate during a meeting.

However, in this exercise created by Brain Cole Miller and

found in his wonderful book, More Quick Team Building Activities
for Busy Managers, cell phones are used to create a positive
climate. This is a great little activity to use when members do not
know each other very well or when you just want to spice up your
climate a bit with something that is fun and easy. It has the
added advantage of not requiring any preparation. And it can be
done with a global team during a teleconference. So, it has some
big pluses.

Obviously, everyone needs to have their cell phone with them.

Process steps:

Ask each person to introduce himself/herself (again, if

this is an ongoing team) before playing their ringtones.

The first person states his or her name, plays his or her
cell phone ring tone, and then explains why they chose
that particular ring tone:
I chose this old-fashioned ring tone because I hate cute
tones and silly musical tones.
I love jazz and this is my favorite Miles Davis tune.
I didnt choose it; my daughter picked it because its the
Hannah Montana theme.

Each person, in turn, introduces himself or herself, plays

his or her ring tone, and explains the reason for the
selection.

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CELL PHONE CLIMATE (concluded)

The facilitator should feel free to ask followup questions

on the reasons.

Some other questions to ask:

Y Do you have special ring tones for different people?
Y When do you turn your phone to vibrate?
Y When do you turn your phone off?
Y If you could choose another ring tone, not available on
your phone, what would it be?

Variations: Get all the cell numbers in advance and make

a sheet with all the numbers but without the names of
their owners. Collect the phones and put them in the
center of the table. You call the first number at random
and that person tells why he or she picked his or her ring
tone. They then call another number who, in turn, tells
their reason for the tone.

Conclude this exercise with a discussion of ground rules

for cell phones during meetings.

Apparently,weloveourowncellphones,but
wehateeveryoneelses.
JoeBobBriggs

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GROUPTHINK CLIMATE

One of the important path breaking concepts in group dynamics

was first formulated by the Yale University psychologist, Irving
Janus, in 1971. Refined in later research, the concept is known as
Groupthink, which Janus defined as a mode of thinking that
people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-
group where the members' striving for unanimity overrides their
motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.

Symptoms of Groupthink include:

Y Illusion of invulnerability. No problem. We have the best

scientists in the industry.

Y Belief in group's morality. We would always put the

customer's safety first.

Y Rationalization. As long as the customer is happy, it

should be a 'go.'

Y Shared stereotypes. The Feds are never satisfied with

what we submit.

Y Self-censorship. I didn't have the guts to stand up and

object to the plan.

Y Direct pressure. If we don't release now, all our bonuses

are in jeopardy.

Y Mind guards. Let's not tell the team about these adverse
reactions.

Y Illusion of unanimity. Since no one objects, it looks like

we have a clear consensus.

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 Open Climate:
Antidote to Groupthink
Teams that want to avoid Groupthink (and who doesn't?) should
strive for an open climate by:

Y Establishing norms that encourage free and open

discussion, risk-taking, rewarding good tries, accepting
alternative points of view and withholding judgment on
new ideas.

Y Prior to key decisions have team members collect input

from a wide range of resources and encourage the
exploration of a wide range of alternatives.

Y Encourage all members to feel free to challenge the

thinking of the group and its decisions by asking the tough
questions such as Why? How? How much? and
Where's the data?

Y As we said earlier in the booklet, the leader can play a

critical role by not being too directive or too controlling
while, at times, withholding his or her opinion until late in
the discussion.

Toeffectivelycommunicate,wemustrealize
thatwearealldifferentinthewayweperceive
theworld,andusethisunderstandingasa
guidetoourcommunicationwithothers.
TonyRobbins

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THE ROOM CLIMATE

We are not talking about the temperature or humidity in the

room but rather the feel or warmth of the room as expressed in
the physical aspects of the room.

Y What does the layout of the room tell you about the team?

Y Does the room feel warm and inviting?

Y Does the room set up send a message that this is going to

be a formal and stiff meeting?

Y As you view the arrangement of the tables and chairs, what

message do you get about the amount and degree of partici-
pation and involvement by members that is expected?

Y How do the items on the wall such as posters and pictures

contribute to or detract from a positive climate?

Y When members of the team are seated, can they see every
other member of the team?

Y Are there outside windows in the room? Do the windows

provide natural light?

Y How are the ceiling lights in the room? Can some of the
lights be turned off to reduce heat and glare?

Youget15______inaroomandyoullget20
opinions.
PatrickLeahy

36
 Changing the Room Climate

Here are some tips for making your meeting room more
conducive to a positive climate.

Y Hang some prints that contribute to a positive climate. You

might consider prints that depict scenes from areas where
the company is located. You might also think about prints
of relaxing and mellow environments such as beaches,
mountains, valleys, streams, lakes, oceans, sunsets,
sunrises, forests, fields, etc.

Y Photographs can also be used as wall art. Photos are also a

good source of relaxing scenes such as children at play,
groups in a town square, a family outing, fishermen in a
stream, etc. Ask around because you may find a good
amateur photographer on your team who would love to
display some of his or her work.

Y Some teams create a large poster of their meeting norms

and post it in their regular meeting room.

Y You can create smaller posters containing clever or

motivational sayings that are relevant to your team. A good
source are two fun little books by Doug McCallum, The
Speed of the Leader Determines the Rate of the Pack and
Don't Send Your Turkeys to Eagle School.

Y There are two catalogs that contain high quality posters.

Successories (www.successories.com) is the most well
known but if you have a sly sense of humor, check out
www.despair.com.

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 Team Climate Change:
How to Get Started

Facilitate a discussion with team members, preferably at a

special meeting called for this purpose or at an annual
review meeting. Prepare for the session by looking at the
symptoms of an At Risk Climate on page 9. Use some of
these questions to facilitate your discussion:
Y How would you describe the climate on our team?
Y What are the positive aspects of our climate?
Y What areas need improvement?
Y What can we do to improve our climate to make it more
open, informal, friendly, etc.?

Use one of the assessment surveys in this publication such as:

Y Whats Your Slogan? (page 5)
Y Climate Descriptors (page 12)
Y Quick Climate Quiz (page 13)
Y When Are You Most Relaxed? (page 28)

Summarize the survey data and present it to the team at a

meeting.

Identify the strengths of the teams climate.

Identify areas that need improvement.

Facilitate a discussion of an action plan for team climate

improvement.

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 Glenn Parker
Author

As a consultant for more than 30 years, Glenn Parker has helped

create high-performance teams at hundreds of organizations
including Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Company, Philips-
Van Heusen, Telcordia Technologies, BOC Gases, and the U.S.
Coast Guard. He is an internationally-recognized workshop facili-
tator, organizational consultant, and conference speaker in the
areas of teamwork and team meetings.
Glenn is the author of some 16 books including several best-
sellers such as Team Players and Teamwork, Rewarding Teams:
Lessons from the Trenches, and Cross Functional Teams: Working
with Allies, Enemies and Other Strangers; widely used instru-
ments such as the Parker Team Player Survey and manuals for
practitioners such as 50 Activities for Team Building, 25 Instru-
ments for Team Building, and Team Workout: 50 Interactive
Activities.
His seminal work in team player styles was featured in the
best-selling CRM video, Team Building II: What Makes a Good
Team Player? Glenn is one of only 75 management thinkers
recognized in the book, The Guru Guide. His latest book, Meeting
Excellence: 33 Tools to Lead Meetings that Get Results, has been
widely quoted and referenced in articles in the New York Times,
Forbes, CIO Magazine, and others.
Glenn is the father of three grown children and currently lives
in the Princeton, New Jersey area with his wife, Judy. In his spare
time, he is an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society
where he helped create Run for Dad, a Fathers Day event
designed to raise awareness about prostate cancer, which
regularly draws thousands of participants.

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