Group of people sitting at a table and smiling. Title graphic for Group Discussions (and chocolate).

Guided Group Discussions for Strategizing and Team Building

From Dr. Tricia

We sat around the table, trying to get to the bottom of some operational issues hindering organizational growth. Part of the problem was that people thought they were speaking the same language, but they weren’t. One of my dominant strengths is that I am a translator. I saw the gaps in understanding, and I forced clarity. I was a little concerned about being tedious, but I knew that if we didn’t understand the premise of each other’s assumptions, the rest of the time would be wasted. Somehow, it started to feel like fun.

It became a fun challenge because what they thought was clearly an easy task on the front end, was obviously not. One of the men watching got into it. I remember him saying, “Wait, I want to play.” Once we figured out the communication conundrum, we moved on to discussing and planning.

We Put Chocolate In the Center of the Table

It wasn’t just about the chocolate. It was about taking the edge off. Most of these men had been in combat, the police force or both. They’ve seen hard, and they were smart enough to understand that real problem-solving and alignment can be hard. So the chocolate was a tangible way of adding play, of grounding. We were going to relax around the table, talk about hard stuff, eat some chocolate, and get the job done.

The team and I did that for a while – spent each Friday afternoon getting some mileage. We stopped when it was a good pausing point, or when the chocolate was gone, then reconvened the next week.

Guided Group Discussions versus All Day Events

Guided Group Discussions

All Day Events

PROS

  • Helpful to navigate time constraints
  • Organic team bonding from learning and problem-solving together
  • Budget-friendly –The investment is limited to team member time and the actual time Dr. Groff spends with the group
  • Higher face validity and easier buy-in from team members who don’t like traditional team events
  • Multiple meeting format is more likely to make new insight and strategies “stick”

CONS

  • Not as sexy or exciting as a one-day event
  • Need to identify one or two topics to get mileage on
  • There is less opportunity for fun/new learning/and variety.

PROS

  • Fun, and often memorable
  • A longer amount of time allows for a mix of strategic planning or problem-solving, fun exercises, and new learning
  • Extended time helps the “slow-to-warm-up” team members
  • Interacting in a different environment can help build interpersonal trust

CONS

  • Learning often does not carry forward
  • The most streamlined event requires a higher spend due to the amount of background planning. Additional expenses are also generated for off-sites that require lodging, room rentals, food etc.
  • The idea of taking a day out of the workweek can be stressful for team members who are overwhelmed.

Both options help teams move forward. They can also be integrated—for example, an all-day event that combines fun in the morning with guided conversation in the afternoon. For all-day events, planned afternoons or half-days for followup throughout the year can create significant long-term gains. In order to make the idea a reality, follow-ups should be budgeted and calendared into the annual plan.

Next Steps for Guided Conversations

If you are interested in guided conversations, complete the phone consult form, and we can discuss what would be most helpful for your team. If you aren’t sure whether to go with a day event, a series of guided conversations, or a combination of the two, note that on the phone consult, and I can go into deeper detail about the options that might fit best.

PHONE CONSULT REQUEST