ELP June 2012 Class

ELP June 2012 Class:  Panel Discussion Topic:  Political | Community Activism

Panelists:

                Zaida Basora, FAIA, City of Dallas

                Kevin Falconer, AIA, Brinker International/City of Carrollton City Council

                Amy Wallace Cowen, Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce

June’s ELP Class took place at the Trinity River Audubon Center in South Dallas.  With a diverse group of panelist, the class explored a wide range of ways in which to plug themselves into their community and then use that experience to help guide their career paths.  Reintroduced was a theme heard throughout the year:  just say ‘yes’ when asked to volunteer and the opportunities to engage will follow.  Whether it be getting involved for your children’s sake or participating in individual task groups, small steps eventually evolve into leadership opportunities.  Each panelist seemed to have sought out a means by which to support a cause in which they were passionate.  The more involved and up to date they became, the more their network grew, facilitating their career trajectory.  As is often the case when taking steps to engage ones time in extracurricular activities, work/life balance may be affected.  The panelists stressed the importance of setting priorities and taking the time to periodically access and readjust.  Finally, as a great transition to Pete’s upcoming discussion on team work, the panelists were asked how they have been successful in the past in getting people to work together.  Each felt it was important to understand the problem and then find common ground among those involved.  Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty nor should you be afraid to fail.

Pete took the discussion of working together further by introducing the Model for Team Building.  However, to first understand how to build a successful team, we needed to learn just what a team was.  Unlike a Group [individuals who gather and witness something together] or an Association [individuals who voluntarily gather and witness something together], a Team is made up individuals which voluntarily gather and then act upon an event together.  They rely on each other to perform a task in a specified amount of time. 

To be successful, team members must first understand who they are and what expertise they bring to the table.  Once this is established, the team member begins to recognize, accept, and then trust the other team members, recognizing the role they play.  Without these first steps, there can be an atmosphere of fear and mistrust leading to apathy and competition amongst members.

The next step in team building is to discuss and understand its goal.  By knowing each individual’s strengths, the team may productively begin to work together providing each other with spontaneous feedback. Ultimately, the successful team will operate by means of an interdependence relationship where each member is mutually dependent on others as opposed to a dependence relationship where some members are dependent and some are not.

As an interactive illustration of how to build a successful team, the group headed outside to work in teams of six.  Each team designed a process by which to toss tennis balls in a set pattern.  The goal was to increase capacity and thru-put.  Each team crafted their own style which was then demonstrated for the entire class.  Finally, the three teams combined, adjusted their systems to operate together, and ultimately succeeded in completing the task.  The lesson learned was to communicate, offer feedback to members on what was needed, and continually assess the team’s progress.

by Karen M. Thrasher, t. howard + associates