International Association of Teamwork Facilitators

The Spiritual Nature of Team Building -- New TeleSeminar Series

2012-01-27T15:35:52-05:00

When I first began team building in 1987, I was drawn to the work because I felt good doing it. My initial inexperience made it very challenging at first, and yet I knew I was doing the right thing. These feelings were an indication I was following a spiritual path - - though I wouldn’t recognize it until much later. I simply knew I was happy doing the work regardless of the circumstances.

As President & Founder of the IATF I've had many conversations with teamwork facilitators (trainers, coaches, educators) around the world and have discovered many of us share a spiritual grounding in our work building teams.

Many of us feel a "calling" (as Gregg Levoy says) to do this work. It's not a job; it's our JOY to help groups have a direct experience of what it means to become a "high performing team".

One of the big goals I've set for 2012 is to explore this intangible we call "spirit" (or "spiritual") when it comes to team building.

Many in our industry are comfortable using the phrase "Team Spirit" which hints at this intangible.

Now I propose a series of live and interactive TeleSeminars where we directly explore and address the spiritual nature of team building.

I plan to invite leaders in the field of spiritual studies to be our guest on these TeleSeminars in an effort to more fully understand what it means to build and lead teams as a path of spiritual development.

Here are some of the people I plan to invite as speakers...

Who would you like to hear on this TeleSeminar series? What speakers, authors and luminaries would you most enjoy learning from? Who would inspire and enlighten you? Leave your thoughts in the comments area below.

Can you help me connect with anyone on the above list? If yes, I'd love to hear from you. Please call or email.

Please share your thoughts below.

Tom Heck
President & Founder
International Association of Teamwork Facilitators

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-16T14:54:27-05:00

Today is we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. here in the United States. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from Dr. King.

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broad conerns of all humanity.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

On the one hand, we are called to play the good smaritan on life's roadside, but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sit down lectures - - Is there a better way to learn teamwork?

2012-01-11T15:55:40-05:00

Photo from Andrew Scott on Flickr

Remember college classes? Sitting in a lectures taking notes? Remember how engaging these lectures were?

"Sage on the stage" is how this method of instruction is known.

If you're like most people, a good portion of college lectures were terribly boring and did not fully engage you.

Fast forward to - now - you're a teamwork facilitator (coach, trainer, manager, educator, etc.). How often do you talk at your audience (lecture at them)?

If you to are applying the "sage on the stage" method of teaching then it's likely your audience is walking away from the experience with much less than you think.

Research shows that your students will learn more if they are actively (as in out of their chair) learning.

"According to the best-evidence synthesis, we found strong evidence of a significant positive relationship between physical activity and academic performance."

LESSON: To be a more effective teamwork facilitator and fully engage your audience learn how to get people up and moving and learning at the same time.

Free Leadership TeleSeminar: The Power of Self Leadership with Ed Manning

2012-01-09T17:21:03-05:00

We can’t truly lead others until we know how to lead ourselves.

In this live and interactive TeleSeminar you'll learn an innovative tool for mapping key internal influences of your behavior, communication, and decision making.

Once we know why we’re doing what we’re doing, we can make informed choices rather than simply react to people and events around us.

Practicing self leadership allows us to engage our day-to-day lives and professional roles with more clarity and effectiveness.

Please join us for this free and interactive TeleSeminar with special guest Ed Manning of Alchemy for Leaders where we'll explore The Power of Self Leadership.

This is the perfect training event for trainers, educators, coaches, and leaders.

Our guest Ed Manning owns Alchemy For Leaders and is an accomplished management consultant who brings a proven record of client success. Ed’s passion is guiding individuals and organizations in discerning what they truly value so they can unleash their potential. He has more than 20 years of facilitation experience with organizations such as ING Bank, Lend Lease, Delta Air Lines, and Center for Disease Control. Ed has led programs on leadership development, strategic planning, project management and effective communication.

About the telephone conference technology used during this class

This TeleSeminar will utilize new state of the art telephone conferencing technology from Maestro Conference that enables you to participate like never before. All you need is a regular telephone (land line or cell) BUT be ready for a totally new experience.

CALL DETAILS

WHAT
Live TeleSeminar entitled "The Power of Self Leadership" with special guest Ed Manning of Alchemy For Leaders

WHEN
Wednesday, January 25, 2011
Starts at 1 pm Eastern (NY City time zone)
(12 Central / 11 am Mountain / 10 am Pacific)
runs 60 minutes

COST
FREE! But space is limited. Register early!

RECORDING

This call was recorded and will be archived in the IATF Members Only Area. Only IATF members have access to the Members Only Area. CLICK HERE to learn more about IATF membership benefits.

Download the slide deck as a PDF using the link below:

Download Self Leadership slides 1-25-12

REGISTER HERE

CLICK HERE to register. It's free to register. After you register we'll send you the call info. Registration is closed.

Complete Child Development -- Help children learn how to achieve goals and build unstoppable confidence

2012-01-09T11:55:32-05:00

My friend Dan Deigan has just launched something amazing. If you have kids, know someone with kids or work with kids then you need to check this out. It's called the Complete Child Development and there are lots of free resources to help children learn how to achieve goals and build unstoppable confidence.

Do you remember Bob Proctor from The Secret? Here's what Bob has to say about Complete Child Development “There is no program like this on the market today”

IATF faculty member and best selling author Brian Biro has this to say about Complete Child Development “This powerful program brings the foundation of positive messages to your children.”

The Complete Child Development program's first goal is to help as many children and families as they can live beautiful lives through setting and achieving goals, an abundance of self confidence, and a REAL understanding of how their environment, the people they associate with, and the thoughts they allow others to plant into our their minds can really affect them.

Watch the introductory video below.

Breakthrough Leadership with Brian Biro -- Amazing Live Workshop on January 24, 2012

2012-01-06T13:09:44-05:00

I'm so excited to announce the 5th Annual Lessons In Leadership main event!

The date is Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at the magnificent, brand new Kimmel Arena at UNCA. Registration and Networking is from 5:00 to 6:00 with the program from 6:15 to 8:45.

The speaker for this special 5th anniversary event is America's Breakthrough Coach, Brian Biro delivering BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP!

Brian is an amazing teacher of team and leadership skills and is on the faculty here at the IATF.

When we hear…we forget. When we SEE…we're more likely to remember. But when we DO, we UNDERSTAND!

This will be a one-of-a-kind event that will move you out of the stands and into the game!

It is unlike any seminar or presentation anywhere for the unequaled engagement, energy, focus, and value.

Brian has delivered more than 1,250 events around the world to companies like Lockheed Martin, Starbucks, Staples, Microsoft, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Boeing, Kaiser Permanente, Verizon, AT&T, Southwest Airlines, the University of Notre Dame, UCLA, TIAA-CREF, AFLAC, Allstate, and hundreds of others reaching more than half a million participants. He was also recently named one of the 100 Most Inspirational Graduates of the UCLA Graduate School of Business in honor of their 75th Anniversary. He has has written nine books including bestseller Beyond Success.

Brian's presentation on Breakthrough Leadership will leave you six-feet off the ground ready to create lasting breakthroughs in your life, health, business, and spirit! AND, because he speaks exclusively for organizations, businesses, and educational institutions, this is the only PUBLIC event Brian will do in 2012!

REGISTER NOW at www.wncleaders.com

Cost is only $20/person

Every cent goes to charities including MANNA Food Bank, the YMCA of WNC Healthier Communities Campaign, and the UNCA Scholarship fund.

This event will be held at the brand new Kimmel Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina Asheville. It is truly state-of-the-art! During the networking time from 5:00 to 6:00 the concession stands will be open, so you can enjoy a delicious and easy dinner right there PLUS there is plenty of easy parking!

When companies bring Brian Biro in to speak they invest upwards of $20,000 for facility, speakers fees, and AV. This same quality of experience is yours for $20 on January 24th.

We encourage you to make the most of this opportunity and BRING YOUR ENTIRE TEAM!! This year's event will have enormous value for you personally and professionally. By the time you leave the arena that night you will understand that no matter your job title or position, you are a leader…the CEO of your own life…and will be inspired and crystal clear that you have the potential to elevate you and those around you every single day.

REGISTER NOW at www.wncleaders.com

Cost is only $20/person

IATF President Tom Heck will be there and would love to connect with you at the event.

Virtual Team Leader Home Study Program

2011-12-01T23:31:00-05:00

The Virtual Team Leader Home Study Course is a fast-track training program designed for managers and supervisors who need the must-know skills to get up and running successfully with virtual teams NOW.

You'll learn the essential strategies, tactics and tools needed to lead a virtual team. If you're new to leading Virtual Teams this program is for you.

This is a digital download product - - receive immediate access to a password protected website and begin learning now!

The global economic situation has accelerated the rate at which many team leaders must make the shift from leading collocated teams to leading Virtual Teams. And many must learn overnight!

In this training program you'll learn the must-know information of leading Virtual Teams. No fluff here.

Fast-Track Curriculum

The curriculum of the Virtual Team Leader Home Study Course is delivered by Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF, who has designed and delivered TeleSeminars since 2001.

The curriculum of the Virtual Team Leader Home Study Course is delivered in four key sessions:

Session # 1: The 7 Qualities of Highly Successful Virtual Team Leaders
Session # 2: How To Structure Your Virtual Team Meetings For Success
Session # 3: How To Establish, Strengthen, and Evolve Your Virtual Team
Session # 4: Telephone & Web Conferencing Leadership Skills

===> Download course curriculum details using the link below.

Download Curriculum_details_VTL

Virtual Team Leader Guest Experts

Imagine having an opportunity to learn from some of the best minds in the field of Virtual Teams. Now you can through the Virtual Team Leader Guest Speaker Audio Archive.

Get instant access to recordings of live and interactive TeleSeminar interviews with these Virtual Team Leader experts:

Jessica Lipnack -- Leadership Expert
Co-founder of NetAge.com, a Boston consultancy that provides advice, education, and ideas on teams, virtual teams, collaboration, networked organizations, and organization structure. Coauthor of six books including Networking, The Age of the Network, and Virtual Teams, published by Doubleday, Viking Penguin, and Wiley and translated around the world.

Barry Rellaford -- Trust Expert
Head Trainer at the SpeedOfTrust.com. Barry worked closely with Stephen M.R. Covey in developing the “Leading at the SPEED of TRUST” training program, organizational assessment, and the SPEED of TRUST individual Audit.

Shaun Callahan -- Engagement Through Web Community Expert
Chief Involvement Officer at Groupsite.com. Shaun's core expertise includes "inviting people to the dance". He is focused on helping groups achieve a stronger return on involvement.

Brian Burt -- Group Engagement In Class Expert
Founder and C.E.O. of MaestroConference, the leading remote event platform that enables scalable peer-to-peer conversations. Brian is a long-term advocate of the power of “active engagement’ over “passive media” for learning important skills, changing behavior, or creating relationships.

Jenn Sramek -- Expert Virtual Team Leader
Project Manager and Partner at CivicActions.com, Jenn leads a team of 40 people in 8 timezones and 4 continents performing professional services for non-profits, progressive causes and triple-bottom-line businesses. CivicActions.com is a virtual internet strategy and implementation firm and Jenn is the woman in the middle, facilitating communication between the firm’s clients and her team. Jenn shares hard earned lessons from years of leading virtual teams.

Risk Free 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

With this program you now have the opportunity to get the tools, knowledge, resources to make one of the most important leadership shifts of your career - - becoming a Virtual Team Leader.

I'm so confident these resources will fast track you to leadership success as a Virtual Team Leader - I guarantee that if you apply the strategies and ideas I'll share with you, you'll grow into a successful leader of Virtual Teams.

You are fully protected by our personal guarantee of satisfaction which means that in the unlikely event you are not completely satisfied, you can claim a prompt refund of your money. This means you can review all the materials in the entire program and still receive a prompt 100% refund if you're not completely satisfied.

Special Free Bonuses!

Free Bonus # 1

Free digital copy of "Virtual Teams - People Working Across Boundaries with Technology" by Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps

The authors present the 90/10 Rule, which stresses how a virtual teams success is based 90 % on the people involved and 10% on the technology. They also take you through the seven steps that every team must complete in order to achieve their results. These include:

Creating a team identity
Drafting a mission statement and setting goals
Determining milestones and establishing a schedule
Identifying team members and their roles
Choosing the appropriate media

Read case studies from Sun Microsystems, Shell Oil, Pfizer, Motorola, Ernst & Young, and others. Get the tools you need to create and build a winning virtual team for your own organization.

Free Bonus # 2

10 Virtual Teambuilding Games and Personal Growth Exercises You Can Lead In A Virtual Setting

Would you like to liven up your next Virtual Team meeting with teambuilding games and activities you can lead over a telephone conference line and the internet?

Imagine helping your Virtual Team learn the skills necessary to go from good to great in a fun way - - and do this from a distance.

Are you a manager needing to get a key concept across to one of your Virtual Team members? There are activities in here for you that work great for one-on-one leadership coaching situations.

This program alone normally sells for $47 and you'll get access for free when you register!

Purchase This Program and Start Learning Today!

This entire program is available to you right now as a digital download so you can begin learning today.

Immediately after purchasing this program you'll receive instructions for logging into a password protected website where you'll find all the resources waiting for you.

Normally a course like this would cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Infact, the American Management Association charges a wopping $2,445 for a similar course!

Our price = $97

What you get:

4 Virtual Team Leader TRAINING SESSIONS (see "curriculum" above)
5 Virtual Team Leader EXPERTS interview sessions (see "guest experts" above)
2 Virtual Team Leader BONUSES (see "bonuses" above)
100% Satisfaction or Your Money Back GUARANTEE
Instant Access

===> CLICK HERE to purchase now. (One payment of $97) -- LINK COMING SOON

NOTE: This course is FREE for IATF Gold Members. CLICK HERE to learn more about the benefits of IATF membership.

Live Workshop of the Virtual Team Leader

Are you interested in scheduling a live and interactive Virtual Team Leader program for your team? We can deliver the program virtually or face-to-face and we are ready to work with you! Contact us and we'll schedule a free consultation with IATF President & Founder Tom Heck. The goal of the free consultation is to learn about where you are with your training goals and objectives. Then we will design a program to meet your group's specific needs. CONTACT US.

Testimonials

"It’s no exaggeration when I say that this training course is a must for all 21st Century leaders. The Virtual Team Leader training met and far exceeded all of my expectations. The lively interactive class sessions made possible through the cutting edge technology used to deliver the course, the enormous knowledge and experience of the instructor, the opportunity to interact with guest speakers who are all luminaries in the field of virtual learning, made every session of this course worthwhile. This course not only gave me the skills to effectively lead virtual teams, but it fundamentally changed the way I think about them."

H. Nathan Charles, Ph.D.
President: The Lancaster Consulting Group
www.TheLancasterGroup.org

#########

"I had the pleasure of attending Tom's mutli-session web presentation on leading virtual teams through NTEN.org. I found the whole series fun and insightful with many ideas to immediately put into action in our organization. It's clear that Tom knows his way around organizations- not just the organizational change literature. I'd highly recommend attending one of his presentations or seminars when you have a chance."

Henry Hernandez
Manager, Information Systems
Western Association of Schools and College

Questions?

Do you have questions about the Virtual Team Leader Home Study Program (or anything else)? We're ready to answer all your questions. Contact us today!

Free IATF Leadership TeleSeminar: How To Apply the Lessons of Emotional Intelligence - Practical Applications for Teamwork Facilitators

2011-11-28T20:57:39-05:00

“Emotional Intelligence” (EQ) - - it’s a term practically every leader has heard of.

Time Magazine says "Emotional Intelligence may be the best predictor of success in life..."

EQ is a term coined by Daniel Goleman who authored the wildly successful book “Emotional Intelligence - Why It Can Matter More Than IQ” (1996).

Here’s what Goleman says about the importance of EQ:

"In a study of skills that distinguish star performers in every field from entry-level jobs to executive positions, the single most important factor was not IQ, advanced degrees, or technical experience, it was EQ.”
-- Daniel Goleman

A clear and competitive advantage is gained when leaders (and teams) strengthen EQ.

But HOW exactly are Teamwork Facilitators supposed to APPLY this EQ stuff? How do we make it real? How do we close the gap between the theory of EQ and the practice of EQ?

That’s the question we’ll answer on Thursday December 1, 2011 when IATF Visiting Faculty Member Dr. Reldan Nadler, author of Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Hands-On Strategies for Building Confident And Collaborative Star Performers shares his street-smart wisdom.

Dr. Nadler is a world-class expert when it comes to the practical application of Emotional Intelligence with leaders and teams and top companies seek out his advice -- Dr. Nadler's clients include Dreamworks SKG, Disney, At&T, MCI, Xerox, Lockheed-Martin Aerospace, and many more!

Questions addressed in this Free IATF TeleSeminar:

What is Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and why is it the most important component for star performance?
Why are EQ competencies critical for Teamwork Facilitators?
How is the Brain Neuroscience research influencing leadership today?
How to use the “Emotional Audit” to enhance your leadership and use with others.
What are specific things you can do to raise your EQ and experience more success?

About the telephone conference technology used during this class

Yes, it will be THAT different. :-)

CALL DETAILS

WHAT
Live TeleSeminar entitled "Emotional Intelligence - Practical Applications for Teamwork Facilitators”

WHEN
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Starts at 1 pm Eastern (NY City time zone)
(12 Central / 11 am Mountain / 10 am Pacific)
runs 60 minutes

COST
FREE! But space is limited. Register early!

RECORDING

Get the recording for a limited time for free CLICK HERE.

This call was recorded and is archived in the IATF Members Only Area. Only IATF members have access to the Members Only Area. CLICK HERE to learn more about IATF membership benefits.

CLASS HANDOUT
During this call Dr. Nadler will shared the following:

Slides are here: Download Slides_leading_with_EI

Article: "Teamwork Is Unnatural": Download Teamwork is Unnatural 2011

REGISTER HERE

CLICK HERE to register. It's free to register. After you register we'll send you the call info. Registration is closed.

Systemic Shame -- What does Penn State have to teach us about organizatonal culture?

2011-11-15T14:18:07-05:00

Brene Brown, Ph.D. has a great post on her blog about what the recent events at Penn State have to teach us about shame and organizational culture.

When the culture of an organization mandates that it is more important to protect the reputation of a system and those in power than it is to protect the basic human dignity of individuals, you can be certain that shame is systemic, money drives ethics, and accountability is dead. This is true in corporations, nonprofits, universities, governments, churches, schools, families, and sports programs. If you think back on any major scandal fueled by cover-ups, you'll see this pattern.

Read the full post HERE.

Teaching Teamwork at the North Carolina Youth Giving Summit

2011-11-01T10:52:26-04:00

IATF member and good friend Eric Rowls invited me to present two leadership development workshops at the recent North Carolina Youth Giving Summit. The video above is a news spot on TV about the event.

Eric is the president of Leading To Change and also heads up the North Carolina Youth Giving Network.

Eric and his inspired team are doing amazing work with youth and those who work with youth. Eric has surrounded himself with outstanding people which makes for events that run smoothly and are high energy.

Eric and his team are experts at "production" - - the music, lighting, balloons, signs, check-in, handouts, gifts for participants, food, name tags, snacks, seating, etc. When you walk into a Leading To Change event you immediately know you're about to experience something special.

In the above video from the TV news crew you'll see me leading a game involving tennis balls - - I call this game "Tennis Ball Madness" and I used it to help the students learn what "lose-lose", "win-lose", and "win-win" feel like. I've led this same game with a wide variety of groups (corporate groups, nonprofits, health care, educators, students, military). The game is a powerful learning opportunity.

Click on the link below to download lead-it-yourself directions to the game:

Download TennisBallMadness

Watch the instructional video of the game here:

TeamTimbers -- affordable portable multiuse low ropes course

2011-10-27T21:38:48-04:00

Team Timbers

TeamTimbers are a multi-use teambuilding game system. With TeamTimbers you can bring the outdoor "low ropes course" team activities to any location inside or outside. Quick to setup and tools aren't required. 15 great team exercises tested with both youth and adult groups.

Some of the games can be seen here:

Trust V

Zig Zag Traverse

Star Gold

Four Person Diamond Switch

Easy To Assemble & Use

The Team Timbers Advantage

Portable -- Take the learning power of a low ropes anywhere you go.
Multi-Use -- Lead a variety of great teambuilding games with one easy to use kit. Adjust the dificulties of the activities to meet the needs of the group.
Fun -- The Team Timbers are fun to use. People love learning team and leadership skills through the fun and engaging Team Timbers activities.
Tested -- The Team Timbers activities have been tested with a wide range of audiences including: school groups (K-12), corporate teams, education, non-profit, military, health care.
Expandable -- Buy multiple sets of Team Timbers and lead even more activities.

PURCHASE

The Team Timbers are manufactured and distributed for the IATF by Flaghouse.

Price for the complete Team Timbers kit: $295

CLICK HERE to purchase NOTE: you'll be taken to the Flaghouse website

RESELLERS

Would you like to be reseller for this product? Contact us for reseller opportunities.

MORE TEAMBUILDING EQUIPMENT

CLICK HERE for more teambuilding equipement.

Equipment for Teambuilding

2011-10-27T21:31:42-04:00

TeamTimbers

Portable, multi-use teambuilding game system. TeamTimbers are a portable "low ropes course" that will help your group learn team and leadership skills in a memorable way. CLICK HERE for details and purchase info.

more coming soon...

Virtual Teamwork Tool from Google: Google Plus Hangouts with Extras

2011-10-13T15:44:04-04:00

Do you lead a virtual team that meets weekly? If yes then you need to know about Google Plus Hangouts with Extras.

Video chat for up to 10 people
Document sharing
Chat
Screen sharing

All in one easy to use screen and it's all FREE!

I use this technology when teaching the "Death By Meeting" system to Virtual Teams. It is especially helpful when identifying a Thematic Goal and Defining Objectives.

Inspiring Story of Teamwork: The 9-11 Boatlift

2011-10-13T15:00:57-04:00

Tom Hanks narrates the epic story of the 9/11 boatlift that evacuated half a million people from the stricken piers and seawalls of Lower Manhattan.

BOATLIFT premiered on September 8th at the 9/11 Tenth Anniversary Summit: Remembrance/Renewal/Resilience in Washington. The Summit kicked off a national movement to foster community and national resilience in the face of future crises. See www.road2resilience.org to become a part of the campaign to build a more resilient world.

Thank you to IATF member Rabbi Shmuly Rothman for pointing us to this video.

Couple married 62 years shows how teamwork is done

2011-10-13T14:55:15-04:00

From YouTube user havelah's video description:

An elderly couple walked into the lobby of the Mayo Clinic for a checkup and spotted a piano. Theyve been married for 62 years and hell be 90 this year. Check out this impromptu performance. We are only as old as we feel, its all attitude. Enjoy! They certainly do.