PTC seven practices survey

We now have an on-line survey of the PTC seven practices of high performing teams. There are 30 numerically based questions: The seven practices plus several clarifying questions for each of the seven. In addition, there are 3 climate questions asking them to rate their team on morale trust, and productivity. The 7 general questions plus the 3 climate questions are required. All other questions are optional. In addition to the numerical ranking, there is a box for each question to clarify your answer with words.

We see this tool being used with intact teams. Before the training you would ask them to complete the survey and then again before a follow-up session with you the consultant/trainer.

Some hints for using this tool:
1. You need to give the participants a firm deadline for filling out the survey. The deadline needs to be two or three days before the training so we will have time to summarize the results for you.

2. I would suggest that you have them complete the entire PTC experience including ranking themselves on the 7 practices. After they have ranked them selves I would reveal the results of the survey and then compare that result with their ranking. If there is a difference, then it gives a good entry into exploring the "why" of the difference.

This follows an important principle that I believe one should follow when working with intact teams. Generally I believe it is best to go from the simulation to the real world. Never go to the real world and then to the simulation. If you start talking about the team's activity in the real world before the simulation, they are likely to get bogged down in analysis and defensiveness and you lose one of the main advantages of the simulation i.e., to work together as a team in a safe environment where one can make a mistake and it isn't going to count against them. Once the simulation is over the survey makes a perfect bridge into the real world and hopefully they'll then have the PTC common experience to use as safe examples for their discussion.

There is no additional cost for this service as we are learning how to best use it. If you would like to use the survey, call Mitch for the web address and the password.

What do I do with 11 participants and one team?

The two system solution:
The ideal number for PTC is 7 and 8 or 9 people on a team works fine. But what if you have 10 or 11 participants. Too many for one team and not enough for two teams. If you want them to work as one team, then I would suggest having them build two systems. (BTW we don't charge per kit because we want you to feel free to base your decision on how many kits to use on what's best for your program and not have to take in the organization's budget.) Asking one team to make two systems does not double the work if they are working as one team as they can share design information and other resources. If you have them build two systems, ask them to build systems that will allow them to deliver fluid to any one of the 24 targets not just the 12 targets of their system. The task of connecting two systems seems daunting at first but it really is quite simple. All they have to do is put two extra y valves after the pump: one to receive fluid from the other system and one to send fluid to the other system. The receiving y valve is right side up (like a "y") and the y valve sending fluid to the other system is upside down (see diagram) .

If they find it difficult, you can help them with the above hint i.e., "maybe you should consider two extra y valves after the pump." Both systems make the same design.

The Make It more difficult Solution:
We prefer the two system solution because it doesn't require a lot of extra explanation and it involves all of the participants fully. But if you don't like that solution, another one is to make it harder. here are some suggestions:

1. Requiring that each structure be between 60 and 62 centimeters high and require that they incorporate at least 3 triangles in each of the two platforms -the platform that holds the fluid and the platform that holds the fluid delivery system. The triangles can not be ornamental but must contribute to the weight bearing strength of the platforms. This is difficult. The most important piece of information is knowing how long the arms of the triangle should be. Again, if they have difficulty with this, a person could be taken aside and told that legs of the triangle need to be 47 centimeters long. The problem with this approach is that it may be that one "whiz person" may take on this part of the project and not involve the others.


2 Structure their team. Instead of letting them organize any way they want. Make the inventory of materials they will use available to them and require that they divide into sub-teams of three or four and require each team spend 30 minutes of the second simulated day (or begin in the first if they get have had enough time planning) developing a rough design of the fluid delivery system , the platform that holds the source containers and a design of the platform that holds the fluid delivery system. Then require each sub-team to bring its three designs to the whole team ( no matter how much progress they've made) and get agreement on the final design, first from the team. and then approval from Zegra. Zegra would then require that they get approval team approval of any design changes after the design is approved. This is very difficult with a prototype project and where they are unfamiliar with the materials. But it will fully engage them and you can give them help along the way.

3. Assign three people to use their computers (ask them to bring their laptops ahead of time) to: (1) document in detail the decision making process of the team i.e., who proposes solutions, how the decision is made etc.(2) one person to document the patterns of communication who gives directions to whom, who asks questions of whom, and, (3) the third person develops instructions on a latptop to teach the customer how to operate the system during the demonstration. The customer would be required to learn from the computer and only ask three or four direct questions. This creates a typical "finish to start" conflict in that in order for the person to complete the training program, the others need to decide on the design.