Leaders in the Making Teamwork – Lesson 13 Competent

Think About It... Quality is not just a chart, or a standard, or a specification – it’s a state of mind, a commitment, a responsibility, a spirit. It’s a way of doing, being and living. Don Galer

Review This IS a quiz! We have studied and practiced several character traits of good team players. Good team players make good leaders. On a sheet of paper, define these terms listing at least two attributes of the trait. 1. Intentional 2. Selfless 3. Collaborative 4. Communicative 5. Enthusiastic

What Does the Competent Person Look Like? 1. The competent person is committed to excellence. 2. The competent person never settles for average. 3. The competent person believes that details matter. 4. The competent person consistently performs well.

Practicing Competency Briefing: In this activity you will have a chance to work with your team to build half a bridge while another team builds the other half. The trick is to build it without seeing what the other team is doing. The goal is to have the two halves meet when the “wall” is taken away. Activity: Divide the class into two teams. Each team has been given a selection of building materials. It is each team’s job to build a bridge that meets in the middle. The bridge will attach to the table and extend out to the dividing curtain. You may not look at what the other team is doing, you may only communicate using the phone.

Processing 1. How did it go? 2. Were you successful? Why or why not? 3. How was your communication? 4. The competent person pays attention to detail. Who were the detail people on your team? 5. If you had to do this over again, what would you do differently? 6. Was their someone who took control of the whole process? How did you handle this control? 7. Who took the leadership roles? 8. Is control the same as leadership? 9. The competent person doesn’t settle for average or second-best or half- way. Who on your team kept wanting to make the bridge better? 10. How can you become more competent as a team member?

Journal #16 Date your journal. In your first entry, write about character. Over the last several weeks we’ve covered the character traits of intentional, selfless, collaboration, communication, enthusiasm, adaptable, and now competent. What steps are you taking to develop your character? If you’re not taking any, why aren’t you? What character traits do you really want to possess? What will it take for you to have the character you want? In your second entry, write about excellence. The competent person is committed to excellence. What does excellence mean to you?

Think About It... The real winners in life are the people who look at every situation with an expectation that they can make it work or make it better. Barbara Pletcher