Last week, I spent two days with my peers from the provost cabinet doing strategic planning. The sessions were facilitated by Dawan Stanford whose superpower is asking great questions.
To prepare for our team building conversations, we were each asked to consider how we might answer the following questions:
- What is an experience that shaped how you think about leadership?
- What kind of teamwork is required to exceed our academic plan goals?
- What is one quick story about a time you experienced our shared values in action?
- What is a quick story about a time you struggled, adapted and coped with a challenge?
The team has a lot of new members and so we are all still getting to know each other. The questions were interspersed through the sessions and allowed us to get to know each other better and practice vulnerability, generous listening and storytelling.
Telling my core stories to others reminded me of my resilience and purpose and gave me confidence. Hearing other’s stories exposed the incredible talent and focus of my peers and made me excited to work with them.
I came away from the retreat in awe of the talent and passion at the table, energized about the incredible opportunity in front of us, and extraordinarily grateful to be part of the team.
How do you promote connections on your teams?