INSTRUCTOR GUIDE

Workplace Essentials Series

Being a Team Player

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PREFACE

UNDERSTANDING YOUR TRAINING PACKAGE

Your Velsoft training package contains the following items:

• Instructor Guide: Contains all textbook information plus this preface, icebreakers,
activities, delivery tips, and more!
• Student Manual: Contains textbook information as well as areas to take notes. Each
manual also includes an evaluation form, action plan, and recommended reading list.
• Handouts: Contains pre and post class answer keys as well as any additional
information or activity resources.
• Pre-Assignment: Task for participants to complete before the workshop to get them
thinking about the learning that will take place.
• PowerPoint Slides: PowerPoint presentation highlighting talking points in the course.
• Quick Reference Guide: Two page cheat sheet of tips and facts covered in the course.
• Outline: Word document that outlines the overview and objectives of the course and
summarizes each session to be covered.
• Advertorial: Pre-made flyer that you can customize and distribute.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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PREPARING FOR TRAINING

To begin, read through this Instructor Guide. This is intended to be a guide and is not
absolute! Be guided by your experience, the needs of the participants, and your own
common sense, as well as the information in here. Most of the suggestions and all the
information have been developed through research and hands-on, classroom experience,
but you will want to customize the material for your specific audience.

Practice writing on flip chart paper before the workshop. You may want to draw lines on
the paper (lightly, in pencil) to help you. As well, many of the flip charts suggested in this
course can be prepared ahead of time. The first page should be set up like this:

• Name of Workshop
• Facilitated by < Your Name>
• Your Organization’s Name
For an extra touch, include sheets with the words Courtesy, Participation, and
Confidentiality written on them and post them around the room. You might also want to
add the words Exercises, Role Play, Learning, and Fun.

Have an emergency kit ready with the following items:

• Extra markers
• Tape and sticky putty
• Adhesive bandages
• An extension cord
• Safety pins
• Tissues
• A bottle of water
• A fuzzy toy (which can be used for many activities and to spice up any lecture)

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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Arrive at least one hour before the start of the session to ensure that:

• Signs are placed directing trainees to your room.

• The classroom is set up as desired.
• You know where washrooms, break facilities, smoking areas, and fire exits are
located.
• You have all necessary resources for the day.
• Materials for the morning are laid out, specifically for the icebreaker.
• Pens, sticky notes, and scrap paper are placed at every table.
• If you are using a laptop, it should be connected to the projector and both items
should be turned on.

OUR TOP 10 TRAINING TIPS

Although we will provide advice throughout the workshop, there are a few tips that we
think every trainer should know.

1. Always shake hands with each participant and introduce yourself as they come into
the classroom. This breaks the ice and sets the type of friendly atmosphere that is
conducive to learning.

2. Always practice before the big day, even if you have delivered the course
beforehand.

3. Bring extra activities with you, such as a list of children’s games that is adjusted for
adults.

4. Always have a backup plan! For example, if you plan to use PowerPoint slides, make
sure you have a copy of the Instructor Guide, which includes the information to be
covered.

5. It is a good idea to print the instructor guide and place it in a three-ring binder,
including any customized information. Also, during the workshop make notes about
what worked and what did not. This will be a resource that you can build on in the
future too!

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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6. Things will go wrong during your workshop. If you are well prepared and confident,
you should be able to resolve most situations quickly and easily. Try not to let
participants see you stressed!

7. Involve participants as much as you can. Have them help you set the agenda, guide
activities (by passing out or collecting forms, for example), lead discussions, and
improve the course. The more participants put into it, the more they will get out of
it.

8. Be ready to learn. Often, workshop instructors learn something during the sessions.
Challenge yourself!

9. Tie everything back to the workplace. It is no good knowing information unless

participants know how to use it.

10. And finally… do not be afraid to have fun! Bring a few fuzzy toys and use them as a
speaking hat during discussions – whoever is speaking has the toy. Plus, it sparks
creativity and keeps participants interested.

MATERIALS REQUIRED
• Flip chart paper
• Markers
• Soft ball or object
• Pens
• Writing paper
• Map of home state or entire country

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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RELATED COURSES
• Building Better Teams
• Team Building: Developing High Performance Teams
• Creating a Positive Work Environment
• Employee Recognition: Appreciating Your Workforce

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
If you would like more information on training, Velsoft offers Train-the-Trainer courses at
several different levels. We also like the following books:

• The Trainer’s Tool Kit, by Cy Charney and Kathy Conway

• Diversity Training, by Cris Wildermuth
• Games that Teach, by Steve Sugar
• Sivasailam Thiagarajan’s books on games and activities

If you have a favorite resource, please share it with us!

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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AGENDA

8:30-8:45 Icebreaker: Who am I?

8:45-9:00 Session One: Course Overview

9:00-10:00 Session Two: Being a Team Player

10:00-10:15 Morning Break

10:15-11:45 Session Three: Being a ‘Good’ Team Player

11:45-12:00 Morning Wrap-Up

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1:15 Energizer: What Did You Learn?

1:15-2:15 Session Four: Team Work

2:15-2:30 Afternoon Break

2:30-3:30 Session Five: Why Teamwork Fails

3:30-4:15 Session Six: Strategies to Improve Teamwork

4:15-4:30 Afternoon Wrap-Up

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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SESSION ONE: COURSE OVERVIEW

(8:45-9:00)

SETTING THE STAGE

Introductions
Introduce yourself. Establish credibility by giving examples of training experience, and your
own experiences with today’s topic, including some war stories if you have them.

Give the participants a chance to introduce themselves to you. You will probably want to
know their name, their department, their position title, and what their interest is in today’s
topic.

Ground Rules
Ask participants for some ground rules that should be followed during the course. Record
ideas on flip chart paper. After the activity, create a final version and post them where
everyone can see.

Some common ground rules include:

• What we say in this room will stay in this room.

• We can disagree with one another and provide feedback if we do so constructively
and respectfully.
• We will all put on our listening hats when someone else is speaking.
• Everyone will participate to the extent that he or she feels comfortable. You get out
of a workshop what you put into it.
• We agree that this is the place to make mistakes and to learn.
• We agree to each be responsible for our own behavior.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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Housekeeping Items
Let participants know:

• When the workshop will end

• When breaks and lunch will be
• Where they can find break and restroom facilities
• Where fire exits are and what will happen if there is an emergency
• What the building’s smoking policy is
• How you would like cell phones to be handled, although this should be agreed upon
by all participants
• What the classroom food and drink policy is

Instructor information will appear in text boxes with one of the following titles:

 Trainer’s Tip

 Activity Ideas

 Discussion Points

 Extra Information

 Slide or Handout or Workbook Material

 Handy Quotes

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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AGENDA REVIEW
Present the agenda as a handout, PowerPoint slide, or on flip chart. Review the topics and
the timeline.

Here is how our in-house trainer handles some common concerns.

This looks like a lot of information. Will we be able to cover it all?

Reassure participants that today’s timeline is indeed feasible. If issues arise, promise that
you will involve participants in solving the problem, rather than cutting out topics or breaks
autocratically.

We would rather spend more time on x rather than y. Is that possible?

If it is at all possible, accept suggestions like these. For example, you may be able to move
an activity (specifically discussion activities) from one topic to another. Make a few minutes
before the session to prepare.

I was expecting to discuss _______. Is it included in today’s course?

If it is included, reassure participants and let them know when it will be covered. If it is not
included, suggest resources or provide additional information. If you do not have the
answers, promise participants that you will track the information down and get it to them
as soon as possible. (Give a timeline if you can.)

I did not realize that this course covered_______. Why is it included in today’s course?

This can be a tough one! Usually, I briefly explain the connection and let participants know
more information will be provided when the topic is covered.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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Ask students to turn to Session One in their workbooks. Read the introduction below.

 Workbook Material

Teamwork is essential in any successful organization and to have an effective team, an

organization must be comprised of individuals who pride themselves on being great team
players. Many of us would consider ourselves to be team players, but are we really? Do we
know what that takes and what managers consider to be the qualities that make a person a
team player, or that make a good team player a ‘great’ team player? Everyone brings their
own skills and strengths to the table; understanding how to use those skills within the
context of a team is vital to help an organization succeed.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand the definition of a team player and a non-team player

• Know the difference between a team player and a non-team player
• Learn the qualities possessed by a team player
• Determine what type of team player you are and how that functions in your
workplace
• Know and understand what it takes to be a team player
• Discover the different types of teams that exist within a company
• Learn what working together as a team looks like
• Learn the different types of workplace teams and what types of teams successful
organizations need
• Develop strategies to improve teamwork
• Give participants a moment to write down their own learning objectives in their
workbook.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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ACTION PLANS AND EVALUATIONS

Next, pass out evaluations and action plans. (Both of these items are in the Handouts folder
and the Student Manual.) Ask participants to work on these throughout the day. They will
also have a few minutes at the end of the workshop to finalize their ideas.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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SESSION TWO: BEING A TEAM

PLAYER
(9:00-10:00)

WHAT IS A TEAM PLAYER?

(25 minutes)

The Oxford dictionary defines team player simply and concisely:

Noun: A person who plays or works well as a member of a team.

It defines teamwork just as simply:

Noun: The combined action of a group, especially when effective and efficient.

Think of your favorite sports franchise: New York Mets in baseball; Boston Bruins in hockey;
Philadelphia 76ers in basketball. They all have one thing in common: team work helped
them get to the top of their games — literally.

Or think of a business, any business. Unless you work alone, successful businesses have one
thing in common: team players working together.

For example, in a newspaper, everyone has a role to play: reporters write the stories,
photographers take the photos, sales representatives sell advertising, production
departments compose and print the newspaper, and the circulation department looks after
distributing it.

The same level of teamwork exists within a restaurant: The front of the house looks after
the dining room with hosts seating customers, and waiters and waitresses taking orders and
delivering food, while the back of the house looks after preparing, cooking and plating the
meals for customers.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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Everyone in any organization has an essential role to play to get the job done. You, and your
organization, are no different.

 Activity Ideas

Who is a team player?

Have the participants brainstorm about the people in their work life, past or current, who
they would consider to be a team player. Have them name three characteristics exhibited by
these people, which caused them to think about them.

 Discussion Points

Now, bring the group back together and combine all the information gathered onto a flip
chart or whiteboard. Have a class discussion about the responses. What seems to be the
conclusion?

 Potential Answers

• Willingness to help colleagues

• Goal-oriented
• Committed to the task
• Respectful of colleagues and their opinions
• Creates a supportive atmosphere
• Always asks for opinions of others

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF A TEAM PLAYER

(35 minutes)

In your work life, who stands out to you as a team player? What makes you think about that
person as the right person to do the job? What qualities do they possess that make them
stand out as a team player?

Teams need strong players who perform well, and companies are no different: They need
strong employees who do the same thing. There are several characteristics that all team
players have in common. Here are 10 of them:

Reliable
An effective team player can be counted on to do their fair share of the work and get it
done on time. They adhere to deadlines and follow through on assignments. This person
delivers a good performance with every task, every time.

Communicates Constructively
There is a way to express thoughts and ideas to others in a constructive way: clearly,
directly, honestly and respectfully. Teams need people who do this, and great teams have
people who excel at it.

Actively Listens
Everybody knows someone who they would call a good listener: they listen first and speak
second. Good listeners are essential for successful teams to function effectively. Teams
need team players who are willing to absorb, understand and consider ideas and points of
view from others without debating and arguing every point. Such a team member also can
receive criticism without reacting defensively.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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Actively Participates
Good team players have a can-do approach to the task: “What contribution can I make to
help the team achieve success?” They come prepared for team meetings, are focused and
speak up in discussions instead of sitting passively on the sidelines. They take the initiative
to help make things happen and they volunteer for assignments.

Shares Openly and Willingly

Information, knowledge and experience are shared openly and willingly by good team
players. While much of the communication within teams frequently occurs informally, great
team players keep the lines of communication open all the time and share their knowledge
and expertise willingly.

Cooperative and Helpful

Each member of a team has their own way of doing things and their own method for getting
the job done. Good team players figure out ways to work together to accomplish a job,
despite differences they may have with other team members concerning style and
perspective, method and delivery. They respond to requests for assistance and take the
initiative to offer help to a team member who may be struggling in a specific area.

Flexible
Great team players are able to roll with the punches. In a perfect world, everything goes
according to plan, but we do not live in a perfect world. Effective team players deal with
challenges or changing conditions on the fly. Great team players do not stress over or
complain about new conditions or new directions; they just deal with them and work to
accomplish the task.

They are flexible to deal with the new situation and are willing to compromise, if needed, to
head in a new direction.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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Committed
Great team players show up every day willing to work together to further the goals of the
team. They truly care about the work, their teammates and the task at hand. Strong team
players give their best effort all the time and want other team members to do the same.

Problem-Solver
Let us face it, problems happen. It is a fact of life. Sometimes the work one team does
create problems for others and other times a team exists to do just that: solve problems.

Great team players are ready and willing to deal with problems – large or small – in a
solutions-oriented manner. They do not assign blame or judge: they just work together to
develop an appropriate solution in a collaborative, supportive way.

Respectful and Supportive

The mark of great team players is the way in which they treat other members of the team
— with courtesy and respect – all the time. They exhibit understanding, support and
willingness to help their colleagues get the job done. Of course, it does not hurt to have a
sense of humor and know how and when to have fun, while at the same time dealing with
others in a professional manner.

Team players who show commitment do not come in any specific style or personality. They
do not need to be rah-rah, cheerleader types. In fact, they may even be soft-spoken, but
they are not passive. They care about what the team is doing, and they contribute to its
success — without needing a push.

Team players with commitment look beyond their own piece of the work and care about
the team’s overall work. In the end, their commitment is about winning — not in the sports
sense of beating your opponent — but about seeing the team succeed and knowing they
have contributed to this success. Winning as a team is one of the great motivators of
employee performance. Good team players have and show this motivation.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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 Activity Ideas

Characteristics of a Team Player

Have the participants discuss the characteristics they feel exist in the team players they
have previously identified during the ‘Who is a Team Player?’ exercise in Session 2. Using
what they have learned so far, ask them if anyone new emerges as a team player for them.

 Discussion Points

On a flip chart or whiteboard record the participants’ answers and have a class discussion
about the responses.

Now, bring the group back together and combine all the information gathered onto a flip
chart. What seems to be the conclusion?

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.

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WORKSHOP WRAP-UP
(4:15-4:30)

Take the last 15 minutes for a quick review and to answer any questions the class may have.
If applicable, you may also want to quickly summarize what will be taking place on day two.

In closing:

• The difference between success and failure is great teamwork.

• "Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a
company work, a society work, a civilization work." — Vince Lombardi
• "None of us is as smart as all of us." — Ken Blanchard
• "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is
the team." — Phil Jackson
This is also a good time to help participants wrap up their action plans, collect evaluations,
and to pass out certificates.

 Trainer’s Tip

If you have not provided students with the Student Manual, print out the Recommended
Reading List and give it to participants as a bonus.

 2005-2018, Velsoft Training Materials Inc.