Retreat Resources

RULES OF THE ROAD

RULES OF THE ROAD is one of my favorite exercises to use in my Total Teamwork workshop and for staff retreats.

Feel free to use this with your staff!

Teams have shared values or “rules of the road.”    Often these are not overtly communicated, but become norms–either positive or negative–over time.

As a staff meeting or retreat activity, engage in a discussion of the positive & negative norms that exist. Discuss what behaviors the group values and agree upon changes that need to be made going forward.

What  are some examples of norms or “rules of the road” where you work?  Are they positive ones that need to be continued or negative ones that may need to be changed?

Here are some suggested categories of norms and examples.

  • Meetings
  • Cross-training
  • Workload
  • Customer Service
  • Professional Development
  • Documentation
  • Information Sharing
  • Quality
  • Communication
  • Risk Taking
  • Team celebrations
  • Work scheduling

EXAMPLES:

-“In our department team members arrive at weekly staff meetings10 – 15 minutes late.”

-“All staff attend at least one professional development workshop per year.”

-“Potluck lunches are held for team celebration whenever we complete a major milestone.”