Instructional Designers: May The Force Multiplier Be With You (Part 1)

Instructional Designers: May The Force Multiplier Be With You (Part 1)
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Summary: If you are a member of a team or a leader of a team in any kind of enterprise –including schools, non-profits, business, the military, government– you and your fellow team members are the best option your organization has to deploy a force multiplier.

The Force Multiplier Effect: Part 1

A force multiplier is simply a combination of attributes which make a team more effective than that same team would be without these attributes. The multiplier effect of the attributes enhances the probability of successful mission.

Most teams are made up of diverse members. If they are not they will not be as effective. Their diversity is of two kinds: Social background and experiential background. The social background includes race, gender, and social experiences. Their experiential background includes their knowledge and skills background.

The more varied the group, within reason, the more opportunity there is to leverage diversity. Think of diversity as richness instead of difference. Malcolm Forbes, the founder of Forbes Magazine, said it best: “Diversity is the art of thinking together independently”. A diverse team where everyone’s talent is recognized, embraced, valued, and built upon is a smarter team. Teams = Leverage.

In nature there are many examples of teams being better for their diversity. Some ants are warriors some are workers. But how about a snake and an owl living together for the benefit of both? The long-eared owl brings the small blind snake into its nest to keep it free of pests so that the owl’s chicks have a better chance of survival. Now, that is a force multiplier.

Our earliest ancestors survived by deploying team members based on diverse skills. One member could read tracks, one could hurl a spear and one could co-ordinate activities. The result: More food and survival. Now, that is a force multiplier; without it you would not be reading this.

My message is that nothing has changed. Teams Rule! Collaboration Works! The Best Leverage Comes From Teamwork!

Teamwork in any enterprise is a learned discipline. Egos have to be kept in check and noise substituted by collaborative thinking.

How well do your teams operate: A collection of individuals talking past each other or a cohesive force multiplier?

I have studied team behavior extensively, and worked with teams for most of my forty year business career. And my Terego Enterprise Training Methodology is a culmination of all that. It is Socratic inquiry in a team.

To learn how you can get a leg-up on the competition by implementing force multiplication teams quickly and inexpensively, click here.

Stay tuned for part 2 of force multiplication.

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