One of the most productive team experiences was the one where a group of Google Inc. employees was discussing the strategies used by their employer to keep them happy and productive. All the members had different roles, and they did not know each other before the meeting. But after the meeting, they all became friends because of the successful dialogue during the first meeting. The group had set the ground rules, and it allowed the meeting to flow seamlessly. The group came up with eight strategies used by Google Inc. to keep their employees happy, motivated, and productive. The essay will analyze the ground rules.
The members were required to show up on time while they were prepared. All members should contribute to achieving the objectives of the meeting and team. Furthermore, everyone was supposed to have a positive attitude during and after the meeting. During the meeting, the team members would stay physically and mentally present. They were required not to attend to non-meeting issues during the one-hour session. They listened attentively to the different point of views without interrupting each other or having side discussions ( Swidler, 2014) . Also, every member was to treat all members with the desired respect. They all contributed to meeting goals. The team participated fully by contributing to the discussions, sharing ideas, and asking questions. They also spoke honestly and shared their unique experiences and perspectives. Also, when there was a problem, members were required to offer solutions rather than disagreeing with proposals.
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Every member was encouraged to participate. The time was shared among the members to ensure every one participated. Moreover, they were all patient when listening to each other without interrupting each other. It allowed them to respect different perspectives while valuing different contributions within the group. They all listened with open minds. It allowed the team to learn from different inputs while listening to get smarter. It allowed them to be open to new ways of listening and doing things. Besides, it emerged that people can respect different points of view without agreeing with their points of view ( Swidler, 2014) . The members were required to think before speaking. It encouraged the members to first understand their colleagues before seeking to be understood. It also encouraged the team members to speak freely without using phrases, idioms, or acronyms that would easily be misunderstood. The team learned it was okay to disagree openly and respectfully without being individually disagreeable.
The other ground rule was keeping time and not wasting it by repeating what other members have said. They would attack the problem but not the individual. It allowed the member to respectfully challenge different ideas and not the person ( Senge, 2014) . It encouraged constructive and honest discussions. The team was also required to close decisions and evaluate the action items. It ensured that all decisions were supported by the group so that they would be acted on. Furthermore, all the pending issues were noted and follow up meeting were scheduled. Also, the team leader recorded the follow-ups and outcomes of the meetings. The team leader recorded the tasks assigned, issues discussed, and decisions made. The meeting reports were then shared with the members.
The ground rules allowed the team members to have a common goal and a shared vision of evaluating the strategies used by Google to ensure their employees were happy, motivated, and productive. It encouraged the members to have a dialogue instead of a debate or a discussion. It was a good opportunity for the team leader to share his values with the team and it was successful ( Senge, 2014) . The team had a dialogue and came up with eight strategies used by Google Inc.
References
Senge, P. M. (2014). The fifth discipline fieldbook: Strategies and tools for building a learning organization . Crown Business.
Swidler, L. (2014). The Deep-Dialogue Decalogue: Ground Rules of Personal/Communal Deep-Dialogue/Critical-Thinking/Emotional-Intelligence/Competitive-Cooperation in Dialogue for Interreligious Understanding (pp. 61-68) Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
