The formation of work teams is an imperative in today's world, whether it is business activity or public administration. Higher Education becomes a multiplied echo of this need, since transcending its internal functioning and the teaching-learning processes associated with teachers and students, it expands its field more and more to activity outside the walls.
To achieve the training of professionals committed to society, the participation and interaction of all is required and this can only be achieved by generating the change from formal groups to work teams, which is valid for any sector of society and has the communication an essential transversal axis.
The theoretical foundation of the process is the engineering training in management and the method of interaction through discussion techniques by development, as a basic communication approach.
An experience of ten days of intense interactive activity, creating formal and informal communication spaces in a teaching process, demonstrated that the educational approach can be achieved among all through communication, which contains: education as a process of dialogue and transformation, based on privilege of the collective, creativity, interaction and interdependence, contextualization, interdisciplinarity, generating process outputs with high quality and according to the needs of each specific society.
Introduction
Management and communication skills training has proven to be a requirement of managers in all branches and levels, but the approaches have been changing and increasingly require the use of participation and involvement, so that all those involved they feel part of the processes that are executed and that constitutes a principle of adult education.
This work is based on the teaching of intensive courses designed for diverse entities that produce changes aimed at the continuous improvement of their strategic action processes, which entails the need to introduce teamwork and with it the training of skills to develop it., in an interactive process, always changing and rich in new experiences, through the creation of communication spaces.
The objective of the training actions was aimed at creating work teams capable of addressing the multidisciplinary approach to new problems, with the use of the most appropriate management tools and communication actions.
The exchange generated through new approaches to address these issues allowed the assessment of contextualized situations and problems, taking into account the diversity of sectors that made up the groups, through the constitution of consolidated work teams to offer concrete solutions in the institutional and social order.
Development
The training process was conceived on the basis of general knowledge corresponding to the management discipline, generating communication spaces, it was designed and developed in three areas:
Improvement of theoretical training, with the aim of providing trainees with the deepening of management functions, in their actuality and perspectives, as a substantive element, supported by ethics (3), teamwork, the process of solving problems, decision making and change.
Improving theoretical-practical training, an aspect that allows participants to venture into the creation and / or development of practical skills that promote strategic thinking and facilitate the transition from individual learning to organizational learning (7).
Improvement of professional action, based on theoretical-practical activity that favors decision-making in a contextualized framework, with the objective character of generating action plans aimed at solving problems and the processes of change in the organizations of the participants, through work teams.
The methodological conception of the formation of work teams is based on the Engineering in Management Training (4) and the application of the interaction method with the predominance of the development discussions technique.
The definition of teaching as Management of learning situations and of learning as enrichment of knowledge, capacities and attitudes of the participants, shows the evident need for its complementation, for which the principle of joint responsibility of all the participants in the process was declared. teaching learning. This sense of co-responsibility could only be achieved by creating communication spaces, so this topic was included in practice during the development of the program.
The methodological process, to achieve the planned objectives, was developed in four phases:
The essential elements considered in each phase and their development are detailed below.
PHASE I: PLANNING. Methodological design.
Phase II: STRUCTURATION. Preparation of the pedagogical script.
PHASE III: EXECUTION. Transit of groups to teams through individual self-assessment and collective assessment.
PHASE IV: EVALUATION. Generation of solutions by work teams.
The development of each of these phases was carried out as explained below:
PHASE I. Methodological design of the training course - action.
The methodological design had as a starting point the needs expressed by the first level of management of the requesting country, regarding the process of change that they had to face (2), the active role that the organization's managers and officials must play in this and the knowledge of the principles endorsed by its system, for whose fulfillment it is established that education and work are the fundamental elements. Combining the training process with the results of the work was the initial conception when planning, highlighting the use or creation of communication spaces and taking into account the following general aspects:
a) Proactive nature, as it is intentionally oriented towards achieving a desirable future state and achieving objectives and skills, with the consequent solution of the problems inherent in a specific sphere of the reality of the participants.
b) Reflective and creative decision-making process where, among multiple alternatives, those that may potentially be adequate to achieve the objectives, including ethical behavior, are identified and selected. The creation of communication spaces is essential-
c) Approach to rationality in the selection and use of technical, material and human resources.
d) Integrated and systemic vision, articulating the diverse contents and participating elements in a coherent and logical way. In this aspect, the acceptance of the different points of view due to the professional training and functions of the participants is taken into consideration. This aspect contributes positively to the best use of communication spaces.
e) Flexible and dynamic, considering that the realities to which the approaches and skills will be applied are complex, multifactorial and often exceed the initial projections, which implies the need to leave open the alternatives to control and redesign the process of action training.
The objectives of the training action, the entry profiles with university training and basic management knowledge were defined on this basis; as characteristics of the context the acceptance of diversity is declared, regarding approaches and affiliations.
The expected output profile is the demonstrated capacity for teamwork and communication, which corresponds to the stated objectives. The output was conceived as the presentation of a solution project to the real theme, freely selected by each team.
The design was made for eighty teaching hours and daily sessions, from the second day of two to four hours of independent work and tutorial by the team of experts and participants.
The issues of ethics, time management and communication were cross-cutting axes of all the actions. In this, the primary place of communication was recognized to achieve the proposed objectives. The content of the communication skills required by each participant was collected individually, so that they were taken into account when planning the teaching-educational process.
The variables established for the evaluation were the following:
| TYPES OF VARIABLES | DEFINED VARIABLES | OBJECTIVES |
| PSYCHOPEDAGOGICS | -Declaration and control of Expectations. | Analyze compliance with the principle of co-responsibility |
| TECNOPEDAGOGICAS | -Time Management.-Quality of work
-Creativity |
Evaluate the transit of the groups to work teams. |
| SOCIOPEDAGOGICAS | -Contributions to group work-Quality of the Solution | Analyze the impact of concrete solutions in the workplace. |
Table 1. Variables of the pedagogical process. Adapted from Michel Fiol (4) by María de los A. Linares.
PHASE II. Define the pedagogical strategy to achieve the learning objectives.
In this phase the pedagogical script was structured that considers the use of:
Methods:
a) Deductive
b) Discovery (During the course and for the on-site monitoring stage)
The techniques:
a) Participatory presentations
b) Group work
c) Information gathering
d) Discussion for development
e) Discussion of cases
f) Role Games
The materials:
a) Writings.
b) Computer scientists.
c) Audiovisual
At this time, with the knowledge of communication skills that must be reinforced individually and collectively, participation exercises are organized.
For the case explained, it is required to reinforce:
- The expression of understandable messages that favor the performance of the work. The exchange in a favorable way with interlocutors, facilitating dialogue and listening. Emphasize the message with the use of visual elements and suggestive examples.
Having defined the importance of training actions to create work teams, with the management tools and appropriate communication actions, the essential elements considered in each phase and their development were addressed.
PHASE III. Transit of groups to teams through individual self-assessment and collective assessment.
The group made up of thirty members declared thirty-four expectations, 82% of them associated with concrete application in work and interpersonal relationships, with an emphasis on communication.
This group was subdivided into six work groups made up of the continuous numbering and grouping by numbers route, which constituted the guarantee of non-integration by affinity or specific areas of work that initially occurs between members from different backgrounds.
The objective of executing the transit of the groups to work teams was declared, and the names of the teams were established by consensus, each assuming the name that would define their identity.
In the thematic order, the concepts of groups and teams and the transit phases were raised: knowledge, organization, integration, maturation, which would serve as the basis for the analysis of the transition
| STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE GROUPS | ||
| Stages | characteristics | Function |
| 1. Knowledge. | -Individualistic. (expectations).- Diffuse. (newly formed, unstable interaction).
-Recelo (hidden personal purposes) -They show stereotypes according to -provenance -Evasion of conflicts. - Incomplete communication and among few members. |
Group formation. |
| 2.Organization. | -Identification of group objectives, with predominance of personal objectives-Delimitation of roles even when they are exchanged.
-Assumption of risks in the approaches -Affection in communication (Ideas are exposed and it is about convincing others, some do not hear) -Weak identity |
Group construction. |
| 3. Integration. | - Prevalence of group objectives Integration, increased feeling of belonging.
-Collective sense (members control their ego). -Improves communication and cooperation. -Fight for the identity of the group. |
Group work or Institutionalizes
tion |
| 4. Maturation | -Objectives are collective (all members make them their own) -High sense of belonging.
-Total mutual trust. -High level of communication and cooperation. -Recognized identity. |
Maturation of the collective approach. |
Table 2. General characteristics observed in the development of the working groups of the “New Management Approaches” Course
The self-assessment of each team allowed the audience to be shown daily how each stage was being achieved and to raise the deficiencies faced in the independent group work.
Subsequently, the collective analysis places the general group in the corresponding development phase.
Such a procedure contributed to:
- Declare the values and ethical behavior of the groups Eliminate the communication barriers. Highlight the role of the formal and informal communication spaces created. In this sense, when the required communication skills were initially declared, the exercises were developed to develop them. Generate creativity in an upward dynamic.
PHASE IV: Generation of solutions by the work teams.
The changes generated in the groups led them to become teams, in correspondence with the acquisition of characteristics such as:
- Autonomy in decision and operation Multifunctional action of the members Action field that included recommendations and decision-making given the hierarchical level of the participants Change promoters with high level of commitment Performance measured by the final product generated in the course with application projections to be verified in later phases. Continuous improvement of the individual communication processes, of each team and between them.
The socio-pedagogical variables defined in the planning phase constituted the foundation of the topics to be developed and behaved as follows:
- Contributions to group work: The teams took into account their substantive needs when choosing the problems whose solutions required collective work. The required information was collected and communicated continuously according to the requirements of the job.
This aspect was evaluated individually and in plenary throughout the course and in the final presentation. The evaluation of the communication actions took into account the level of development achieved with respect to the competences declared in the initial phase.
- Quality of the Solution: The procedure used to arrive at the solution and its acceptance was considered, as well as the impact it would have on the organization, based on the economic, social and ethical aspects. The improvement of the quality of the messages is recognized, in comparative analysis from one session to another.
As a result of the methodological design, 100% fulfillment of the declared expectations was reached, and the principles declared in the Planning phase, recognized as added value by the work procedure:
- Personal respect Quality and development of communication skills Rational time management Freedom of participation Initiative development Skills to achieve consensus Self-motivation for the application of teamwork Personal connection Comprehensive professionalism.
Conclusions:
1. The need and objective categories form the basis of the methodological design of the teaching-learning actions.
2. Co-responsibility must constitute a principle that, declared from the methodological design, is consistent in its development and final results.
3. The new approaches, based on the method of interaction and communication in all the planned activities, guarantee the assimilation of a common language and the creation of skills for teamwork, from spaces of permanent communication in processes of continuous improvement.
4. The formation of the groups with members of diverse academic formations guarantees transversal movements of thought, directed to the multidisciplinary approach in the process of solving problems.
5. The transversality of the communication process, as a work practice, throughout the course.
6. The management of ethics and socio-psychological factors throughout the entire process, constituted core elements to achieve synergy and constitute effective work teams.
7. Expectations were exceeded, generating spontaneous actions of continuity and exchange among the trainees.
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