Team Strategy Sessions: Overview

Keeping teams on-track

Each team strategy session has assigned work. Look to the short term action plan/pre-work for assignments. If time is used efficiently, it is possible to complete the majority of each assignment during the assigned strategy session. Post-work time should be used to flesh items out, set deadlines, and assign next steps to appropriate individuals.

Facilitating through obstacles

Passion and enthusiasm can run deep during an institute. When a team gets stuck on details or a particular anticipated obstacle, help the team move forward by suggesting that further discussion and work on the item be placed as a next step on the short term action plan.

Advice vs. facilitation

Especially if you are associated with an institution that has been looking at guided pathways longer than the teams, you will get questions the likes of “how did ____ do this?” While you can certainly share any aha moments or significant realizations from your own experience, reframing the issue and asking probing questions will help the team move in the right direction for their institution.

Examples of related questions:

• What do you hope to accomplish with ___________?
• How has your institution handled this in the past?
• Who are the right people at your institution to explore these options?