At Extended Campus Custom Training, we regularly tell our clients that investing in professional development creates stronger, more adaptive teams. But do we follow our own advice?

Recently, our ECCT team participated in a workshop led by Dr. Robert Carroll, one of our core faculty partners and an expert in organizational communication and storytelling. The session focused on improving how we communicate and collaborate as a team, the same skills we help our clients develop every day.

Why This Matters

It would be easy to assume that because we work in human-centered learning and development, we know everything about organizational dynamics and teamwork. But 1) surprise: we don't know everything, and 2) that's precisely the wrong mindset. The best organizations aren't the ones that already know everything; they're the ones that commit to continuous improvement.

By participating in training ourselves, we:

• Model the behavior we recommend to our clients
• Strengthen our own team dynamics and effectiveness
• Gain firsthand experience with the faculty members we connect with our clients
• Stay current with evolving best practices in communication and collaboration

Key Insights from Our Workshop

Dr. Carroll guided us through several areas that resonated deeply with our daily work:

• Understanding Communication Preferences: We explored how our different roles and personalities shape our communication needs. This isn't just theory; it's about creating practical agreements for how we work together more effectively.
• Personalizing Multi-Party Communications: Dr. Carroll challenged us to think about when it's worth breaking group emails into targeted, personalized communications for different stakeholders. Yes, there were some groans about the extra work involved; we're human, after all. But his point resonated: the value and connection created through personalized messaging often far outweighs the additional effort, especially when the stakes are high or the audience is diverse.
• Decision-Making Frameworks: An interesting concept that stood out was the idea of a "dissent window," an agreed-upon period of time during which team members can raise concerns or suggest alternatives. Once that window closes and a decision is made, the team moves forward together. This approach prevents decision paralysis while still valuing diverse perspectives and ensuring work can proceed.
• Navigating Uncertainty: We discussed how to focus on what we can control during periods of change, and how to draw on our own experiences when helping clients navigate similar challenges. This authenticity creates stronger connections with the organizations we serve.
   

The Real Value: Walking the Walk