Using gifts in teams

Using gifts in teams is designed for leaders and team members who want to be on the innovative edge of learning how to infuse their teams with one of the oldest and most productive community-building ideas in the world—using gifts.

Since the 1960s, there have been at least six different major approaches to team formation—moving from a singular focus on productivity up to the emerging 'inclusion movement' of the past few years. Each of them has had a 'next-stage' set of strategies beyond productivity for creating and sustaining high-performing teams. No prior team-building movement has focused on the gifts of individual members as a central principle.

Even the most progressive team formation practices still focus on strengths as a way to identify the capabilities of team members. Strengths identification is a limiting practice, since it doesn’t identify the difference between “what I can do” and “what I can do, what I’m passionate about, want to be respected for, and likely to stick with.” Gifts are about all four of those attributes.

Using gifts in teams adds a powerful new possibility since it focuses on utilizing the unique contributions of each employee AND can result in increased productivity, efficiency, belonging and healthy group dynamics. 

Using gifts in teams goes outside of the typical organizational development boundaries and utilizes multi-cultural and community development principles as the basis for its “proof”.  In this current global environment of working towards equity and justice and active acceptance of cultural differences, we’ve turned to gifts as one of the oldest multicultural “glues” we can use to build strong teams.  

Gift integration in team functioning also delivers results because it focuses on the top three factors in employee retention—employees feel seen and valued for who they are, their daily work is attached to a larger purpose in their life, and they have opportunities for continuous learning. Gifts usage promotes all three retention factors in a variety of ways as a group builds community, shares gifts with each other, and works towards a common vision. 

What can participants expect?

Participants will receive a copy of the participant packet and be involved in content presentation, discussion, and activities about using gifts in teams including:

Important concepts in gift usage in teams:

• Differentiation between “Inclusive” team building and “Using Gifts” team building.
• Specific advantages of gift identification and usage in individuals.
• Specific advantages of gift identification and usage in groups.
• How gifts increase resilience in individuals and groups.
• The multicultural connection between gifts and the three “glues” for community formation and health.
• The useful connection between indigenous initiation practices, gifts, and modern team functioning.
• Gifts and the Ladder of Motivation in team members.
• How gift-giving can contribute to healing in team members without focusing on healing.
• How individual gift shadows impact relationships and team performance. 

Tools and activities to use:

• Samples of multicultural gift identification activities any team can use to identify the 4-5 most valued gifts in each team member.
• Examples of activities teams can use to acknowledge gifts in team members.
• Samples of methods teams can use to organize team tasks utilizing gifts as a significant component of task completion.
• Our unique Gift Paired Coaching questions for co-workers to identify possibilities, barriers, and future goals in sharing their gifts with each other.
• Templates for gift integration in employee evaluation.
• Questions to ask during hiring to identify gifts in recruits. 
• Short activities, traditions, and rituals teams can use to keep the importance of gifts alive in the memory of group dynamics.

Who's invited?

This event is designed for any person who has a desire to increase gift-oriented thinking and action in the behaviors of a team.

Note: Participants DO NOT need to be Core Gift Master Facilitators or have attended any other training at the Core Gift Institute. This is a stand-alone learning event that benefits any group. There are, however, additional benefits and activities for teams that have completed Core Gift Discovery™ with their membership. 

Participation requirements

• There is no preparation necessary.
• Participants must be able to access both Zoom audio and video.
• We ask for active participation. This event has multiple activities in breakout rooms to learn about and experience some of the strategies we’ll be presenting.

Dates and Times:

US/Canada/Europe:

Thursday, August 1, 2024

9am-12pm PDT

12pm-3pm EDT

6pm-9pm CET

This event is also available for single organizations on other dates in your time zone. Please contact us for more information, scheduling, and pricing.

Learning host

Bruce Anderson

Registration fee 

$99.00 USD