Aiming for Higher Performance and Streamlined Practices: SDRC Hosts Team Alignment and Process Improvement Workshop

The Social Development Research Center opened the celebration of its 45th anniversary with a collaborative event, inviting the directors and staff of fellow College of Liberal Arts centers to a competency-building workshop held at the Research Commons on March 6, 2024. Teams from the Jesse Robredo Institute of Governance (JRIG) led by Dr. Ador Torneo, the Southeast Asia Research Center and Hub (SEARCH) led by Dr. Fernando Santiago, and the Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center (BNSCWC) led by Dr. Clarissa Militante joined SDRC Director Dr. Homer Yabut and the core staff in participating in a Team Alignment and Process Improvement Workshop. The workshop was facilitated by Mr. Joffre Chua, former DLSU Department of Psychology faculty member and currently Executive Director of the IAAS (Invictus Academy of Applied Studies) Management Consultancy and Career Training Center.

Participating in games and exercises devised to create an awareness of how teams can perform effectively and to help enrich internal communication, the staff were given insights into their own individual work traits and attitudes, and were also made aware of how these affected their relationships with other team members. The workshop further provided the staff members the opportunity to evaluate the performances of their colleagues, and to suggest ways in which these could be enhanced. Most significantly, they were given time to review the work processes that extended across centers, and to consider ways of eliminating redundant tasks for smoother and greater productivity.

The Team Alignment and Process Improvement Workshop was sponsored by SDRC as part of its contribution toward attaining the University Jubilee goals of developing Mission-focused, high-performing and fulfilled faculty and staff, and of creating a more robust presence as a global research university.