Episode D6.010 Effective Working in Teams

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Introduction
There are really 2 parts to effective working in teams, however we won’t have enough time to go through all of it, but I will cover as much as I can today.  This is one of those sessions where we can schedule a training for your team.

PART I: THE POWER OF TEAMWORK
1. Why Is Teamwork So Important?
2. What Is the Impact of Good Teamwork?


PART II: THE DYNAMICS OF TEAMWORK
3. What Are the Characteristics of a Good Team?
4. How Do I Create Positive Energy on the Team?
5. How Can I Harness the Team’s Creativity?

The Value of Teamwork:
Throughout human history, whatever the endeavor, great individuals still had teams of people supporting them along the way. 

• Teamwork is the heart of great achievement.
• Teams involve more people, thus affording more resources, ideas, and energy.
• Teams benefit from multiple perspectives.

In today’s business world: 

• Teams involve more people, thus affording more resources, ideas, and energy than would an individual.
• Teams maximize a leader’s potential and minimize her weaknesses.  Strengths and weaknesses are more exposed in individuals.
• Teams provide multiple perspectives on how to meet a need or reach a goal, thus devising several alternatives for each situation. Individual insight is seldom as broad and deep as a group’s when it takes on a problem.
• Teams share the credit for victories and the blame for losses. This fosters genuine humility and authentic community. Individuals take credit and blame alone. This fosters pride and sometimes a sense of failure.
• Teams keep leaders accountable for the goal. Individuals connected to no one can change the goal without accountability.
• Teams can simply do more than an individual.

Show Objectives

1. Why Is Teamwork So Important?
2.  What Is the Impact of Good Teamwork?
3.  What Are the Characteristics of a Good Team?
4.  How Do I Create Positive Energy on the Team?
5. How Can I Harness the Team’s Creativity?

Key Issues
Owner/Manager Perspective:

1. help the group members understand the phases from a group to team, 
2. make membership a big deal - help the group to create its own positive identity,
3. make sure as the group creates its informal rules for dealing with each it is productive, 
4. find any opportunity to celebrate the groups progress to the team, and then as a team.

Employee Perspective: 

1. act toward other members as you want them to treat you, 
2. tell the truth in a non-confrontational way, 
3. as long as you are not being asked to compromise your values or ethics - be flexible and be willing to adapt.

What You Need to Do
Why Do We Stand Alone?  4 Reasons:

1. Ego 
2. Insecurity 
3. NAÏVETÉ: 
4. Temperament 

Questions teams members need to ask themselves: 

1. What role do I play on this team? Can you accept this role?  Am I willing to subordinate myself?
2. Does my attitude fit into this role and the team goal? 
3. Do I think of myself? Are the people that depend on me being let down?

How do people start to become a more unified team?
1. Look at the big picture. 
2. Size up the situation.
3. Line up the needed resources. 
4. Call up the right players.
5. Give up personal agendas.
6. Step up to a higher level. 


What Is the Impact of Good Teamwork?

1. Teamwork divides the effort and multiplies the effect:
2. Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships
3. Teamwork is not about you:
4. Great Teams Create Community:
5. Adding Value To Others Adds Value To You:

What Are the Characteristics of a Good Team?

1. The Team Members Care for One Another:
2. The Team Members Know What’s Important
3. The Team Members Communicate with One Another
4. The Team Members Grow Together:
5. There Is a Team Fit:
6. The Team Members Place Their Individual Rights Beneath the Best Interest of the Team
7. Each Team Member Plays a Special Role
8. An Effective Team Has a Good Bench
9. The Team Members Know Exactly Where the Team Stands
10. Team Members are Willing to Pay the Price

How Can I Harness the Team’s Creativity?

• Ideas:  The Lifeblood of an Organization:
  • What Leads to the Best Ideas?
  • Team Leaders Listen to All Ideas (Shared Thinking)

What Is the Value of Shared Thinking?
1. Perspective – discovering blind spots.
2. Understanding – finding out what they know.  Ask what do you know and what do you think. 
3. Teaching/equipping – sharing what they did and didn’t see.
4. Act of empowerment – valuing them. 

What I Can Share About Shared Thinking
1. Every person can teach me something – be open. 
2. Some people can teach me sometimes – be intentional. 
3. Few people can teach me most of the time – be persistent. 


The acid test of good people around you is that they make you better!

1. Team Leaders Never Settle for Just One Idea
2. Team Leaders Look in Unusual Places for Ideas
3. Team Leaders Don’t Let Personality Overshadow Purpose
4. Team Leaders Protect Creative People and Their Ideas
5. Team Leaders Don’t Take Rejection Personally

Shows
Previous: Episode D6.009 Participate in Additional Training
Next: Episode D6.011 Willing to Lead 

Written by Cedrick LaFleur
“Talk Leadership with Cedrick”

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