Developing Leaders, Transforming Teams

To create a team, a demand for performance is more important than team-building exercises. You can get a group together and train them in teamwork for weeks, but they won’t be a team until they have a common understanding of the need to perform. First comes the strategic plan, then the tasks needed to carry out the plan, finally, teams are formed to do the tasks.

Team basics are often overlooked. Team basics are: size, purpose, goals, skills, approach, and accountability.

Teams at the top are the most difficult. Executives have complex, long-term challenges, heavy demands on their time, and they got where they are by being “John Wayne.”

There’s no need to throw out the hierarchy. Teams are the best way to integrate across structural boundaries. They are the best way to design and energize core processes.

Teams permit performance and learning at the same time. There is no better way to become a learning organization than to have a team-based structure which thrives on people learning from peers. The learning endures.

I think many of us would rather be boiled in hot oil then to have to attend some of the meetings we have to go to. Here are Ten Tips for better meetings as well as some hard & soft skill tips.

Decision Makers
Invite the right people to a meeting. There must be someone with the authority to make a decision in attendance. Don’t table items in the “parking lot” -it’s a waste of time and they get lost.

Agenda
Make sure there is an agenda and that everyone in attendance gets a copy of it prior to the meeting. That way, they know how to prepare. An agenda also helps participants
stay on point. 1. Stick to the agenda. 2. Don’t just report the news, have items that are productive. 3. Stick to the agenda

Time Limit
Most meetings are so long because they’re not effectively run. Set a time limit and stick to it. You can ensure that you stick to the schedule by limiting everyone to two minutes of speaking time. We all know the person who has many experiences and although the stories and anecdotes are nice, they eat time.

Decision Process
If the meeting is called to decide something, make sure there’s a decision-making process in place. Will it be majority rules? Or does everyone in attendance have to
agree? What’s the objective? Do we have the people and processes attending to achieve the objective?

Follow Up
At the meeting, set deadlines for what you want to accomplish and make sure there is a follow-up process. That way, great ideas translate into action. SMART – Specific, Measurable, Applicable, Realistic, Timely.

Here’s some cool soft skill stuff to make meetings not just bearable but something that people look forward to attending.

Music/music video
I know I have written about this one before, but it works. Have attendees walk into a room that has energy in it.

Start Time
Give your meetings interesting start times like 8:57 or 2:23. It will get their attention and probably a laugh or two.

Snacks/beverages
Provide beverages (at least pitchers of water). You can even have fun by giving your meetings themes: The chocolate meeting or the fruit meeting for example. Other options include popcorn or the muffin meeting.

Change Up Meeting Facilitator
Give your team members a chance to work on leadership skills by alternating the person running the meeting. Have a different person champion each meeting.

Recognition and Celebration
Catch each other doing things right. Recognize and celebrate a successful meeting. Too often we catch each other dong things wrong.

How well is your team performing? How do you evaluate their performance? Many organizations know that their teams aren’t performing effectively, but struggle to pinpoint the reason why. Others wonder what type of new or follow-up training they should provide to their teams in order ensure effectiveness.

At Catalyst we understand that It can be difficult to make these evaluations, so we created the FiveSTAR 360 Team Performance Indicator (TPI) , a team performance assessment tool that will provide you with the data that will guide you.

The FiveSTAR 360 TPI delivers objective data on team performance through a series of three surveys taken over a defined period of time. The FiveSTAR 360 TPI allows users to quantify the functions and competencies for each team in the following areas: role clarity, vision, communication and trust, as well as dependency, conflict, cohesion, synergy, motivation and commitment. The resulting data will guide you in your employee development plan, allowing you to focus your training on your specific areas of need.

The FiveSTAR 360 TPI survey results provide you with an overall understanding of your team’s dynamics and will serve as the Catalyst to help your team realize its high-performance potential.

Would you like to evaluate your team today? Call 800-446-1172 for details.

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Client: Major International Bank

Participants: 35 Associates, representing 4 divisions and 7 countries

We have been spending a lot of time in the Middle East lately, although we design and deliver most of our work with organizations in the United States. As you know many countries in the Middle East are experiencing very volatile times. Governments are collapsing due to civil war and so are economies. These conditions are impacting all areas of business for this large bank’s investment advisory group, and as a result it must reinvent itself.

The theme of the program we delivered was not so much “to do more with less”, but rather do different to do more. Revolution and civil war meant no government to support the programs that this large bank group offered. Working in countries like Yemen was too unstable, and made it impossible for this investment advisory group to do their jobs.

Our program focused on seven major goals:

1. Better communication between business lines
2. Better hand-offs between business lines
3. Seek and share information, including not only what works, but also what does not work.
4. Step up and remove the indecisiveness.
5. Create teamwork at a much higher level, which means knowing when to throw and catch, understanding roles and broadening understanding of client needs.
6. Find new areas and ways to promote business.
7. Have fun and enjoy each other’s company.

The program included a variety of interactive activities to create fun, but very meaningful experiences that participants could apply back in their business environment. In addition to using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for cultural personal understanding, we also used the following modules:

• How to say no
• How to deal with angry clients/associates
• Empowerment
• Control versus influence or concern
• Building and maintaining relationships
• Doing different to do more
• Intellectual bank accounts

The program also included a strategic action planning session where the team identified, thought stormed, and funneled ideas down to concrete solutions.

Despite the challenges this team has faced they have tripled, yes TRIPLED, their output and business coming in. How? When change occurs then uncertainty is created. With uncertainty comes distrust. But through this program this team learned that by embracing the obvious and seeking out the less obvious they could thrive. I’m very proud of them and they should be proud of themselves.

It takes a lot of trust to allow an empowered work team. What happens when members of the team make mistakes? Do we un-empower them, or allow them to learn and grow?

It’s kind of scary when the bottom line depends on it and you are the one held accountable. I like this video on the subject. Let me know what you think.

Now that the “Occupy Initiative” is over college graduates may need some guidance as they move into the real world (not that college is not real, because life’s challenges are relative as we move through the stages life presents). What follows is some sound advice from successful people in business. . . and my thoughts on what they have to say. We’d love to hear what you think too.

Steve Jobs: Live Each Day as if it Was Your Last ~Stanford University, 2005
“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

It’s a nice sentiment, but if people are trying to pay bills and raise a family without the means to get out, does this really apply?

Bill Gates: From Those to Whom Much is Given Much is Expected ~Harvard University, 2007

I agree. Obi Wan Kenobi said, “With great power comes great responsibility. If we are given power, money or any of the sought after resources of life, then we should be working to make the world a better place for others.

Oprah Winfrey: We All Need Makeovers from Time to Time~Duke University, 2009
“You know, we all need makeovers from time to time in our lives, and graduates, I know this, that if you can see the possibility of changing your life, of seeing what you can become and not just what you are, you will be a huge success.

I agree. . . dress for success.

Michael Dell: Never be the Smartest Person in the Room~University of Texas, 2003
In organizations it’s called team building. And in life it’s called family, friends, and community.

I guarantee, someone on your team will have an idea, process or leadership ability that the rest of the team wouldn’t have in a hundred years. Why would you want someone who always agrees with you? The world of business does not need more “yes-men” (. . . or “yes people”).

Michael Bloomberg: Don’t Stay Down Long ~Tufts University, 2007

If you ever get the chance read Dr. Suess, Oh the places you’ll go.

JK Rowling: Failure can be the Foundation of Success~Harvard University, 2008 (Note: No longer a billionaire)So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential.

Very true. And when you are down and find you need some guidance on how to get back up, consider an Executive Coach, but make sure they have gotten their butts kicked a couple of times. Those are the people who know the way out.

I was picking up my five-year old son from school the other day and decided to watch him for a while as he was coloring. He was having a great time and really seemed to be invested in his creation. As I watched with a big smile on my face a teacher’s aid coached him on how he should stay within the lines with his crayons. He was coloring picture of an elephant.

On the way home he asked me if what he did was wrong. I asked “What were you drawing”? “An elephant that can make rainbows appear around him,” he answered.

Interesting! To the naked eye what he was doing seemed to be the work of an under-developed child who may not have the skills to conform, but if you understood his intention then it’s a different story all together.

How many times have you have heard in your business, “that’s not how it’s done,” “you’re doing it wrong,” or “that won’t work?”

Everyone’s talking about doing more with less; how about if we do different to do more? Our business processes of the past may not be appropriate for the present or future. The goal of reinventing business and business culture will be difficult to achieve with a “not invented here” mentality.

Mergers, acquisitions, change, or culture clashing are just a few of the challenges driving us to innovate. Teams, team leaders and corporations may want to look at ways to “color outside the lines” to solve new difficulties or problems.

I told my son, “not only were you not wrong, you were brilliantly correct.” Keep coloring outside the lines buddy.

Does this make sense to anyone else?

Have you ever noticed the drivers on the road who like to be nice and yield the right of way out of courtesy to other drivers who would otherwise have to wait?

While on the face of it this might seem very polite, considerate and even down-right neighborly, maybe it’s not.

I watched this happen the other day outside of Boston on a rainy, 50-degree day. The problem was that the rest of the cars behind this person fully expected the driver to exercise the right of way as the law states.

As I watched the ensuing five car pile up in front of me, I immediately traced my thoughts back to business and the impact on other members of a corporate team when someone doesn’t adhere to outlined processes and plans.

What really caused this accident? Was it lack of communication, breeched trust, myopic thinking or just a lack of teamwork?

Aren’t these the same core competencies that effect us in business? From the perspective of some team members (like the driver in front of me), they may think they are helping, or that no one else will be impacted by their actions, but the reality is that every action, decision and behavior impacts the team and its ability to function successfully.

Maybe we should reincarnate the old TQM battle cry, “Plan the Work…Work the Plan.”

What do you all think?

Rajon Rondo, point-guard for the Boston Celtics, was ejected for bumping referee Marc Davis late in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs. Why did he do it? Was it for the better cause of the team? Did it put the Celtics in a better position for victory? Not only did the Celtics lost Game 1 of the playoffs, but they also lost all-star point-guard Rondo due to a suspension for Game 2.

A person whom I respect very much once told me, “When you make visible to others your grumpiness, then they are paying the price for something they had nothing to do with. Consider how selfish it is when you impact others in a negative way and create awkwardness and backlash.

What Rondo did was all about Rondo. Exposing his frustration and bumping the referee was all about him, not the team and what is best for the organization, in a playoff game no less.

What about the rest of the teammates who worked hard to get to the playoffs? Do their efforts count? Does their desire for success even matter?

It’s the same in business; when one deviates from processes put in place, or swims in other teammates’ lanes because of control issues or lack of trust it impacts the success of others, the team and the organization. Ultimately it creates rework and requires others to work harder to achieve the same goals.

Paul Peirce had a good game and stepped up and the Celtics won Game 2, 87 -80. We don’t need selfish stars on our teams; why put your team (organization, business or social) in that position?

What are your thoughts? We’d love to hear them.