Posted: April 24, 2019 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

Most of my time is spent building top-producing teams.  One of the most fun parts of my job is when I get to work with a fresh new crew eager to excel.  Last week I was with such a group:

It was a team meeting, and two of the members were discussing how they can better communicate with one another.  Based on their positions, much communication and coordination was needed between them.  As they talked they came to a sticking point.  One person was upset and felt she had been left out of the loop. The other person tried to explain himself, and soon you could feel friction in the air.  We all know what happens when this occurs:  Each person stops listening and thinks about the way they will respond to defend their position.   Fortunately, the two people recognized the danger, and brought the conversation back to a safe place:  One person said, “Jill, I am not trying to make you feel bad or neglected.  My goal is to seek your help.  I am having a challenge, and I believe if we can talk through it, we can create a plan that makes our jobs easier for both of us.”

From this point, then went on to solve the problem, and created a “win-win” solution.  This action buried any possible frustration or resentment, and the two team members were back on track working side by side.

Look what happened here:  These two new employees had a conflict and they resolved it right away.  They did not allow time for the problem to fester.  That is smart.  Unfortunately, not all teams are this adept.  Comments are made and things are said.  People react or shut down.  Frustration and resentment sets in.  Ten years later, people still remember and rehash how they were hurt, and team performance suffers forever.  In the meantime, they have robbed themselves of the chance to have a positive, fully-engaged and productive team.

Posted: February 21, 2019 | Categories: Leadership, Management

In the summer of 1998, I was suddenly thrust into the role of managing a little league team consisting of kids ages 9 & 10.  If I hadn’t accepted the job, my son’s team would have been broken up.  I said yes.

As we began with the season, I held a meeting with the parents.  I said, “I don’t know much about baseball, but the assistant coaches that surround me do.  I do know a little about leadership.  Some say that it is not whether you win or lose, you just need to have fun.  Others say winning is everything.  I’ve got some good news for you…we are going to have fun and we are going to win!”

As I began my coaching, I kept clearly in mind the “secret sauce” that makes a winning team:  Building Structural Tension.  Structural tension means that each team member is driven by supporting their fellow team member, not the boss.  That means that team members encourage one another and don’t put each other down.  It also means that they trust and respect each other enough to hold each other accountable.  If someone in the outfield is daydreaming, it is fair game to say, “He Steve.  Wake up.”

In 2016 the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.  They had structural tension.  Recently, Athletic magazine wrote an article about David Ross, the Cubs back-up catcher that year.  He was a seasoned pro enjoying his final year in the Majors.  He would strongly encourage his teammates, and he also would comment when they were falling in to bad habits.  They loved him!  He knew that top-performing teams have a pact to keep each other on task.

Now back to my little league baseball team:  We finished the season 15-3!

Posted: February 1, 2019 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

About a year ago a client introduced me the book, “The Ideal Team Player” Patrick Lencioni.  Jim is a business owner and he liked the way the author broke down the “Ideal Team Player” into three key characteristics and qualities:  Humility, Hunger, People Smarts.

At first I thought this was gimmicky and an over-simplification.  I decided to take the scientific approach and prove the theory wrong.  I did not succeed.  What I discovered was that to build a top-performing team it is critical to look for and evaluate candidates according to these three pillars.

Humility:  When we possess and practice humility, we admit our mistakes and welcome input from others.  We subordinate our ego in favor of building others and also teamwork.

Hunger:  Without strong desire, we can be shy on initiative.  If we want something badly enough we go through much discomfort and challenge to achieve it.

People smarts:  Tactfulness removes barriers and opens dialogue.  It is essential in building team trust and setting the table for strong collaboration and teamwork.

With the past month, I worked with someone who was interviewing candidates to fill a position.  He wanted to know the best qualities to look for in his conversations.  I shared these three qualities with him.  After the first interview, h determined that the person was highly skilled, hard-working, and articulate.  He was only missing one quality…Humility.  It was a no go.  Here is how it works based on my coaching experience:

If a person needs more hunger, you can find out what motivates them, and create that hunger.  If they lack people smarts, tact and human relations skills can be learned.  I have helped people with that all my career.  How about humility?  That is a tough one.  Without humility, there is no team synergy or collaboration.  Be careful.

Posted: January 28, 2019 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Team Building

Last month I read a headline that made me sad and joyous at the same time.  The headline read, “Maverick Founder of Southwest Airlines dies at 87”. Herb Kelleher was a true maverick, and that is an understatement.

Years ago I was on a Southwest flight from Phoenix to Chicago.  As the flight began, the flight attendant took to the microphone.  She said, “Welcome aboard.  We will be serving beverages on this flight, and soon our servers will be coming by.  At this time, I want everyone to open up their in-flight magazine and turn to page #29.  Got it?  OK, now go to the right column.  There you will see listed all the beverages we offer.  Now I would like you to go through this list, and choose what beverage you would like.  Is everybody with me?  Good.  And remember, we are completely out of, What do you have?”

That’s Southwest.  Who else would have the nerve?  As I reflected on that moment, I realized that they were following in true order of their values.  Here are their top three in order:

1. Have fun.
2. Love your employees
3. Love your customers.

So how come we customers ended up in third place?  Herb Kelleher knew that having fun and treating your people right was the way to have a loyal following.  Beyond that, he did have a quirky priority:  He looked for people who had strong personalities.  The whiskey-drinking, cigarette-smoking fellow just couldn’t settle for his folks saying “Have a nice day” in monotone.  The Southwest Airlines Crew:  They may excite you, they may infuriate you, but they will never bore you.  One more thing:  In the 20 years he was at the helm, Southwest made a profit every year, and they continue to do so.  Are you a maverick?

Posted: September 27, 2018 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

I work with organizations and teams that have a strong desire to operate at top performance.  While there are many attitudes, skills, and behaviors that need to be in place, one attribute that is often overlooked is being approachable.  In his classic book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, Dale Carnegie said, “The expression we wear on our face is more important than the clothes we wear on our back.”  What is the expression on your face at rest?  Is there a sparkle to it, or do you tend to have a more stern look.  Here is a story for you:

Many years ago, I was facilitating some leadership training, and the class consisted mostly of small business owners.  Cliff was one of the owners.  He ran an HVAC business, and years ago he was struggling to motivate his team.  A friend made a suggestion:  “Why don’t you change the expression of your face at rest?  You will find your people are more comfortable approaching you.  Right now, it seems like they are avoiding you”.  Cliff took the suggestion to heart.  It was hard to get into the habit of always having a pleasant expression.  He stuck with it, It was two years before he firmly formed the habit.  It paid off.  He said it was the most important decision he had even made since going into business.  As more people approached him, the communication opened up.  With more communication came more teamwork and problem solving.  Think about it.  When you go in to a store, and everyone is smiling, take note of the boss.  He or she is probably smiling.  Conversely, if you walk in and see glum looks on everyone, take a look at the person in the mezzanine.  Be prepared for Mt. Rushmore!