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Category: Leadership
Building team trust: The foundation of a winning team
I work with companies to help build high-performing teams. The simple formula for leading a talented and competent team to its highest level is: OWNERSHIP, CLARITY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY built on a solid foundation of trust. I focus heavily on building team trust. Without it, a team will fail.
Here is an illustration: Last week, Jared Diamond wrote an article in the WSJ about the Chicago Cubs and the way they attract free agents. He gave the example of free agent pitcher Tyler Chatwood. Before his first meeting with the Cubs, he was anticipating a big sales pitch about how great the team is. They took a whole different approach. As Mr. Diamond put it, ”Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer took the conversation in a direction that surprised and disarmed Chad. They recommended the best physicians and hospitals in the area for his pregnant wife.” They did not talk about baseball. Instead, they showed a genuine interest in him and his family.
Chad signed a three-year, $38 million contract with the Cubs.
“This is the secret weapon that enables the Cubs to practically hand-select talent: a compelling personal touch that goes beyond a player’s value on the field. “, said Diamond.
And how about the bottom line? The Cubs frequently are not the highest bidder when they acquire a free agent. The Cubs have figured out that even though you can’t buy happiness, showing a genuine interest in people and their family can greatly increase your batting average!
Protect your reputation by owning it
In business, our reputation is the most valuable possession we have. With social media and smarter consumers, building and reserving our reputation must be tantamount.
This week I attended an annual meeting sponsored by an organization I belong to. I was looking forward to both the meeting and the banquet facility. I had been there twice, and in both instances the food and service was excellent. This time, things were different.
The key to team problem-solving
One of our favorite family traditions for the holiday is making and decorating Christmas cookies. We like to make it a special event, and this past weekend we had our two adult sons and their wives join us in the project. Our goal was to put our creativity into the cookie decorating and afterwards take pictures and make a Christmas card. That was our objective. We weren’t sure how we were going to get to it. That is where team collaboration came in.
Increase profit by reducing tolerations
If you are like most of us, when you look at your personal life, there are a few things in the “toleration” category. Here are some examples:
- Being overweight
- Not eating right
- Office clutter
- A half-finished project
This list can get pretty long. Let’s face it, there are some tolerations we just never get around to attending to.
There are also tolerations in business. Read More…
Excellence means setting and exceeding high expectations
With online shopping steadily on the rise, retail chains nationwide are struggling. As many face this issue, it is common that they turn to improving customer service. I once heard someone say, “Success comes in what we do after we have done what we have been paid to do.” In other words, go the extra mile. Setting the bar high is one challenge. Keeping the bar high can be an even bigger challenge.Read More…