Posted: August 9, 2012 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

One of the benefits of having my own company is being able to select who I work with.  I prefer to work with teams that operate at the championship level.  It is more fun, and far more rewarding.  But you say, “If they are champions, why do they need me?”  If you are a good bowler, golfer, or baseball player, do you ever stop wanting one more pin, a lower handicap, or a higher batting average?”  Championship teams operate differently from so-so teams.  In addition to focus, extra effort, and character (See link to 2/6/12 blog below), the champions all do the following:

1.  Working agreement:  (See link below) whether formal or informal, winning teams know how they work together best.  Everyone is important, and so are their needs.  Building a working agreement establishes a frame of reference that keeps each team member with a healthy mindset with maximum focus and minimum distraction.
2.  Winning mindset:  Powerful teams welcome challenge and see setbacks and disappointments as an opportunity to try again more intelligently
3.  Problem solving skills:  Not only to the champs have a good attitude about difficulty, they stick to the problem solving process and see it though without skipping a step.  That is why they are so good at focusing on the problem and not the personality.
4.  Skillful, synergistic communication and coordination: Not only do they have a process for solving problems, they also have the skill that goes with it.  Everyone’s input is important, and meetings and discussions produce quality results because they have idea fluency and incorporate collective wisdom.
5.  They know their roles.  It’s one thing to say, “That’s not my job”.  It is another to do someone else’s job for them.  Champions know their roles, and they count on their teammates to do the same.  These winners put heavy demands on themselves and create a “structural tension” that gives them that winning edge.

Putting these all together, I think we can best sum it up with a quote from Hall of Fame Coach Vince Lombardi:

“You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business.  But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body.  If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second”

http://www.durhamcoach.com/blog/2012/02/08/championship-teams-do-all-three/

http://www.durhamcoach.com/blog/2011/10/19/does-your-team-have-a-working-agreement/

Posted: April 26, 2012 | Categories: Team Building

In an earlier blog, I talked about a working agreement and how a team can construct one together.   (http://www.durhamcoach.com/blog/2011/10/19/does-your-team-have-a-working-agreement/)  I outlined the process for quality communication.  Now it is time to look at the skill level needed to generate consistent quality conversations.  There are three phases.  Here they are:

Level one:  Win-lose

This is the lowest level of communication.  There is no trust.  It is a zero-sum game.  I win – you lose.  For example, recently there was a dispute in the Wisconsin State Legislature, and this resulted in some of the representatives going to Illinois.  They were staying in hotels, holding out until they were sure that had the votes.  In the end, one side won, and the other lost.  It doesn’t take much skill to communicate at this level.  If your team communicates like this, give me a call.  We need to talk!

Level two: Let’s Negotiate

This is the level I find most companies operating in.  It is not bad.  Trust has been built, and different teams or departments look to find common ground.  They do some “give and take”, and end up with a plan that they both can live with.  To illustrate, last year there was a dispute in the US Congress last about the debt ceiling.  Just when the government was on the brink of shutting down, Congress worked out an agreement, and they were able to move forward.  Each side had to give up something.  No one was thrilled with the plan, but they agreed to abide by it, and the country was back in business.

Level three: Synergistic communication

This is the highest level of teamwork.  Teams that perform consistently at the championship level know all about this stage.  Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi used this as his secret weapon of success.  Let’s look at what it takes:

To begin with, we need to have built a very high level of trust.  This is something that is not done overnight, but it can be done.  Anyone who has ever been through military boot camp is aware of this.

Once trust is built, teams learn how to solve problems.  Here is how it goes:  One person describes a problem or a challenge.  He or she appeals to the group for suggestions.  One person says, “I think we should do this”.  Someone else might say.  “OK.  As I am thinking that through, I like this about the idea.  I am also thinking that if we added this, it would better accommodate _______.  What do you think?”  This pattern continues, and in the end, the team comes up with an idea that everyone had a part in.  The best news is, the final solution was built with team synergy, and it is better than any one idea alone.

Of course, good problem solving involves several steps.  The key point here is that when a team operates at a synergistic level of communication, they have the ability to do a better job of solving problems, and are likely to be more productive.

Posted: April 4, 2012 | Categories: Management, Team Building

“Interrogate reality, promote learning, tackle touch challenges, enrich relationships…success occurs one conversation at a time”

Susan Scott
Fierce Conversations

If there is one common denominator among all the companies I work with, it is that they want to increase sales and improve profit margins.  To triumph in these objectives, selling is important, and just as important is communication within teams and among departments.  When a sale is made, the customer expects the product or service to be exceptional and they anticipate that the work will be completed on time and within budget.

When companies conduct surveys about how things can improve, the topic of communication comes up consistently as a key focus area.  The quality of communication helps ensure that important information is transferred and things don’t slip through the cracks.  In addition, good communication strengthens teamwork by increasing engagement and reducing toxic finger-pointing and blame.

Let’s take a look at some important fundamentals and components that make up quality communication:

Trust: A strong platform of trust and mutual respect must be built.  This doesn’t means that everyone has to like each other.  Chicago Bulls legends Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen did not like Dennis Rodman.  They did  trust him and respect his work ethic and playing ability.  That was enough to get them more than one championship.

Focus: Mistakes, problems and challenges occur every day.  When they do, there are often two or more people involved in solving the problem.  The first step of the conversation is to clarify and maintain focus by asking the questions:

1. What is the focus of our discussion?
2. What would be a desirable outcome (A corrective action plan defined and committed to)

List all possible solutions:  Without judgment, get all ideas and possible options on the table.

Evaluate options:  Determine action.  After identifying the decision-making criteria, which of the options makes the most sense?  Who is going to do what?  When are they going to do it?

Remove Barriers: When we committed to a task that involves a change in pattern, much can get in the way.  At this stage, we flush out all the possible barriers, and have a strategy to help prevent the potential barriers from impeding our progress:  Here are some questions we can ask;

1.  What might prevent you from succeeding?
2. What’s missing?
3. What resources do you need?
4. What are the roadblocks you expect or know about?

To operate profitably and efficiently, look for ways to collaborate with each teammate on improvement opportunities.  Focus, list options, evaluate options, formulate action steps, remove barriers, and commit to action.  You will solve one problem after another as a team, and your team will keep getting stronger.

Posted: March 7, 2012 | Categories: Management, Team Building

Earlier this week, I was talking with a client whose company is substantially ahead their revenue goals for 2012.  That is exciting, especially considering we are not even finished with the first quarter.   You are probably asking how this is possible.  How did they do it?… Was it luck?.. .Did they just have the right product at the right time?…Was it good management and planning?  The answer:  All of the above.

You have probably heard the expression, “Luck is where opportunity meets preparation”.  Looking at what we can control, let’s take one of the most operative pieces of preparation:  CLARITY.

Clarity of goals:  This business owner (Jim) took the time to craft his 2012 business plan in November of 2011.  At the top of his plan in bold letters were his specific revenue goals and profit margin baseline.

Clarity of strategy:  If you were to ask Jim how he planned to achieve the goals, he would enthusiastically detail all the actions and categories of activity that would lead him to his goals.

Clarity of roles:  If you were to ask each of Jim’s team members what their role was, each of them could clearly tell you.

Clarity of responsibility:  Each role contains certain responsibilities in terms of desired results.

Clarity in tracking and accountability:  Everyone on Jim’s team clearly understands what is expected of them.  They all have an action plan with specific steps containing deadlines and benchmarks.  Each member does their best to do what they say they will do when they say they will do it. When they fall short, the group comes together to focus on the problem and agree on a plan of action.

Clarity in goals, strategy, roles, responsibility, and accountability can defeat finger-pointing and excuses and can enable a team to “advance confidently in the direction of their dreams”, as Thoreau once said.

To put these fundamentals immediately into play, check you clarity on the key areas mentioned.  If you find something fuzzy, take the time to make it clear.

Posted: February 23, 2012 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

Years ago there was a popular after shave called “Hai Karate”. In their psyched-up commercials they would always end with the caveat, “Be careful how you use it”

I find the same advice applies to the use of email:  It is a major tool of communication and we must use it wisely. It is like a claw hammer: We can build with it or destroy.

So when do we use email and when do we not use it? I don’t have a magic answer. Since I coach to build stronger teamwork, I have some observations:

Email correspondence seems to work well when the communication is transactional. The exchange of data, schedules, order confirmations, and general exchange of information are examples.

Beyond transactional, there is transformational. We may be upset that a seemingly careless mistake was made. There may be other instances where someone simply doesn’t know what they are doing.  Also, as mortal souls, we don’t always use sound judgment. To me, all of these instances spell an opportunity for some good coaching or re-direction. To achieve these objectives, we need quality conversations that involve interactive dialogue. That means we meet face-to-face, or have a phone conversation.  If we chose to respond to these challenges via email, I recommend two words…”let’s talk”

Counterpoint: At this point, you might be saying, “Wait a minute…I like email. When I take time to express my true feelings in print, that makes me more confident that my words will be absorbed. If we talk face-to-face, I may modify my true message due to tone of voice or body language.”

So what is the answer? I don’t have one. What I recommend is that you and your team agree on how your team will communicate and make sure email communication is part of that discussion. Make a working agreement. There will be better teamwork with fewer barriers and less resentment.