Posted: September 6, 2012 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

In the summer of 2009 in the heart of a painful recession, one of my clients shared with me how he was frustrated with two of his employees. They had both worked for the company for over 15 years and they did good work. They also didn’t like each other and frequently engaged in bitter arguments. This particular day these two team members got in to a fist fight that resulted in one of them storming out and going home for the remainder of the afternoon.

The boss responded the way he always had: He became the mediator. I asked him how often he had to do this, and he said it was a regular occurrence. I asked him: “Are these disputes costing you?” He said they were. They affected productivity and also distracted them from their work. Since we had been working hard on productivity and on-time delivery, I ask him, “Is this behavior acceptable?” He said no. “Would you like to change it?” He said yes. That was all we needed. We worked out an action plan. It involved clear communication.

1. Begin positive. “We have a problem. Before we begin, I want you to know that I appreciate your dedication to this company and the quality of work you are capable of doing. The problem I want to discuss with you involves an incident that happened yesterday. “
2. Relate the story in a factual manner. There was a dispute. Voices were raised. Following the discussion, one of them left for home.
3. Explain the repercussions. I count on my team to be focused, positive, and productive. When you engage in a dispute, you distract yourself from your work, and compromise the productivity of our working environment. We cannot afford this and it will not be tolerated.
4. Explain how you feel about it. As I reflect on this, I have to say that I am quite disappointed, and I feel let down. In this tough economy, I have sacrificed my own salary just so that I could keep everyone working full schedule. Your choice to engage in conflict yesterday negatively affected our teamwork and profitability.
5. Explain consequences. In writing, detail the consequences should either of them engage in this behavior again. (Suspension, docking of pay, etc.) Get their signature.

This procedure was followed. That was over three years ago. The two fellows are still working at the company, and they have not had a dispute since then.

When the boss had this conversation, he shifted the responsibility to get along on their shoulders. It was their responsibility. Jim was able to take these two from “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” to “YIKES!” Here is the crazy part: They were happier and enjoyed their work more after the “conversation”. You might also ask, “Do they like each other now?” No. They still can’t stand each other. They do get the job done, and they keep their behavior under control.

I run in to situations like this frequently. There are managers who have been playing referee for years. We don’t have time for that if we want to focus on growing and managing our business. If you have a problem similar to Jim’s, why not have “the conversation” and put it behind you?

Posted: August 14, 2012 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

This past week, I was on a coaching call with an entrepreneurial client.  Her business is growing, and she wanted to be sure she was building the kind of culture that would be an extension of her values.  In our conversation, Sue mentioned how pleased she was with one team member in particular.  Here name is Connie, and her efforts and enthusiasm are in the “wow” quantum.  She offered extra services and thought of “add-on’s” she could provide that required little or no capital investments.  She was also a cornucopia of ideas and suggestions.  As my mother would say, “Put a nickel in her, and you’ll get your money’s worth”.

Hearing about Connie reminds all of us of where all individual greatness begins…enthusiasm, passion, and a deep abiding desire to contribute and succeed.  How about team greatness?  I have found that it starts in the same place:  A good team is built around a positive, focused and energetic nucleus.  Quite often, that begins with one person.

This concept is nothing new.  It makes sense.  Making it happen takes strong leadership.  In the late 60’s, the Green Bay Packers won so many championships that Green Bay received the nickname of “Title Town”  Coach Vince Lombardi was open about his strategy:  He built his team around the quarterback – Bart Starr.  He knew that if he started with a pure nucleus, that nucleus would generate enthusiasm, and attract like-minded attitudes and commitment

Let’s go back to Sue:  Like the coach, Sue has chosen to build her team around a solid nucleus, and that is Connie.  Her next step is to have a one-on-one conversation with Connie, and let her know the game plan.  From that point, through open communication, trust and respect, her business is positioned to grow in good health.

Consider an opposite approach:  What if Sue did like many managers do?  She would spend far too much time talking and wrestling with those people who were dragging their feet, or just not that engaged.  All the while she would be doing this, Connie’s enthusiasm could lose steam, and there could be a high risk of losing a gem.

If we want to build an ideal culture:

1. Identify those with the most enthusiasm and who are in alignment with the vision and goals of the company.
2. Form your team around them.
3. Watch it grow!

Related stories

Five competencies of a championship team: http://www.durhamcoach.com/blog/2012/08/09/the-five-competencies-of-a-championship-team/

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.