“Nothing is so infectious as example.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In conducting team building training and management skills training all over the world since 1995, I’ve discovered there are nine essential ingredients that consistently crop up in creating high performance teams. Listed below are the top nine beginning with communication.

High Performance Teams

9 Things a Leader Can Do To Energize and Motivate Employees To Extraordinary Performance:

1) Communication: Open, honest communication between team members and the team leader about an organization’s vision and clearly defined goals. Not to mention a team leader needs training in people skills and how to manage people effectively. Most team leaders are promoted based on their “hard skills” or technical skills, but it doesn’t mean they can create high performance teams. They must become effective at communicating, listening and resolving conflict. And everyone on the team needs training in conflict resolution and how to be an effective communicator. Each team member has been raised differently from childhood in terms of what’s acceptable communication. So training helps to keep the team leader and team members on the same page. The key is in becoming tactfully direct.

2) High performance teams possess purpose and direction. They have clearly defined goals, objectives and responsibilities. When I go into an organization and conduct team building training, team leaders tell me all the time how important it is for teams to understand their roles, expectations, and responsibilities. Team members want to know what specific goals and objectives they’re being evaluated on. Make sure the performance objectives are measurable, quantifiable, and in writing for accountability. Have goals and objectives for the team as a whole as well as for each team member and include everyone on these goals. For example, if team members are in sales, a goal states in writing that each of them are to develop ten new accounts representing gross sales of at least $20,000 by December 31 of this year.

3) A key component to high performance teams is active participation, accountability and sense of ownership on the team leader’s end as well as from the team members. Being a more powerful leader means being an involved leader. Participation and ownership also sets a precedent for what’s expected of each team player – teamwork. One contributor to low team morale is when one or two team members hide out in the success of the rest of the team. Everyone else is doing the work. I guarantee you this is not going unnoticed. Hold everyone to the same high standards. Start taking progressive disciplinary action if a team member is not doing his or her job. If you don’t take progressive disciplinary action you’ll lose credibility as a team leader who enables poor performance.

Effective Team Leaders Are Listeners

4) Trust between team members and the team leader. Effective team leaders are listeners. They solicit feedback truly be productive if there isn’t trust between the team members and the team leader. Always do and listen to employees’ suggestions and concerns. It’s difficult for a team to be productive if there isn’t trust between the team members and team leader. Always do what you say you are going to do. That one thing you promise your team that you can’t deliver on will be the one thing they remember.  Many employees don’t quit their jobs. They quit their team leaders and managers.

5) Strong, effective leadership filtering down is essential to effective team building and creating high performance teams. A team leader must possess the ability to coach. Having a “coach mentality” and helping team members to grow, develop and mature is a necessary skill. It’s part of your job!  Don’t do everything for your team members otherwise they never learn to do things themselves. Even if you’re thinking, “Well, if I want it done right I might as well do it myself.” Look at the word “team leader.” You are there to lead.

6) Proper resources, funding and training necessary to get the job done. Do you have the right people for the job? Your people are your most important resource. Have they been properly trained? Do they have the right equipment to do the job effectively? Training is an important part of team building and leadership. Employees tell me all the time they want additional training to sharpen their skills. They want to be given essential tools that will develop their skill set. It makes them feel valued and important. As if their organization is willing to invest in them for the long term.

7) High performance teams believe in equality and a shared vision, shared sense of purpose. Everyone has a sense of inclusion. Everyone treats each other equally, fairly and objectively. The whole team is included in goals and even social events.

8) Respect. The team leader has respect for the team. This boosts the confidence of the team members. They have respect for each other which leads to increased morale, productivity and a high performing team.

9) Willingness to share job knowledge, skills, and ideas. The team leader is the role model. If you’re willing to share knowledge and ideas, you’re training your team to do the same. Better yet, include “willingness to share job knowledge, skills and ideas” in team members’ performance reviews. If they know they’re being evaluated on these factors, they’re more likely to perform.

Another ingredient central to creating high performance teams: it’s imperative that both the team leader and the team have a positive attitude. As one group of team leaders told me, “A key element of any successful team is no bad attitudes allowed!”

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Colleen Kettenhofen is a professional speaker and author who has presented in 47 states and six countries. She is co-author of “The Masters of Success,” featured on NBC’s Today Show. Popular topics: leadership, management skills, difficult people, public speaking. For free articles and e-newsletter visit www.ColleenSpeaks.com Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars. (800)323-0683 www.ColleenSpeaks.com

There is a 5-step process that we have found to be very effective in effective team building.

Before we start, it’s important to remember that teams exist for one reason:  to achieve results!  However, it’s also important to remember that teams must be sustainable in order to continue producing those results, so that’s why we look at the inter-relationships among the team members — to ensure that those relationships are working at the level needed for the team to continue producing results without getting burned out.  Let’s look at this process of building a successful team so that your team can get to the next level and be not only effective, but sustainable, in achieving its desired results.

1.  Measure the current effectiveness of your team

In order to help your team be more successful, it’s important to first look at how successful the team is currently.  Measuring your team can serve as a benchmark for team development, as it gives you a current evaluation of your team as it exists today.  The best way to do this is to measure your team’s effectiveness, which can be done in several different ways:

- Personal interviews:  Asking each team member a specific set of questions designed to measure their effectiveness is a great way to learn about what’s really going on within your team.  The disadvantage of this method is that some team members will not be forthcoming with information during face-to-face interviews because they are not anonymous.  Results are best yielded when the interviews are done by an external facilitator who will maintain individual confidentiality.

- Simple measurement:  A very simple method to use is to ask your team members “on a scale of 1 to 10, how effective is this team”?  And see what their responses are so that you can ask some follow up questions to learn more about their perceptions.

- Assessment tool:  In our opinion, this is the best method to measure the current state of your team because it is anonymous, unbiased and team members are generally very candid and open in their responses.  The assessment results are then shared with your team in a specially-designed team development process that includes exercises to help the team improve in areas needed.

2.  Create your vision of a highly successful team

This is where you can use the “begin with the end in mind” concept that Stephen Covey and others have used for years. This step is about using your imagination to create the most successful, productive, cohesive team that you desire! The vision of your team can include the following components:

- Team’s values, priorities and desired results

- Organization’s values, priorities and desired results for this team

- Your own values, priorities and desired results for this team

- Productivity factors:  these are factors defined by Team Diagnostic International as the factors that support the team in achieving results, accomplishing tasks, staying on course to reach goals and objectives.  They include strengths such as accountability, decision making, goal setting, etc.

- Positivity factors:  these are factors defined by Team Diagnostic International as the factors that focus on the inter-relationships between team members and the spirit or tone of the team as a system.  They include strengths such
as trust, respect, clear communication, handling conflict, camaraderie, etc.

I encourage you to create your “desired team” vision with your team.  Schedule a time to meet with them to allow for everyone to participate in this creative process!  And, remember to think out of the box — what would it look like to have a team that was achieving results beyond what you think is possible today?

3.  Communicate effectively

This is a huge topic that I will only be able to scratch the surface in this article!  However, here are the most important tips to remember in my experience of working with teams:

- Everyone receives information differently.  Some people have to see it, others have to hear it, etc.  How do you like to receive information?  Remember that just because one way works for you, that same way doesn’t work for all
of your team members.

- Find out how each person needs to receive information in order to process it.  Ask your team members “how do you like to receive information?”  so that they can tell you whether they are visual learners, auditory learners, etc.

- Remember to communicate important information using several different methods so that all of your team members will receive the information you are trying to convey.

- Check in with your team regarding your communications and ask them how you can improve.

4.  Develop a plan to turn your team vision into reality

Now that you’ve measure your team’s current effectiveness, you’ve created a vision of your desired team and you’ve determined how to best communicate with them, it’s time to create an action plan!

This step is about creating goals that support you in growing your team to the next level.  We do complete workshops on effective goal setting and don’t have space here to go into all of the details, but here are the basics:

Remember to set goals that are

- Specific

- Measurable

- Attainable

- Realistic

- Time oriented (make sure each goal has a deadline!)

5.  Take a stand for your team!

Whether you see yourself as “the leader” of your team or “a leader” of your team or “a member” of your team, you are in a position to influence your team.  Take a stand for the improvement of your team!  Here are a couple of ways that you can do that:

- Remind your team members of the vision you see for your team and what you see as being possible for your team. Remind them that it IS possible to grow to the next level! And, ask them what they need to grow to the next possible.

- Look for ways to build and develop your team.  When was the last time your team had a meeting that was dedicated to enhancing your team’s relationships?  When was the last time that your team went out to lunch together, or did another fun activity?  If you aren’t familiar with the types of team development that be effective for your team, or if you don’t have the time or expertise to develop a program, call in an expert to help you create a program for your team.

Investing time, energy and financial resources in your team can be simple — it doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming.  The important thing is that you do something on a regular basis to keep your team motivated, engaged and productive so that they can produce the results that you and your organization desire!

Successful Team Building

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Are you a business leader struggling to get the results you need from your team?  Despite the many challenges facing organizations today, it IS possible to take your team to the next level and get the results that you and your organization desire!  Want to learn how? Visit us: http://www.goalsinsight.com

There’s no doubt that a virtual team brings a multitude of benefits to organizations today; the ability to retain top-notch talent from anywhere in the world, the incredible diversity presented through global and cross-cultural viewpoints and huge monetary savings in corporate travel expenses if you have to bring someone in from a distance. But pulling together a top-notch virtual team doesn’t come without challenges.  There is the question of finding quality technology that everyone can work with, concerns about the accountability levels felt by each team member, and the difficulty of creating foundation expectations across the board.  But the biggest challenge is the lack of connectedness between team members.  Without creating the connections, a virtual team can’t do what it needs to; function as a cohesive unit.

Most importantly, a virtual team won’t bring true collaborative genius to your organization unless unshakable trust is established.  So the question remains:  How do you build trust in an environment where shaking hands, watching each others’ expressions or body language cues and knowing each others backgrounds, methods and idiosyncrasies just isn’t possible?

It’s all in the team-building

Knowing how to build a productive, integrated, low-turnover team is key to its success.  Follow these seven steps and your team will be on the way to connectedness and profitability:

1. ATTRACT THE RIGHT TEAM MEMBERS:

Strong team builders realize that they are not only looking for a potential team member who has specialized skills and talents, but that they also need to assess the “fit” of  the prospective team member with the team as a whole.  Skills and quality level of work are important, but the real key to building an exceptional virtual team is to find team members who fit the culture of the team.  Many people will have the right skills – few will have the perfect “fit”.

2. VALUE AN INNOVATIVE MINDSET:

When you encourage a pioneering approach within your team, you gain value beyond expectation.  Teams that are a composite of experts with diverse experience and perspectives have the innate capability to feed off of each others’ innovative ideas and naturally refine and improve concepts into amazing solutions.  When a team member’s ideas are valued, the willingness to believe in that team naturally rises accordingly.

3. PROVIDE MEANINGFUL WORK:

Isolated team members have a need to experience work that challenges them and brings meaning to the tasks they are working on independently of outside influence.  When each contributing member of the team is engaged in work that motivates  and interests them, they perform better, have a clearer picture of the benefits and invest themselves more completely in that work.  It’s win-win.

4. OFFER VARIETY:

It’s just boring to work on the same thing or with the same person, day in and day out.  It can be excruciating when you’re working in an isolated environment. That’s why making sure your team members have diverse partnerships, changing assignments and varying schedules is a solid way to keep your virtual team interested in their work and excited about upcoming possibilities.

5. ALLOW INDEPENDENCE:

Every member of the team needs to know that their ideas and opinions will be respected.  When you allow individuals to be accountable for coming up with new concepts and innovative solutions that will benefit the team and the company, you’re basically giving them a sense of control.  As an invested decision-maker, each team member is more likely to feel like a valued contributor who is accountable to the team and to the company.

6. CREATE FOCUS AND ALIGNED VISION:

It’s essential that all team members are committed to the same goals and vision – and that they have complimentary methods of achieving them.  Often virtual team members have their own distinctive goals and aren’t plugged in to the values and needs of the organization building the team.  Since this can bring differing agendas into the mix, it’s imperative that the goals and vision of the work – including the end result – are clearly stated from the outset and that the team is aligned to them.

7. BE TRUSTWORTHY:

If you want to gain the trust of your virtual team, earn it.  These team members are likely SMEs with exceptional levels of creativity, innovation and knowledge.  Being able to trust that they are working in an environment where a strong work ethic is expected of all team members (including leaders) is imperative.  When a participative mindset trickles down from the top and all ideas are respected and valued, trust soars and productivity increases dramatically.

The bottom line is that when you build a virtual team, you need to be sure that each member will be able to see the value placed on them, the value of each other member, and the value of the team as a whole.

A virtual team is more than the sum of its members – it’s a culture with a life of its own. When a company and its leaders view their virtual teams in this manner, it reinforces to each member the value being placed on them, and raises their accountability, productivity and satisfaction levels immeasurably.  With this approach to virtual team-building, the sky’s the limit.

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Margot Thompson is part of the INCEDO GROUP team. As a virtual team member AND a virtual team manager, Margot finds working virtually both exhilarating and mind-stretching.  Find out how Incedo’s group of executive coaches and communication experts bring dramatic changes to a company’s mind-set, leadership capabilities, and professional and personal productivity. Profitability is an inevitable side effect. => www.IncedoGroup.com

Praise is often given to groups of people in recognition of a group achievement. This is a good thing. When we’ve all pulled together to meet an objective, that recognition helps extend the “feel good” moment that comes with achievement.

Unfortunately, individuals within the group can be left feeling anonymous, not sure that their individual contribution has been noticed.

A number of years ago, the Vice President of Marketing asked me to help him write a speech. Our company, a major energy corporation, had been sold, which resulted in some substantial internal changes. Consequently, our department was being disbanded, and the people dispersed to different departments and functions. The speech was to be made at the end of a special dinner in honor of us all.

In talking of some of our major accomplishments, he was hesitant to mention the individuals who had clearly made huge contributions, for fear of disappointing those who were omitted. I pointed out that there were just over thirty people in the whole department;  instead of mentioning no names at all, why not mention everyone by name? So here’s what we did.

First, we listed the major projects he would be mentioning, with the leader’s name and a list of team members. Then we looked at the complete staff list to see who had not already been mentioned. As he talked about each project, he worked in the names of all the team members. Then he reminded us that there was more to our department’s work than individual projects, and that each of us had made an important contribution over the years — and that’s when he incorporated all the other individuals’ names.

His speech was greeted with loud applause, and many people had tears in their eyes as their names were mentioned. To be mentioned in the same context as those who always seem to get the credit can do wonders for people’s self-esteem.

When your group is smaller, it’s easy to compliment everyone by name. Simply say, “The new software roll out went off without a hitch. I want to thank each one of you — Andrea, Tom, Ricardo, Jennifer and Ali — for your hard work and enthusiasm. I appreciate the contributions made by each of you to the success of the project.” More junior members of the team will be delighted to be included.

As human resources professionals know, what’s rewarded is repeated. Individual praise by name is more of a reward than we realize, and will often encourage people to give even greater efforts to future projects.

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Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker and author, specializing in workplace communication. Subscribe to her free monthly e-zine, “Communi-keys” at /www.mhwcom.com/ and get your free 40-page e-book, “23 ideas you can use RIGHT NOW to communicate and succeed in your business career”

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.  – Margaret Mead.

“The difference between a small business owner and a
successful entrepreneur is the presence of a TEAM,” says
Robert Kiyosaki, in Retire Young, Retire Rich.
“Entrepreneurship,” says Kiyosaki “is a team sport.”

As you start your new health care practice and prepare your
business plan, include a section in your management plan
about your support team.   We all need to surround
ourselves with positive, helpful people as we go through
life.  If you want to have a successful health care
practice, you need to work with a team who will support you
in your efforts to start and grow this practice.

So who should be on this team? Anyone you choose who you
feel can help you in setting up your practice and
supporting its progress.  Some possibilities:
1. Your attorney
2. Your CPA
3. Other professionals in your field in the community or an
adjoining community
4. Your spouse or parent
5. Your banker
6. An old friend who is in marketing (or web design, or
advertising)
7. A success coach (more about this later)

Construct your team by looking for individuals who can fill
specific functions:

1. A financial guru, who can help you through the setup of
your books and be sure you’re on the right track at tax
time.  This person should also help you look ahead to when
your practice is going well and you need to minimize your
taxes, provide employee benefits and, yes, evaluate tax
shelters.
2. A coach, to help you “envision, clarify, create and
sustain” your results.  Successful people have coaches.
You need one too.  You’ll be amazed at the positive effect
on your life and your business.  Here’s what a great coach
can do for you: – Clear out your mental obstacles to
success – Help you clarify your goals – Keep you
accountable for progress – Give you momentum over the tough
spots.

Your coach doesn’t have to be local; it’s more important
that you feel comfortable with the coach’s style and you
are compatible.  For a list of coaches, go to “Coach U’s
“FindACoach” (http://www.findacoach.com ) or Coachville
(http://www.cvcommunity.com/Public/FindabrCoach/index.cfm .

1. A marketing guru, to keep your marketing plan sharp and
help you refocus when you need to make changes.  This
includes a web page designer and branding expert.
2. A visionary thinker, to help you see into the future and
keep you motivated to get there.
3. An attorney or someone with a broad knowledge of small
business law.  You’ll need this person anyway, so why not
get him/her on your team too?

What are the requirements for these individuals to join the
team?
1. They must have some specific area of expertise that you
can draw on for knowledge, as discussed above.
2. They must be positive, supportive people (no
“nay-sayers” or “party poopers” allowed).  Mark Twain said,
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.”
If you ask someone to be on your team and he/she seems too
negative, politely remove the person.  One negative person
can destroy a great team.
3. They must be willing to commit some time to meeting as a
group and individually with you over a period of time
(possibly years).

Why would these people want to do this?
1. They care about you
2. They are excited about your practice
3. They are flattered to be asked
4. In some cases, you’re paying them.

What’s the difference between this team and my corporate
Board of Directors? They might be the same group, but
probably not.  Your Board has fiduciary (financial)
responsibility for the success of your practice; your
support team does not.  You can get your support team
together more often than the Board, for different types of
issues.

How do I get these people together? Do they all have to be
in the same place at the same time? With the Internet,
everything is possible.  Team members can be anywhere and
you can connect with them via free conference calls (try
http://www.freeconference.com/  or others).

What do I do with these people once I’ve identified them?
Invite them all to breakfast and ask them “What is the one
thing I should do to make this practice successful this
year?”  Then sit back, let them talk, and take notes.  Do
it once a month for the first year or two, then once every
other month.  Give them your business plan and have them
discuss it at the first meeting.  Ask them, “What do you
think?  If you were a bank, would you lend me money? What
can I do to improve this plan?”

The first few months after you open, they will be helping
you work through the startup decision process (“Should I be
a sole proprietor or an LLC?” What phone service is best?
What marketing approach will work best in this
community?”).  Later, they will be keeping you motivated,
review your sales and expense figures, deal with issues of
the moment, and determine additional strategies.

The point is that you don’t just designate people to help
you.  Talking to each of these people individually is
helpful, but it isn’t everything.  Get them together on a
regular basis.  There is synergy (whole is greater than the
sum of its parts) in having people talk with each other and
focus on one issue or problem.

What if they don’t want to participate? For some of these
people, you may have to provide payment.  Your attorney,
for example, might have to bill you for the time.  But in a
small town he/she might be willing to participate for
nothing more than a free breakfast.  People love being
asked for their advice and they love being involved in
something new and exciting.  In a small town in particular,
they will catch on quickly to the benefit of your practice
to the community at large, and to them.

What if I can’t afford to pay people?   Find people who
will help you for nothing.  Check your local chapter of
SCORE (www.score.org).  Find a business owners group.  For
example, there are several groups for women business
owners, like NAWBO (www.nawbo.org ) , which has chapters
across the country.  Start networking by joining the
Chamber of Commerce and find someone else who is starting a
business and be supports for each other.  One of my grads
is starting in a small town where a new dentist is also
just starting; they have found it very useful to share
startup experiences and discuss joint marketing efforts.

For marketing expertise, check the local community college
for students in these areas who need expertise to add to
their portfolio.  You may find a great person who is
willing to help you for very little.

Motivational speaker and writer Brian Tracy says, “Teamwork
is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to
reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money
that you want without becoming very good at it.”  Remember
that you ARE the 5 people you spend the most time with.  So
if you want to be successful, get yourself a positive,
knowledgeable group of people, form your practice success
team, and get going!

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Copyright 2007 Jean Wilson Murray, MBA, PhD.
Dr. Jean Murray has been advising small business owners
since 1974.  As the founder of Planning for Practice
Success, she specializes in assisting health care
professionals with business plan construction and startup
details. She can help you gain the knowledge to act and the
confidence to begin.  Learn more at
http://www.professionalpracticesuccess.com

Many business owners and leaders have an exciting vision for the future of their business.

A vision that inspires new people to join them on their journey.

But despite this exciting future, these businesses can
still struggle to retain employees.

Why?

Well, it’s all very well having a great vision for your
future, but that’s pretty useless if your staff don’t know
what is happening on a day-to-day basis.

At any one time, your team MUST know what the key
priorities are for your business, and then what their role
is within those priorities.

So how do you ensure that you have a team that is engaged
and motivated?

Here are 6 steps to follow:

1. Clearly define the 3 Year Vision

- It is not sufficient to have some great ideas for the
future in your head
- You need to write down your vision for the future
- Where will the business be in 3 years’ time?
- What products, what type of customers, what level of
sales and profitability?
- Whether this is written, typed or you have something
visual is up to you, but it must be clearly specified for
your team to be totally engaged with your long term plans

2. Have a clear 12 month plan

- What needs to happen over the next 12 months to keep you
on track?
- What are the key milestones & priorities?
- Has this been communicated to the team?

3. Make it real for your team

- What does this mean for them as individuals?
- What effect will it have on their jobs and careers?
- How does it affect their day-to-day duties?

4. Regularly review the plan with your team

- Block out times in your diary each quarter to review the
plan with your team
- Ensure that on a week-to-week basis that people
understand these priorities and how they fit into the
overall direction you are heading

5. If the goal posts move – tell them!

- Things will always change based on changes in the
marketplace, new opportunities and indeed your own
impulses!
- Make sure your team know about these changes and (where
possible) the reasons for the change
- The minute you don’t communicate this, you lose trust and
your team start losing motivation
- Such a disengaged team is the foundation for staff
turnover

6. Tell your team what you don’t know

- Given the rapidly changing world we live in, there will
always be elements of uncertainty that come with change
- To retain people, your job is to reduce this level of
uncertainty where possible
- But sometimes you don’t know what is around the corner
because you haven’t figured it out yourself!
- But that’s ok, just be upfront and honest with your
employees where possible

Being honest shows you have no ‘hidden agendas’ and will
help keep your team keep focused on their job and keep
trust in you

Having a plan, communicating it clearly and then being open
and upfront about what is going on in your business will
always help you build trust.

It will also illustrate that you value your people
sufficiently to take the time communicate things every step
of the way.

Trusting an employer and feeling valued are two of the most
critical success factors when it comes to employee
retention.

You can be as ambitious and ‘blue skies’ as you like about
your future vision.

But if you don’t take the necessary steps to engage your
team now, you will lose your best people – and with it the
ability to realise your future goals.

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Sital Ruparelia, The Recruitment & Retention Specialist,
works with businesses that struggle with recruitment and
retention issues and helps them implement strategies proven
to Find & Keep The Right People consistently.
To receive further tips and advice on Finding & Keeping The
Right People, sign up to our FREE twice-monthly newsletter
at: http://www.authenticresourcing.com

Look at any number of want ads, particularly for senior
employees, and you will see that most of them ask for team
players. We all think we are team players, but the problem
is we don’t all mean the same thing. Noticeably, men and
women have different ideas of what the term means, and this
comes from our early socialization.

Generally speaking, little boys’ games are often based on
sports. As soon as they can walk, they seem to start
throwing or kicking a ball, tossing it into a hoop or
hitting it with a bat. Groups of boys automatically begin
choosing sides and playing competitive games, even before
entering organized games. Adults, both male and female,
encourage them to play to win.

Girls, on the other hand, usually play games that are an
imitation of life. They have dolls, which in their minds
sleep and cry just as real babies do. They walk and talk
with other little girls, who are also nursing dolls. They
make up stories about their fantasy lives, and they are
encouraged by adults to “play nicely with the other
children”. Aggression, or bossiness, is frowned upon.

Fast forward, then, to a time when these same men and women
are leading teams or departments in the business world.
Doesn’t it make sense that this early training would lead
to different management styles?

To women, good team players work together well. They tend
to consider other team members’ feelings, and listen to
their ideas. They work to attain consensus in the group and
strive for decisions that will be for the good of the group
as a whole. To this end, the female manager will often ask
her people for their views and discuss her own ideas with
them before making decisions. She may also explain the
reasons for her decisions.

To most men, however, a good team player is one who does
what the coach says. Team sports depend on players
following instructions, and there is no room for
discussion. In the business world, therefore, the male
manager IS the coach, and he expects his instructions to be
followed. He usually pronounces his decision, and sees no
need to explain his reasons.

Neither of these styles is better or worse than the other,
but they are different. Women need to realize that their
male managers are not being arrogant, but simply following
a style. If you want to put your views forward to your male
manager, you will need to make an opportunity to do so,
because you are unlikely to be asked in advance. Men need
to recognize that a female manager’s tendency to ask for
other people’s views is not weakness, but simply a
different management style.

So when you describe yourself as a team player, consider
who is asking you.

—————————————————-
Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker and author,
specializing in workplace communication. Subscribe to her
free monthly e-zine, “Communi-keys” at
http://www.mhwcom.com/pages/communikeys.html and get your
free 40-page e-book, “23 ideas you can use RIGHT NOW to
communicate and succeed in your business career”

Featured post by Terry Kaufman from Your English Solutions

Texas. A place where 31% of the population is Hispanic. A friend approached me one day with an interesting communication case:  
 
As a Real Estate manager, he is fluent in Spanish but the Hispanics in his county speak a particular dialect of Spanish…Tex-Mex. He does not understand Tex-Mex very well. The only way to communicate with his Hispanic clients and workers is in “broken” English. 
 
The difficulty is that the English he uses has Texan slang and complicated sentence constructions. For example, he would say to a worker, “Y’all work’in in that house over yonder?” To a client, he would say, “The estimated property value according to the Hall county appraisal district for this house is $39,500.” 
 
Say what?! What did he say? 
 
For a non-native speaker, if you remove the slang and use clear English the sentences are easier to understand: Are you working in that house (you show the house with your hand)? The price of this house is $39,500 (you write the price on a piece of paper and show it to the Hispanic client). 
 
Visual aids are vital in this communication case. Use paper and write important information. For example, show numbers and words. Images are also important to use. Take photos from magazines to help communicate words. Those are two examples of creative solutions that you can use to manage difficult situations.

Creativity is a necessary element of effective communication. When a non-native English speaker does not understand, the message or idea could be lost in frustration. In an ineffective communication exchange, the communicator (native English speaker) typically loses patience and the receiver (non-native speaker) may be afraid to ask for repetition and clarification.

If a communicator uses creativity as a communication tool, the chances for success are greater. 
 
Less frustration. More success.

Terry Kaufman is an English Communications Consultant.  Y.E.S. gives native English speakers effective communication skills that are vital when communicating with their non-native English speaking counterparts.  http://www.your-english-solutions.com/

Why is it important that your team enjoy their work?  If
ALL of the members of your team enjoyed their work, your
team could achieve tremendous results for your
organization!  And, imagine the impact on your own personal
job satisfaction from your team achieving amazing
results…see how it’s all connected?

Ok, let’s get started. Let’s look at some specific areas
that can help you see what’s possible for you and your team.

Questions to ask yourself:

1.   Who is my team comprised of?  This may seem silly, but
it is critical that you define the team that you want to
use with this exercise.  So, get clear on the team you want
to look at — e.g. is it a team of people that you work
with daily because you’re working toward the same goals?
Is it a cross-functional team that represents different
departments/areas?  Is it a Board of Directors? Clearly
defining who is on the team is the first step.

2.  On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest where
your team absolutely loves the work they do, where would
you rate your team’s current level of work satisfaction?
Notice what number comes to mind immediately and write it
down.   You might be saying “that’s hard to answer because
some team members clearly love their work more than
others.”  For this exercise, it’s important to rate the
team as an entire system, not as individual people. Average
the individual scores if needed!

3.  If you didn’t rate your team’s current fulfillment at a
10, what would a 10 look like for your team?  In other
words, what would your team be doing on a regular basis if
they were fully fulfilled?  What would it feel like for you
to work with this team that really loved their work at a
level of “10″?  What would be different about the
individual team members if the group was at a “10″
fulfillment level?

4.  What does your team currently love about their work?
Get specific – think about your team as it exists today and
list all of the things that you know your team loves about
the work it does.

5.  Why does your team love these things?  What is it about
your list above that brings your team joy and fulfillment?
List all of the reasons why these things give your team
pleasure.

6.  What does your team not love about their work?  List
the specific aspects of your team’s work that you know they
do not enjoy.

7.   Why does your team not love these aspects of their
work?  What is it about the list above that does not bring
your team joy and fulfillment?  List all of the reasons why
you think your team does not love these aspects of their
work.

8.  What could you do to help your team so they DO love
their work?  This is the time to get creative, have fun and
start taking action so that you can have the level of joy
and fulfillment that would be a “10″ for you and your team!
Just because there are a couple of things your team
doesn’t currently love about their work doesn’t mean you
can’t help the team change those things.  It IS possible
for your team to love their work!  Get specific for each
one.  For example, if your team feels like the team members
don’t communicate well with each other, and then ask
yourself what you could do to help your team start
communicating more effectively.  In this example, you might
suggest that your team create some ground rules or group
norms for communication so that each team member can agree
to those rules and start holding each other accountable.
Be specific here – this is the time to explore the
different ways in which you could have an impact on your
team to help them love their work AND get their desired
results, so that ALL of you can love your work.

9.  What will you commit to?  Of the possible actions you
looked at above, what WILL you commit to doing to help your
team love their work?  By what deadline will you do these
things (note:  it’s critical to have a specific deadline
for each commitment to ensure your success)?

10.  What support and accountability do you need to ensure
that you stay committed to these intentions so that you can
have the impact you desire with your team?  You will have a
95% chance of achieving your goals if you commit to another
person and schedule regular, ongoing
accountability/check-in discussions.  If you don’t have
someone you can do this with who is truly committed to your
ongoing success, contact us about how coaching can support
you individually or to help your team stay on track -
that’s what we do in coaching, is support you and hold you
accountable to your most meaningful goals on a regular
basis, so that you WILL achieve them!

11.  Go back to questions #2 and #3 above – what else does
your team need to help it get to the next level of both
fulfillment and productivity?  Up until now, we’ve been
looking at your team from your perspective.  We don’t yet
know what the entire team thinks/feels about these
questions.

Remember:  You AND your team deserve to love your work and
produce the results that your organization expects…and it
doesn’t have to be a struggle!  We have the diagnostic
assessment to measure your team’s current productivity and
level of cohesiveness with each other, as well as the team
building and facilitation expertise to help your team
IMPROVE its results to the level your team desires.

—————————————————-
Are you a business leader struggling to get the results you
need from your team? Despite the many challenges facing
organizations today, it IS possible to take your team to
the next level and get the results that you and your
organization desire! Want to learn how? Visit us:
http://www.goalsinsight.com

Jane and Bob have been working with their teams for a
couple of months, and they’ve really paid attention to
putting the right people in the right roles.   However,
other problems can arise that don’t have anything to do
with teams, leaders, and workstyles.

Differences in communication styles or the communication
styles themselves are often the cause of problems, rather
than the content that’s being communicated.  Often we see
these problems occur when the topic is difficult; no one
has trouble communicating around the success of the
project, the awards ceremony for the team, and the overall
good health of the company!

What if the topic is difficult?

When Jane and Bob need to discuss a problem, a broken
commitment, or a difficult situation, they use the
following formula.

CPR

* Content
* Pattern
* Relationship

Content

The first time a problem occurs, talk about the content –
what happened.  Usually it’s a single event, and it only
involves the here and now.

Pattern

The next time the problem occurs, talk about the pattern –
what has been happening over time.  Patterns acknowledge
that problems have histories, and histories make a
difference.  Frequent and continued violations affect the
other person’s predictability and eventually upset trust
and respect.

Relationship

If the problem persists, talk about the relationship –
what’s happening to us, and why does this keep recurring.
Relationship concerns are bigger than content or pattern.
The string of disappointments has caused you to lose trust
in the other person.  You doubt his competency, you don’t
respect or trust his promises, and it’s affecting the way
you treat one another.

Clearing the air

Jane and Bob make communication work for them by being
clear about their expectations as well as about problems
that come up.  You need to do the same.  Don’t be vague!!!
Be specific about what you want and by when.

Vague:  “I need this finished right away.” Clear:  “I need
this research document complete and to me by Wednesday.”

Vague:  “It’s important for you to play well with the other
departments.” Clear:  “In order for your department to work
effectively with _____ department, you need to discontinue
bad-mouthing or gossiping about the ________ department and
their problems to your staff.  Discuss any issues you have
with that department head or with me.”

Don’t assume that because you made a statement or request
the other person has agreed.  Ask her!  “Monica, I’d like
this project completed and results to me by next Thursday.
Is there any reason you can’t deliver it by then?”  Confirm
with her that she not only will deliver what you requested,
but also by the date needed.

Tying it up

At the end of the conversation, ask the person to explain
to you what he believes you want.  This provides you the
opportunity to make sure he heard you correctly, and, if
not, to change or modify what he thinks.

Often, the gap between your request and what you receive is
because of misunderstandings about the specifics.

Armed with the CPR (Content, Pattern, and Relationship) and
understanding the necessity of being clear, Jane and Bob
have the tools to build and maintain an effective work
environment with individuals who understand what’s expected
of them.

—————————————————-
Linda Finkle, founder and CEO of IncedoGroup.com, works
with innovative leaders around the world who understand
that powerful cross-functional communication is the
strongest strategy for building organizational
effectiveness.  There is no such things as “only a
communications issue”.  Communication IS the issue.   To
find out more, visit: http://www.IncedoGroup.com