Archive for the ‘teams’ Category

You’ve read the previous post (It`s Not Them, It`s You), and you`ve figured out that your team may not be participating in conversations because of your behaviors. You may have asked someone you trust to observe you, or you may be self aware enough to know that you aren`t fostering the kind of relationship(s) with the team that you`d like ?€“ the kind where they actually participate in problem solving, strategy, and take initiative.

You are willing to take some responsibility: what is it that you can do to turn the tide? What are your private intentions for their engagement? How can you facilitate participation by your team? Your personal pledges (plan) to change the situation may look something like this:

Listen more: I will slow down and really listen to what your team is saying. I will learn to catch myself before I speak and stop cutting them off or shutting them down. I will allow silence to unfold because this means my team members are thinking. Thinking is good for them, for me, and for our organization.

Respect and thank your team for their input: I will work on my own belief that I know what is best. I know it will take courage for me to do this, but I need their input in order for us to make balanced decisions. I will not dismiss or ignore their ideas, as they may understand the situation better than I do. I will pause, think, and consider what`s good about what they`ve offered and speak about that. I will thank them for participating.

Ask open ended questions: I will ask questions that begin with the word “what” that you really don`t know the answer to. I will re-read The Art of Inquiry.

Shut up: I will stop asking questions and resist the urge to always provide my own answers. I will be curious and ask more questions. I recognize that by doing this, I will also learn some new things.

Embrace the messenger: I will stop shooting the messenger, and take Mom`s advice when it is appropriate to do so: “If you can`t say something nice, don`t say anything at all.”

Curb impatience and temper: When I reflect on my anger, I often find that impatience and temper are the manifestations of fear. I will consider the fears that may be contributing to shutting others down. I will tame my anger by hitting the pause button and taking some deep breaths to prevent it from showing.

When you are in the process of re-engaging your team, you must be consistent in practicing the above. Ask for their help and feedback to recognize when you steer off course. The changes will take time; they are simple but not easy. Find support and accountability in a trusted mentor or coach, and keep at it. In time, the conversations with your team will flow with creativity, support, and new ideas.

You`re leading a monthly meeting. You`ve asked your team members to provide their input on a topic. Unlike your teenager who at least shrugs his shoulders (or says “I don`t know”) when you ask for his opinion, you get silent stares from your team. What could be going on?

Are your team members incompetent? Do they even know enough about the subject to speak up? Don’t they know that their input is important? Actually, you may need to look to yourself and your behavior as the cause.

The behaviors you exhibit may be shutting your team down. Luckily, these behaviors can be fixed over time, increasing the liklihood that you will get the input you seek. Let`s explore the behaviors that may be preventing your team from speaking up:

• You are not listening: Are you doing all the talking? Are you shutting people down or cutting them off?  
• You have ignored your team`s input: Do you have a history of asking for input and then doing whatever you think is right anyway?
• You are asking the wrong kind of questions: Are your questions the kind that don`t foster discussion (yes/no questions for example)? Are the questions you are asking ones that you already know the answers to?
• You supply the answers to the questions: Do you ask the question and then supply your own answers? Are you allowing the silence necessary for your team to consider their answer (yes, silence can be a good thing in this case)?
• You shoot the messenger: Do you respond with your opinion (often negative) to the responses you`ve received? Do you feel the need to judge every answer?
• Are you showing impatience or temper? Does your body language indicate that you are not getting the kind of answers you want? Are you rolling your eyes or sighing when a team member responds to a question? Worse yet, are you showing signs of anger or exhibiting outbursts?

Is it possible that any of these behaviors apply to you? Ask someone you trust to observe you and provide some feedback. If you find that you are exhibiting any of the behaviors above, you need to change your behavior. You`ve lost respect for yourself and for others and are on a downward spiral. It`s recoverable. More about how to recover in the next post.

I find the simplicity of Patrick’s Lencioni’s “Five Dysfunctions of a Team” to be magical. The process that is outlined can be used by anyone – whether an internal organizational manager, or an external coach and consultant. In our fast paced world, Lencioni’s insights force a team to slow down, look at themselves and how they are functioning (or not), and make the adjustments needed to become high functioning.

The book is a start for those who may want to use the process outlined with a team. Five Dysfunctions became a NY Times bestseller several years ago, and the author saw the need to create additional material that can assist in delivering the program. Even though the book might be considered “dated” (copyright 2002), the model and material are timeless. The model encourages us to look at the five dysfunctions described briefly as follows:

1. Absence of Trust: Members of great teams trust one another on a basic emotional level, and are willing to be vulnerable to other team members about their weaknesses, mistakes, fears, and behaviors.
2. Fear of Conflict: Great teams are not afraid to engage in conflict through dialog around issues and decisions that are key to the organization’s success.
3. Lack of Commitment: Buy-in around important decisions can be achieved by great teams, even when they disagree initially, through assuring that everyone is heard.
4. Avoidance of Accountability: The standards of performance agreed to by the team allow them to hold one another accountable for adherence to those standards.
5. Inattention to Results: Great teams can set aside individual needs and agendas in order to focus on what is best for the organization.

Somehow, I ended up with an extra copy of the book, written in “fable” format. If you haven’t read it, it will provide you with a basic idea of the simple process Lencioni advocates. If you really like it, you’ll want to use it with your own team and possibly purchase ancillary materials (workbook, facilitator’s guide, video, etc.). Or – just maybe – you’d like to bring me in to facilitate the process for you and your team!

In any event, respond here by May 8 and you’ll be registered to recieve my extra copy of “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” based on my purely subjective decision about who leaves the most interesting comment about Great Teams they’ve known or participated in.