Keys to Improved Teamwork
Sometimes, no, most of the time, the best answer is the simplest one. This violates a widely held view of many consultants. You know, the one that says complexity is good. The less you understand about my brilliant solution to your issue, the better.
I have seen this reasoning applied in the area of team building. There are
simply not enough ropes courses, truth hats, role-plays and other interventions
out there to help teams become more effective. So consultants keep dreaming up
more and more circumstances to take groups out of their normal environs and into
an imaginary world where teamwork flourishes like spring daisies.
The problem is that people work in their normal environment, not the ballroom of
the hotel where the obstacle course is set up. But don't get me wrong. I think
that some of these exercises, when properly intended and constructed can be
valuable, after you do the basics.
The simple and elegant solution, when it comes to improving team effectiveness
can be found when we look in the mirror. They're right there, as obvious as the
nose on our face. Well, actually it's our mouth and ears.
Let's start with our ears, because as the saying goes, we have two of those and
only one mouth. Effective teams have members that actually listen to
one-another. They do not believe or behave as if what they have to say
supersedes others' points of view. They don't listen through the "what does this
mean to me" filter. As Stephen Covey stated in his Seven Habits masterpiece,
they seek first to understand, then to be understood. They take a listen first
posture and intentionally view the feedback from the provider's perspective.
Then there's our mouth. Sometimes it is too active, sometimes not active enough.
This is mostly determined by our personality hard-wiring and so while it can be
adapted somewhat, it will not be fundamentally altered. But what can change,
despite our volume of words, is the candor of our words.
There are a lot of reasons why individuals are not candid with others on their
team. As far as I am concerned, very, very few of them are valid. Candor mostly
falls prey to what I call the 3 P's- politics, paranoia and protectionism. The
3P's outgrow internal dialogue that tells us to keep a low profile, don't
provide anyone with a target, and information (withheld) is power. The 3P's
destroy candor.
Bottom line is that a team that does not listen to one-another and share candid
dialogue is destined for mediocrity and ultimately, extinction.
About The Author:
Matthew Angello is the Founder and Principal of Bright Tree Consulting Group,
LLC. A former board-level executive in Fortune 500 companies, Matthew offers
highly personalized and effective coaching for individuals seeking to unleash
their potential, move their performance to the next level and prepare for future
challenges. Visit www.brighttreecg.com to learn more and enjoy free downloads.
