teamwork

Framing soft skills

We also tend to assume that those who look or think like us make better employees. We believe that someone who went to a certain university will perform better simply because we don’t know how else to measure their potential. And what we are beginning to understand is that it’s not difficult to measure what truly makes a difference. It usually comes down to human skills, for example, persistence, grit, and kindness. It’s about people who can encourage others to speak up. When we bring together the right mix of individuals, they consistently outperform those who score well on these false indicators of success.

What’s missing from this picture? Patience, situational awareness, and the core of teamwork, which is the opposite of bullying. When we’re fully present, aware of what’s happening, and act on it, the workplace thrives. It’s far better than simply shouting, “March faster!” while oblivious to the fact that you’re heading straight off a cliff.


Don't just tell me

What happens when performance doesn’t match the promise?

Teamwork is generally understood as the willingness of a group of people to work together to achieve a common aim. It’s not enough to call yourself a team just because you work together. I think you are only a team when you trust, respect and care for each other. This also the case with branding, as a very few customers will return a second time when brand performance doesn't match brand promise.

“Pay less attention to what men say. Just watch what they do.”
— Dale Carnegie

Invite input from others

How can teams communicate more effectively?
To maintain the team spirit is probably the most challenging issue for managers and leaders in organisations today, putting the “we” before the “me”. I think that it’s not about individuals, it’s all about the collective and team members should be encouraged to share relevant information and ask clarifying questions. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathise with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. This is a skill that improves communication and with practice most people can learn to become better communicators.

How can you create a non-negotiable passion within your team?
I think in order to maximise teamwork, it's important that all teammates share the same goals and are committed to an overall vision. Communication is essential to ensure that a team runs optimally, and ineffective communication can derail an entire project. Bruce Tuckman stated that teams go through four stages of development - forming, storming, norming and performing - this is a useful framework for looking at your own team. In my experience, diverse teams with are more effective than less emotionally savvy teams and EQ skills can help teams navigate conflict, evenly divide work, and develop long-term trust.

 

What happens when teams interact virtually? 
Individual members of any team can help the team do better whether virtually or in person. Managers and leaders should encourage team members to communicate with one other and ensure that every team member participates in the discussion. In an ideal scenario, every team member would be encouraged to share their ideas and updates on progress - even if the news is bad - and other members would do their best to listen, evaluate without judgment, and offer a thoughtful response. 


Do you have the necessary time, focus, and energy for training and workshops? If so, contact me via e-mail.


Bad news doesn't get better with age

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Whenever any comes to me with a problem I always have an answer for them, I always look for solutions and if I don’t have them personally, then I will leverage my network. Personal ownership is part of my leadership style as I think that it’s all about the team. Nowadays, I have to constantly remind people that you cannot get all the answers from YouTube.


The subjective side is where you involve individual motivation and culture is just as important as having great systems. You can have the greatest systems in the world but if your culture stinks then you won’t have alignment within your organisation. If the culture of helping and supporting each other is not present within your organisation, then there will not be a level of teamwork required to take on the external challenges. Some level of teamwork and personal responsibility is always required when setting the direction of where of you want your organisations to head. Contact me via e-mail for a meeting to discuss an introspection into your “true worth” principles.


Problem solvers

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If what makes you unique and stand out from the competition is who you are, then the big question is who are you? Another question would be based around your belief system, how do you do what you do? Over the 12 months, I have time to think about not only myself but also how organisations will operate post Covid.

There are more questions than answers, I think that all progressive organisations will have to take a deeper dive into understanding their competition and where they position themselves in the market place. Are interested in laying the foundations for creating a culture where everyone in your organisation works towards the success of everybody? Contact me via e-mail for a meeting.