Feed your team

Posted on April 10, 2013 by humanergy

I am a card-carrying member of ASDT (Adult Survivors of a Dysfunctional Team). I am sure that it is just a coincidence (or the fact that I have been working for many, many years), but I’ve served on a few teams that were not productive.

Dysfunctional teams do tend to get attention, even if the intervention doesn’t always work. The teams that get short shrift are the okay, average and good ones. As long as the team isn’t hopeless or causing too many problems for others, it’s not likely to rise to the top of the boss’ priority list.

Too bad. Great teams are the drivers of amazing results, as reinforced by Harvard Business Review blogger, Judith A. Ross, in Make Your Good Team Great. Research shows that the qualities that drive top team performance can be described as group Emotional Intelligence. In other words, these teams know how to recognize and manage the emotions of their members.

Ms. Ross recommends making time for the team to connect both inter-personally and around their strengths. This will help them appreciate each others’ contributions and tap each person’s strengths. She also emphasizes the importance of teams recognizing and managing the emotions that are sure to arise – the conflicts and the joys.

Kim Kanaga and Henry Browning authored the Center for Creative Leadership’s Keeping Watch: How to Monitor and Maintain a Team. They recommend that leaders regularly monitor a team’s status in six dimensions of team performance:

Clear purpose

Empowering team structure

Strong organizational support

Positive internal relationships

Well-tended external relationships

Efficient information management

The authors suggest ways to evaluate each of these six dimensions, and also expand upon four key indicators, which they liken to the gauges on a car’s dashboard.

Effort – Extent to which members devote time and effort to the task

Knowledge and skills – Degree to which the team possesses the right competencies

Tactics – Using rational, logical and direct approaches to accomplish goals

Group dynamics – Extent to which the team works without undue friction or waste

People who lead teams must regularly “take the pulse” of the team and help them adapt to changing circumstances. Teams need a leader who can smooth the way, ensuring that the team has the information, resources, autonomy and management support that will ensure success. What can you do today to make the life of your team better?

Need help leading your team? Contact Humanergy.

Photo from iStockphoto

When two heads are not better than one

Posted on April 10, 2012 by humanergy

(Guest blogger: Our very own Lynn Townsend, a Humanergy communications champion!)

Humanergy is all about teamwork – in the office, at home and helping our clients work together more effectively. Is there a time when going solo is better? We think so. Consider going it alone when:

Teaming doesn’t enhance results. If you don’t have to work collaboratively to be successful, don’t. The number one rule of teamwork is to involve people who will positively impact results.

Trust doesn’t exist. If you don’t trust the other person, then there’s work to be done to repair what’s broken. Schedule one-on-one conversations. Set mutually beneficial ground rules. Then begin the process (often a slow one) of rebuilding the relationship.

Misunderstandings block the road. If there is an elephant in the room—the metaphor for a big issue that hasn’t been resolved—name the elephant. Break apart the pieces of the misunderstanding together, talk about what went right and focus on solutions. Then, take the elephant where it belongs…to the zoo.

Facts, data and constant contradiction muddy the water. Does a prospective teammate continually spew knowledge? Is he an expert in every subject? Is she quick to point out the flaws in everything everyone else says? Hmmm…this can also be called intellectual bullying. Run; don’t walk, to find real experts that will help you push your results ahead.

Destinations are polar opposites. If your goals and potential team member’s goals are miles apart, going solo might be best. The alternative is to look for common ground. Understand where collaboration will work for your goals and theirs. Ask open-ended questions that help you know their needs and expectations. If you can’t collaborate now, keep their goals in mind for future opportunities.

Working with others can improve your success 128%. (Okay, the percentage is totally made up.) Or teaming can be a bust when there’s no trust, elephant-sized misunderstandings, intellectual bullying or divergent goals.

Babe Ruth reminds us: The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime. Look at your action list today and potential partners. Ask yourself: “To team or not to team?”

For more team building tips, contact us at: info@humanergy.com

Photo courtesy of istockphoto

Navigating feedback to peers

Posted on November 30, 2011 by humanergy

Some organizational cultures embrace and even insist upon regular peer-to-peer feedback. In other companies, if you give a peer a suggestion, it may be perceived as odd or even “none of your business.” (It is your business, of course, if your success is dependent upon the other person’s effectiveness.)

When and how should you give feedback to a peer?

When you have a relationship of trust. You don’t need to be best friends, but some level of comfort is required. If your relationship is new or uncertain, tread with caution. If you aren’t certain that you have the other person’s best interest at heart, don’t give the feedback. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.” Don’t just convince him; be the friend.

When you are relaxed and prepared. If you are hurried or distracted, reschedule. Your peer will pick up on your mental state, and this will cloud the valuable feedback to be given.

When you’re just as likely to give positive feedback as negative. People need to hear about what they do well as well as what they could improve upon. Be sure to praise, reinforce and inspire the people around you, before you share an area of potential growth.

After you ask permission. Some people realize the advantages of peer-to-peer feedback, both professionally and personally. Some do not welcome feedback, or it may be coming at an inconvenient time. Show the other person the courtesy of asking to share your insight, and make sure it’s a good time to do so.

Based on visible behaviors. Stay clear of feedback about a person’s attitude or personality. Likewise, never share others’ perspectives or impressions that you’ve heard. A comment like, “some people have said…” is easily misunderstood and potentially toxic. Represent your own perspective, based on tangible behaviors you’ve witnessed.

With limited advice. Offer advice only as a last resort, and only if you’re asked to do so. Remember that your approach and experience may be different and not transferable to this person’s reality.

If you’re able to take it as well as give it. Make sure you’re not resistant to feedback, before you share some with another person. Sure, you may struggle when you hear something negative, but you need to be able to hear and act upon the input. If you’re not there yet, you really aren’t in a position to tell others what they need to improve.

Remember that it is not your job to fix others. It is your job to fix you, first and foremost. As Aldous Huxley said, “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” That said, giving feedback to others is a gift, provided it’s offered with a genuine spirit of care.

Share a helpful tip with a colleague! Feel free to forward our blogs to others who may find them helpful.

Want more information on the dos and don’ts of giving feedback? Contact us!

Photo purchased from istockphoto.com.

Are you part of a culture of intimidation?

Posted on April 13, 2011 by humanergy

You may be thinking, “Me? I’d never be a leader in an organization whose culture was intimidating! I’m a nice person!” Unfortunately, organizational culture and habits have a tendency to creep, if we’re not careful. There may be some ways in which you and other leaders contribute to people feeling constrained and bullied. You’ve just been too busy or narrow in your focus to recognize it. What are the symptoms of subtle intimidation?

Fuzzy accountability, blame and consequences that don’t fit. People aren’t exactly sure what they should be doing or what boundaries exist for their work. Expectations are unclear or inconsistent from one day to the next or one leader to the next. When things go wrong, the finger gets pointed, and the consequences don’t seem appropriate given the mistakes that were made.

Intense focus on what’s going wrong. Time, energy and emotion are invested in communicating about the problems and errors, and little is said about what’s working. Employees keep their heads down and hope for the best (or at least that they’re not the ones in the wrong this time). Sometimes negative feedback is delivered indirectly, such as jabs disguised as jokes.

Intermittent, inconsistent communication. Employees hear different messages from leaders, if they hear much at all. There is no context to what is communicated, so people don’t understand the importance and priority of the message. Confusion is common, and solutions are imperfect, since people don’t have access to necessary information.

Delegation is usually “swoop and poop” or micromanaging. Lacking the time (really, it’s commitment) to delegate appropriately, leaders plop projects in people’s inboxes, give direction via short, curt email or only half-delegate and then hover to make sure the work is getting done right.

Leaders don’t want feedback. Leaders may say they want critical feedback, but employees understand that this would come with grave consequences. “Remember Joe? Well, he criticized the boss and got canned.”

Leaders give feedback indirectly or vaguely. Often the person who needs the feedback is the last to know, as people discuss Sue’s problem with everyone but Sue. When leaders give feedback to their direct reports, they beat around the bush and don’t connect the dots between the direct report’s behavior and its impact. This leaves employees wondering what they did in the first place and uncertain about where they stand with their boss.

People create silos for support. To protect themselves or to gain power, people develop a group of allies within the organization. “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.” Invisible silos of alliances exist and everyone knows who is in whose camp, even if it is not openly acknowledged.

If even one of these statements ring true, it’s time to take a stand and promote change. Start by modeling effective listening and openness yourself. Like everyone, you are not fully aware of the impact of your own behavior. Seek information to decrease your own self-deception. Then find like-minded people within the organization and ask, “Is this culture one that enables us to meet tomorrow’s challenges and achieve necessary results?”

Work together to build a safe, healthy and productive culture that allows people to fully engage in the organization’s mission and make a difference. Good intentions won’t change anything. As Mae West said, “An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.”

Have a question about this topic or want some input from Humanergy? Contact us!

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng

Dangerous assumptions bosses make every day

Posted on February 23, 2011 by humanergy

Shawna left the meeting feeling like her hiring decision had been all wrong. Why couldn’t Hector manage this project on his own? When Shawna was in his role, she was able to make decisions and move forward with little direction from the boss. Maybe it was time to consider moving Hector into a job that fit his apparent abilities.

We all make assumptions, even if we think we don’t. We assume that the people around us have (or should have) the same knowledge, experiences, understanding, beliefs and feelings as ourselves. When we communicate, how often do we check our assumptions? We rarely do…until our differences become apparent, and then it’s often too late to repair the damage. What types of assumptions might you be making, and how can you avoid them?

My direct reports and I have the same knowledge or understanding of business realities. This assumption can easily be validated by having regular discussions with your team about the context and reality your organization faces, including the “big picture.” You may be surprised to know that they either don’t know as much as you think or need help in understanding the implications for their work. You need to actively engage to help them comprehend how what they do fits into the bigger scheme. Redouble your efforts to communicate as much information as you can. This will enable them to do their jobs now and anticipate future change.

I understand how my direct reports feel about their work. Most bosses only see part of the reality for their people, but rarely the whole unvarnished truth. Sometimes the issues are transient and don’t require your input. Other times, an employee may not want to share the full measure of his/her frustration for fear of being seen as negative. While you may not be in tune with the day-to-day angst, stay connected with your people so that you don’t miss a critical issue that could impact the team’s performance.

My direct reports know when I’m just joking around. Flippant, sarcastic and humorous remarks may seem innocuous to you. Your team may be interpreting these comments very differently – searching for hidden meanings, taking “digs” to heart or otherwise misconstruing your intent. Save yourself the grief and loss of productivity by minimizing your attempts at humor. Instead, state your intended messages very clearly.

My direct reports and I approach a task in the same way. One of the most dangerous assumptions is that your people (must) do their jobs in the same way you would. Even if you recently held a position, you may find that your successor organizes the work differently, uses his/her distinctive skills and draws upon completely unique life experiences. Keep your focus on the results you need and allow people to achieve them in their own best way.

You may think that you are assumption-free. But how many times have you thought, Everyone knows that…. or When I was in your role… or How can she possibly do it that way? Replace those thoughts with communication that clarifies, such as Tell me more about that or Give me an example or Help me understand.

One of the most powerful attributes of any team is its diversity of experience, skill and knowledge. Recognizing that you filter reality through your own lens, take time to first understand what you may take for granted. Then be diligent in seeking to better understand your team by asking open-ended questions and honoring their unique perspectives. When you do that, you enrich your own view of the world and become a more well-rounded leader. Avoiding dangerous assumptions also means a more engaged team, better results and maximum impact. Not a bad set of outcomes, we assume!

Have a question about this topic or want some input from Humanergy? Contact us!

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng

Are you hearing the bad news?

Posted on October 6, 2010 by humanergy

You have a great relationship with the people you supervise and encourage them to come to you with any issues that need your attention. But are you hearing everything you need to hear – especially the bad news? According to a Fast Company article called How to get bad news to the top, humans are programmed to prefer optimistic information. We don’t like sharing the bad news, and we don’t like hearing it.

CEOs may be among the most out-of-touch. A recent study by Fred Adair, a Boston-based partner at Heidrick & Struggles, showed a sharp gap between how CEOs rate the effectiveness of their management teams and how the management teams rate themselves. Whether consciously or subconsciously, the team doesn’t share its true perceptions with the boss. Because the CEO isn’t fully aware of the team’s status, she cannot help the team work more effectively together, and can even make the situation worse.

Adair recommends engaging a coach to facilitate CEO/team openness. What else can you do to make sure that people bring all relevant information to you, not just the good news?

Pay attention to subtle signs. Because of our human preference to expect the best, we can ignore signals that things aren’t quite right. Missing data, a tense vibe in the office or less frequent communication can be harbingers of trouble on the way. These signals are your cue to gather more information, not to sit idly by.

Don’t shoot the messenger. It only takes once, and you’ll find that people grace your doorstep only when there’s happy stuff to report. Even if you succeed at keeping your mouth shut, are you showing your anger nonverbally? That can be almost as damaging as a screaming fit.

Keep an open door, and walk through it. Open doors are great, but getting out among the team is even more effective.

Encourage civil disagreement. If your team isn’t comfortable disagreeing with each other, they certainly won’t openly disagree with you. Create and nurture a culture where the team debates and challenges one another – and you – respectfully.

Look and listen. Nonverbal clues can be powerful, so take notice. Does their body language match their words? If not, follow up with open-ended questions to find out what is really on their minds.

Don’t jump to conclusions. It will take time to unravel the full truth, so don’t immediately react to the initial feedback. Once you’ve collected the necessary information, ask your team for suggestions about next steps, rather than pronouncing your conclusions from the executive suite.

Take a break from talking. Sometime it takes a radical step to get information flowing. If you usually do a lot of talking in meetings, stop. Tell your team that for the next day (or week or other timeframe that is workable) you won’t be talking, only listening. Then follow through – only speaking when it is absolutely necessary. There’s nothing like a few moments of uncomfortable silence to get folks sharing their thoughts.

You may assume that bad news travels fast, and you don’t have to take any extraordinary measures to uncover it. Perhaps that’s true for the most dramatic bad news, but it certainly isn’t for the pervasive, insidious issues that can undermine any team’s effectiveness. Don’t be the last one to know that there’s a bad moon rising.

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!

A team or not a team?

Posted on September 1, 2010 by humanergy

Sophia works as a Sales Associate and is extremely good at her job. She regularly receives maximum bonuses, and is often recognized as her company’s top salesperson. Sophia’s boss recently told her that he wanted her to focus more on supporting her team – the other Sales Associates in her division. Sophia is puzzled. Why should I take my focus off my own territory to help someone else become a better sales person?

Teamwork has become the answer to whatever ails organizations – even when it isn’t the ideal solution. Teamwork is defined by Merriam-Webster online as “work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.” People must see the value in subordinating their personal needs for the betterment of the team. If they don’t see what is in it for them, team members simply won’t act like a team. What situations call for teamwork? An article in HR Magazine online titled Teamwork – not necessarily the answer points to three factors that indicate when a teamwork model is best:

Work requires more than one person. Manufacturing widgets, serving dinner to 300 people and sailing a large vessel are tasks that require teamwork. There are simply too many things to be done, some of which are simultaneous, for the work to be accomplished solo. Even if the tasks are sequential, complexity requires that more than one brain be applied to the work.

Work creates a common sense of purpose. If the group is working toward a shared result, some level of teamwork would help them maximize each person’s value – and provide a higher level of quality to the customer.

There’s true interdependence. If what Sophia does impacts the success of others, they are a team. This mutual dependence doesn’t have to be 100%. Even if they’re only partially dependent on each other to complete tasks or accomplish results, some level of teamwork is required.

At face value, it may appear that Sophia has little to gain from helping her fellow Sales Associates. However, consider the impact on the company if her “teammates” falter. The organization simply could not continue to thrive based on the sales skills of a single person. In fact, there is a common purpose among the sales team – to maximize the organization’s overall sales. Sophia’s next conversation with her boss will be about how the company can adjust their compensation model to support teamwork – perhaps basing a part of future bonuses on overall sales. That would reinforce the reality that they really do have mutual dependence.

There’s an old saying about teamwork being essential because it allows you to blame someone else. (In case you missed it, that was a joke.) Sometimes teamwork isn’t necessary and can actually get in the way of the results you want. Teamwork is really only essential when everyone has at least a little skin in the game.