Posted: May 8, 2019 | Categories: Self-Improvement, Team Building

A productive team knows how to synergistically solve problems.  It is a skill, and for most of us, it takes practice.  One of the best places to practice is in our own home.  Every family has their share of problems along with an occasional crisis.  How a family bands together to solve the problem can be vital to its well-being. Here is an example:

When my son David was 16, he came home from school one day all excited about getting an IPod.  I knew how much an Ipod cost, and I also understood he could afford one.  David is frugal by nature.  I said, “How much is this IPod going to cost you?”   “$200” he said.  That sounded like a very low price.  I asked him directly, “Is this hot merchandise?”  “Yeah, I know someone who has a bunch of them”.  I wanted to react, but instead I simply affirmed what David said.  “So the way you see it, if you buy this, you would be in possession of stolen merchandise, but you wouldn’t be stealing it directly.  Is that right?”  In a defiant tone, he said, “Yeah”.  I responded with silence.  30 minutes later, David said, “Dad, can you take me to the store.  I want to get that IPod”.  I wanted him to make the right choice.  I also wanted him to take part in the decision (Ownership)

This is a family problem.  In the workplace, there are problems almost every day for many.  There is miscommunication, people get offended, someone drops the ball, or you find you need to get in alignment with a co-worker or boss.  When you must confront, here are the rules:

1.  Begin in a friendly way with a respectful tone.
2. Ask questions to understand.
3. Listen to understand.  Suspend judgment.
4. Affirm what you have heard.
5. Instead of making a statement or speech, ask a question.
6. Create a win-win

If you and your team can do this consistently when confronting problems, you will find yourself working in a more favorable and fulfilling working environment.

Posted: April 24, 2019 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

Most of my time is spent building top-producing teams.  One of the most fun parts of my job is when I get to work with a fresh new crew eager to excel.  Last week I was with such a group:

It was a team meeting, and two of the members were discussing how they can better communicate with one another.  Based on their positions, much communication and coordination was needed between them.  As they talked they came to a sticking point.  One person was upset and felt she had been left out of the loop. The other person tried to explain himself, and soon you could feel friction in the air.  We all know what happens when this occurs:  Each person stops listening and thinks about the way they will respond to defend their position.   Fortunately, the two people recognized the danger, and brought the conversation back to a safe place:  One person said, “Jill, I am not trying to make you feel bad or neglected.  My goal is to seek your help.  I am having a challenge, and I believe if we can talk through it, we can create a plan that makes our jobs easier for both of us.”

From this point, then went on to solve the problem, and created a “win-win” solution.  This action buried any possible frustration or resentment, and the two team members were back on track working side by side.

Look what happened here:  These two new employees had a conflict and they resolved it right away.  They did not allow time for the problem to fester.  That is smart.  Unfortunately, not all teams are this adept.  Comments are made and things are said.  People react or shut down.  Frustration and resentment sets in.  Ten years later, people still remember and rehash how they were hurt, and team performance suffers forever.  In the meantime, they have robbed themselves of the chance to have a positive, fully-engaged and productive team.

Posted: February 1, 2019 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

About a year ago a client introduced me the book, “The Ideal Team Player” Patrick Lencioni.  Jim is a business owner and he liked the way the author broke down the “Ideal Team Player” into three key characteristics and qualities:  Humility, Hunger, People Smarts.

At first I thought this was gimmicky and an over-simplification.  I decided to take the scientific approach and prove the theory wrong.  I did not succeed.  What I discovered was that to build a top-performing team it is critical to look for and evaluate candidates according to these three pillars.

Humility:  When we possess and practice humility, we admit our mistakes and welcome input from others.  We subordinate our ego in favor of building others and also teamwork.

Hunger:  Without strong desire, we can be shy on initiative.  If we want something badly enough we go through much discomfort and challenge to achieve it.

People smarts:  Tactfulness removes barriers and opens dialogue.  It is essential in building team trust and setting the table for strong collaboration and teamwork.

With the past month, I worked with someone who was interviewing candidates to fill a position.  He wanted to know the best qualities to look for in his conversations.  I shared these three qualities with him.  After the first interview, h determined that the person was highly skilled, hard-working, and articulate.  He was only missing one quality…Humility.  It was a no go.  Here is how it works based on my coaching experience:

If a person needs more hunger, you can find out what motivates them, and create that hunger.  If they lack people smarts, tact and human relations skills can be learned.  I have helped people with that all my career.  How about humility?  That is a tough one.  Without humility, there is no team synergy or collaboration.  Be careful.

Posted: January 28, 2019 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Team Building

Last month I read a headline that made me sad and joyous at the same time.  The headline read, “Maverick Founder of Southwest Airlines dies at 87”. Herb Kelleher was a true maverick, and that is an understatement.

Years ago I was on a Southwest flight from Phoenix to Chicago.  As the flight began, the flight attendant took to the microphone.  She said, “Welcome aboard.  We will be serving beverages on this flight, and soon our servers will be coming by.  At this time, I want everyone to open up their in-flight magazine and turn to page #29.  Got it?  OK, now go to the right column.  There you will see listed all the beverages we offer.  Now I would like you to go through this list, and choose what beverage you would like.  Is everybody with me?  Good.  And remember, we are completely out of, What do you have?”

That’s Southwest.  Who else would have the nerve?  As I reflected on that moment, I realized that they were following in true order of their values.  Here are their top three in order:

1. Have fun.
2. Love your employees
3. Love your customers.

So how come we customers ended up in third place?  Herb Kelleher knew that having fun and treating your people right was the way to have a loyal following.  Beyond that, he did have a quirky priority:  He looked for people who had strong personalities.  The whiskey-drinking, cigarette-smoking fellow just couldn’t settle for his folks saying “Have a nice day” in monotone.  The Southwest Airlines Crew:  They may excite you, they may infuriate you, but they will never bore you.  One more thing:  In the 20 years he was at the helm, Southwest made a profit every year, and they continue to do so.  Are you a maverick?

Posted: December 6, 2018 | Categories: Self-Improvement, Team Building

If we are very skilled at doing something, there was a time when we weren’t. It is one thing when we stumble. I think it is even tougher when we watch someone we love struggle.

One of the most uncomfortable times of my life happened in the fall of 2008. We were in the midst of a terrible recession, and my son had recently graduated from college. He was eager to launch his career working as a financial adviser. He was hired by a reputable company, and they provided him with all the resources he needed to succeed…except clients! He had to develop those on his own. He worked out of our house, and I heard him dial and dial the phone with very disappointing results. I thought he might get frustrated and quit. He didn’t. Kept picking himself up and starting over.

It reminds me of a scene I saw years ago when I was enjoying a walk after lunch. I noticed a mother duck marching along with a trail of little ones behind her. They followed mama and would not let her out of their sight. Then mama came to a curb. She jumped the curb and turned around to look at her brood. They were in a panic, and one by one they began attempting to jump up the curb to catch up with her. Some succeeded after a couple tries, while others kept attempting to jump, but kept falling back down. It must have been painful for those little ducks to crash to the pavement. I thought mama would offer to help. She didn’t. She waited until all the little chicks made it up the curb. Then, she looked at me, quacked, and the caravan of mama and the ducks moved on.

Folks, we can at least be as smart as a duck. Let’s not be afraid to let those we love struggle when they are learning something. It is the way we get better!