Have you ever noticed how some teams have the magic touch?
You see their work, and the way they work together and all
you can think is, "Oh, I wish I were on that team instead
of this one." It's hard to put your finger on what exactly
makes them tick, isn't it?
Well, satisfy your curiosity right here and right now. I
have the answer.
The reason you can't see the magic is that it's invisible.
It's not written down in their mission statement and it's
not repeated in the footers of their documents. From
outside the team, you can't see it at all.
Here are the five hidden secrets that separate the great
teams from all the rest:
1. Trust. The team has developed a high level of trust.
This means not only personal trust ("I trust that you are
fundamentally a good person who won't stab me in the back")
but also competency trust ("I trust that you have the
knowledge and abilities to come through for me"). This
level of trust takes time and while it may appear to be
there from the start, it's not.
2. Conflict. Team members are willing to deal with conflict
in a direct, honest, and thoughtful way: not holding things
in, not lashing out, and never using conflict for personal
gain.
3. Feedback. Team members are willing to call each other on
unhelpful, unproductive, or destructive behaviors. They
don't chicken out when it comes to giving and receiving
feedback at the peer level.
4. Commitment. Most team members are committed to success,
even when going through difficult times. They will walk
the talk, as the saying goes, no matter how challenging the
situation.
5. Values. The team has a clear sense of their shared
values. They do not necessarily share all of the same
values, but they do share several core values, which guide
their decision-making and behavior.
How does your team stack up? If you're not close to a 10 on
a scale of 1 to 10 in all five areas, fix it. If it's
beyond repair and the leader is unwilling to face this,
think about finding yourself another team. Life is too
short to be miserable at work. Low performing teams are
miserable teams. High performing teams are happy teams. How
would you rather feel all day?
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Jennifer Selby Long, Founder and Principal of Selby Group,
provides executive coaching and organizational development
services. Jennifer's knack is helping clients navigate the
leadership and organizational challenges triggered by
change and growth. She knows firsthand that great plans
often fail because companies don't take into account the
human factors that come into play when implementing them.
Visit Jennifer at: http://selbygroup.com
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