Make Teamwork Happen

Teams want to have fun.  Spontaneous, unconstrained fun that ranges from the subtle to over-the-top playfulness.  Humor at no one’s expense.  Fun that makes us smile, giggle or laugh until our sides ache.  Fun allows us to whistle while we work, enjoying the time we spend with our team.

Many team leaders feel it is their responsibility to create fun in the workplace.  So they create the “fun” committee with representatives from each department.  They schedule the “fun” around birthdays, the company picnic, and other significant events.  Team leaders make sure the balloons arrive on time, the banners are up, and the production is ready to go.  And the rest of the team feels obligated to attend and smile throughout the entire ordeal. 

To put it bluntly, team leaders suck the spontaneity out of fun.  They can’t be the ring masters because they are compelled to organize, schedule, and manage everything around them.  It’s in their job description to manage and control the fun. 

Fun and playfulness has to come from within the team rather than the top.  To allow an environment that encourages fun:

Talk About Fun.  Have a great discussion within the team about what fun and playfulness is all about.  Allow the team to kick around ideas that might work.  Give them verbal and non-verbal cues to encourage their involvement.

Be Spontaneous.  Encourage the team to seek out ways to play “in the moment.”  Fun is all around us.  We just have to take advantage of those moments.  For example, a team keeps a digital camera in their workspace so that anyone can take a picture of something fun and share it with the rest of the team.

Have a Kitty.  Let’s face it.  Some fun things cost money.  Not a lot of money, but a few bucks here and there.  Let others know that they can be reimbursed when they create fun.  For example, on “Eat Your Green Vegetables Day,” two women on the dietary team served lunch in rented green artichoke costumes.  It was a small amount of money that had the entire organization laughing for days!

Keep Your Preferences to Yourself.  As a team leader, you might prefer to go to an Admirals hockey game.  If you mention it (or anything else) they might go along with your idea – and you have the huge potential to start coordinating the fun.  Back off.  You have lots of other things to do.  Let the team figure out the fun.

Question:  What is the last fun event that you team enjoyed?

To book Kristin to speak or view her products go to www.ExtraordinaryTeam.com

Potlucks have been a team-building mainstay for decades and what better time than during the holidays.  A simple activity to orchestrate, potlucks are an occasion to bring food and people together in an informal atmosphere, usually around lunchtime.  Potlucks are especially popular in office settings, (but any work environment will do) when you want to bring together the team, even if they work on different shifts or schedules.  Potlucks are usually organized by team members rather than the team leader. 

I suggest sharing these general guidelines for office potluck lunches:

Pick a Day.  Don’t wait until the last minute.  Schedule the potluck at least three days in advance, a full week before is even better!

Have a Theme.  What would otherwise be chaos becomes organized around themes.  For example, a Christmas Holiday potluck is more fun than a boring, regularly scheduled potluck.  People will hook into something fun, unique and creative.

Strike a Balance.  While sign-up sheets are helpful (especially if everyone typically brings potato chips), balance the need for structure with others’ need for spontaneity.  Many teams post a sign-up sheet with categories and people adjust their contributions by noting what “holes” in the menu need to be filled.  Regardless, do what works for your particular culture, ensuring that people enjoy the process rather than resenting it.

Dish It Out.  Let people bring what they want to bring, preferably homemade.  Here’s the opportunity to try out that new recipe or bring in your favorite dish.  Let people be creative and don’t slam them for trying something new!  (By the way, have you ever noticed that most people eat their own food at potlucks?)

Be Gracious.  Recognize that not everyone can cook or has the time to bring a homemade casserole.  Prepared foods are fine as long as they don’t bring in the same thing time after time and/or bring in gacky chow you wouldn’t even feed to your dog.  Then again, we all know some people who are simply food-impaired; let them bring the paper products or soft drinks.

Drift Away.  Allow team members to participate within a window of time, usually an hour or so.  This allows people to drift in and out, depending on their schedules for the day.  No need to stay the entire time, but feel free to come back to help clean up!

Enlist Others.  Success is directly proportional to the number of people involved and energized in creating a festive event.  From picking the date, theme and dishes, make it a team effort and let others coordinate the activity as much as possible.

If you are looking for an outside-the-box idea for promoting teamwork, check out what Steve Priest, Senior Vice President of DaVita Inc., is doing.

Question:  What is the most outside-the-box idea you have had for building teamwork?

To book Kristin to speak or view her products go to www.ExtraordinaryTeam.com

If you are sick and tired of trying to accommodate everyone to create a work schedule with continuous coverage, 24 hours, seven days a week, it sounds like you have been the scheduling sovereign for way too long.  You need to give the responsibility over to the team, but not before you think through a couple of key elements:

Staffing Needs.  Know your staffing requirements and priorities.  Which positions must be filled upon pain of death if there is a “no-show?”  Which positions are important, but not critical to your operations? 

Allocation.  How many bodies do you currently have on board?  How many are you allowed to have on the payroll?  Are you in the process of hiring someone?  Are you using temporary agency help?  Do you allow overtime and for what reasons?  Do you intend to increase or decrease your staff and/or dependency on the agency?

Staff Readiness.  Can your current staff handle this responsibility?  Are they mature adults who can have a rational discussion or will it be a free-for-all mud wrestling that you’ll end up refereeing anyway?  If you’re absolutely certain it’s the latter, you might want to build their team skills before you introduce this concept!

Due Dates.  When is the schedule due and for what length?  I suggest giving the team two weeks to build the next month’s schedule.

Rewards.  Can you offer the team some benefit for actually planning and following through on a team-based schedule (e.g., pizzas or a small bonus if the unit is fully staffed for the entire month)?

Once you have established the key elements to building a schedule, meet with your team.

Tell ‘Em Why.  Describe the reasons why you want to move to team-based scheduling; how the company will benefit, as well as how they will benefit.  Remember, there has to be something in it for each team member to climb on board this concept.

Build Commitment.  Let the team see the advantages to team-based scheduling.  Let them talk about the pros and the cons, the issues as well as the opportunities involved.  They need to own this idea or it will never work.

Describe the Parameters.  The team must work with the key elements you have already thought about.  Be open and honest about why the boundaries are the way they are (e.g., we only have X amount of dollars for agency help). 

Agree on Ground Rules.  All participate, no one dominate.  Be fair and consistent.  Recognize that conflict is part of the process, so have the courage to speak up for what you want, but also the consideration to let others express what they want.  Listen to each other.  Look for opportunities to work with each other rather than against each other. 

Be Fair.  The team should develop specific ground rules to ensure fairness among team members (e.g., everyone must work one weekend every month; we deal with “ties” by flipping a coin).  Remember, scheduling is an ongoing activity.  What may not be “fair” during this scheduling period should balance out during the next scheduling period. 

Prevent Absences.  When a team member can’t make it in for whatever reason, it is that team member’s responsibility to find their replacement.  Period.  It is up to the team to decide how to deal with recurring absences – not you, as the boss!

Facilitate the Process.  Suggest they use a process to help them develop a team-based schedule: 1) Create a visual schedule or “blank bingo card” that ALL can see and write on.  2)  Each team member grab a pencil and write their name in on the “ideal” schedule.  Don’t worry about several names being in the same block.  Conflicts are part of the process and will be negotiated later.  3)  Ink in the work hours that are not contested.  4)  For those blocks that are empty, facilitate the team to fill in the empty blocks.  Recognize that someone has to “give” at some point.  Refer to the “fairness ground rules.”  5)  While the empty blocks are being filled in, other blocks will be adjusted.

Before you know it, you will have a team-based schedule that everyone is committed to following!

Question:  Have you been able to implement team-based scheduling and how is it working?

To book Kristin to speak or view her products go to www.ExtraordinaryTeam.com

When your team meets, what’s the overall atmosphere of your meeting room?  Does it invite participation or stifle creativity?  Although a subtle contribution to team success, meeting room set up is an important, but often forgotten, element to team success.  As you prepare for your next meeting, consider:

To sit or not to sit.  If you are having a quickie meeting (less than 10 minutes), keep standing.  If you sit down, arrange the chairs in a u-shape or semi-circle.  Flipcharts can be placed at the opening so all members can focus on the task at hand.

Table it.  Consider having a meeting with no tables or barriers to communication – just people talking to people.

Just right.  Have just enough space so team members aren’t crowded and not too large that the empty space sucks all the energy out of the room.

Seats, everyone.  If your meeting will last over an hour, take a look at the chairs.  Wheels on chairs are nice, armrests are good, extra padding is great.  Otherwise, schedule breaks often!

Something to drink?  Water on the tables is a nice touch and costs nothing.  Coffee and juice in the morning and sodas in the afternoon as well as snacks are a real treat.  Donuts are a classic meeting food but include healthy alternatives such as bagels or bran muffins.  In the afternoon try cookies, cheese and crackers, or a vegetable tray.

Location, location, location.  Have the meeting centrally located so that no participant is inconvenienced.  The room should be close to the restrooms.  The entrance/exit doors should be at the back of the “U” so that participants are not interrupted.

Paraphenalia.  Flipcharts, pens, pencils, markers, note pads, post-it ( notes are useful during most meetings).  If you can, use your company’s imprinted items – they boost morale and remind everyone of the organization’s common goal.

Lighting and Temperature.  Know how to adjust the lights and temperature.  If you know that the location is usually at Ice Station Zebra, advise participants to bring a sweater.

Technology.  Overhead projectors, LCD panels, copyboards, and notebook computers are being used more and more frequently.  Will someone need technology on site?  Who will bring it, does it work, and is there electrical and internet access?  Whatever your plan, do a dry run.  Murphy’s Law prevails: What can go wrong, will go wrong!

Visit the room prior to the event.  Make sure it is the best possible environment.  Run through the agenda and ask yourself, “Is there anything I can do which will enhance the team members’ contributions?”

Attention to these small details can make the difference between a dull, unproductive meeting and one that is upbeat, enthusiastic, and really gets results.

Question:  What do you need to do to make your meeting room more conducive to participation and creativity?

To book Kristin to speak or view her products go to www.ExtraordinaryTeam.com

I had to laugh when I saw the headline, “Teamwork gets pumpkin into hotel.”  The writer, Tom Dalton, must have a sense of humor, too.  Evidently, a giant pumpkin arrived in the lobby of the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA but it was too big to get in the front door. Dalton explains:

“The hotel used a pallet jack from the Peabody Essex Museum to transfer the pumpkin from a pickup truck to the hotel’s catering truck, which has a lift gate. It was lowered to a heavy cart with large wheels and rolled through the hotel’s side door.

While this went on, Lederhaus was standing on an island in Hawthorne Boulevard talking to the pumpkin crew.

“Do you want me to stop traffic?” she shouted.

Just as she spoke, she heard a voice behind her say, “I don’t think you have the authority to do that.”

Lederhaus spun around and saw a familiar face, Congressman John Tierney, who was in town for a public meeting.

The big pumpkin is part of a “family of pumpkins” on display in the hotel lobby.

While it was, indeed, a comical series of events to get the Great Pumpkin into the lobby, I have GOT to believe that Congressman Tierney was making a joke, too.  It’s not whether she has the “authority” to stop traffic – because traffic is going to stop by the very nature of the work being done.

Here’s where it ceases to become funny. I know there are people working in teams who feel they need to ask permission to facilitate the flow of traffic or make things easier for the team – in spite of the events of the day.  Why do you need permission?  As Nike says, “Just do it.”  Help out.  Don’t wait for someone to rain on your parade…or would that be your great pumpkin?

http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_279001117.html?keyword=secondarystory

Question:  Do you wait for permission to facilitate the flow of traffic on your team?

To book Kristin to speak or view her products go to www.ExtraordinaryTeam.com

I used to think teams could do great work anywhere.  Unfortunately, it just isn’t so.  I am continually amazed by how much a team is influenced by its surroundings.  Teams are able to form quicker and perform more effectively when they are in an environment conducive to team work.

Think about the meeting spaces where you have been the most productive, creative, and comfortable.   Look at the little things that send the subliminal message to each team member that their contribution is important and valued.  You just can’t lock a team up in a windowless room wallpapered with cinder blocks and expect miracles to occur!  To create a “team room,” consider:

Colors.  Select colors based on the overall feeling you are trying to create.  Try blues, purples or yellows for a “vibrant, creative” environment.  Some team rooms have variable colored lighting that can project a different shade on the walls, depending on the mood you are trying to create.

Flexible Tables.  Teams don’t need long, traditional boardroom tables.  Choose small, modular tables that allow teams to come together as one large team or pull apart to enable smaller groups to meet.

Great Chairs.  Don’t get the stackable kind.  Get comfortable chairs with lots of seat padding, adjustable height, and can tilt.  But don’t make them too comfy.  You want your team to work, not fall asleep.

Lighting.  Working surfaces such as walls and tables should be well lit.  Fluorescent lighting can be a strain on the eyes, so look for a combination of fluorescent (I prefer indirect fluorescent) and incandescent.  If you can, put them on “banks” of lights so you can dim the front, the back and provide spot lighting even during multimedia presentations.  Dimming features allow even more flexibility.  Don’t forget natural light through windows or skylights – just make sure you have a good “blackout shades!”

Smooth Walls.  Have lots and lots of wall space to hang flip charts, run large swaths of poster paper, and just otherwise be creative.  If you must hang pictures, don’t bolt them into the wall (I’ve always wondered – who would want to steal a piece of hotel art?).

Sound.  Install sound absorbent ceiling, wall, and floor materials to reduce noise and eavesdropping.

Technology.  Integrate the technology into the meeting room.  Keep in mind that technology is an enabler for interaction – not the primary reason to meet.

Accessible Outlets.  Team members want to plug in, dial up, and log in.  You need electrical outlets, phone connections, and high-speed internet access in the walls and, depending on the size of the room, in the floor.

Screens.  Retractable screens for overheads and multimedia presentations are preferred, since you can put them away at the flip of a switch.

Clock.  Most people want to know what time it is.  Put your clock in the back of the room where everyone can see it.

Aroma:  Aromatherapy has hit it big in many corporate meeting rooms.  Try a combination of essential oils such as geranium, lemon, jasmine, and lavender to stimulate creativity, concentration, and relieve stress.

I am convinced that the small creature comforts enable teams to work more effectively together.  As you design your team room, create a welcoming and supportive environment for teams to do great work.

Question:  What are your ideas for creating a the best environment for your team?

To book Kristin to speak or view her products go to www.ExtraordinaryTeam.com

An exceptionally talented (and beautiful) colleague of mine, Roxanne Emmerich, is offering a free teleseminar on

How to transform your workplace from adult daycare filled with energy vampires to a “bring- it-on” place you and your customers love.

Register today—you don’t want to miss this.  I’m not going to!

Here are some thoughts from Roxanne:

Remember when you first started your job?

It was amazing…wasn’t it?

If you were like me, you had butterflies in your stomach and everything was new and exciting. You were starting with a clean slate—everyone you worked with was wonderful, your assignments and projects were exciting and you couldn’t wait to leap out of bed to start your day.

And then you actually had to start doing the work… and pretty soon like me, you may be questioning if you’re underpaid and overworked… or just plain nuts!

Now does this sound familiar to you… or maybe to someone you know? You hit the snooze button three or four times and can’t function at all until you’ve consumed a gallon-sized triple latte with an extra shot of espresso to get you going.

What in the heck happened to that “New job feeling?”

And, as long as we’re on the topic, what in the heck happened to your co-workers?

Exactly when did your workplace turn into an adult daycare filled with energy vampires?

If you’re an average manager 34 percent of your day (or more) is wasted dealing with dysfunctional behavior. Imagine what you could be doing with this time!

And if you’re an average employee, you spend a huge chunk of your day frustrated by the dysfunctional behavior around you.

Help is only a question and a phone call away.

Here’s what you can do, take 30 seconds and tell me your SINGLE biggest work issue or most OUTRAGEOUS workplace situation. All you have to do is submit it online—and I’ll provide you with tools and advice to get rid of it once and for all so you can re-capture that “new career feeling” and start loving your job again.

Don’t worry—I’ll keep your identity on the down low, so feel free to be as candid as you’d like!

Take 30 Seconds to Get Registered Now!

Just click the link below (or cut and paste the link into your browser’s address bar):

http://www.thankgoditsmonday.com/specialcall/

How to transform your workplace from adult daycare filled with energy vampires to a “bring- it- on” place you and your customers love.

• Tuesday, April 7, 2009

• 2-3 p.m. Central Time

Even if you don’t have a question, you can still RSVP to listen-in and learn!

So, if you could ask me ANY question or resolve ANY workplace situation, what would it be? Go ahead…ask your question and start living a Thank God It’s Monday™ life.

Committed to your success,

Roxanne

P.S. Feel free to pass this invitation along to anyone who could benefit from participating in my teleseminar.

P. P. S. Subscribe to my Thank God It’s Monday e-zine. It’s FREE and filled with practical advice, tongue-in-cheek quips, and easy-to-implement tips. Sign up today at www.ThankGoditsMonday.com.

The media is absorbed with the doom and gloom in these tough economic times. Enough already!  Yes, we need to be prudent and fiscally responsible, but don’t let the negativity of the day creep into your everyday activities

To ward off the “Eeyore” syndrome (you know the one, sounding like A.A. Milne’s downright droopy donkey in his book, Winnie the Pooh), make a resolution to celebrate every day:

Smile.  Even if you have to fake it ’til you make it, you can’t hold a fake smile for long.  A smile will make you feel better – as well as everyone else around you.

Compliment Others.  Notice something nice about your team mates – and then genuinely compliment her about it.  People always like to hear nice things about themselves.

Avoid the Bandwagon.  It’s easy to get sucked into a downbeat discussion.  Even easier to join in and complain with your team mates.  Don’t get sucked into the doom and gloom vortex.

Remind Yourself.  Put a little “B+” or “KIP”note by your computer screen as a reminder to “Be Positive” or “Keep It Positive.”  BTW, keep this one real.  No one likes a plastic faker, either.

Disagree Agreeably.  Try not to attack other people’s ideas; rather, you can say,  ”I see it differently,,” or “I can see your point, and I disagree.”  Most people don’t like to be wrong – and most don’t have all the answers!  Teamwork is all about collaborating…

Butt Out the “Buts”.  You can destroy a whole lot of goodwill when you add a “but” to the end of your sentence.  ”I agree but….”  Figure out a way you can say what you need to say without negating what comes before the “but”!

KIP! Your teammates will appreciate it.

Question:  Are you keeping it positive in these tough economic times?

Take a close look at your team’s meeting room.  Does it support or subliminally take away from the team’s work?  Dianne Jordan, a design consultant specializing in feng shui principles has several great ideas to make an ordinary meeting into one that is spectacular:

Open Sesame.  Take a look at the entrance to your meeting space.  Keep the doors open and inviting as your teammates enter and engage.  Make sure the entrance is not crowded or cluttered with boxes and other distractions.  Make sure you, the maintenance staff or the team have cleaned up the obvious dirt, dust, fingerprints on the glass and sticky hinges before everyone arrives.  Dianne says, “In feng shui language, a badly-maintained entrance sends a subliminal signal that you don’t have respect for your clients, your teammates or yourself.  Everyone who enters will experience a slightly uneasy feeling that affects the perceptions of everything you do and say for the rest of the meeting.  Offer a first-class entrance for a first-class meeting.”

See Thy Purpose.  What are the visual signals your meeting room sends?  Look at the visual metaphors in your room.  For example, dried flowers make a dead meeting, so liven it up with fresh cut flowers or live plants.  Do the pictures represent teamwork or something different, such as a classical hunting scene?  Abstract art makes it difficult for team members to focus on concrete issues.  The visual elements should support (not detract from) what the team is trying to do.

Curvy Setup.  Rather than classroom or “row” seating, set up the tables in a semi-circle around the focal point.  If you must have a classroom setup, do not crowd the room.  Angle the tables toward the speaker.

Center Stage.  Where is the focal point for the discussion?  Can everyone see what’s going on?  Go to every part of the room and look at the focal point.  It should be free of distractions, allowing all team members to concentrate on the team’s business.

Little Details.  Finally, be sensitive to lighting, background noises and unpleasant odors in the room.  Is the lighting in the room appropriate?  Full spectrum light bulbs prevent fatigue and eye strain.  What background noises seep into the room unexpectedly?  Perhaps you can minimize these noises.  Ask someone else to let you know if the room has an “odor.”  Often we don’t ever realize how stuffy or unpleasant a room may be.

Question:  What is one thing you can do to make your team meeting room more conducive to productivity?

Labor Day signifies the last vestiges of summer.  Vacations have been taken, kids are almost back in school and temperatures start cooling down.  To prepare for the change in season, we go through the mental checklist including shopping for school, closing the pool, cleaning the air filters, seeding the grass — all those little things that need to be done to make sure you are healthy and happy.

Labor Day is also the perfect time to reflect on getting back into the swing of things at work.  Do you have your mental checklist of “things to do” to make sure you are part of a strong vibrant workplace?

Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman spent over 15 years identifying the little things that make a superior workplace.  In their best-selling book, “First, Break all the Rules:  What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently,” they identified 12 questions that signify whether people are engaged (or not) at work:

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equpment that I need in order to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the past seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission or purpose of my company make me feel that my job is important?
9. Are my coworkers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the past six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
12. This past year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

Mentally go through these 12 questions.  If the answer is “yes,” that’s a good thing!  Congratulate yourself that you know what is expected of you, etc.  Make it a point ot thank the people who have contributed to your ability to say yes!

If the answer is “no,” or “I don’t know,” then make a decision.  Do you want to turn your “no” into a “yes?”  If so, then search for help.  Ask your supervisor, team leader or your fellow teammates how to create a vibrant workplace.

Make Labor Day into a Great Day!

Question:  Are you ready to take the steps to eliminate your “no’s?”