Make Teamwork Happen

I was sitting in a hotel lobby when a waiter came over to take my order.  I noticed he had a large button pinned to his shirt emblazoned with the words “I AM EMPOWERED.”  I asked him, “What are you empowered to do?”  He quickly replied, “I dunno.  They make us wear this.”

Although empowerment is a contemporary buzzword, the term “empower” is not new, having arisen in the mid-17th century with the legalistic meaning “to invest with authority; authorize.”  Shortly thereafter, it began to be used generally to mean “enable or permit.”  Its modern use originated with the civil rights movement which sought “political empowerment.”  The word was then adopted by the women’s movement and then even more generally to connote being in more control of one’s own destiny.

I just hate to see a perfectly good word be bandied about indiscriminately.  When using the term “empowerment,” management has given specific authority to a person to make certain decisions.  It is not unbounded power to do whatever is necessary whenever one chooses.  Typically, empowerment comes in three forms:

Structured. Each individual or job title has been given a set of do’s and don’ts – limits on what they can or cannot do, that is broader than usual.  For example, if you have a dissatisfied customer, you are empowered to return the item to stock and credit the customer for the amount purchased.  If the customer wants further remuneration, you are not empowered and must get a decision from your manager.

Philosophical. A set of codified rules that guide employee behavior.  For example, one company uses the following as their “definition of empowerment”: 1) Take care of the customer, 2) Use the system, 3) If the system does not take care of the customer, escalate to management, 4) Management to take care of the customer (see rule 1), 5) Reevaluate empowerment boundaries.  Everyone agreed that no one could get into trouble for following these rules.  People who wanted to get promoted and recognized should follow these rules as well.

Adult Rule. We treat employees like capable adults, giving them license to use their minds and judgment within the scope of their responsibilities.  In my experience, this is the toughest and most dangerous form of empowerment, since it leaves a great deal of room for interpretation and can be seen as “abandonment” by some.

For any empowerment program to survive, the employees must know what empowerment is, know what is acceptable and non-acceptable behaviors under the definition, and receive constant feedback and evaluation of the boundaries and the decisions made.

Question:  How do you empower your team members?

More on this topic:

Empower the Team

Empowerment — The Fuel of the Future

Team Dynamics and Team Empowerment in Health Care Organizations

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

One of the largest challenges facing many organizations today is the effective communication of important information.  With all the bits of news coming at us from the internet, phones, faxes, email, and the good ol’ fashioned grapevine, it is hard to know what is important.  Add geographic distance to the mix, and you have the recipe for a guaranteed breakdown in communications.

Does your organization have a methodical, systematic way to communicate important information “down” to all levels, as well as bring information/questions “up?”  If not, try this “Flow-Down, Flow-Up” method:

Senior Team. The CEO/Leadership team decides what information should be “flowed down” for the week.  One team member (rotate this role, rather than rely on the same senior team member) captures the information in an e-mail or memo sent to all employees and posted in key strategic areas such as the cafeteria bulletin board.

Team Leaders. All team leaders or supervisors meet with their teams for five to ten minutes to discuss the Flow Down.  The team leader goes through the information while asking for comments or input from the team.  The team leader then sends these comments to the “collector.” Some teams even go another step and coordinate the Flow Down as a regular agenda item at their weekly staff meetings.

Collector. Usually someone from Human Resources, the collector simply creates an action item list from the comments, inputs or suggestions.  The list identifies the action, the appropriate team leader or manager to address the issue, as well as a reasonable response deadline.  (Some comments take longer than others).

Appropriate Lead. The team leader or manager assigned to the action item responds to the issue or concern to the Collector.  It is his responsibility to coordinate or “find” the answer, even if the Collector did not select the best possible person to address the issue.  The Appropriate Lead makes sure the issue gets addressed by the right people by the response deadline.  If the Lead needs more time to analyze or address the issue, the Lead simply states the “new” response deadline as well as the reasons why he or she needs more time to respond.

Collector. The collector assembles the responses and sends them “up” to the senior team to attach to the next “flow down” cycle.

Ground Rules. The only way this process will work is if the senior team, supervisors and collectors agree to participate in this process.  This isn’t a discretionary item.  Participation and adherence to the specified time frames is mandatory.  All the items that get “flowed up” must be addressed promptly and honestly.

Most teams flow down every week or every two weeks, depending on their recurring needs to get information out to folks as well as their ability to respond to questions and concerns from within the organization.

Question:  What communication method has been most effective for your team?

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

Diversity is inherent in extraordinary teamwork.  After all, if everyone thought the same, why bother to have a team?  One person would have the same perspective and answer as the next one!  Team synergy comes from diverse points of view, building small agreements to develop large successes.

“Diversity” simply means differences present among people today.  High-performing teams value diverse perspectives, backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, abilities, ages, and the like.

Lenora Billings-Harris, a work force diversity specialist agrees.  “When people are exposed to each other’s viewpoints, ideas flourish,” she said.

To ensure that teams truly value diversity:

Get Smart.  Build your knowledge and understanding of different groups, so you don’t rely on biases or stereotypes.

“Do your homework by conducting research on the Internet, talking to people in the group you wish to reach, and getting to know your teammates,” Billings-Harris said.

Connect.  Take the time to demonstrate sincere interest in your teammates, Billings-Harris suggests.

“The more you are able to connect with individuals, the more likely you will see the real person, instead of just their ‘packaging.’  Their differences will then be an asset, instead of a barrier,” she said.

Be Watchful.  Multicultural behaviors, words, or gestures might affect the team dynamic.  For example, the American “bye-bye” gesture means “come here” to some people from Southeast Asia.  By getting smart and making connections, this kind of unintentional faux pas can be used as a learning opportunity.

Ante Up.  Recognize that everyone on the team contributes value.  They might not look like you, sound like you, or think like you.

“The key within a diverse environment is to be able to practice great teamwork with all team members, rather than only those with whom you are most comfortable,” Billings-Harris emphasized.

Be Fair.  Sometimes we have a tendency to count on the same people because we know that they’ll do great work.  However, if you truly want to develop all team members, regardless of their packaging, identify projects, tasks, and responsibilities that could further develop their skills.

“Once the task is delegated, be sure to coach and counsel, and be clear regarding your expectations and the results,” Billings-Harris cautioned.

Challenge Assumptions.  Culturally, Americans tend to follow the Golden Rule:  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  It’s a great rule of thumb, but the Golden Rule assumes that we’re all coming from the same place.  Challenge your assumptions before leaping to conclusions about what works best for diverse teams.

Question:  Do you value the diversity among your team members?

One of the best ways to educate and energize your team is to take a continuing education trip together.  Not only will the team learn great new ideas, it will share in a powerful team-building experience, if all goes well.

Unfortunately, many teams just decide to “up and go” and then return terribly disappointed.  Charlene White, a Norfolk-based orthodontist consultant, has some great ideas to plan a terrific continuing education trip with your team:

Know Thy Purpose.  Why does your team want to go on a “field trip” together?  What do you want to learn?  What’s the best way to learn this information?  Where do you want to go?  Many teams like to go to a workshop together.  Others like to visit a team in the same industry (e.g., an orthodontist team visits another orthodontist’s practice).  Or “benchmark” a different industry that performs similar processes (e.g., a hospital emergency room team visited a NASCAR pit crew!).

Who, me?  If you like to take trips with your team, make this very clear in the hiring process and your job description.  If this isn’t a clear expectation, then be sensitive to individual responses.  Not wanting to go on a trip does not necessarily mean that the person is not a team player.  It is much better to make the trip an option rather than a demand.

Fun vs. Education.  Try to balance the fun and the learning.  Make sure that the expectations for education are outlined in advance, including the meetings that they are expected to attend and even curfews, if appropriate.

Describe the Details.  Conflicts will occur if people don’t know what’s going on.  Charlene recommends a wonderful “Continuing Education Trip Guide” form to prevent misunderstandings.  She recommends that the team come together to go through the details and to ask/answer any questions about the trip.  Hearing things through the grapevine creates problems.

Keep a Journal.  When going on a multi-day trip, exciting events and insightful information might get lost.  Encourage team members to write down their insights as they arise or to spend a few moments at the end of the day to summarize the tidbits and lessons learned.

Compensation.  The payment of hourly wages or salary should be clearly stated in advance of the trip.  While your organization’s policies probably provide some guidance, you should never ask a team member to lose income or vacation time to participate.

Travel Expenses.  Quite often team members do not have extra money in their budget to take work-related trips.  The organization should pay for all registration fees, transportation costs, meals and accommodations.  Precalculate all meals and daily expenses for the trip.  Give each team member a check before the trip to cover all their expenses.  Have them keep receipts and balance out any money owed to them or back to the organization when they return.

Follow Through.  When the team comes home, find out what lessons can be applied to the team’s work.  If they do their journaling, the follow-through will be a snap!

Question:  Where did you go on your last field trip and how did it benefit your team?

Napoleon Hill coined the concept of the mastermind alliance in his classic book, “Think and Grow Rich.”  He believed that a group of like-minded, achievement-oriented individuals could dramatically leverage each other’s success.  It’s all about creating the synergy of like-minded professionals to have a safe place to celebrate success, solve pressing issues, offer support and encouragement, unleash creativity, gain valuable insights and expand and grow their businesses.

Mark Sanborn is an international speaker on leadership and teamwork, and he suggests the following guidelines to pursue a meeting of the minds:

Find the Right Mix.  Find great people with complimentary businesses, functions, positions with similar career levels and shared values.  The diversity of the group is a strength, and everyone should have something of value to bring to the group.  Mark warns that “too much disparity between experience levels, however, can hamper the sharing of ideas.”

Agree on Purpose.  Each member should share his or her own “What’s In It For Me” (WIIFM) for participating in the group.  Be very clear on what you are trying to accomplish;  generate leads, provide support, offer advice, encourage each other, etc.

Establish Ground Rules.  Agree on the administrivia that can drive teams crazy, e.g., meeting time, length, attendance and other fundamental beliefs to support the effective functioning of the team.  Melanie Mills, another national speaker from Indiana, phrased this aspect so well when she said, “Establish guidelines for how you operate with each other, like not putting down other members, a solutions-orientation versus a problem-orientation, sharing time so nobody dominates, confidentiality, and mutual respect.  This is probably the most important step, as it creates the atmosphere for you to operate in.  I would keep them simple but clear.”

Agree on Format.  Detrmine location, time and agenda.  Most Masterminds start with an update from each member.  That time can be used to share good news, ask questions, solve problems, etc.  Then the meetings usually move into a specific topic area (agreed to ahead of time) and each team member brings ideas, best practices, resources, suggestions, article reprints, book recommendations, etc.  The meeting usually concludes with a commitment to each other on what each member will do in between sessions.

Select a Coordinator.  One person needs to coordinate schedules and meeting logistics.  This position can be permanent or rotated between team members.

Use a Facilitor.  Make sure that each meeting has a designated facilitator (a Mastermind member or an external facilitator) to keep the process moving, ensure balanced participation and move actions forward.

Keep Checking.  All Mastermind groups evolve into new formats and mixes of people.  Periodically, check the “pulse” of the team by reinforcing what’s working well and what can be “upgraded.”  Mark assures us that it’s OK to “revisit your purposes, goals and time commitments frequently, so you can address whether adjustments should be made.”

Question:  If you are a member of a Mastermind group, what is your key to success?

I was asked to moderate a panel discussion after a very important presentation to company stakeholders. During the final dry run, I observed the speech coach directing the Vice Presidents. Notice, I use the term “directing” rather than “coaching”.

Her directions included phrases such as “Ok. Now do this.” “What we’re going to do is…” When someone would offer an idea, she would say “Yes (or No),” and then express her opinion.

She was so intent on the task at hand, she didn’t even acknowledge the other diverse expertise in the room (the other company representatives, their brand consultant, or even me!).

Technically, this speech consultant is very good. I agree with many of her directions and even admire her skill. But her style leaves me cold.

I would rather see her be more collaborative….and well, be a coach rather than a director!

Question: When someone is observing you in action, would they see you as a director or collaborative coach?

A few careers ago, I was on a panel to interview and select officers into the U.S. Coast Guard Direct Commission Program. A rather grueling process, we went through an applicant’s file and interviewed him (or her), trying to elicit stories of past behavior that would meet our specific criteria for selection…lifted directly from the CG Performance Appraisal Form.

After a few years of grading these candidates, I noticed an interesting pattern in the results: The Board scored Eagle Scouts exceptionally well – and those candidates who received their commission, did very well as a Reserve Officer.

Only 5 percent of Scouts achieve Eagle rank by age 18, when Scouting ends – and usually, it’s only one or two from a troop.

When I read the Washington Post today about ELEVEN members of Troop 681’s Viking Patrol achieving their Eagle Scout at the same time…that’s a testament to teamwork.

Question: What is every member on your team collectively striving to achieve?

I was just talking with my client about who needs to be in a crucial strategic thinking meeting. We want to limit the number of invitees to a small, intimate (and manageable) number of folks….but he has over 150 people in his organization!

Rather than inviting the usual suspects (top management), I suggested that he look for “two-fers” – people who fulfill at least two, three or four team objectives:

1) Content – the invitee will participate and make valuable contributions and/or provide perspective

2) Commitment – you will need their buy-in and commitment in the implementation of whatever the team is going to come up with

3) Teambuilding – you would like to use the event to develop mutual bonds of trust and patterns of communication among the participants

4) Diversity – the invitee represents a specific demographic of the organization (race, culture, gender, geography, age, longevity within the organization etc.)

While the research on optimal team numbers is not conclusive, it tends to fall in the five to 12 range (see my article in my newsletter) – so make sure each team member is at least a two-fer!

Question: What’s the composition of your team?

One of the best ways to educate and energize your team is to take a continuing education trip together. Not only will the team learn great new ideas, but they will also share in a powerful team building experience, if all goes well.

Unfortunately, many teams just decide to “up and go” and then return terribly disappointed. Charlene White, a Norfolk-based orthodontist consultant has some great ideas to plan a terrific continuing education trip with your team:

Know Thy Purpose. Why does your team want to go on a “field trip” together? What do you want to learn? What’s the best way to learn this information? Where do you want to go? Many teams like to go to a workshop together. Others like to visit a team in the same industry (e.g. an orthodontist team visits another orthodontist’s practice). Or “benchmark” different industry that performs similar processes (e.g. a hospital emergency room team visited a NASCAR pit crew!).

Who Me? If you like to take trips with your team, make this very clear in the hiring process and your job description. If this isn’t a clear expectation, then be sensitive to individual responses. Not wanting to go on a trip does not necessarily mean the person is not a team player. It is much better to make the trip an option rather than a demand.

Fun Vs. Education. Try to balance the fun and the learning. Make sure the expectations for education are outlined in advance, including the meetings they are expected to attend and even curfews, if appropriate.

Describe the Details. Conflicts will occur if people don’t know what’s going on. Charlene recommends a wonderful “Continuing Education Trip Guide” form to prevent misunderstandings. She recommends the team come together to go through the details and to ask/answer any questions about the trip. Hearing things through the grapevine creates problems.

Keep a Journal. When going on a multi-day trip, exciting events and insightful information may get lost. Encourage team members to write down their insights as they arise, or to spend a few moments at the end of the day to summarize the tidbits and lessons learned.

Compensation. The payment of hourly wages or salary should be clearly stated in advance of the trip. While your organization’s policies probably provide some guidance, you should never ask a team member to lose income or vacation time in order to participate.

Travel Expenses. Quite often, team members do not have extra money in their budget to take work-related trips. The organization should pay for all registration fees, transportation costs, meals and accommodations. Precalculate all meals and daily expenses for the trip. Give each team member a check prior to the trip to cover all their expenses. Have them keep receipts and balance out any money owed to them or back to the organization when they return.

Follow Through. When the team comes home, find out what lessons can be applied to the team’s work. If they do their journaling, the follow through will be a snap!

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Al Gore, has probably done more for this planet than he could have as President of the United States. As an advocate for environmental sustainability, he has raised public awareness about the impact of our actions on the environment.

Most of us are familiar with a basic recycling program (Prince Edward Island is the most sophisticated I’ve run into), but there are other, very simple ways your team can be “green”:

Check your Lights. Switch from using incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs (the swirly kind) – and don’t buy the cheap ones; they burn out just like regular light bulbs! Check out Jane Poynter’s Going Green for a great explanation.

Turn it Off. Don’t forget to turn off the lights and HVAC when your team is not in the room.
Disposables. Minimize your use of disposable products such as napkins and paper towels by using real plates, glasses and napkins. If you must, use biodegradable, paper-based products. Styrofoam takes forever to break down.
Drive Together. When going to a meeting together, carpool, use a shuttle service or public transportation.
Be Bulky. Use bulk dispensers when you can rather than individual servings. For example, use a water pitcher or a liter bottle rather than individual bottles of water or soda.
Be Water Efficient. Don’t let the tap run if you don’t need water immediately.
Minimize Printing. Do you really need to print out that email? If not, don’t. If yes, print out on recycled paper (or the unused side of your waste paper!)
Buy from Local Producers. Not only are you supporting the local economy, but you are reducing energy used to transport the item to your destination.

What is your team doing to minimize your footprint on the world? I’d love to hear your ideas.