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#Leadership : Accelerate Your Understanding Of Teams With These 3 Facts… What are the Differences between a Group and a Team? Here are Facts you Should know to Accelerate your Understanding of Teams.

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If you don’t think teams are important, you’re living in a bubble . In the interdependent and technological world of today where the increasing pace of change is constant, teams are the lifeblood that drive better (read sustainable) business. Nobody is smarter than everybody, and while people certainly work beside others in the workplace, they rarely work with them. Here’s what I mean.

top view, group of students together at school table working homework and have fun

The difference between a group, where people work beside one another, and a team, where people work with each other, is this: there is no mutual accountability in groups, no shared purpose. Groups are essentially clusters of people with individual agendas who have their own definition of “winning.” There are no shared consequences and no accountability. Teams, on the other hand, depend upon each members’ efforts because they’re aligned toward a common purpose. Teams are guided by shared leadership and share a mutual understanding—and therefore accountability—of team roles, responsibilities, the scope of work to be accomplished and the purpose for which the team exists.

Here are three more fun facts you should know to accelerate your understanding of teams:

Teams adapt to circumstance. Teams are living, breathing organisms that change and morph over time depending on the task at hand. Not every team is—or should be—structured similarly, as the team’s mission will dictate team typology. If, for instance, a deadline is approaching and time is of the essence, then the team leader may assume a more “command and control” type of role where she goes point-to-point with each team member to ensure follow-through and timely delivery. If a team is in transition (i.e. rotating roles, new members) then there may not even be formal leadership as members try to figure out the best fit for 1) the team and 2) each member.

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Team dynamics are everything. What goes unsaid in meetings is oftentimes more important than what is. The challenge for organizational leaders today—and every day for that matter—is observing the social dynamics that fly beneath the radar—not because the leaders themselves are unobservant, but because running a team meeting and focusing on the agenda while also observing the unsaid intricacies of non-verbal communication is too much for the brain to ingest. If you’re running a meeting, for example, you’re focused on tasks and you simply don’t have the mental bandwidth to observe and reflect upon each members’ actions and how they impact the team as a whole. The problem is this: when social dynamics aren’t addressed then questions go unanswered and follow-on hallway conversations become the norm because there was either an unwillingness to address the dynamics in the first place or a lack of awareness to know they even existed.

Teams are valued, but rarely understood. Most companies claim they value teamwork but few really know what great teamwork looks like. If teaming was clear, then there would be more team-based rewards rather than corporate incentives that promote individualism. Here’s an example. While sales teams claim to be a “team” they’re typically incentivized as individuals. Meaning, that bonuses aren’t allocated based on the collective efforts of the team but rather the individual wins of each sales person, which only leads to sales reps encroaching on others’ territories, stealing others’ clients and doing everything they can do to promote themselves because that’s what they’re rewarded for.

If you want to understand how businesses operate, start by understanding the essence of teams.

Jeff is the author of Navigating Chaos: How To Find Certainty in Uncertain Situations and former Navy SEAL who helps business teams find clarity.

Forbes.com | July 25, 2016 | Jeff Boss

#Leadership : 4 Things You Need To Know About Working With #Teams Today…Not all Teams are Created Equal. So if Working in Teams is as Normal as the Workday Itself then Remember These 4 Points When Working With your Team

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Businesses today are compelled to keep up with the rapid pace of change if they want to survive. If they want to stay competitive, however, they must get ahead of that change curve. Companies—and the people who run them—must adapt to change by finding new ways of working for which there are no blueprints. And they must do so together.

Free- Boat going Nowhere

 

Nothing gets accomplished as effectively or as efficiently as it does through a team. Everything in business today happens through a “team” or group. (I use quotation marks because not all teams are true teams.) It must. The complexity of business challenge is too great for any single individual to think through on one’s own.

However, not all teams are created equal. So if working in teams is as normal as the workday itself then remember these four points when working with your team:

1. The team’s decision is more accurate than your decision. In his book The Wisdom Of Crowds, James Surowiecki explains how team decisions are more accurate than any single decision made by an individual. When there’s confrontation or differences of opinion within a team, members don’t typically ask dissenters to change their opinions. Instead, the team is forced to work through the problem, thereby discovering new solutions previously unforeseen. Strangely, the best way to encourage “smart” team thinking is to promote individualism.

 

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2. Team potential depends upon the leader’s maturity. Teams oftentimes don’t realize their potential because leaders aren’t sure how to do so; they’re unaware of what it means to be a team or how to adapt their leadership style to the situation. Leaders fall into one of two roles within a team. They fill a top-down role where they delegate, instruct and outline rules and boundaries, or, they fill a peer role where they work side-by-side with fellow teammates. This role change requires a mental shift that isn’t easy for leaders and it stunts team development.

3. What’s not said is just as important as what is. The challenge for many teams and the leaders who run them is not just managing the social dynamics, but being aware of them. Running a meeting, for example, demands an enormous amount of focus and attention to the content at hand, and trying to process the emotions exchanged throughout the group is too much for any single person. Agendas fall off topic, egos get in the way, sidebar conversations create new agendas and all of a sudden nothing gets accomplished. What’s needed is a third party to observe these trends and drive the team back to its stated goal; to raise the individual and collective awareness of the team.

4. The message sent isn’t always the message received. The game of telephone that we all failed in kindergarten (it’s OK, I did too) was a simple exercise in communication. You simply listen to the message passed and relay that message to the next person. The reason playing telephone fails is because we inject our own interpretations into the process. That is, we interpret a message based on what we think it should mean and then pass that message as the original. Unfortunately, the same phenomenon occurs in business everyday.

We assume that the message sent over email will be the message received but without precise language, that message falls prey to interpretation which leads to duplicative efforts, excess costs and wasted time. Now, scale this to a team–or a large company–where people are geographically dispersed all over the globe and you understand why organizational chaos exists. Teams require consistent communication and (role) clarity to get ahead. Without clarity, it’s easy for members to play the blame game (“That wasn’t my job”) and without communication, the ball gets dropped.

Teams are everything and they’re everywhere, and the first step to realizing the hidden potential of your team is being aware of the unspoken challenges ahead.

Jeff is an executive coach, author of Navigating Chaos: How To Find Certainty in Uncertain Situations, Managing The Mental Game and former Navy SEAL.

 

Forbes.com | April 8, 2016 | Jeff Boss

#Leadership : True Grit: How My Team Learned To Thrive In The Face Of Adversity…Business is a Game of Dramatic Ups & Downs, Especially for Teams that are Trying to Create Something New or Bring about Meaningful Change in a Stagnant & Complacent Market.

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It’s easy to feel a bit bipolar at times. Some days you’re on top of the world, and other days you’re just trying to stay alive. How a team manages these swings, and the periods of adversity in particular, is what separates successful businesses from failures.

Free- Stones stacked on each other

Every business encounters adversity. It’s one of the few constants that you can count on and it can be all too easy to allow these setbacks to get you down, discourage your efforts, and extinguish the fire that keeps you going. Good leaders recognize this fact but find the courage and wherewithal to help their teams avoid these pitfalls.

I’m not an expert on many things, but one area where I have plenty of experience is dealing with adversity. At BodeTree, my team and I have had our fair share of failures, strikeouts, and unfair situations. Despite these setbacks, however, we always keep moving forward. We’ve learned to use adversity to our advantage, and it all comes down to one trait: grit.

Remember that character is king

Grit is just another word for strength of character. An individual or team who displays grit is someone who can take a hit and just keep on going, no matter what. It’s this resilience that enables successful teams to avoid the pitfalls of depression, lethargy, and apathy that people tend to run into when faced with adversity. It may seem like grit is an innate virtue that people people either are born with or not, but this isn’t the case. Grit can be developed, just like any other skill.

Developing grit in yourself is difficult; trying to develop it in others is even harder. It takes equal parts understanding, compassion, and dedication. Over the years at BodeTree, I’ve learned that grit starts with intellectual honesty and the ability to face your fears. Leaders looking to foster gritty teams can start by fostering an environment of transparency and trust. When team members know how they’re being judged and what the expectations are, they’re more willing to be honest about shortcomings and face their fears. If team members feel as though their next mistake will be their last, anxiety sets in and people tend to crumble in the face of adversity. Leaders must create an environment that encourages grit and resilient thinking across the board.

 

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Turn anger and frustration into something productive

If you’ve developed a gritty team,  you can use adversity and challenges to your advantage. There are only two ways to handle bad situations; you can accept what happened and roll over, or you can get mad. I’ve found that turning the other cheek is rarely productive in business. Instead, I like to work to focus the collective anger and frustration of my team into something productive and transformational.

We’ve faced some difficult situations at BodeTree over the last few years, including deals and partnerships falling through at the 11th hour. The news can be devastating at first, but it can also be motivating. We’ve learned to let our feelings of self-pity give way to righteous indignation. We channel our anger into productivity and let it renew our passion to bring about change. For us, succeeding in our space is no longer a matter of business or strategy; it’s personal.

I’m fortunate to have such a dedicated and gritty team. The adversity we’ve faced could have derailed us, robbing the team of its drive and dampening our will to move forward. Lesser teams would have crumbled, but we’ve managed to turn adversity into an advantage. Our anger and resilience pushes us forward and gives us purpose. We’ve become a team hell-bent on advancing constantly, uninterested in anything short of total market dominance.

I hope that our experience can serve as an example for other teams. You will face adversity in your endeavors no matter what they are, that much is certain. Just remember that success isn’t determined by whether or not you encounter challenges, but rather by the way you respond to those challenges. Leaders of teams must work to developing grit, both in themselves as well as the people they lead. The resilience that results will enable individuals and teams to transform anger and frustration into a powerful motivator that can you forward, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

 

Forbes.com | February 15, 2016 | Chris Myers

 

 

Chris Myers is the Cofounder and CEO of BodeTree, a web application designed to help small businesses manage their finances.

#Leadership : 8 Ways to Not Only Survive But Prosper Around Negative People…To Be an Manager/Entrepreneur, you Have to Have a Thick Skin & Not be Defensive to Customer Feedback & Constructive Criticism. On the Other Hand, No Manager/Entrepreneur should Tolerate Negative Vibes & Complainers on their Own Team.

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The challenge is to understand the difference between these two situations — and to respond effectively to both. You can’t reinforce negative thinking and stay positive.

Free- Locks

Related: People Hating on You? Here Are 4 Ways to Use That Negative Energy to Your Advantage.

Even active listening to negative team members and partners, as you would with customers, will perpetuate the toxic habit. In addition, the other members of your team may become infected with the same negativity and will erode the passion and innovation that you need to compete and survive. In my experience, good entrepreneurs proactively minimize negativity as follows:

1. They stifle their own occasional negativity in front of the team.

We all get frustrated when the economy turns against us, investors can’t be found or a customer turns into a nightmare. In these cases, you must keep your thoughts to yourself, and be the role model for positive creative solutions. Your team will practice what they see and hear.

2. Extract and highlight potential positives from every negative.

If your team is struggling with quality problems before shipment, remind them that it’s great to have found these problems before customers could be impacted. The alternative is that everyone, including yourself, will eventually feel defeated and de-energized.

 

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3. Turn responsibility back to the complainer and ask for solutions.

Sometimes, team members are frustrated and just want to vent, so asking them to bring you solutions, not just problems, will set a more positive tone and may circumvent future negative outbursts. For those who don’t learn, it’s time for swift job reassignment and performance counseling.

Related: Stressed at Work? Ditch the Drama Already.

4. Don’t accept excuses for any negative outcomes.

Excuses are a way of not accepting full responsibility for actions, if there is a negative outcome. Even worse, some people believe negativity is a way of impressing everyone with their wisdom. Make sure that complainers understand from your reward system that excuses don’t mitigate failures.

5. Restrain from engaging complainers at their level.

If none of these approaches work, it’s better to defer the discussion to another time and place with no emotion. Trying too hard to convert people to the positive view will likely result in you becoming the target, or permanently breaking the relationship. It’s better to listen in silence.

6. Remove yourself physically from a toxic environment.

Presence without engagement may be taken as tacit concurrence, so it’s best to exit the situation to somewhere neutral and quiet. The last thing you need is to be brought down to the same level, and lose your ability to provide positive leadership to the team.

7. Overlook occasional lapses in yourself and others.

Even the best professionals and leaders find themselves being negative occasionally. It’s human nature, in times of stress, when people are physically or mentally exhausted, or multiple deadlines loom. The challenge is to make lapses less frequent as a habit rather than more frequent.

8. Build a personal negativity shield from your confidence and passion.

All business leaders as well as innovative thinkers learn to deflect negative energy with an invisible cloak that allows them to move forward despite negative feedback from the crowd. They continually remind themselves of their vision to make the world a better place.

When negativity is positioned by team members as constructive criticism, be sure to ask for the constructive positive part of the message, offered in a friendly manner. Living with complainers in any business is a burden you don’t need, and it impacts everyone’s performance and mindset. Just as a positive mindset is infectious and brings the whole team up, a few negative ones will sicken your whole team and jeopardize your business. You can’t afford that kind of help.

 

Entrepreneur.com  |  February 2016 | Martin Zwilling

#BestofFSCBlog : #Leadership – 7 #LeadershipMistakes To Avoid. Great REAd!

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It’s that time of year again—time for everyone, young and old, to make resolutions to better themselves in the upcoming year. And, taking a look at the resolutions lists we write, a lot of people tend to focus on positive “dos”—actions to take or new habits to form so that their health, attitude, or workplace is better in 2016. But undertaking a new action isn’t always quite enough to net a positive change. Think of it this way: just because you’ve resolved to take the stairs every day doesn’t mean you’ll lose very much weight if you don’t ditch your afternoon Snickers bar.

So we’ve got a different take on resolutions. What if you focus on breaking old bad habits instead? We’ve compiled a list of mistakes you won’t want to make next year if being a better leader is on your list of resolutions, and we challenge you to avoid these seven leadership mishaps throughout 2016. Your team (and company) will thank you.

1. Only focusing on the big picture

It’s true—great leaders communicate the big picture vision. It’s how they inspire people to strive for goals that are far off into the future, or still somewhat vague. But the best leaders also know that it’s a rookie mistake to fail to outline small goals for their people to achieve along the way. Creating smaller milestones helps leaders measure progress and reward results as the big picture comes more into focus. Don’t make the mistake of only communicating the high-level vision. Instead, plan out a path to success so your team has a roadmap instead of just a destination.

 

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2. Not delegating the work

This one’s a classic. Everyone’s had at least one micro-managing boss who is overly absorbed in small details and too controlling to allow team members to take the reigns. Avoid this pitfall by delegating work smartly. Give team members assignments according to their interest and expertise—or, even try letting them volunteer for tasks themselves. It will communicate your trust to the team, and alleviate tensions that result from heavy-handed management.

3. Failing to applaud small wins

Every big win is an accumulation of many smaller wins. So why would you let those everyday successes slip by unnoticed? Keep a stack of cards at your desk so you can write a thank-you note when someone goes above and beyond for you. Bring in a treat for the team when you know they’ve been pulling some extra weight. Your appreciation will go a long way. In fact, research shows that timely, meaningful recognition is the no. 1 thing that empowers employees to do great work.

4. Communicating poorly

There are a lot of ways to fall in this category. Wordy emails, lack of transparency and oversight, not having an open door policy…these are all surefire ways to be a bad communicator. Work on your communication skills—from your management style to your attitude—and you’ll see a transformation happen within the team. Leaders who are good communicators inspire action and innovation, and foster the kind of teamwork and creativity that drive results.

5. Setting yourself apart

The worst leaders are the ones who believe they’re better than everyone else—and they don’t bother to hide it. To avoid giving this impression, take the time to get to know teammates. Learn about who they are, their families and passions, and what drives them. Organize team lunches and team building activities. You could even simply move out of your corner office so that you’re closer to the team in the work environment. When teams know and trust one another, great things happen. And the first step to getting there is leading by example, and showing that teamwork and camaraderie are priorities.

6. Discouraging innovation

Maybe you try to be supportive of creativity, or you encourage team members to weigh in on important decisions. You may think that you’re fostering innovation. But if you’re not giving people room to tinker, try things out, and make mistakes, then you’re not really opening the door to true innovation. Be vocal about which projects your team can take their time on and really try to innovate new solutions for—and when (not if, since occasional failure is inevitable) things don’t work out, be supportive instead of upset. Your team will see that you’ve got their backs, and they will bring their best knowing you support them.

7. Forgetting to celebrate the milestones

Given the hectic schedule of 21st century professionals, you may think it’s not a big deal to forget a birthday or work anniversary here or there. But it is. In fact, it’s inexcusable, especially given the whole suite of organizational tools and apps you can use for reminders. If you’re still not on the tech train, write the important dates on a team calendar and post it somewhere everyone can see it on a daily basis. Research shows that milestones are important occasions to celebrate and appreciate your coworkers—employees of all generations around the globe agree. Learn how to show your appreciation appropriately, and you’re well on your way to becoming a fantastic leader.

Becoming a great leader isn’t all about the resolution list of “dos”. Eliminate these “don’ts” first to see the biggest impact. You may be surprised at how effectively they boost your team’s ability to collaborate, innovate, and deliver great work throughout 2016 and beyond.

Learn more about the NYT Bestselling book Great Work: How to Make a Difference People Love.

 

Forbes.com | January 8, 2016 |  David Sturt and Todd Nordstrom