Everyone thinks teams are a good thing. Leaders like to form teams. People, for the most part believe in the value and purpose of teams . . .

All of us are smarter than each of us.

1 + 1 = 3

. . . are just two common phrases that reinforce and prove how pervasive our belief in teams is.

And that belief is justified.

Sometimes.

There are many times in our civic or church groups, and in our businesses and professional associations that we need teams of people to work on an issue or a project. And sometimes we would be better off without a team - with individuals contributing as individuals.

What?

No team?

You got it.

At least not the type of team you probably think of, when you think of a team.

Two Basic Types of Teams

To keep things simple, I believe there are two basic types of teams. There are basketball teams and there are track and field teams.

Basketball Teams

Basketball teams (or soccer or hockey) are teams that require, by the nature of their task, that everyone play as one unit. On teams in these sports the players are interdependent. At any moment of any game, in order to be successful, the entire team needs to be working in harmony. The role of each player is designated by their position (which takes into account their innate strengths and acquired skills). However, the situation at any moment during the flow of the game, may require any player to take any role.

And on good teams of this sort, all players are willing to be flexible, to assist, to change roles, to do what it takes. Because they know that without working together, they cant achieve their team goals of victory. The nature of the game forces interdependency among the team members.

Track and Field Teams

Players on track and field teams on the other hand (except in a few relay events) are not interdependent, they are independent. Shot putters have a skill set that is largely unrelated to the sprinters. And the high jumpers can be personally skilled and successful without any tangible help or support from the distance runners.

At the end of the day (or meet), the team can win if enough of the individuals do well. In other words if enough individuals win, the team will win. The most successful of these teams will have highly talented individual contributors, supporting each other to reach their common goal of winning. In this way they are definitely a team. They may feel allegiance to the group. They certainly can have pride in being a part of the group. They want each other to be successful. They know that they can all be more successful when each individual is more successful. They can have a common goal (to win the meet or championship). But the fundamental relationship between the players isnt the same as it is on a basketball team.

What This Means to Us

In our organizations we most likely have both sorts of teams. We have teams that work in a process flow or project where the outputs of one person directly affect the work of the next where the work and the people are highly interdependent.

We also have teams that look more like the track and field team. In these situations people are working toward a common mission and goal, but their work doesnt intersect in nearly the same ways as for the highly interdependent teams.

Fair enough you say.

But in my experience, we tend to want all teams to think they are basketball teams. If the work or project dictates that focus, great. But if you have a track and field (independent) team, you dont need the same focus on interdependence and traditional team building activities.

What Do We Do Now?

If you lead a team or form teams or are just a member of a team, you need to think about and talk about this distinction. Determine across the team (or future team) what type of team you are. Once there is agreement on the type of team you are, you can begin to set the right kinds of expectations for each other and for yourself. You can build more appropriate plans for training, development and team building.

Knowing which type of team your work or project dictates is the first step towards helping that group of people be more successful and the work being done successfully.

So maybe it isnt really, to team or not to team?, but which type of team?

. . . that is the question.

Answer that one first. And, using the answer as a guide, watch all of your teams be more successful.

Kevin is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on Unleashing Your Potential go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

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A company\’s success is not measured by a single factor. There are a myriad of factors that can lend to the success or failure of a corporate company including funding, management competence, working in a product or service that has a demand, and employee cohesiveness. The latter is perhaps the most complicated factor to measure and maintain as so many unforeseeable influences can cause extreme unpredictability in any given employee\’s level of job satisfaction.

When considering your corporation\’s level of team orientation, keep in mind that hundreds of studies have been performed which all conclusively show that a company\’s level of team cohesiveness is directly related to the performance of a company. The explanation for that is quite simple: people who enjoy what they are doing and feel a connection to the people around them will work harder because they feel more invested and generally take more pride in their work.

Company events and outings can be fun and extremely useful ways to promote corporate team building and employee satisfaction. Company sporting events, picnics, and field trips are good ways to take a break from everyday monotony and add some fun and excitement to your employee\’s daily regimens. There are also plenty of options worth exploring that focus not only on fun and a change of pace, but also focus on team building and strengthening of employee relationships.

Corporate Team Building through Scavenger Hunts

One team building activity that many companies are implementing today is the Corporate Team Building Scavenger Hunt. These fun and challenging activities are excellent for team building because they incorporate teams working together to overcome challenges and obstacles in order to accomplish a common goal. These corporate outings are used in cities across the country and many city landmarks are cooperative in hosting these events. For instance, the Chicago Field Museum has been known to host company events such as this for several corporations.

Corporate scavenger hunts work so well, in part, because the problem-solving skills that they require can easily be translated back into the workplace, creating a segue between the fun, exciting and challenging corporate team building activity and the everyday duties and day-to-day operations of the company, thus creating a lasting feeling of comradeship that can influence business in a very strong and powerful way.

Running a company can be very difficult and challenging for everyone involved. Your employees are an investment, and your investment should be protected. By creating a positive an energetic environment for your employees, you greatly increase your business\’ chances for success. Implementing fun company events and corporate team-building excursions, such as scavenger hunts, for your employees to enjoy can play a huge role in the success of your company.

Watson Adventures http://www.watsonadventures.com/corporate.html is corporate team building company specializing in corporate scavenger hunts. They work with local landmarks and attractions to arrange fun and challenging company events that can help strengthen your employees\’ satisfaction.

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\”Nothing is so infectious as example.\” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In conducting team building training and management skills training all over the world since 1995, I\’ve discovered there are nine essential ingredients that consistently crop up in creating high performance teams. Listed below are the top nine beginning with communication.

High Performance Teams: 9 Things a Leader Can Do To Energize and Motivate Employees To Extraordinary Performance:

1) Communication: Open, honest communication between team members and the team leader about an organization\’s vision and clearly defined goals. Not to mention a team leader needs training in people skills and how to manage people effectively. Most team leaders are promoted based on their \”hard skills\” or technical skills, but it doesn\’t mean they can create high performance teams. They must become effective at communicating, listening and resolving conflict. And everyone on the team needs training in conflict resolution and how to be an effective communicator. Each team member has been raised differently from childhood in terms of what\’s acceptable communication. So training helps to keep the team leader and team members on the same page. The key is in becoming tactfully direct.

2) High performance teams possess purpose and direction. They have clearly defined goals, objectives and responsibilities. When I go into an organization and conduct team building training, team leaders tell me all the time how important it is for teams to understand their roles, expectations, and responsibilities. Team members want to know what specific goals and objectives they\’re being evaluated on. Make sure the performance objectives are measurable, quantifiable, and in writing for accountability. Have goals and objectives for the team as a whole as well as for each team member and include everyone on these goals. For example, if team members are in sales, a goal states in writing that each of them are to develop ten new accounts representing gross sales of at least $20,000 by December 31 of this year.

3) A key component to high performance teams is active participation, accountability and sense of ownership on the team leader\’s end as well as from the team members. Being a more powerful leader means being an involved leader. Participation and ownership also sets a precedent for what\’s expected of each team player teamwork. One contributor to low team morale is when one or two team members hide out in the success of the rest of the team. Everyone else is doing the work. I guarantee you this is not going unnoticed. Hold everyone to the same high standards. Start taking progressive disciplinary action if a team member is not doing his or her job. If you don\’t take progressive disciplinary action you\’ll lose credibility as a team leader who enables poor performance.

Effective Team Leaders Are Listeners

4) Trust between team members and the team leader. Effective team leaders are listeners. They solicit feedback and listen to employees\’ concerns and suggestions. It\’s difficult for a team to be productive if there isn\’t trust between the team members and the team leader. Always do what you say you are going to do.That one thing you promise your team that you can\’t deliver will be the one thing they remember. In being a team leader and managing people, as the saying goes, \”They remember your last act.\” Many employees don\’t quit their jobs. They quit their team leaders and managers.

5) Strong, effective leadership filtering down is essential to effective team building and creating high performance teams. A team leader must possess the ability to coach. Having a \”coach mentality\” and helping team members to grow, develop and mature is a necessary skill. It\’s part of your job! Don\’t do everything for your team members otherwise they never learn to do things themselves. Even if you\’re thinking, \”Well, if I want it done right I might as well do it myself.\” Look at the word \”team leader.\” You are there to lead.

6) Proper resources, funding and training necessary to get the job done. Do you have the right people for the job? Your people are your most important resource. Have they been properly trained? Do they have the right equipment to do the job effectively? Training is an important part of team building and leadership. Employees tell me all the time they want additional training to sharpen their skills. They want to be given essential tools that will develop their skill set. It makes them feel valued and important. As if their organization is willing to invest in them for the long term.

7) High performance teams believe in equality and a shared vision, shared sense of purpose. Everyone has a sense of inclusion. Everyone treats each other equally, fairly and objectively. The whole team is included in goals and even social events.

Respect. The team leader has respect for the team. This boosts the confidence of the team members. They have respect for each other which leads to increased morale, productivity and a high performing team.

9) Willingness to share job knowledge, skills, and ideas. The team leader is the role model. If you\’re willing to share knowledge and ideas, you\’re training your team to do the same. Better yet, include \”willingness to share job knowledge, skills and ideas\” in team members\’ performance reviews. If they know they\’re being evaluated on these factors, they\’re more likely to perform.

Another ingredient central to creating high performance teams: it\’s imperative that both the team leader and the team have a positive attitude. As one group of team leaders told me, \”A key element of any successful team is no bad attitudes allowed!\”

Colleen Kettenhofen is a professional speaker and author who has presented in 47 states, six countries. She is co-author of \”The Masters of Success,\” featured on NBC\’s Today Show. Popular topics: leadership/management, difficult people, public speaking, motivation. For free articles and e-newsletter: http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars. (800)323-0683 http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com

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Conflict becomes politics, commitment becomes Only if its in my best interest, accountability becomes Only when it serves me, and results just fall by the wayside.\r - Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, speaking about dysfunctional teams

Based on my experience as a manager, a member of many teams, an HR professional, and a coach, below are 10 things you want to know about high performing teams. Dont try to do everything at once. Choose up to 3 things that will give you the biggest lift in results.

Building a high performing team is not just about shared experiences.\r Yes, attendance at workshops, experiential and adventure kinds of activities, bowling, etc. often create an increased sense of closeness. You get to know others on a more personal, even human level and that helps foster a willingness to work together. Hopefully, youll be more disposed to having conversations. But this doesnt mean youll be much more effective back at the office.

High performing teams are not about high performing people just getting on with it.

Getting things done through teams is a strategic choice. Like any strategy, getting on with it actually requires some up front and on-going investment in building clarity, trust, relationships, accountability, commitment, and process.

If not, call yourself a working group not a team. A working group is a bunch of individual contributors who focus on their own piece, based on shared information, rather than getting things done that serve the whole. Be clear about what youre choosing.

High performing teams have high performing sponsors and leaders.\r High performing sponsors champion the work of the team and have the authority to make the work happen, including authority over the people who will implement the results and control over other required resources.

High performing leaders take the time to set context, create commitment, and engage the team. They define specifically what is expected from the team, including bottom line, process and behavioural goals and measures. They are attentive to patterns in their own behaviour that encourage what is happening or not happening on the team.

High performing teams have a clear sense of purpose and a vision that excites them to action and creates commitment. \r Otherwise it can just feel like more work, more stuff, added to an already overloaded calendar.

High performing teams are clear and follow through on accountabilities and authorities, within and outside the team.

High performing teams ensure team members have the authority to act and make it clear what others outside the team are accountable to deliver. So people are not left to waste time using influence skills, including bullying, cajoling, and complaining, nor are they left wondering when and if someone is going to deliver on their requests. They are also specific about how members will be held to account and the rewards and consequences for doing or not doing so. They manage performance within the team.

High performing teams focus on process and relationships as well as bottom line results and set measurable goals for each.

If you look at something like Outward Bound, which I attended, the group quickly focuses on goal setting and process what is the end game, what is important to the group (i.e. values), what decisions need to be made, how will we make them, who is in charge, who is best suited to do what kind of work, how will we work together, etc. It is this awareness that needs to be transferred back to the work setting.

Usually, goals are focussed on the achievement of financial, customer or task based results. Process is about how the work of the team gets done. Relationships speak to how people collaborate to accomplish process and bottom line results. Explicit objectives should be set for such factors as how the team will work together and behave with each other, how decisions will be made, speaking outside ones discipline, how conflict will be managed, and the giving and receiving of feedback.

High performing teams manage behaviours that have been linked to bottom line results.

Whats the point of agreeing to team values and ground rules if people are not held to account for acting in accordance with them? High performing teams constantly monitor the health of the group and challenge values conflicts and habitual patterns of behaviour that impede high performance. The team is in charge of noticing what is working and isnt working from an internal operating perspective. Whats going on? What needs to be done about it? Who is going to do it?

High performing teams have courageous conversations.

Work is done through people and relationships. High performing teams have conversations that lead to action, including the tough ones that are about passionate debate, arguments, and conflict. Assumptions are surfaced and conflict moves to creativity and results.

Otherwise, people hold back and wont commit, the issue pops later, or dissention surfaces in the hallways. Allow people to put their issues on the table. If they are heard, they are more likely to remain engaged, even if they are disagreed with.

High performing teams manage meetings effectively.

Its not the meeting thats the problem but the lack of process associated with calling and running them. Stop complaining about them. Do what is required to make them work.

High performing teams dont get together to just share status reports.\r Information sharing can be a colossal waste of time. Its what needs to be done with the information that counts. If all you want to do is share information, use voice mail or e-mail. Use the team to ask questions, seek clarity, make decisions, get creative, and figure out what to do about obstacles, including whats not working well in the team.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Think back about the teams you have been a part of. How many of them could truly be described as high performing? What was missing? What was present in those that were?

What kind of assembly do you honestly lead a true high performing team or a working group? Under what circumstances does it really matter?

How often do you neglect the up-front work required to create a true high performing team? To what extent do you allow yourself and your team to avoid accountability for the actions required of a high performing team?

When the leader is morally weak and his discipline not strict, when his instructions and guidance are not enlightened, when there are no consistent rules, neighbouring rules will take advantage of this.\r - Sun Tzu, Philosopher

Copyright CoachingWorks2005

This article may be reprinted in its entirety with express written permission from Sharon A. Miller. The reprint must include the section About the Author.

About the Author
\r Sharon Miller has worked in and with large corporations since 1978. She has distinguished herself in 3 different careers Investment Trading & Sales, Strategic Human Resources, and Coaching. She was noted as one of the top 3 salespeople in Canada in money market securities. Shes been a high potential, exceptional performer, partnering with individuals as senior as Vice-Chairman, and has managed teams in both line and staff functions. She is professionally certified as coach through The Coaches Training Institute and has built a successful home based business on her terms.

Sharon helps high achievers have more impact with less struggle. Sign up for her FREE monthly e-zine, More With Less, which practically explores business, team, and individual challenges to high performance and high enjoyment. Sign up at http://www.sharonamiller.com

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The Team Doc Says

The advantages do outweigh the disadvantages in my opinion, but some of the disadvantages can be:

\r
• More meetings
  \r Teams are made up of groups of people (no secret here!) which requires that they get together often to discuss team business. Provide them with the training they need so their meetings will be more than a gathering of people.

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In recent years in the business-world there has been a lot written and said about team development. Unfortunately, most of the people doing the majority of talking lack the psychological background to accurately describe the conditions under which people choose to become a true team.

In a large retail store it can be a challenge to build an environment where all or most of the employees feel they are part of a store team. Its more common to find individual departments that act as a team, rather than the entire store. Thats because as a general rule its easier to build a relatively small team of up to a dozen team members than it is a team with a hundred or more members.

The developmental process of a group of people evolving into a cohesive interdependent team that can direct itself to solve organizational problems rarely happens spontaneously. A true team does not happen by chance or accident, but requires planning, an understanding of group dynamics, and most of all effective team leadership. Most people in business today confuse ineffective groups, committees and other adverse groupings as a true team. An adverse grouping is a situation where people come together, either by accident or on purpose, but function in some way other than a true team. Once a person has been a member of a true interdependent team, that experience isnt soon forgotten. And that experience can sour the person in the future to serve on ineffective groups, and committees, because the person now know what it feels like to be a member of a real team. An interdependent team is a highly unusual and unique interpersonal experience; there is probably no other parallel in all of human experience.

The process of team development is neither complicated, nor impossible. Many new and previously inexperienced team leaders are able to build a team with proper training and coaching. Being successful as a team leader requires only a minimal knowledge of the process, but it does demand a willingness to try new techniques and methods. For most new team leaders it means stretching beyond what may feel natural or even comfortable. Whether you are experienced or inexperienced, old or young, it is possible for you to become an effective team leader.

Before we learn what an interdependent team is, lets first understand what it isnt. There are four typical negative or adverse reactions to the grouping of people in interpersonal relationships. This is true in both personal and professional relationships. These adverse reactions are observable in behavioral terms and for simple clarification are called: mob, gang, committee and group.

Mob. Individualistic or selfish thinking can identify mob behavior. People displaying mob behavior are tactical in that they think only for the moment and have virtually no strategic or long-term planning. In mob behavior there is no leadership, which creates mob disorganization. When we think of street mobs, the first thing that comes to mind is violence, but actually violence is the product or outgrowth of disorganization, which happens because there is no effective leadership.

Gang. Although gang behavior sounds similar to mob behavior, it differs in almost every aspect. Strong autocratic leadership along with a hierarchical system of management characterizes gang behavior. Gang members are highly territorial and defensive, thus creating aggression in defending their perceived territory. In business, gang behavior frequently includes empire building where gang members attempt to exclude outside resources by becoming totally self-reliant or self-sufficient.

Committee (Task Force). In business, committees are usually thought of in positive terms. Actually, compared to interdependent teams, committees are inefficient and ineffective. Due to the lack of team cohesion and identity, traditional committees frequently have problems focusing on their purpose until they satisfy a strong need for organization, defining procedures, establishing policies, and having a controlled leadership. Some committees invest most of their available time in these areas. This results in a lengthy process that is cumbersome and oftentimes fails to achieve superior results.

Group. A group consists of people in a setting that lacks purpose, leadership, communication, and obviously results. The best examples of groups are the people in an elevator or doctors office. They are there, but have superficial communication at best. In fact, if someone breaks the rules of groups by attempting to lead or force communication, other members of the group become uncomfortable and unwilling to cooperate. If you doubt this, try asking someone in an elevator to join you in singing a song. The person will likely repel at your comment, because its not acceptable group behavior.

If you are a student of human behavior you can probably see examples of these four types of adverse reactions to human interaction in almost every aspect of life. When one department in a store demonstrates gang behavior toward another department, it can result in a very unhealthy situation. There may be a sign placed on a backroom door that says, Research and Development Personnel Only. This would be characteristic of people defining their territory demonstrating gang behavior. Obviously, any of the four adverse reactions can be counter-productive to smooth store operations.

Next month well look at the process a leader takes to build a group of people into an interdependent team. Well see, for example, the benefits of team cohesion and team identity. Until then, keep your eyes on the teams in your workplace and see how many of them might be mobs, gangs, committees, or groups.

If you would like more information on Team Development, please contact one of our team members at (888)262-2499. You can also visit our website to learn more about our products, services, and the multinational organizations we have served over the past three decades. Reference this article to receive a 50% discount on any of our books or 15% off your first scheduled training event.

Dr. Richard L. Williams is a retail consultant specializing in team development, performance coaching, leadership development and organizational development.

Due to outstanding scholarship while a doctoral candidate at Oxford University, Dr. Williams was honored with Knighthood. His formal title is, therefore, Sir Doctor Williams.

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Have you ever wondered what was in the candles you burn? What about , why some candles cost more than others? Believe me there is a big difference between paraffin and soy candles. You can get candles at just about any store now a days, Wal-Mart, dollar tree, even gas stations, but did you know that those candles are made from petroleum products? Yep, the same thing we put in our cars. Have you bought candles that only burn down the middle, leaving half of the wax on the sides

What about all the black soot that gets on the sides of the jars.

Did you know that the soot you see on the jar, is also getting on your walls, furniture, carpets and even in your lungs? Would you pay a little more for a healthier alternative? I would. Especially if you have small children. These cheap candles can trigger allergies. Lucky for us candle lovers we don\’t have to stop burning candles in order to be healthy. I have found the Best candle on the market. Lots of our customers agree. Our candles are made of a proprietary blend of natural wax ,vegetable and renewable products. They are triple scented with two cottonwicks and they are virtually soot free.

These scented soy candles burn evenly all the way down to the bottom. with over 80 scents to choose from , I\’m sure you will be able to find your favorite, and possibly some new favorites. I have. Did you know, candles are burned in 80% of homes in America? 54.4% of people burn candles to relieve stress. Who don\’t need less stress? 67% of people burn candles at least once a week. As you can see candles are a high demand product. If you would be interested in making money while doing something you already love to do, you should check out my website for more info. I know once you try these wonderful candles you will be hooked just like me.

Tammy Caldwell
\r http://www.tlccandlelight.scent-team.com
\r http://www.FlamenFlicker.com

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If asked to look at your work calendar for the week, the odds are pretty good that you have a few if not several meetings already scheduled. Now, if asked how you feel about attending some of those meetings, the odds are even better that you may either roll your eyes, groan or mutter something under your breath. Sound familiar so far? Okay, that was the easy part.

Coming from a background of 20 years in the corporate world, I can readily identify with attending a surplus of meetings. Additionally, I know all too well how employees come to \”dread\” going to meetings and clearly I fell into that category as well. But now in retrospect, I\’ve come to learn a few things, as we often do once we step back and reflect. After reading this article, you\’ll have a better understanding of what causes meetings to break down– (S.N.I.P.P.Y) syndrome and an alternative (C.L.E.A.R. V.I.E.W.).

See if you can relate to any of the following statements:

1. Look, I\’ve invested a lot of time on this idea and
\r if we can\’t move on it, I\’ll have wasted my time. Self-serving

2. We never get anything done in this meeting, anyway. Negativity

3. We have to enforce this policy so people know right
\r from wrong. Insisting

4. Can you believe how domineering she is in these
\r meetings–who hired her, anyway? Provoking

5. Given our roles in the company, I think it\’s \r obvious
that I should make the final decision. Power driven

6. If you would let others speak once in a while, it\r would
be helpful. You statement

As human beings, it\’s easy for all of us to fall into any of these behaviors from time to time. What\’s more problematic however, is being unaware of our behavior and the effect we have on others in the workplace. As we know, like the \”common cold,\” our attitudes can be contagious. The reason for this is something called the interaction cycle. The interaction cycle addresses how we interact with others and this impacts the quality of our relationships.

The key components of the interaction cycle include:

a. Values/Expectations/Mindset: these form our initial impressions.\r
\r b. Selective Perception: a filtering function that only lets in what matches our initial impressions.\r
\r c. Feelings: a range of negative to positive thoughts triggered by our perceptions.\r
\r d. Action: our feelings ultimately influence our behaviors.
\r e. Reaction: others respond to us by the way we act, so their behavior is in fact the result of what we send out.\r

What we know then is that behavior breeds behavior. Now, it\’s starting to make some sense as to why we and others act as we do. But, the more critical issue is figuring out what can be done.

This brings us to a C.L.E.A.R. V.I.E.W. which is as follows:

C = Concentrate on the listener
\r L = Listen with the goal of understanding
\r E = Eliminate judgmental attitudes
\r A = Actively listen (paraphrase what you believe someone said)
\r R = Respect differences
\r V = Value input offered by others
\r I = I messages (describing someone\’s behavior and its effect on you)\r
\r E = Encourage participation from others
\r W = Work towards agreement (build on what others say and then add your input)
\r
\r Wouldn\’t you rather have a C.L.E.A.R. V.I.E.W. than the S.N.I.P.P.Y. syndrome? Change is a gradual process; however with increased insight and the right tools, we can all make a contribution towards constructive group dynamics. \r After all, why dread something that we could ultimately look forward to?

Contact information: www.speech-matters.com; dale@speech-matters.com

Dale Klein, Corporate Communication & Speech Specialist may be contacted at 518-664-6004 or by visiting her website at http://www.profitablespeech.com/
\r When you want to speak like a \”pro,\” there\’s only one place to go… Profitable Speech, LLC.
\r A Sound Investment.

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Wayne Gretsky, the famous hockey player coined the original phrase; Skate to where the pucks going to be. I suppose he was trying to say that you have to anticipate the action. You must know your competition, trust your teammates and be aggressively proactive in your approach. Arrive with an attitude simply means doing all those things well and doing them with the confidence that you are the best at what you do. Success breeds success and attitude is one of the primary ingredients necessary to be a leader in the distribution business.

You and you alone are responsible for your attitude and the attitude your company reflects. You must will yourself to seek improvement in everything you do or time will catch up to you and you simply wont be able to compete. It was Mark Twain who said:

DONT GO AROUND SAYING THE WORLD OWES YOU A LIVING; THE WORLD OWES YOU NOTHING; IT WAS HERE FIRST.

Be a risk taker, be a maverick; avoid making a career out of procrastination and cautiousness. Those who succeed believe in themselves. They arent satisfied with the status quo and they are willing to take calculated risk.

Successful leaders encourage their employees to think outside the box. They empower them to act on their own initiative. Believe in yourself; believe in your employees and their right to self-determination. Suspend disbelief and act as if your companys success is imminent.

Recognize the power of your people, especially those employees closest to the action. Encourage them to be proactive and Skate to where the pucks going to be. Create a cultural environment that allows them to Arrive with an attitude. An attitude of confidence, competence and the ability to demonstrate the transfer of authority that the culture you have created has provided them.

Its an attitude of winning.

Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.

Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor\’s degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. Hes also a published book author with four titles to his credit: The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Wholesale Distribution, the NWFA & NAFCD Roadmap, Lone Wolf-Lead WolfThe Evolution of Sales and a fiction novel - Shattered Innocence. Ricks next book due to be published in November is titled; Lone Wolf Lead Wolf, The Evolution of Leadership.

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From the day we are born, we begin our own unique development process which can be influenced by our parents, our siblings, our teachers, our friends, our church, our faith, our readings, society and so on. Part of this unique development process is establishing our own set of values that stay with us through life.

These values drive our belief system which, in turn, influence our behaviours and actions.

Having a set of values is great. What\’s not so great is when we cannot accept a differing set of values belonging to someone else.

Take a moment, think of your team members or others with whom you are in regular contact. Have there been occasions when you haven\’t quite understood or totally disagreed with their views or their behaviour?

what was your immediate reaction?

Did you seek clarification, did you try to understand, or did you assume, based on your values and beliefs, that their behaviour was due to…………….?

The danger with this assumption, any assumption, is that it can lead to bad feeling, resentment, even hostility when we start to voice these assumptions, these attributes that we have decided to give someone.

Listen, we can all be guilty of this from time to time. Think about it. Isn\’t a lot easier and more comfortable to rationalise someone\’s actions and bring some sort of meaning to their behaviours.

The twist is that it is also human nature to get our backs up when somebody does exactly the same to us…

\r

\r

\r

\r

The harsh reality is that this behaviour, assuming that which is not true, is an excuse for not making the effort, for not working at understanding, for not seeking the real explanation.

Now, this is bad enough if left unchecked within the team. Unfortunately, there can also be a tendency to make assumptions about individuals, even groups outside the team.

\r

\r

\r

\r

Why is this a problem? Bottom line? It will almost definitely lead to the wrong decisions being made, reaching conclusions and developing actions which are certain to deliver less than favourable results.

What\’s a team leader to do?

Well, by now, you\’ll know that I am going to reiterate the need for well established ground rules, for following a systematic approach, for ensuring statements are based on facts and are well supported. Post the ground rules on the wall in the team sessions. Remind all participants that these were agreed.

If a comment is made by one team member to another, you can rest assured that the recipient and the rest of the team will be waiting with bated breath to see what your reaction is going to be. Ignoring it is not the right behaviour - think of the messages you send to the team - the agreed ground rules mean nothing, zilch, nada. And, as it happens You really don\’t care what they think of each other.

Being constructive, confronting the issue and not the person…

\”Pete, if I heard it correctly, Willy has just said that your behaviour shows you don\’t care whether we succeed or not. How would you describe your behaviour?\”

shows the individuals have and will be listened to and, of course, the success of the team is important. This success can only be realised if everyone is on board and willing to head in the same direction.

The team member\’s suggestions as to why a different group did what they did may well be close to the mark, but how do you, the team, know that? Confirm it, make sure before acting or reacting. Again, the team\’s success may depend on it.

\”How does that explain why they took that action? How can we confirm that? What data can we get to show that this is not just an assumption or someone\’s opinion.\”

That concludes this 10 part mini series on Managing Your Team. Even if you have taken only one thing, embraced only one idea, it has been worthwhile publishing these articles.

There are other Team Building articles in the pipeline.

Andrew has over 20 years experience providing personal and business coaching specialising in strategic planning, continuous improvement,personal development and lifelong learning.

Providing a focused problem solving approach through our personal and business coaching (especially to small businesses). Our primary theme and overriding goal is to provide you with the right choices that fit your needs, solve your problems.

Want to discuss any of these articles further - no problem.

The quickest way to contact Andrew is to visit his internet marketing website, http://www.youraffiliatecoach.com and click on the \”Your Request Form\” button on the navbar.

Easy to complete. We look forward to hearing from you.

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