Steve Ritter

Difference of opinion is usually the fodder for division. Us and them factions split easily. Yet, both extremes are needed to understand the whole picture. Darkness makes us appreciate light. Active phases need dormant periods for refueling. Conservative views provide a counterbalance for liberal perspectives. Embracing opposites as necessary components of the whole is far more valuable than outright rejection. Each side relies upon the other. Consider the advantage that welcoming dichotomy brings to teams.

Adapting is not the same as resilience. Resilience is your ability to bounce back quickly following adversity. It’s easier when the adversity isn’t permanent, isn’t a result of your own actions, and doesn’t affect everything in your life. Adapting, on the other hand, is a momentary adjustment made to a change in circumstances. Here’s a quick tale of woe that turned out just fine because the team adapted to unexpected events.

‘Stay in your lane’ is one of those phrases that weakens teams while pretending to strengthen them. You do your job and let me do mine. This is how a collection of individuals collaborates. It is not teamwork. Strong teams know the ground rules for changing lanes.

It is an understatement to say the pandemic has redefined the way teams come together. The unexpected outcome of this remote team’s collaboration was an original song that, once released, will move listeners physically, intellectually and emotionally. With none of the eight teammates sharing common space (from their respective homes in Chicago, Minneapolis and Nashville), the result somehow still surpassed the vision. Each and every contribution mattered. Here is how this 6-month creative project unfolded through the lens of each player. Please meet Kerry, Steve, Michael, Jeremy, Deevo, Travis, CJ and Jaymi.

The pandemic has forced musicians into two places. You either find a large room with adequate ventilation and mask/distance/bubble for a live jam session or you record your part in the safety of your home studio and blend your track with your fellow collaborators. Perhaps the same musical notes come forth but a far different creative buzz is produced. Both teams provide valuable lessons.

The vast majority of coaching and training sessions at the Center for Team Excellence have taken place on a virtual platform over the past ten months. Our consultant team reports feeling depleted. We’re not alone. ‘Zoom fatigue’ reportedly affects more than 300 million daily users. The current research tells us that viewing a video screen doesn’t light up the same neurological pathways that face-to-face contact ignites. The cost-reward ratio simply doesn’t pay off since the effort to connect doesn’t generate the same dopamine buzz we get around the water cooler in the breakroom. How do we bring the buzz back?

When the societal mindset is shaken by a crisis, everyone is forced to look inside and answer tough questions. Often, we look to others on our teams for guidance and role modeling. Team leaders are watched carefully as their voices and platforms can have greater reach and impact. In the delicate ecosystem of teams, everything we say and do affects everyone in our circle. What is your voice? What is your platform?

Selecting the gallery view setting on Zoom has been the closest thing we’ve had to experiencing teamwork lately. Among countless other consequences, the global pandemic has challenged the notion that collaboration requires sharing the same space. Sharing screens is the new normal. Abrupt and significant change is often the spark for innovation. Our current circumstances have given way to new rules for remote interaction.