Continuous Improvement

I greeted a friend recently with the question “How are you?” A freight train happened to be passing by at the moment I asked so she misheard the words as “Why are you?” Her answer surprised me. In less than 30 seconds, she served up a theme-based version of her life story. It was a veritable purpose statement. It got me thinking about how many of us are seeking direction when the destination has already been well established. Perhaps it’s just the path that hasn’t yet been chosen.

Recognition as an employer-of-choice becomes a magnet for recruitment and retention. The nomination is the easy part. Ultimately, being named a top workplace comes down to the quality of the culture. The recognition opportunity becomes a snapshot of the organization through the lens of employees. While each competition is a little different, they all basically evaluate the same things. How does your workplace measure up?

Most of the choices we exercise throughout the day are inconsequential. Sometimes, there are days or decisions that have the power to pivot lives. Whether to have Wheaties or Cheerios for breakfast doesn’t alter the universe. Voting does.

The teamclock.com website was originally designed as a tool for teams. With a few clicks, you could easily find best practices on team effectiveness and a path to diagnose your organization’s wellness. That was a decade ago and, like most tools, we’ve needed to refresh our approach a few times. Like all living things, the Center for Team Excellence has evolved through many cycles of change. Our new website reflects today’s focus: helping our partners know what stage of growth they are managing, why they are in that stage and what to do next to move forward. We encourage you to take a self-guided tour after enjoying this preview.

Seriously, we wish you a bad day. May struggle fill your agenda. May you confront problems never before faced. May your ability to adapt be tested. May you become aware of your weakest link. May demands stretch your team’s capacity to the brink of failure. Invite the tension. Seize the opportunity. Discover the resolution. What happens next is game changing.

The normal human reaction to success is to celebrate. Often, this is the moment the opponent seizes to catch you back on your heels – while you’re celebrating. Martial artists master the timing of a counter-strike to take advantage of their opponent’s vulnerability immediately after an attack. In sports, championship teams avoid the natural letdown that follows achievement by refocusing and staying in the zone. They don’t get too high after a positive moment and they don’t get too low after a negative one. Can you apply this to your workplace?

If you could only choose four, what ingredients would you include in a recipe for a thriving team? Begin with the broadest range of history, experience, and perspective. Add a commitment to a common goal. Sprinkle in the energy of new ideas. Finish with resilience in the face of change. Diversity, cohesion, creativity, and adaptability. Together, they keep the team moving forward.

Often, the task of blending cultures begins after the merger/acquisition has been consummated. The integration decision is made upon the faith that both sides can blend their similarities and differences like mature adults. Unfortunately, the human dynamics that fuel struggle are usually beneath the surface when potential partners size each other up for marriage. Imagine how the new relationship might get off the ground if both sides could see what was hidden.

Doctors diagnose before they treat. Teachers assess learning needs before crafting lesson plans. Risk managers evaluate danger before implementing safety measures. Coaches scout defenses before designing offensive schemes. Action follows insight. Understanding what to do is a much different task than doing it. Unfortunately, many teams get stymied after the analysis. You can build a strategic plan with good intentions but you only frustrate the team if everyone is too busy to execute.

The ideal team flows from challenge to challenge moving flexibly over, under, around, or through obstacles. Despite the dynamics that get most teams stuck, they understand the purpose of their struggle and keep working the problem. As diverse as teams are, there are four common causes to derailment.

“Team chemistry” is hard to define. Everyone knows it when they see it. Teammates appear locked in to success, whatever the endeavor might be. Colleagues anticipate each other’s needs. Players play with field vision. Interdependence unfolds naturally. However, teams don’t just conjure up chemistry like magic. There is a recipe. Unfortunately, it takes a level of sacrifice few teams are willing to make.

Adversity teaches us how to cope. Occasionally, we come up from an underground subway platform to street level and momentarily lose our bearings. Where am I? Which way is north? In that fleeting moment where nothing looks familiar, we are lost. The fear center of our brain gets activated as we fend off panic and search for direction. Of course, no one stays lost forever. Eventually, learning occurs. Consider what might happen if we got lost on purpose. A good crisis provides many lessons. Let’s look at how growth unfolds.