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HOW'S YOUR TEAMWORK?

Shandel Sutherland • Apr 21, 2024

3-MINUTE READ


Teamwork is a method that aligns employee mindsets in a cooperative and usually selfless manner towards a specific business purpose. Today there is no business or organization that doesn’t talk about the need for and value of teamwork in the workplace. Some things cannot be accomplished by people working individually. Larger, more ambitious goals usually require that people work together with others. Because of this, teamwork is a desired goal of many businesses and organizations today.


People who have well developed teamwork skills easily form relationships with mutual respect among diverse types of people. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of others  and place a high priority on the success of their department and/or organization. People with strong skills in teamwork support team  decisions and share responsibility with team members for successes and failures.

How do you develop your own skills in Teamwork?


• Show respect for all other people and display sincere interest in them as individuals.

• Work on improving or enhancing your communication skills.

• Give positive feedback as often as possible.

• If you have a difficult relationship with someone, work to improve it through self-awareness and respect for differences.

• Be enthusiastic about your ideas but don’t be overbearing or domineering when you express them. Try not to interrupt other people and listen to their ideas carefully before you disagree.

• Discuss your ideas with your teammates until you agree.

• Be willing to step back from a disagreement and cooperate.

• Teach yourself not to be defensive. Think of negative feedback as opportunities for improvement, not personal affronts.

• Be tolerant of others. Recognize that others’ viewpoints are as important to them as yours are to you!


Self-observation


Ask someone you trust to help you identify times when you come across as overbearing, domineering or intolerant of others. Keep a log of your behavior over the next month or so. Then, try to answer the following  questions as you look at your notes:


• Are there patterns to your actions? What are they?

• Do you interrupt often in meetings or conversations? Do you interrupt certain people more often than others?

• Are you particularly sensitive or domineering on certain topics or with certain people?

• How does your behavior make those people feel and/or react?


If you discover you would like to build your teamwork skills or the skills of your team, we would be glad to be part of the process.


Your Coach,



Shandel

TAKE THE TIME TO INVEST IN YOURSELF BY INVESTING IN OTHERS

By Shandel Sutherland • 21 Apr, 2024
3-MINUTE READ As a leader, what are you missing that would help you achieve “the next level'? Chances are it is a person. Even more likely it is a person who is in the next room or down the hall from you at this very moment! Yet, we sit stressed and maxed out as they sit underutilized and bored. They desire meaning, mentoring and challenge, while we desire initiative and productivity. Still, both parties sit in their comfortable and familiar rut. This is a very poor utilization of assets and leaves huge profits on the table. THE ART OF INVESTING Think of your time as you would your money. A wise person thinks in a long-term manner about their money and how to spend and/or invest it for the greatest ROI (return on investment.) Consider the focus, time, and energy you devote to making, saving, and investing money for a specifically defined purpose. Now, that is exactly how you need to approach the time you invest in the people in your sphere of influence; and it is an art. A skill that must be learned and then uniquely applied according to each individual who can share in accomplishing the goal. STEPS ON INVESTING IN OTHERS 1. You must have clarity about what you are trying to accomplish. What outcomes you want to focus on and why does it matter? Is the vision compelling enough to get others involved and want to share in the ownership? 2. Focus on the few things only you and you alone can do. What are the unique strengths that you bring to the vision that no one else possesses on the team? What are the other things or tasks you are currently doing (and yes, we know you can do them well) but others could do just as good if not better? Make a list and identify the ones that steal the most time. 3. Find people that have the strengths and abilities to do the tasks you have identified. Before you approach them, work through all the fears you have about delegating, letting go, and giving up control. You may need your coach for this portion. 4. Connect with the person you would like to delegate your tasks to and make sure you have plenty of time to talk it out and get buy-in. Share your vision and your goal of investing in the person's professional and personal growth by passing on these specific tasks. Press for push back, find all the holes together, make sure you have healthy conflict to vet out all their fears and share your concerns as well. 5. Train the person on how you currently do the task. A: Show/tell them how to do it. B: Do it with them. C: Observe them as they do it for you. D: Coach them as they do it without you. E: Trust them as they do it alone. F: Check in often and create space for continuous improvement. You have just invested in one of your people and they are feeling empowered and trusted. Equally as important, you have just opened up a huge amount of time to operate in your strength and talent which you alone do best. It is now time to do it again and again until you are only operating in your strengths! What do you think about investing in yourself by investing in others? Your Coach,  Shandel Sutherland

LIVING THE ONLY DAY YOU HAVE

By Jake Hinton • 21 Apr, 2024
3-MINUTE READ Meaning, purpose, and intentionality. You probably know the logical reason why you do the things you do. But you may not know the purpose behind what you are logically doing day after day. It is an important distinction. As leaders we have established plans, goals, and action steps that fit into our strategies. But we haven’t taken time to figure out why what we do really matters. Do you know deep in your heart that what you do, and who you are, really matters? To whom? For what? And really – why? Think about it: If you only had one day to live, what would you do? What matters most? Well, today is the only day you know you have. Relationships are the key. The truth is, what you do for others is the only thing that truly matters in the end. Think about the times when life hit you hard and you were exposed financially or in another area where you required help. Suddenly you can’t medicate the relationship pain/gap with money, busy living, and success. Look at your life. What do you find? The holes you try desperately to keep hidden are revealed in the spotlight. So now is the time to exercise your choice. You can feel the emptiness, address the source, and discover your purpose. Or you can find a new way to numb yourself with more self-medicating than ever before. Medicating the gap is a protection we all use to some degree. If only we can come clean and admit it, we can be free to live our purpose. Where are you getting your purpose, your joy, and your fulfillment? What is the name of the well you are drinking from right now? Every day you drop your bucket into a well – and up comes what? Remember, what you are drinking, you are becoming. Is your well toxic? Is it intoxicating? Is it refreshing? Is it stagnant? Is it full of you? What is in your well? After you examine what well you are drinking from, then drink deeply – if it is the life-giving sustenance you are living for. If not, then let’s dig a new well! Let’s dig deep for what matters. Now is the time. Your Coach,  Shandel
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