Are you tired? Give me 5 minutes and I will share with you a golden nugget!
READY, (skip set), GO!
As leaders, our responsibility is to build organizational culture. As leaders, we must be the first one to embrace this philosophy, not only living it, but owning it, breathing it and dreaming it. Get this right and your business will flourish, get this wrong it will cost you time, money and very possibly great Team members.
What does "Own it" mean?
What is this thing we call culture?
What does this word “Team” really mean?
I wrestle with these questions every day! I have discovered that what I thought I knew 20 years ago or even 10 years ago is not correct, and this is OK! Recognizing you are wrong is helpful, doing nothing about a wrong is harmful.
I often hear business leaders (such as owners, managers, and foremen) complaining about those they work with, even going so far as to refer to their co-workers as idiots or “my god this generation”. These feelings being expressed are born out of frustration and uncertainties. It really boils down to “You don’t know what, you don’t know, until you know what you didn’t know”. I would challenge these leaders making these statements to consider themselves as part of the problem, often even the biggest part of their own frustrations.
I know, I know it’s not your fault, it's... (Twiddle Dum, Billy Bob or Ding Dong’s fault, right?).
Please just continue reading let me explain what I feel a team looks like, what they can achieve together and most importantly what can destroy a team before it can even get started. That all starts with you and can end with you just as fast!
A leader cannot forget to coach first and grow second.
The word TEAM is not just a buzz word, but an important organizational concept.
- - TEAM members have respect for each other
- - They count on each other
- - … and they care for each other.
A TEAM is more than the sum of its parts but rather a multiplier of its parts. A TEAM is built but must be maintained every single day (hardest part).
I have learned that the moment you stop using the practices that made your TEAM great then you will stop being a great TEAM. Your either moving forwards or backwards, small steps forward will always beat going backwards. Baby steps work, determination and dedication will get you there.
A TEAM is not just a group, but a mindset and not something that can be faked.
Showing genuine appreciation and respect to your fellow TEAM members is an important component of our Culture. If TEAM members are failing to resp
Let’s face it, when was the last time someone in your organization was promoted to some type of leadership position and then given training for the job of being a leader? I have found that to be extremely rare and typically once someone becomes good at their craft in the organization, we reward them and promote them to the next level of leadership, without adequate training.
An old organizational axiom that I have found to be true is “things break in the middle.” This concept is causally related to the so-called middle management position in an organization and that is typically where the culture falls apart.
As a leader we can yell and scream all we want about building great culture but will see no results unless we commit and dedicate ourselves to creating team culture. This means removing the word “employee” from your vocabulary and any written documents in your organization. We must show everyone in our organization respect and appreciation. We must set the example to our TEAM leaders so that they will know how TEAM members are to be treated and respected. (This may sound simple however is a must, remove it “Employee”)
ect other members, this needs to be addressed immediately. An organization’s Culture can be poisoned if a leader stands by and allows negativity to take root.
Leading a TEAM is hard to do as leaders are typically over committed and constantly reprioritizing the issues in front of them. Leaders often feel like they do nothing but put out fires all day. Leaders are good at grabbing the fire hose themselves and fighting whatever fire is in front of them. By doing so the leader may have extinguished the fire in front of them but has done nothing to prevent the next one (Key Nugget). A good leader must address the cause of the fire and train the TEAM to act in his absence. This is proactive leadership instead of reactive leadership. Due to lack of training (and human nature) many leaders fall into a pattern of reactive leadership.
Let’s face it, when was the last time someone in your organization was promoted to some type of leadership position and then given training for the job of being a leader? I have found that to be extremely rare and typically once someone becomes good at their craft in the organization, we reward them and promote them to the next level of leadership, without adequate training.
An old organizational axiom that I have found to be true is “things break in the middle.” This concept is causally related to the so-called middle management position in an organization and that is typically where the culture falls apart.
As a leader we can yell and scream all we want about building great culture but will see no results unless we commit and dedicate ourselves to creating team culture. This means removing the word “employee” from your vocabulary and any written documents in your organization. We must show everyone in our organization respect and appreciation. We must set the example to our TEAM leaders so that they will know how TEAM members are to be treated and respected (This may sound simple however is a must, remove it “Employee”).
Create a results-orientated environment and support effort over skill.
This simple idea can have a profound impact within your organization. When TEAM members feel safe owning a mistake or calling attention to a problem, they will be more willing to work hard at fixing them with you instead of just waiting around until they get caught. (key nugget) We can accomplish this by delegating outcomes instead of tasks. Give your team a clear picture of what “done” looks like. Explain the “why” behind your process so that your TEAM members perform their tasks with confidence. This way they can feel proud of what they produce instead of feeling like a cog in a machine.
This simple idea can have a profound impact within your organization. When TEAM members feel safe owning a mistake or calling attention to a problem, they will be more willing to work hard at fixing them with you instead of just waiting around until they get caught. (key nugget) We can accomplish this by delegating outcomes instead of tasks. Give your team a clear picture of what “done” looks like. Explain the “why” behind your process so that your TEAM members perform their tasks with confidence. This way they can feel proud of what they produce instead of feeling like a cog in a machine.
Lastly, cultivating an "own it mindset" across TEAMS by assignment of KPIs (key performance indicators) is another powerful method for driving good habits. Try to ensure that every individual has at least one KPI target assigned to them - not just leaders. This is how you give REAL ownership -- through clear objectives rather than opinion-based goals created without input from those completing them. You want your TEAM taking responsibility when something goes wrong, and making good data based decisions. You'll also find the TEAM taking more pride in their work because they feel like they have ownership of what they have produced, not left to feel like it is just a job. Attaining true respect for people is an ongoing process that requires attention and hard work from everyone in your company...
No room for hypocrisy here...EVERYONE will need to learn how to behave with integrity and transparency...and walk their talk. When you get it right, you'll be rewarded with happier TEAM members and a higher productivity producing team and even better customer service (it’s like a 3fer)!
Go get them, coach!
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