‘Before you are a leader success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.’ Jack Welch
A recent survey conducted by Emergentics International revealed that Leadership development is the number one priority of HR and organizational development leaders, with 25% of respondents putting it at the top of their priority list. With organizations needing to meet ever-higher financial goals and growth targets, the emphasis on people development provides a window into the way companies are seeing their ability to rise to the top.
The emphasis on talent development and management over competencies like innovation and tactical elements like metrics points to a realization that positive advancements in organizations must start with people. The second highest response for organizational priority was employee engagement, at 22%.
So what is leadership? The Oxford Paperback Dictionary defines a leader as ‘one whose example is followed’. Leadership is that elusive quality that companies are looking for and yet, in my opinion, is so often lacking in organisations. Given the multitude of companies offering leadership training and the circa £3billion spent on external training annually in the UK, how come our companies are not some of the best performing in the world? To my mind, leadership and management are too often confused. We expect managers to lead and yet leadership and management involve completely different skill sets. Indeed, the Peter Principal invariably plays out in organisations. The Peter Principal states that ‘people are promoted to the level of their incompetency’. This is why all too often people get promoted only to fail in their managerial role because what they really need are leadership skills.
Complete leadership starts with the vision and builds relationships with the people that share the vision and who will take on the task of achieving the vision. This differs from management which uses structures, rules and processes in order to control and predict results in a more stable situation. Frank S. Greene notes that ‘the success of management is seen in the industrial empires where people can be used interchangeably and as replaceable parts.’
In order for any business to be successful it needs strong leaders and particularly so in this age of globalisation because whilst an individual might be able to mask their lack of leadership skills in a small organisation, in my experience once they have to manage across multiple locations they will be found out. Great leadership involves developing a blend of vision, relationships and execution and as an organisation expands, the need for the leader to communicate that shared vision to a diverse set of people becomes paramount because unless the vision is shared, the organisation will never meet its goals. It will become like a ship bobbing up and down on the ocean with no clear direction of where it is heading and wonder why the business fails to move forwards.
So how can Horse Assisted Coaching help people develop leadership skills? The answer lies in the fact that horses are always looking for a leader. As a prey animal, the horse always has to be aware of imminent danger or else he could end up as someone else’s lunch. This means that a horse always has to be alert to any danger in his surroundings and also be in a position to run away should that danger present itself. To ensure that the horse can survive being a prey animal it has evolved so that its natural behaviour and physiology can keep it as protected as possible. This is why horses have eyes on the side of their head, as it gives them nearly 360 degree vision to see any approaching danger. They are also acutely aware of any changes in their environment, as this could herald the onset of approaching danger. The sense of community and camaraderie they gain from living in herds also helps keep horses safe. I’m sure you’ve heard of the idiom ‘Safety in numbers’ – well, this is the premise that horses work from. The more of them that are together, the more eyes they have looking out for danger and so the safer they feel.
It is because of this desire to stay safe that a horse is always looking for a leader. Can you imagine living by yourself, never being able to rest and relax for fear of being attacked and eaten? This is a tiring place to be and the reason why a horse is willing to let us take up the leadership role with them. However, and this is a really big thing, we must prove to be a leader who can be trusted and who knows what they are doing. If we have no clarity or certainty and don’t evoke a sense of trust from the horse then he will not let us lead him and he will take over the leadership position. You see, unlike people who might be quite polite when their boss is not being a clear, decisive leader, a horse has no option but to act, his life depends on it, whereas in a business we continue to tolerate poor leadership until such time that the leader is removed from that position – ironically often promoted to another position.
Different from humans, horses don’t follow blindly, yet they are looking to be led. They cannot be coerced or influenced, they choose to follow. Horses have survived for thousands of years due to their ability to get along with, and depend upon, one another. They test each other to establish their position within the herd, deferring only to other horses they feel will keep them safe. In a world in which money, control and status are non-existent, horse leaders respond immediately to the thoughts, feelings and sometimes hidden agendas of those around them, and communicate with authority, purpose, authenticity and confidence – all without ‘saying’ a single word. Like some employees, horses can either be willing participants or resentful ‘herd members’, making them ideal partners for teaching self-leadership and teamwork.
Want to learn more about how horses can help you make systemic leadership changes in your organisation, then check out AHA! Programmes at www.unbridledsuccess.co.uk
As we move into autumn I am reminded that Mother Nature certainly likes her routine. Global warming aside, she cycles through the same processes, in the same order, doing things the same way they always have worked. Within that cycle, of course, variations exist—a dry winter or a mild fall—but we always can rely on the rhythm. One season follows the other. It’s a comfortable predictability in a world that often seems to be wildly unpredictable.
Luckily, it is possible to tap into that natural cycle, to bring into our professional lives a greater sense of flow and order.
As you read the suggestions below, keep in mind that we all have our own rhythms as well. What works for one person or business might not work for another. Take the ideas as ways to get you thinking. If a particular suggestion won’t work for you, is there another seasonally inspired activity that might?
Winter
Winter brings frigid air, frosted glass and, in some areas, a white blanket of snow. Many plants and some animals slip into hibernation and get ready for their springtime rebirth. Wintertime sports and holidays distract us from the sometimes uncomfortable temperatures and drastic blasts of weather.
Here are a few business activities that align with winter:
While you’re hunkered down indoors, take some time to analyze your year-end numbers—what do they tell you about the choices you made this year? What could you have done better? What did you do well?
You won’t be hibernating forever, so set your goals for the following year—what would you like your numbers to look like next winter, and how will you make that happen?
Consider what is “hibernating” in your work or personal life. Is it almost time for a dormant phase to end?
Spring
In spring, everything is glistening, green and new. There is a feeling of expansion, birth or rebirth. There’s a sense of renewal and reawakening. Seeds start to grow. In springtime, people start to get outside more, becoming reacquainted with their gardens. We take on spring-cleaning projects and clear out clutter.
A few business activities that align with spring:
Plant your own seeds by designing one or two new products or services for your business. Give yourself lots of time for brainstorming and collaboration before honing your ideas.
When you’re ready, create a detailed launch plan with action steps and a timeline.
Ask yourself what other seeds you would like to sow—and what others already are starting to sprout.
Summer
In summer, the landscape is lush and colorful with fruits and flowers. The air is warm and growth is everywhere. Summertime lends opportunities for family adventures and exploring. Long days lend a feeling of abundance.
A few business activities for summer:
Use the longer days to tweak your systems and work out any bumps or bugs in your implementation process.
If the timing is right for your business, launch your new services or products.
Complete other projects so that you can reap their rewards. Put finishing touches on work you’ve been doing.
Think about what you’re about to harvest. Are you ready for it? What else can you do to support your own abundance?
Fall
The fall offers us golden rich colors and crisp, cool air. There’s a feeling of transition and that “back to school” energy we never outgrow. A new school year keeps whole families busy. The harvest of fruit and vegetables is in full swing.
A few business activities for fall:
Harvest the bounty of your good work, by fulfilling orders for your new products and services and collecting feedback from your customers and clients.
Prepare for the winter and the end of the year by compiling your records.
Consider your own harvest. Are you satisfied with its size and quality? What might you do to improve it for next year?
By tailoring some of what you do to the natural rhythms that allow, sustain and renew all life on earth, you might just find that your business is likewise supported, as it grows and prospers.
To find out how Talent Dynamics can help you identify the best activities and best team members to work in each season just contact us.
Businesses are always looking for ways to make their management and staff more productive and their companies more profitable. Many companies have turned to training and development only to be disappointed. Others have created rigorous strategic plans that don’t come close to delivering the needed outcomes. According to authors Michael C. Mankins and Richard Steele in their August 2005 Harvard Business Review article titled “Turning Strategy into Great Performance”, the average team achieves only 63% of the objectives of their strategic plans.
Why is there a gap? What gets in the way?
The key issues are how well the team communicates, aligns around top initiatives, creates short term and long-term plans, and holds themselves accountable to deliver the results.
The amazing thing is that you know this and yet like most others may lack the know-how or discipline to make sure these issues are addressed each and every day. Like others you may refer to these skills as the “soft issues” because you don’t see how they are measurable or quantifiable and therefore don’t believe they are as important to performance as more typical indicators of success. Yet their research shows clearly that these skills and disciplines are the biggest levers that enable high performance teams close the performance gap.
Michael C. Mankins and Richard Steele summarize the results of their findings by listing the five top issues contributing to
this performance gap:
Companies rarely track performance against the top annual priorities
Multi-year results rarely meet projections.
A lot is lost in translation due to poor communication and follow-through
Performance bottlenecks are invisible to top management
The strategy-to-performance gap fosters a culture of under-performance
What exactly do these mean and what can you do to close the gap in your business?
How to Build a High Performance Team
Start by accepting that your people are your business. More than your strategy, your marketing plan, your IT system or an entire finance department full of spreadsheets, management information and predictions, people are the key to your success. To transform your business, transform your people.
Getting your people to work together in a powerful way, taking personal responsibility for their own performance, as well as that of the overall business, will generate measurable improvement every time. The secret lies in making sure that everyone in your business – including you – has the right attitude and is taking the right actions to produce results, time after time.
Here are the key disciplines to make this happen in your business.
1) Include everyone in an annual planning session
While you may know best what’s needed in your business or team, don’t make the plan on your own or with just a few key people. It may be necessary to think about the key strategic objectives, but as soon as possible include everyone in your top team in the creation of the real plan that’s going to drive the business for the next year.
Including people makes all the difference to their performance. They have a chance to let you know how things look from their perspective, giving them the experience of being valued and giving you the benefit of their experience and insight. We’ve learned time and again the truth of the adage that people will not destroy that which they have helped to create.
Allow a full day for this session. Let everyone know that you value their input and want them to be part of planning the next year. While you may be right that you know best, there is little evidence that plans made in isolation lead to high level performance.
Case Study
Although great at design and customer service, a high-end software company was unable to get prospects in the pipeline for their $50,000 product. Company morale was low and the owner was on the verge of giving up. He was tired of dealing with the sales problems and discouraged about his feelings of incompetence in creating a system that would work for his company.
He agreed to bring his entire team together to review the situation and create a plan they felt they could achieve. By the end of the day everyone was aligned on a breakthrough. Within months sales numbers were more than double from a year before. This company that was lucky to be making one and sometimes two sales every couple of months, was soon achieving as many as two and three sales each month! This company that was lucky to be making one and sometimes two sales every couple of months, was soon achieving as many as two and three sales each month!
2) Review what happened in the past and learn from it
Start with a thorough review of the past year – what did we achieve together and where did we fail? Give all people on the team time to make their own list before gathering responses.
Make sure that you first focus on achievements – just the good news. One of the factors that makes working together so difficult is our habit of focusing on issues and problems to the exclusion of achievements and successes. In such an environment people feel undervalued and unmotivated and a feeling of Why bother? shapes the culture.
Next take time to review failures, asking the team to make a full list of disappointments. Let them know that this exercise has nothing to do with pointing fingers and everything to do with creating a realistic picture of the current status of the team and the business.
Finally ask each team member to consider what can be learned from what happened. Discuss the potential lessons and align on the top three guidelines that would make the most difference to your success. Keep these alive throughout the year by regular review and public display with news of the difference the lessons are making to performance.
Case Study
An executive search partnership, a subsidiary of one of the largest search companies in theworld, was a strong company of 25 young people with a great track record. Then things took a turn for the worst. They were having their worst year ever and the phone had stopped ringing.
When they took time to review their situation, they realized they were nearly frozen into inaction with some team members engaged in arguments and sarcasm to mask their true thoughts and feelings.
Once they took the time to take stock, talk openly and identify key lessons, the culture gradually shifted to a more positive framework. By the end of the year their most cynical member announced that they ‘had achieved miracles’. They not only matched their best performance ever, but exceeded it. Above all the team dynamic became positive, cooperative and focused on delivering results.
3) Examine limiting attitudes and assumptions and shift them
You may have noticed that sometimes it seems as if you’re doing everything right and yet you still don’t have the results to show for it. Too often the source of this frustration is found in the underlying attitudes that shape the culture of your business. For example, imagine your chances of success if the key people in your business have beliefs such as: “We used to be great, but now it’s impossible to keep up with the competition!?”. “It’s OK not to deliver as long as there’s a reasonable explanation.”
Your most rewarding task is to discover the beliefs and assumptions that limit you. One approach is to ask your team to describe the culture they’d like to have in the business and then the one that exists now. In most instances there is not a match. To uncover limiting attitudes and paradigms, discuss the underlying beliefs that might be shaping the current culture. How do we explain our failure to have the culture we want? The most rewarding task is to discover the beliefs and assumptions that limit you. One approach is to ask your team to describe the culture they’d like to have in the business and then the one that exists now. In most instances there is not a match. To uncover limiting attitudes and paradigms, discuss the underlying beliefs that might be shaping the current culture. How do
we explain our failure to have the culture we want?
The next step is to write a statement that describes the new attitude or paradigm that generates the culture you want to generate together, for example, We keep our promises with one another – no matter what!
Case Study
A sales team responsible for marketing and selling a top global beer in a South American country had 90% of their market share. Although it was obvious to the home office that the only possibility was decline in this emerging country, the culture in the team ranged from ‘we’re invincible’ to ‘no problem, man!’ The new General Manager saw the threat from new competition as well as the lack of discipline throughout the business.
But the biggest job was to tackle the limiting cultural beliefs that drove the entire business. Although difficult to imagine that We are invincible could be a limiting paradigm in any sales team, that’s what it was. Once they realized how inadequate their approach had been, they became a team committed to doing the impossible. By the end of the year, they had surpassed their key target and achieved their highest result for 14 years. The team was working together in an enthusiastic way they could not have imagined 12 months before. They were winning!
4) Align on the top ten priorities at every level of the business
Ask all managers on the team to identify the one or two top priorities for their area/s of responsibility. Have each manager present the goals to entire team and explain the choices. Once all the goals have been presented, together select the top ten goals for the year.
Although all goals will be pursued, your team will benefit from a focus on the ten that most ensure overall success.
Accountability is key to your success so make sure that each goal has one team member who has the overall responsibility for its achievement. Make sure each manages sets and achieves monthly goals to progress their annual goal/s – in other words, make sure everyone knows who’s on the hook for what!
If the members of your team have their own teams, make sure that they each schedule a planning day for their teams to replicate the process. The first step in each of these days is a presentation of the overall business plan as created by the top team, followed by a day of review and planning in which each team develops their own plan in alignment with the top team plan but focusing on the key issues and goals they must achieve to contribute to the overall plan.
Case Study
A major bank was threatening to outsource most of the services of its IT division of 3,000 people. Recent performance had fallen to 64% of their annual objectives and managers and staff knew that severe downsizing was coming. Although the new General Manager was taking the situation seriously, most of the key people were blaming the parent company for their lack of “understanding and appreciation”.
He gathered the managers at the top of each part of his business and clearly communicated the challenges in their first planning meeting. After an exhaustive review, the team began the process of taking responsibility for the situation. They examined all possibilities and aligned on the ten results that they knew had the best chance of reversing the decision of the bank. Each of the top team then made sure his or her team replicated the review, learning and planning process and key priorities were agreed throughout the division.
By the end of the year performance had risen from 64% to over 100% delivery of each key target. Although some downsizing was necessary, it was a small challenge compared to the pride of working in the performance culture they had created.
5) Establish monthly review sessions to monitor progress and learn from what happens
Review all team plans to ensure that they are aligned in pursuit of your plan for the year. If these plans are achieved, will our strategy for the year achieve the outcomes we hope?
The most important discipline is to ensure – no matter what – that each team has a monthly review session to assess progress against their annual plan. At the top of the agenda is a review of the monthly goals set on the way to the achievement of each annual goal. For
example, an annual goal might be Achieve an overall Customer Satisfaction rating of 80% or more with a goal in the second month of Establish a Customer Satisfaction benchmark based on our latest survey and identify areas where improvement is needed. This public review forms a basis for team discipline about delivering key goals, above all.
To ensure that you and your team know what’s happening in the business in time to make course corrections, include a review of performance on monthly plans for every second-level team.
Although progress on your top ten priorities is your first priority, include a review of your guidelines and the difference they are making at each month’s meeting. In addition, talk about your new paradigm or mindset and the evidence that you’re on track to bringing this new reality alive.
Case Study
When the new General Managed arrived at his factory, he found an explosive situation. He had been told that if the factory didn’t turn around in one year, it would be closed. The decision of the parent company was understandable as the business was losing $1 million per month and had a worker absentee rate of 25%.
When he first tried to get the managers and factory workers to align on a plan, there was revolt – the workers stopped the engines and shut down the factory! The lack of trust was palpable. However, the top team stayed with their plan and communicated their commitment to theentire workforce. The personal results of the top team were posted on the factory walls, month after month, and gradually the tension eased.
Within two months the absentee rate had dropped to 5% and within three months it fell to 3% where it stayed. The workers could see that management meant business, trust was restored and the turnaround was achieved. Not only did the business break even, but they achieved the General Manager’s personal target of $1 million in annual profit.
Conclusion
These five strategies are designed to resolve the five issues identified in the Harvard Business Review article:
Top priorities are identified and tracked on a regular basis
Achieving these priorities, year after year, contributes measurably to multi-year growth,
Communication and follow through is guaranteed,
Top management has a simple system for tracking performance and making course corrections, and
Individual and team focus on the delivery of the vital few automatically generates a performance culture.
If your business is suffering from one or more of the issues identified in this article then please call us as there are solutions to these problems.
Today more people have access to more information about you and your organization trough internet, e-mail and social media. With the new information flow we are increasingly moving into a world where prosumers, or influential, proactive, marketing savvy, engaged consumer and “tribes” have much more influence on your business.
In the old world, business communication was somewhat linear between clients and company. Today we have to live with the daily ongoing open communication between the company, clients, employees and prosumers. The power of multipliers on the market has increased, and today it is not sufficient to be merely a supplier of great products and services without having an underlying fantastic purpose, that engages every part of your organization. In the world of radical transparency, the scope for a gap between image and reality has disappeared.
Speed
What is new is that social media has dramatically changed the scale, velocity and the impact on the communication. Consumers could always say things to other consumers and employees could always be positive or negative to the companies they worked for. Independent of the nature of the information, negative or positive, today you or your organization have to act with speed in order to create value out of the situation. A transparent organization, communicating with openness and authenticity have less problem doing this and are continuously creating added value for the business and the customer.
Ways in which you achieve and experience Authentic Success:-
Your full power and potential lies in you being uniquely you, rather than forcing yourself to be someone you’re not. When you are being authentic and living your life on purpose then you are contributing in the way you are meant to. No-one else can touch this and you’ll be amazed at the results you can achieve.
A fundamental key to success is to be able to express your true identity and strengths as an individual, a team and an organisation.
An authentic, successful organization has:
transparency
adeptness
authentic leadership
effective communication in meetings and contacts with customers, employees and stakeholders
creativity
confidence
power and strength
provides calm and stable in a changing world
A great way to get your team members and organisation into an authentic, successful state is to ensure that everyone is working in flow, together for the greatness of the company. The first step to take on this pathway is to understand the Talent Dynamics profile of you and your team. You can start here right now because success in any area of life is an inside out game.
Have you ever wondered why some people achieve 10x the results of others in their business, with what looks like less effort and more ease? It’s a little like the surfer paradox: You can’t surf fast unless you’re on the big wave, but you can’t get on the big wave unless you can surf fast…
How do we get over these quantum leaps in expertise to make it look easy at the next level? Because we learn how to find and then surf the wave of success. When I was a child, I heard the phrase ‘Putting your toe in the water’ – Test the temperature before you jump in. Every good entrepreneur knows how to put their toe in the water with a new market or a new product – how to prove the concept, product and pricing with a small sample before rolling it out and investing in growth.
Today, the waves are much bigger and much faster. Relying on your ‘toe in’ takes on a new meaning with big waves. ‘Tow in’ surfing was invented in the 1990s to allow surfers to pick up enough speed to get onto giant waves – riding behind a jet ski or even a helicopter. It isn’t really the same as just dipping a toe in gently. It’s more about hitching a small ride before the big ride. It’s what all the best entrepreneurs are doing today.
Matthew Inman wouldn’t call himself an entrepreneur. He’s a cartoonist, he created ‘The Oatmeal’ website 3 years ago and wrote his first book a year ago (5 Very Good Reasons To Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth). The popularity of Inman’s cartoons has led to him making about $500,000 in 2012 on his website from advertising and merchandising.
Then, two months ago, Matthew tried a toe in…
Matthew was served with a defamation notice from Funny Junk, for writing blogs criticising the website, where his cartoons were getting posted by users. Funny Junk’s lawyers demanded $20,000 in damages from Matthew. So what did he do? Having heard about crowdfunding but never having tried it himself, he decided to try and raise $20,000 from fans – not to pay Funny Junk, but so that he could take a photo of the money, send it to the lawyer with a cartoon of his mother making love to a bear, and give all the money to charity. He named it Operation BearLove Good, Cancer Bad, and set up the fundraising on Indiegogo. Within the month, instead of raising the $20,000, he raised $211,000 for the charities, and Funny Junk dropped the suit.
But that was just the toe in. Having suddenly realised the power of crowdfunding, this month Matthew was back on Indiegogo again. This time, to try and raise $850,000 to buy scientist Nikola Tesla’s original laboratory and turn it into a museum. Just two weeks after launching ‘Operation Let’s Build a Goddamn Tesla Museum’ he has already raised over $1.2 million, and there’s still another 30 days to go… Now Matthew is on the wave.
If Matthew hadn’t tried the $20,000 idea, he wouldn’t have tried the $1 million idea. He put a toe in, and now he’s jumped in. What can you test right now? Crowdfunding? Micropayments? A mobile site? Rapid prototyping? A new market in a new country? A partnership with a hyper-growth company?
We all know that the days of just having the better product – or the prettier surf board – are over. Success is dictated by not just the surf board, but how you surf it and the wave you choose. Don’t wait to build the perfect board for the perfect wave. Put your toe in today, test the water, take a ride. Do it. Now. Use the toe to build both your confidence and competence. If it’s not the right wave, try again. When it is, let go of the rope and fly.
What will you do today to find your next wave so that you too can surf the wave of success?
Today I am sharing what one of my amazing clients Carly Hope, the Sales Angel wrote about her experience with Horse Assisted Leadership Transformation on Sunday at one of my Success Unbridled Retreats.
“At the start of this year a horse and business whisperer signed up for a coaching call with me. At the time, I didn’t know how or why she and her horses would be part of my life but I knew for certain that they would be. Yesterday I took my VIP group to spend the day with Julia Felton and her wonderful herd of horses and it was truly life changing.
On arrival in the depth of the Sussex countryside, my sat nav said “you have arrived at your destination”and in that very second a large and impressive hawk swooped down and hovered above my car. I later googled “symbolism of the hawk”and the list read
Attention
Vision
Power
Energy
Leadership
Intensity
This is no coincidence as we experienced these things in abundance over this special weekend.
On Saturday evening I set out to meet the herd for the first time. As I walked into their field, I tried to regulate my breath and energy to match the magical stillness in the air and it took a while. When you get on the level with these amazing animals the results are powerful (beyond any spa day) there was an awareness available that I have never before experienced…one that isn’t freely available in this busy life we lead.
I can’t help but find amusement in humans, busying ourselves with ipads and shopping, spending our time immersed in social media…..and yet I have never felt better than sitting still in a field with these clever animals watching the herd chew grass.
I realised in that moment that we have so much to learn from these beautiful horses.
The next day we greeted my VIP clients and my friend Allison Marlowe and the fun started. We spent the day immersed in deep learning, never about the horses and always about ourselves. The horses gently nudge us into alignment, so that our actions meet our heart and our thoughts. They teach us to be in the moment, to enjoy the simple things and as one of my clients beautifully observed to just let go and have a big poo.
As I drove home on the evening the M25 was filled with Olympic traffic but the sun was setting in the distance and I didn’t see the traffic. I didn’t feel like I was in the same body that had made the journey the previous morning.
I almost hesitated to write this note, it is hard to put into words how emotionally beautiful it was to be with the horses, how healing their field is, and how I have learned more about my next steps in life then I could from a traditional classroom.
I know in my role as a sales trainer that whole body learning is essential – that the masculine principles of “how” to do things don’t always work in isolation. That to be truly successful we must address the feeling behind our actions. I believe the horses give us the opportunity to get close to our truth and move forward. The divine feminine is the gift of gentle yet powerful leadership, I am committed to seeking mentors who embody the principles and inspire me..
I just didn’t know she would be a pony!”
One of the most profound things that this amazing about this group of successful women entrepreneurs discovered during the day was the power of teamwork. Accustomed often to working alone the team exercises they undertook with the horses really drew the group together and everyone began to realise the power of collaboration. We even uncovered the Talent Dynamics profile of each person and based with this knowledge everyone could figure out how best they could add value to the team during the exercises with horses. It was amazing to watch.
I will be running days with the horses in September around the theme of what horses can teach us about authentic sales, along with Carly Hope do if this speaks to you let me know and we will send you more details.
We’ve learned that great teams beat great players, leaders and competitors every time. We found that the most sabotaging influence to team cohesion and performance is ego and “headwind hogging.” Now let me identify the two most important ingredients for building high-performing teams.
TRUST
As Patrick Lencioni wrote in his excellent book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the No. 1 dysfunction is an absence of trust. Interestingly, you don’t even need to like each other, but you do have to trust each other to form the cohesion and solidarity needed for high performance.
So what do you do to build more trust?
I’m a believer in always giving what you want first. If you want trust from your team, give trust first. Things that foster trust are transparency, honesty, vulnerability and complete integrity.
Brainstorm five ways you can demonstrate trust to your team.
Thought starters:
Open the Kimono: Open up your books. Share the good, the bad and the ugly of your financial statements. Become far more transparent with how information is shared and communicated.
Marionette No More: Drop the puppet strings. Give others more responsibility and decision-making power without micromanagement and approvals. Train, but then trust them. Let them lead.
Expose Your Chest: As my friend Waldo Waldman teaches about leadership, “expose your chest to daggers,” meaning, show your vulnerability first. Be more open and honest in the disclosure of your own fears, failures and shortcomings.
Remember, people relate and connect more with your struggles than your successes. What do you fear? When do you feel scared? When have you tried and failed? When does your confidence waver? Share that with your team and you will witness the veil of false posture lifted from your team.
Perform Pancreaticoduodenectomies: This is the surgery you need if you have pancreatic cancer—one of the most deadly of all cancers. Cancer in your team is gossip, negative talk, the “meeting after the meeting” and separate alliances or factions within the team. First, never do such things yourself. Second, stop others whenever they do them. Cancer cannot be tolerated; it has to be killed and surgically cut out before it becomes too widespread. Left too long it will destroy the whole body (team).
Be Worthy: To be trusted you first must be trustworthy. Demonstrate you are by doing what you say you will do and being where you say you will be precisely when you say you will be there. Deliver on your promises and be the example you want everyone else to follow. Simple, easy and pretty straightforward, right? Why do so many screw this one up, then? Baffles me.
Decide your five and start doing them this week.
APPRECIATION
“Perhaps no human need is more neglected in the workplace than to feel valued,” as written in The Way We Are Working Isn’t Working by Tony Schwartz.Feeling significant is as basic as food. This begins at birth and never goes away. The need for significance at work is a manifestation of our inborn hunger for meaning in our lives.
Here’s the trick, though: Just like in marriage, people have different “love languages,” and have different ways of feeling valued and appreciated. If you just do it as you would want it done, there’s a great chance you will be wrong and miss the mark completely. The answer is to ASK them (same goes for your spouse).
Do This: Pick five people on your team. Sit down with each of them and explain how much you appreciate them, but are unsure how to express that fully, correctly or in the manner which matters most to them. Ask them when in the past they have felt the most appreciated and what they would like to see from you.
Decide your five and start doing that this week.
There you have it—the formula for building fantastically successful teams. Do just 20 percent of what we talked about here and you will greatly improve the performance of your team. Diligently work on all of it and you and your team will be unstoppable in your industry. Go for unstoppable!
When a duck falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone. Left out of formation for too long it will eventually tire out and drop out completely.
We see this happen on sports teams when one player tries to showboat and carry the game. Eventually the headwind of trying to fly alone will wear him down and the opposition will prevail.
Some great examples of this were witnessed by the cycling team during the recent Olympic Games. The men’s British Pursuit team worked in harmony together so that they could retain their gold in the Velodrome. If each member had tried by themselves to win then certainly we would not have got gold. Another great example, although this time not as successful was the mens road cycling. It was widely thought that Mark Cavendish would win and so his team mates, including Bradley Wiggins stepped up to support him try and achieve gold. Although not successful the team worked just like the ducks to support each other to glory.
The Miami Heat Basketball team demonstrated a prime example of this sabotaging force when they faced The Dallas Mavericks for the 2011 NBA Championship. Many argued that never had more individual talent been assembled (and paid for) on a single team in the history of the NBA as was on the 2011 Miami Heat. They had the “three kings,” or whatever they called themselves (that had to be a clue).
Meanwhile the Dallas Mavericks, while they obviously had good players, didn’t have nearly the individual superstar/celebrity talent the Heat had. The championship should have been a blowout. And it was. Teamwork blew out talent 4 games to 2.
While the Miami Heat had more ‘eagles,’ let’s say, the Dallas Mavericks played as a unified flock, or team, and beat the Heat decisively. That is the power of teamwork and that is the detriment individual egos can be, sabotaging the greatness of a team.
The important team lesson here: No one member of your team can or should be taking the headwind all the time. Just like a duck, he or she has to have the humility and the ego strength to rotate to the back of the formation so another duck can take the lead position to keep the flock moving at top speed.
Think about it. How often, as leaders, do we not recognize how many other leaders we have behind us? Others who want to also be leaders and share in our burdens? Leaders that, if given the opportunity, may be able to take your group to a higher level not yet obtained?
Sometimes, true leadership is to know when to step aside to let someone else lead for awhile. Then, stand by that new leader and offer support and encouragement.
And therein lies another lesson from the duck. When in formation, the ducks quack from behind to encourage those up front.
How often do we encourage those who are leading us? We need to make sure that our “quacking” from behind is encouraging—not something less helpful or damaging.
How about this one: Did you know that when a duck gets sick or wounded, two ducks will drop out of formation and follow it down to help protect it? They stay with the wounded duck until it is either able to fly again or dies. Then, they launch out to join another formation or work together to catch up with the flock. Beautiful isn’t it?
Are we standing by the people around us when they are in need? Or do we turn a blind eye and say, “Oh that sucks for you, duck”? Being part of a team is being there in the good times and the bad.
Takeaway action items:
Are you hogging the leadership ball? Think of several people and several ways you can have others take the lead. Then be sure you are there to quack encouragement all along the way.
Are you taking care of the entire flock? Is there someone you need to be there for, helping them heal some personal hurts?
Want to find out more about potential sabotaging forces for your team. Then check out Talent Dynamics for Teams to see how we can help you.
Nature Gives Us Clues If you were going to pick a model from nature for how to create and operate as a great team, which animal would you pick?
How about lions, tigers, hippos or bears?
Those species are known to eat their young, or the new guy or gal on the team, in our analogy. That doesn’t make for good team building!
How about wolves or hyenas?
These animals are known to constantly have ego fights for dominance—definitely not good for trust and the morale of a team.
How about salmon?
Certainly their long struggle to swim upstream in dedication to duplicate (procreate) the team has to be a good role model, right? Yeah, well, the only problem is, once they have finally done the quiver (seriously, that’s what they do—they align themselves next to each other and “quiver” while they each do their part of the act), they die. That can’t be good if every time new people are brought into your team the leaders die. So salmon are out.
I know what you are thinking… eagles, right?
Eagles are good role models for soaring to individual heights, but they are poor team players. They are known to be territorial, pretty hostile toward one another and constantly stealing prey from one another. Get this… momma eagle usually lays two eggs and most often the bigger of the two siblings (which is usually the female, as they come out bigger) kills the other sibling while mom looking on (harsh, right?). No, you don’t want the new recruits killing each other or the leaders stealing sales and clients from each other. Eagles, team players? Not so much.
No, the animal species you want to learn from and emulate in working together as a team are…ducks.
Ducks, because they work together to accomplish feats that seem unimaginable and impossible for most any other animal.
Ducks fly distances of hundreds or even thousands of miles, a distance almost no other animal can travel and it’s possible only because they do it as a team.
As you know, ducks fly together in formation. As each duck flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird following and that is perpetuated throughout their V formation. Each duck takes its turn leading the flock in flight. When the lead duck gets tired, it fades from the front and is enveloped back into the fold of the flock and naturally another bird takes the lead. By working together, the whole flock adds 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Like ducks, people naturally gravitate toward organizations that will shelter and protect them and make their life easier than if they were left to fend for themselves. I have found that people want to belong; they want to be a part of a team. It gives them a sense of purpose, where they can be a part of something bigger than themselves.
I also find that most people perform to their greater potential when on a team than when on their own. They rise to meet the expectations of the team; if left alone to their own motivations, they wouldn’t push themselves nearly as hard.
I find that lots of people do more for the recognition of others than for their own satisfaction. Thus, team environments are a powerful force for drawing out the best within our individual potentials for achievement.
Amazing feats are created when the collective whole becomes greater than the sum of the individual parts. That occurs when teamwork is working well.
So in business, people who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier when they travel on the thrust of one another.
As leaders, it is our job to cast the vision and enroll others to share in that vision. As teams, we need to help one another and to offer encouragement and support as the success of the individual creates uplift for the rest of the flock… or team.
Over the next few posts I will reveal the single most sabotaging factor of why teams even made up of great people will fail, and the two most important ingredients for building great teams who perform way beyond their individual capabilities.
Do you perform better when supported and challenged by teammates? Why?
Want to better understand the dynamics of your team, then take a Talent Dynamics profile test and find out?
