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A Few Notes From Cheryl
Welcome
to all of our new InSights
subscribers, especially those of you who have joined our community from
recent presentations -- Optimist International
Convention, Project Management Institute and eWomen Network
attendees!
Where
has this summer gone?
Historically, things have slowed down a bit in our office in the
summer, but not this year! I've been having a lot of fun leading
corporate team development sessions as well as leading workshops to
help groups learn how to build effective teams. I am going to
take a week off at the end of the
month to slow down and enjoy the rest of summer while it is still
here. I'm looking forward to some day trips to
the beach, the wine country and taking our high-energy five year old
beagle for leisurely neighborhood walks!
Speaking of teams,
be sure to check out our feature article below as well as our monthly
teleclass on August 24 (details below).
Stay tuned... One of the projects we've been working on to
better serve you is upgrading our older audio CD and workbook products
to new packaging and new formatting. In order to make space for
the shipments of (literally) hundreds of new products that will arrive
soon in our office, we need to clear out the current inventory.
Next week, you will receive an announcement of this "clearing out the
storage areas" product s-a-l-e-...watch for the e-mail next week!
To your success,
Cheryl
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Feature Article: 5 Steps to Building A
Successful Team
I've been leading a lot of workshops on this topic lately, so since
there's clearly a need for this information, I thought that you might
also be interested in seeing a few tips on building a successful
team!
There is a 5-step process that we have found to be very effective in
building effective teams. If you want more information on this topic,
please join us in this month's teleclass (see details below) or contact
our office at (510) 482-8987.
Before we start, it's important to remember that teams exist for one
reason: to achieve results! However, it's also important to
remember that teams must be sustainable in order to continue producing
those results, so that's why we look at the inter-relationships among
the team members -- to ensure that those relationships are working at
the level needed for the team to continue producing results without
getting burned out. So, let's look at this process of building a
successful team so that your team can get to the next level and be not
only effective, but sustainable, in achieving its desired results.
1. Measure the
current effectiveness of your team
In order to help your team be more successful, it's important to first
look at how successful the team is currently! Measuring your team
can serve as a benchmark for team development, as it gives you a
current evaluation of your team as it exists today. The best way
to do this is to measure your team's effectiveness, which can be done
in several different ways:
- Personal interviews: Asking each team member a specific set of
questions designed to measure their effectiveness is a great way to
learn about what's really going on within your team. The
disadvantage of this method is that some team members will not be
forthcoming with information during face-to-face interviews because
they are not anonymous. Results are best yielded when the
interviews are done by an external facilitator who will maintain
individual confidentiality.
- Simple measurement: A very simple method to use is to ask your
team members "on a scale of 1 to 10, how effective is this team"?
And see what their responses are so that you can ask some follow up
questions to learn more about their perceptions.
- Assessment tool: In our opinion, this is the best method to
measure the current state of your team because it is anonymous,
unbiased and team members are generally very candid and open in their
responses. The assessment results are then shared with your team
in a specially-designed team development process that includes
exercises to help the team improve in areas needed. Details about
the highly effective Team Diagnostic Assessment can be found at http://www.goalsinsight.com/programs/team_training.html
(you can download a two-page overview for details if desired).
2. Create your
vision of a highly successful team
This is where you can use the "begin with the end in mind" concept that
Stephen Covey and others have used for years. This step is about
using your imagination to create the most successful, productive,
cohesive team that you desire! The vision of your team can
include the following components:
- Team's values, priorities and desired results
- Organization's values, priorities and desired results for this team
- Your own values, priorities and desired results for this team
- Productivity factors: these are factors defined by Team
Diagnostic International as the factors that support the team in
achieving results, accomplishing tasks, staying on course to reach
goals and objectives. They include strengths such as
accountability, decision making, goal setting, etc.
- Positivity factors: these are factors defined by Team
Diagnostic International as the factors that focus on the
interrelationships between team members and the spirit or tone of the
team as a system. They include strengths such as trust, respect,
clear communication, handling conflict, camaraderie, etc.
If you're interested in more details about the 14 Productivity and
Positivity factors that contribute to a team's success, feel free to
review the overview at http://www.goalsinsight.com/programs/team_training.html.
I encourage you to create your "desired team" vision with your
team. Schedule a time to meet with them to allow for everyone to
participate in this creative process! And, remember to think out
of the box -- what would it look like to have a team that was achieving
results beyond what you think is possible today?
3. Communicate
effectively
This is a huge topic that I will only be able to scratch the surface in
this article! However, here are the most important tips to
remember in my experience of working with teams:
- Everyone receives information differently. Some people have to
see it, others have to hear it, etc. How do you like to receive
information? Remember that just because one way works for you,
that same way doesn't work for all of your team members.
- Find out how each person needs to receive information in order to
process it. Ask your team members "how do you like to receive
information?" so that they can tell you whether they are visual
learners, auditory learners, etc.
- Remember to communicate important information using several different
methods so that all of your team members will receive the information
you are trying to convey.
- Check in with your team regarding your communications and ask them
how you can improve
4. Develop a
plan to turn your team vision into reality
Now that you've measure your team's current
effectiveness, you've created a vision of your desired team and you've
determined how to best communicate with them, it's time to create an
action plan!
This step is about creating goals that support you in growing your team
to the next level. We do complete workshops on effective goal
setting and don't have space here to go into all of the details, but
here are the basics:
Remember to set goals that are
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Time oriented (make sure each goal has a deadline!)
If having some specific goal setting tools and tips would be helpful to
you at this stage of the process, you can find resources to do that on
our web site at http://www.goalsinsight.com/products/index.html
.
5. Take a
stand for your team!
Whether you see yourself as "the leader" of your team or "a leader" of
your team or "a member" of your team, you are in a position to
influence your team. Take a stand for the improvement of your
team! Here are a couple of ways that you can do that:
- Remind your team members of the vision you see for your team and what
you see as being possible for your team. Remind them that it IS
possible to grow to the next level! And, ask them what they need
to grow to the next possible.
- Look for ways to build and develop your team. When was the last
time your team had a meeting that was dedicated to enhancing your
team's relationships? When was the last time that your team
went out to lunch together, or did another fun activity? If you
aren't familiar with the types of team development that be effective
for your team, or if you don't have the time or expertise to develop a
program, call in an expert to help you create a program for your
team.
Investing time, energy and financial resources in your team can be
simple -- it doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming.
The important thing is that you do something on a regular basis to keep
your team motivated, engaged and productive so that they can produce
the results that you and your organization desire!
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Upcoming
Workshops and Teleclasses
Join us for a
f-r-e-e teleclass on Thursday, August 24 to learn how to
"Create Your Desired Team"! In this class, we'll focus on
the specific ways in which you can create the team that you most desire
at work. Whether you're the leader of your team and/or a member
of a team, you are in a position to help take your team to the next
level. We'll meet for one hour to discuss the
steps needed to ensure you are successful in helping your team get to
the next level.
Date:
Thursday, August 24 at 12:00 pm pacific (3:00 eastern) for one hour
Details and
registration: www.goalsinsight.com/free/index.html
. This class is our gift to you -- there is
no tuition charge for this class. Depending on your phone
carrier, long-distance phone charges may apply.
Public
Workshops
We're in the process of scheduling more public seminars, so feel free
to check back on our web site, as updates are made once workshops are
booked.
September 28 6:45 to
8:15 pm - Create the Balanced Life You Desire
John Muir Women's Health Center - Walnut Creek, CA. No charge.
Details: www.goalsinsight.com/speaking.html
October 7
9:00 am to 5:00 pm - Success Team Seminar
Hermosa Beach, CA
Details: www.goalsinsight.com/speaking.html
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Team
Building Events and Off-Site Meetings:
Could your team use some help to be more cohesive?
Is it time to enhance your team's relationships and
productivity?
Many organizations are holding team building
seminars and offsite employee retreats to enhance their teams
productivity and relationship. If you
haven't already contacted us to discuss your needs, be sure to do so
soon to see if we have a good fit while space is available, as our
calendar fills up quickly.
We offer a variety of programs to enhance the performance of your teams
as well as improve the ways in which your teams interact, so we invite
you to visit www.goalsinsight.com/programs/index.html
.
This is a great
way to
show appreciation for your team and enhance their productivity,
thereby improving the bottom line for your organization!
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About Goals InSight Coaching, Inc.
Goals InSight
Coaching, Inc. helps organizations and individuals achieve your desired
goals in the following ways - click on any of the links for details:
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August
2006