How do you bring out the best in your team? Follow these guidelines!
In a perfect world, we would choose our team members and we would all get along perfectly. But alas, we don’t live in that kind of world. We have team members that are superior and….well…some that are not so great; at least in our eyes.
But maybe it is time to take inventory of our own behaviors and determine how each of us can bring out the best in each other. Bruce Kasanoff of Kasanoff Ghostwriting recently shared with Forbes his 10 tips to bring out the best in every team member. Below is my synopsis of his findings, as well as, my own take on the subject.
Best Practices for Team Building
Understand that Different Styles Make Us Grow
A few years back, I attended a training conference in Washington, DC with my meeting planning colleagues from all over the country. Toward the end of the conference, they put us in teams of 5 individuals. At first, I thought this act was purely random, as did most of my fellow classmates. However, at the end of the conference, the organizer shared with us that our assumption was wrong.
You see we all took personality tests before entering the meeting and the organizer orchestrated each team with individuals with different thinking skills. Their premise (and I agree) is you only grow when your thinking is challenged.
Have Each Other’s Back
Without a doubt, this is probably the hardest thing to do when you have disparity among your team. You think if I throw this person “under the bus” they will leave the team or quit the company. But often times the opposite effect happens. They dig in and decide to make your life miserable.
Before this happens, give your team member the benefit of the doubt and work through the situation together.
Listen
Believe it or not, the art of listening is going by the wayside. Due to digital distractions and letting our own egos get in the way, we are becoming a society of poor listeners. Next time your team gets together, put your mobile devices away and/or step away from your laptops. Having those devices out, puts a barrier between you. Look your team members in the eye and soak in what is going on with them.
Be direct
Don’t gossip or try and get someone else to deliver your message. Once you have listened, if you still have problems or issues with a teammate, then go directly to them and identify what the problem is and why it is important to you to solve it. Your team member may not like the message but they will respect you for delivering it directly to them.
Invest in training
We all have a desire to learn; whether it is taking a college course, continuing education or attending a Team Building Day with Fun Team Building. Training helps promote new skills and helps individuals to grow. As you develop your budget for 2015 and beyond, remember to include a lot of training!
About Fun Team Building
An Atlanta team building organization, Fun Team Building helps your team develop new ways of thinking, turn thoughts into action steps
and bring out the best in your team. Give us a call at 770-333-3303 today and download our FREE guide about the Nitty-Gritty of Team Building!