Why is it that some teams seem to work together like a well oiled machine and others work in fits and starts or not at all. What is it that makes the difference?
David Powell in his book 'Spirit™ Intelligence -175 Practical Keys for Inspiring Your Life and Business' says that although individuals may be inspired and passionate about their work, you also need to motivate them to be a passionate team. He continues on to say there are two keys to a passionate team and a success culture. These keys are Trust and Assertion.
To have Trust, both the team and team members need to consistently behave in a reliable, open, accepting and straightforward way. Assertion is where we can give our opinions or suggestions in a clear and understandable way without becoming rude or aggressive (or being perceived as such).
Taking this further David Powell proposes four approaches to team culture. The approaches are:
Low Trust / Low Assertion
This team has very little trust in each other and they also don't speak up about what they think. Besides what must be a very de-motivating and uncomfortable atmosphere for team members, anything that the team produces is often low quality.
This is because when a problem occurs it's unlikely anyone will speak up and give an opinion on how it could be fixed. Low trust and assertion affects the quality of any discussions as you tend not to get a wide range of views and thoughts which can then be used to identify the best solution.
This approach can also be described as a Lose/Lose outcome.
High Assertion / Low Trust
Some teams can be very assertive and have minimal trust amongst themselves. This can happen when some team members are more dominant than others and they control team discussions. Because there is low trust, team members who aren't as assertive don't feel confident enough to put forward their suggestions. This in turn has an impact on the quality of any problem solution.
The outcome of this team approach is that the assertive team members feel good about having their say and the less confident feel they've lost out in the discussion and stop trusting the process. As time passes they continue to lose trust until they don't bother to speak up or contribute to the discussion and problem solving process.
This approach can also be described as a Win/Lose outcome.
High Trust / Low Assertion
Another approach is where the team trust each other which in itself is good, however they don't speak up as they don't want to upset each other. The team is not prepared to challenge each other as team members are too nice to put a different opinion forward.
Worse still, this niceness and lack of courage leaves the team open to being taking advantage of by other teams as they won't stand up for themselves. In particular, teams with a 'high assertion/low trust' approach can sweep in and take over and be seen as the 'can do' team who resolved the problem.
This approach can also be described as a Lose/Win outcome.
High Trust / High Assertion
A team with high trust and assertiveness operates at full strength. They not only trust each other but feel comfortable in 'having their say'. They have motivation and passion, as a team and team members, and this creates a powerful and successful team culture. This also sustains them through good and bad times as all agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial.
This approach can also be described as a Win/Win outcome.
Teams, particularly project teams, are formed, disbanded and reformed on a regular basis and knowing what it is that makes a passionate and motivated team gives you a head start in having a successful outcome to your business goals and objectives.
About the Author
About the author - Jan Delmas of Simple Synergy is passionate about making it easy for businesses to tap into their people and learn about becoming more creative, innovative and entrepreneurial. Sign up for the free monthly eNewsletter which is packed full of great hints and tips, book reviews and resources. To find out more about Simple Synergy visit http://www.simplesynergy.com.au/
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