Kit Prendergast, PCC
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Tag Archives: teams
In All Honesty: Can Your Team Trust You?
The concept of “trust” within our workplace teams means much more than just expecting someone else on the team to get something done on time.
Healthy trust among colleagues takes time to achieve. It grows from the ups & downs of shared experiences, the willingness to connect in meaningful ways, honest on-going communication and positive, engaged collaboration that brings desired results. And the foundation is a sincere appreciation of each other, our unique differences and the acknowledgment that we each bring great value to the team effort.
So where do you stand with your team? Start with an honest self-assessment using these questions. Next, move on to soliciting input from your team. How would they answer these questions? Now you are ready to make some behavioral changes starting with simply letting others know you more.
- Do people know you well at work?
- Do your team members feel “safe” with you?
- Can they be themselves, showing their vulnerabilities as well as their strengths?
- Do they gravitate to you at work or networking events, sharing what’s important to them both professionally and personally?
- Bottom line . . . do they “know, like and respect” you?
Give yourself time to build this relationship. It’s very subtle but very powerful. The difference between a mediocre performing team and a high performing team is all about trust.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, Patrick Lencioni, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA, 2002.
Once again, this unique book has been mentioned in one of my advanced executive coaching classes. So I recently bought it and have found myself saying out loud every couple of pages “This is so true!” Lencioni is right on target!
Lencioni has created a simple but powerful fable (that we all can identify with) about the chaos and ripple effect of broken teams in today’s work world. Genuine healthy teamwork is rare in our professional or even in our personal lives despite everyone’s best intentions. Lencioni tells us what to do about it and why we need to do it. And. if you like this book, watch for my April e-newsletter for a review of Lencioni’s newest book, The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business, 2012.
Keeping the Milennials
Keeping the Millennials: Why Companies Are Losing Billions in Turnover to this Generation and What to Do About It, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2009.
This is a wonderful book filled with strategies and tips on how to attract and engage the youngest generation appearing in today’s workforce. The Millennials, also know known as Gen Y, were born after 1985 and are well-educated, talented and hard-working but also extremely mobile in their careers. Pick up this book and learn how to recruit this newest talent (because you need them!) and then how to retain them by creating a millennial friendly culture in your workplace
Posted in Kit's Resources & Book Reviews
Tagged millenials, Multigenerational, teams
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Three Ways to Begin to Influence Others at Work!
Are you ready to have more influence at work? Maybe you are new in your position or maybe you are an “old timer” and now are itching to make some organizational changes that could take your department or company to a new and improved performance level. But are you a person of influence? Do others look to you for clarity on the company’s future and direction on how best to meet performance goals? Are you sought out for your ideas, your wisdom, your ability to manage organizational change and finally to fully engage and motivate others?
You may have some homework to do to become that kind of influential leader. Here are my favorite three ways to start.
- Practice your speaking skills (with individuals, small groups & large audiences)
- Sharpen your writing skills (share your ideas, connect with others)
- Invest in experiences and reading (to expand your awareness, interests & conversation)
And now watch others in your workplace . . . how do they persuade, inspire and influence others? What is it about them that speaks to others in an unique way? You can learn so much from just observing them in action!
Posted in Inspirational Leadership, Kit's Tips
Tagged Career, Leadership, Relationships, strengths, teams
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People Styles at Work . . . and Beyond
People Styles at Work . . . and Beyond, 2nd Edition, 2009, by Robert Bolton & Dorothy Grover Bolton, AMACOM American Management Association, New York, New York.
I always find books on differences in personality styles fascinating and this one is no exception. The Bolton authors have developed a simple but powerful four quadrant model to help us identify our own behavioral styles both in our daily work and personal lives. There is a great chapter in how to “flex” our styles while still being true to ourselves but also engaging the best of others. And we can’t forget that this is what brings enduring value to our employers – being able to authentically connect, communicate and collaborate with others. It’s a great book for all of us!