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A loud lesson in team motivation

Posted by on Jun 28, 2017 in Engagement, Teamwork

motivation

If you want to motivate a group, you’d better be all in.

I learned that lesson the hard way some ten years ago – at a July 4th parade, of all places.

After the parade had passed by, I slowly followed on my bicycle with 10 or so other riders.

Our ranks grew as more bikers joined us. So did our enthusiasm as we rode past festive crowds.

In fact, my enthusiasm grew so much that I endeavored to lead the crowd in a group cheer.

This was in Columbus, Ohio, home of the Ohio State University, where Buckeye football fever runs strong year round.

For Buckeye fans, the easiest sure-fire cheer involves a solo shout of “O-H” – which is always followed by a fervent response of “I-O” from anyone within earshot.

Well, almost always.

When I tried the cheer with a big group of parade enthusiasts, my “O-H” got dead silence in return. The crowd just stared at me like I had quizzed them in some foreign language.

After riding on for a block, I managed to recover – enough to try the cheer again, this time a little louder.

“O-H.”

Again, silence. Painful silence. Ego-bruising silence.

Two city blocks later, I decided to try the cheer one last time.

But this time, I didn’t just tweak up the volume. I turned my bike to face the crowd, I looked left and right to get their attention, and I cued the crowd with a high-volume “Hey, everyone!”

Then I unleashed an “O-H” that was full-throated, full-commitment, and fully heard by all Buckeye fans within a fifty-yard radius.

The crowd went wild. “I-O!”

“O-H!” “I-O!”

“O-H!” “I-O!”

In years since, I’ve repeated this drill every time I’ve been in Columbus on July 4.

It always reminds me that group motivation can’t be a half-hearted effort.

Whether you’re in a parade or in a workplace, people respond best when the leader lets loose with confidence and conviction. The bicycle is optional.

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By Tom TerezContact

90 minutes to better ideas and easier consensus

Posted by on Jun 21, 2017 in Teamwork, Workplace Improvement

brainstorming

The next time you work with a group to generate improvement ideas, don’t do anything until you get these items: butcher-block paper, tape, sticky notes, fine-point Sharpie markers, and sticky dots.

These items can work wonders. They’ll prevent one or two people from dominating the discussion. They’ll enable even the quietest in the group to unload their ideas. They’ll allow everyone to see all the ideas at once. And they’ll help the group contract in and move toward consensus in terms of which ideas to pursue.

Yes, those basic office items can do all that!

Here’s the step-by-step process for putting them to work:

• Before the session, cut a long section of butcher-block paper and tape it to the wall. (If you don’t have butcher-block paper, tape up adjoining flip-chart sheets.)

• When the group is together, give each person 12 or so sticky notes and a marker.

• Clarify the the prompt that people should have in mind when generating and documenting ideas. It’s typically phrased as a question. Examples: “How can we increase satisfaction among our walk-in customers?” “How can we ensure that applications come in with all needed information the first time around?” “What can we do to strengthen communication across departments?” It’s important that everyone in the group understands the prompt before proceeding.

• Now, put on your team facilitation hat. Instruct everyone to write down their ideas in response to the prompt. This is to be done individually, in silence, with each person writing each idea on a separate sticky note. (With 12 notes per person, each will generate up to 12 documented ideas. If you feel that more ideas per person are likely, supply more notes, being sure everyone has an equal number.)

• Encourage everyone to be sufficiently detailed in their writing, so that a person reading each sticky note will fully understand what is meant.

• Emphasize that people should avoid talking with other team members while doing this. It’s intended as a silent activity at this point, to be done individually. There’s plenty of time to talk about ideas later on in the process.

• Let the room stay quiet while individuals write their ideas.

• When everyone is done, instruct team members to leave their seats, walk over to the stretch of blank paper on the wall, and randomly tack up all their sticky notes – while maintaining the no-talk rule.

• Have people read the sticky notes, still without talking – and begin to move notes with similar ideas next to each other. This gets the ideas get sorted into categories.

• Allow the team enough time for this. Ideally, each person should read every idea, and the grouping process shouldn’t feel rushed. (Because markers were used to write the ideas, they should be easier to read from a distance.)

• After about 15 minutes, lift the no-talk rule. Have people discuss the groups of ideas that are taking shape. They are to fine-tune these groupings, continuing to move the notes around. Most teams end up with 5-7 stand-alone sets of sticky notes, each containing similar ideas.

• Now have the team write a label of 1-4 words for each of the resulting sticky-note grouping, to serve as a title. Write each title in dark marker directly above.

• Now it’s time to “take the temperature” to see which ideas are preferred by the group. For this, give each person 10 colored sticker dots.

• Again without talking, each person is to review all the ideas – and place a dot on each sticky note that has an idea they think should be seriously considered for implementation.

• For an idea that people especially favor, they can place two or more dots.

• After 10 minutes, relax the no-talk rule. Allow people to discuss and even “sell” each other on placing any remaining sticker dots on certain improvement ideas.

By this point, the team will have everyone’s ideas fully unloaded in documented form. Everyone will have read all the ideas. The ideas will be in categories, each with a title. And those sticky dots will point the way to ideas that people deem to have the greatest potential.

The team will be well-positioned to discuss further, to finalize the package of improvements, and then to begin planning its implementation steps.

The truth is, many teams slip and slide through countless meetings before they get to this point. Some never get this far.

With the process spelled out above, you’ll get there in 90 minutes.

Sticky notes and sticky dots aren’t magic, but they’re close.

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By Tom TerezContact

You’ll never believe who can HELP your change efforts

Posted by on Jun 14, 2017 in Change Management, Workplace Improvement

change

If you like to bring new ways of doing things to your workplace, you probably get frustrated by people who resist change.

It’s tempting to push forward and leave those folks in the dust, but you know what? When the dust settles, they’ll still be there — and their resistance can harden into cynicism, apathy, and worse.

So do the opposite. Reframe your view of resistance. See it as an opportunity to engage.

Instead of avoiding your change-resisting colleagues, or ignoring them and hoping their resistance will somehow go away, spend more time with them.

Ask questions. Listen closely. Hear their questions. Engage in dialogue. Try to understand their perspectives.

Don’t try to sell them or bribe them to win short-term support. Rather, take time to uncover their underlying concerns. Together, look for ways to address those concerns when developing the changes and how they’re rolled out.

Some people will still resist. But some of the skeptics will become genuine supporters and even partners in the change. They’ll bring all that extra brainpower and the emotional fuel to go with it.

Their actions will even influence their friends who are still holding back.

We won’t sugarcoat any of the above. It’s not easy and it can take more time.

But it’s often the key difference between sustainable change – and the flash of temporary change followed by a return to the status quo.

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By Tom TerezContact

Pay attention – and you’ll find plenty of positives

Posted by on Jun 7, 2017 in Emotional Intelligence, Workplace Improvement

awareness

Birds are unlikely teachers, but I have to confess, they’ve taught me a big lesson in paying attention.

It’s a lesson for all of us who want to see the positive things that are going on at work.

It began last spring, when a pair of robins moved into our yard. Our family kept tabs on them and enjoyed their presence.

Then I bought binoculars. Then I started to go on birdwatching hikes in nearby woods. Then I downloaded a birdwatching app. Then I began learning bird facts and bird songs. Then I began to track my bird sightings.

In case you’re wondering, I’m no newcomer to Mother Nature. I’ve been enjoying walks and runs in the woods for years.

But when I’m outdoors now, it’s different. My awareness is deeper. I see more. Background sounds have moved up and become clearer.

I’m just a novice birdwatcher, but the moment I start walking on a trail, I can’t help but hear the birds. In some cases I can identify the type of bird and what it’s communicating.

When I use binoculars to get a sustained close-up view, it’s like I’m seeing birds for the first time. My biggest thrill so far was watching a Baltimore Oriole, aglow in late-evening sunlight, giving a free concert from a top branch.

All of this has reminded me to be more attentive – not only in the woods, but also in workplaces and elsewhere.

When you start looking for something, you’re going to find it. The more you look, the more you’ll find. And the more you learn about what you’re finding, the more you’ll appreciate it.

So start paying attention with greater intention at work.

Watch for those interesting, instructive, and inspiring actions that are unfolding in the workplace around you. Watch for the good work. Watch for the great service.

You’ll be amazed by how much you see.

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By Tom TerezContact

Reality check: Are you doing all you can to earn trust?

Posted by on Jun 2, 2017 in Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Teamwork

Lean Process MeasuresLean Process Measures5-page self-assessment – 1.1MB

We know that trust is crucial to teamwork. We know it’s reciprocal: When you give it, you get it. We know that trust-building takes time.

But what about you when it comes to trust?

Are you doing everything you can to earn trust and build a trust-filled work environment?

Click here for a self-assessment that can serve as a quick reality check. It’s in PDF format, so feel free to print it and fill it out for your own benefit.

Too often, trust is talked about in vague generalities. And sometimes our thoughts about trust are all about what we wish others would do to earn our trust.

This self-assessment is different. It gets specific, it focuses on behaviors, and it serves as an important look in the mirror.

So take a few minutes for this – and get practical insights into what you can do to turn up the trust at work.

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Download the 5-page self-assessment  (PDF 1.1MB)

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