Finding Your Team's Winning Ways

Finding Your Team's Winning Ways

by Diane Kessel Knight

Are you leading a team of talented individuals who need to channel their energies more productively? Do you lead a diverse group of people who — if they only knew how — could leverage their collective talents to achieve great things? These are often the challenges associated with building great teams.

So here's another challenge. As a leader, do you think you can focus on what's going right with your team instead of how big the gap is between where they are and where you would like them to be? It's not a new idea — management authors and consultants have been advising managers to "catch people doing something right" for years. They know that it can be fun to focus on what's good about employee performance, and that when you do, you eventually get more of the behaviors you want and less of those you don't want!

Can this same concept be applied effectively with teams? I believe it can be. There is a fairly recent concept in the world of organizational development called Appreciative Inquiry. This philosophy is based on the premise that organizations change in the direction in which they "inquire". So an organization that spends all its energy focusing on problems will keep finding problems, but an organization that tries to appreciate what is best in itself will discover more and more that is good. These discoveries can help them build a new future where the best becomes more commonplace.

If you apply this concept to building your team, it suggests that you ask people to describe their "best team" experience:

• What were the circumstances?
• What role did they play?
• Why were they proud to be a member of that team?
• What did they value most about being a member of that team?

As the stories unfold, you can begin to put together a vision for your team eventually becoming a "best team" experience. This envisioned future is grounded in the realities of peoples' experiences, so people know how to repeat their success.

After the experiences have been described, you can ask several questions that will appreciate the best of what is happening right now with your team:

• What is this team doing well?
• Who on the team is doing things that are moving our team more toward this ideal?
• What do you see in our team that you like?
• What behaviors do we want to cultivate more of that will help us move the team forward?

From that point, it's not a leap to pick one or two behaviors for people to focus on (for example, being more willing to listen intently to one another when people disagree) that will move the team toward the ideal. If necessary, create and deliver the training (i.e. in listening skills or conflict resolution) that will enable team members to do what you are asking of them.

Building a team is a process, but it can certainly be more enjoyable if you incorporate the art of looking for what works instead of what doesn't work. So go forth and appreciate!

Our best wishes go with Hector Barresi, who just moved to Nevada. Good luck for your future, Hector!

The NCCA 2007-2008 year is drawing to a close, and we are looking for people to contribute as officers for the coming year. If you are interested in growing your network inside and outside coaching, in contributing to the growth of coaching in the community, and in developing your professional skills, please consider this! Talk to any one of the current officers, and come to the planning meeting on the 22nd to have all your questions answered.

The new officers will be announced at our next NCCA membership meeting at the biggining of May. We have a great presentation, and a bunch of other topics to talk about at that meeting, so don't miss it! Watch your e-mail for more details.

What we say, to ourselves and others, can literally change our lives, and theirs - and what we say next is a matter of choice. In this seminar/workshop, I will explore how the things we say are influenced by our needs, thoughts, feelings and actions. Since much of what we say is in response to others, we will also explore the significance of what we 'say' as we listen. We'll close by sharing some tips on achieving win-win outcomes to conflict - where what you say next can really make all the difference.

Wednesday April 9th 2008, 7 - 9 p.m.
Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80526
$21 per person

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