Together We Can

Robin Throckmorton, M.A., SPHR

After the events of September 11th, we saw individuals throughout the United States and the world come together as one - red, white, and blue. The differences in our personalities, race, gender, nationality, religious beliefs, etc. still existed but our very diversity became a way to show the terrorists that we are all different in many ways but still unite as one - red, white, and blue!

Wouldn't it be nice if we could harness that same energy in our companies so that we worked together as one (but without the tragedy)? You can!!! Whether our economy is in a recession or a boom, there is one common thread that can help our businesses succeed -- the people. If we continuously focus on helping people work together, we can attain anything. You just have to create the spirit and energy of Together We Can!!!

To really understand how to create that spirit or energy, you need to understand what a team is and some barriers to and characteristics of successful teams. Webster's New World Dictionary, defines a team as "a group of people working together in a coordinated effort." This definition really has two parts, and the second is dependent upon the first. We will discuss both parts in more detail shortly, but first, let's talk about the characteristics of teams.

Have you ever been a part of a team that you really wouldn't call it a team by the results of their efforts? There are a number of barriers that can develop and prevent teams from succeeding, for example:

• Nobody really listens to each other
• There are many personal agendas
• Everyone wants to be the boss
• There are not enough resources (i.e. time, support, budget)

Do these barriers sound familiar? I'm sure you can probably name quite a few more from your own experiences. What would have made those teams succeed? What differences have you seen in successful teams? Here are just a few:

• The team has a clearly defined purpose
• Individuals' strengths are used
• Communicate, communicate, communicate

As we talk about the definition of teams in more detail, keep these barriers and characteristics in mind. Think of ways that you can weave them into your teams to ensure that your teams succeed.

Now, let's go back and talk a little more about the first part of the definition of a team "a group of people working together." If you shove a group of uniquely different people into a room and shut the doors, will they work together? Okay, go ahead and say "it depends" but the final answer (yes the final answer) is NO, at least not right away. For them to work together, they will need some help. This will require you to identify first what are some of the differences within the group and then how are you going to bring out the value of those differences. For example:

• Two departments may be run in totally different manners. Is one way better than the other? Maybe or maybe not. Perhaps you can facilitate the communication between the departments and have them share what they like about each other's operational strategy and how can they incorporate that into their department.

• Do two individuals (or more) within the department have totally different personalities? Perhaps you can use a personality assessment instrument (i.e. Myers Briggs Type Indicator) to help them realize these differences and together brainstorm ways to use the differences in a positive manner. Plus, there are many exercises you can do with a group to help demonstrate the value of these personality differences that will really open the eyes of the participants or team members.

• How often do the individuals within or outside the departments interact? Is it only when they "need" something? If so, you probably need to create ways to get everyone interacting with each other before they need something. This could be done through such activities as a social activity, shadowing program, or topic of a weekly meeting. Social activities may be something as simple and inexpensive as a brown bag lunch, a celebrating pizza party, or a pitch in lunch.

Once you get people feeling like they want or can see the value of working together, you are still not there yet. They need to be "working together in a coordinated effort." For a group of people to work together as an official or informal team, they need some structure and clearly defined goals. You'll need to identify or obtain group consensus on the roles that are needed on the team (i.e. facilitator, leader, record keeper, time keeper, etc.) Plus, as we mentioned above, for a team to succeed they need to have a clearly defined purpose. There are many ways to help a team set a purpose. Here are a few:

• A team can create a strategic plan to outline the purpose of the team including a mission, objectives, and action plans;

• The team can evaluate their role by going through the following six steps (source: Development Dimensions International):
  1. OUTCOMES - What results am I looking for?
  2. BENEFITS - Why is this important? (Payoff - What's in it for me?)
  3. BARRIERS - What might prevent me from being successful?
  4. SUPPORT - What resources are available?
  5. APPROACH - What steps must I take to achieve my goals? (Be specific -- who, when, duration, etc.)
  6. EVALUATION - How will I know when I've reached my goal?
  

Throughout all these recommendations, the key is to involve the team members as much as possible. Yes, it may take a little more time, but your end result will be priceless. You will start seeing people interacting with each other with an attitude that - Together We Can!!!

(If your organization would benefit from a "Team Building: Learning About Yourself and Others" session, please contact Robin Throckmorton at 513-697-9855 / Robin@StrategicHRinc.com for more details).