Subject: Play The Game Well Together
I enjoy ending one year by reflecting on what worked and what didn’t both personally and professionally. I gain a helpful perspective on what I need to continue doing, stop doing and start doing.
Then, it’s powerful to turn my attention to the new year! I love to have our thrive! team focus on future visioning and planning. It’s always fulfilling process. We included both the what’s important personally and professionally. I know for some business leaders the personal may not seem as significant.
We have a different point of view. We are big believers that business is personal, and to get business done well, relationships matter as much as results.
It’s common when we are working with leadership teams focusing on setting goals and strategic direction, what comes up first and loudest are statements like:
“We need to increase our profit by _________________ in 2017”
“Let’s make it clear, sales must increase by 15% in the first quarter for our success.”
Does this sound familiar?
Now, we get the importance of growth and profit, but teams and organizations are made of people – people with brains and heartbeats.
People don’t commit and engage for just numbers. People want to know that their next trip around the sun together will be both productive and fun!
When we say fun, we aren’t talking about having weekly happy hour or putting in game room in the office. Sure, those might be a version of fun. But we mean the fun that comes from playing the game well together.
At work, people want to be challenged and to know that what they do matters.
Recently a friend and mentor, Tim Jenkins from Point B referred me to a book called, The Decision Maker, which makes the point that people in the organization need to be apart decisions. I enjoyed reading the story and the message rang true for me.
After finishing that book, I also read a New York Times article, Growing A Different Apple. It was about Pearl, a new company built by previous Apple executives. This company is thriving by taking the best of Apple’s culture and putting decision-making in the hands of the people within the organization. Pearl believes that leadership develops from recognizing that people want to be involved, trusted, and held able to make the right call and be responsible for the company’s success.
Again, agreed.
When people are fully engaged in making important decisions, even when it is hard and challenging, people rise to the responsibility and report more fulfillment, fun and productivity.
As you kick off 2017, pull together your team and take the time plan this trip around the sun so that it reflects both your team member’s brains and heart beats!
Questions for Your Planning Meeting
Spending time with your team discussing and planning for the year is a powerful way to get aligned and build commitment. Below we’ve provided you with some questions to consider at your next team meeting or off-site:
What’s most important to you this coming year? Let people share related to both work and home.
What is most important to us as a company? Hear what people think. Don’t just tell them.
How can we get there together? Allow this to be an interactive dialogue.
How will we celebrate along the way? Hey, don’t discount celebrating it builds team resources.
How will we make sure we give and receive the feedback we need to be successful? If you’ve worked with us you know how we do this with the team.
This type of team meeting could be part of a planned monthly strategic or simply an ad-hoc meeting.
We know:
You want to get great results.
You want what’s best for the department and organization, right?
Remember business is personal and relationship matter as much as results!
People will follow you if they feel like they matter.
Your people want to participate fully.
Make the 2017 trip around the sun fun and productive – both personally, professionally, as a team and organization.
CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke
Coaches, Business Consultants, Speakers and Authors of The Beauty of Conflict
CrisMarie and Susan work leaders and teams, couples in business, and professional women.
They help turnaround dysfunctional teams into high performing, cohesive teams who trust each other, deal with differences directly, and have clarity and alignment on their business strategy so they create great results.
Check out their website: www.thriveinc.com. Connect with CrisMarie and Susan on LinkedIn. Watch their TEDx Talk: Conflict – Use It, Don’t Defuse It! Find your copy of The Beauty of Conflict: Harnessing Your Team's Competitive Advantage here.