DASHBOARD GROUP

Archive for the ‘Teamwork’ Category


Related … But Different

In Teamwork on December 19, 2011 at 7:55 am

This week, most of you will be getting together with relatives.  For many, being with relatives can be pretty stressful.

Why?  Because you are related … but different.

You are related, which means that your DNA has some familial markers.  You have common experiences.

But, you are different.  In most cases, very different!  You grew up in the same environment, but now have totally different values.  You have the same parents, but now have opposing worldviews.  You used to be inseparable, but now barely speak.

For the next week or so, everyone will have to put aside their differences, and come together as a family.  Everyone must put “we before me.”

Now, if this is hard for families to do for one week, imagine just how absurd it is to ask unrelated … and very different people to come together to build an organization.

To do this, leaders must find common ground with such force, clarity, and intensity that it unifies unrelated people.

That is why we use the word “One” over and over again.  We advise clients to develop One Strategy, One Vision, One Defining Differentiation, One Destination, One DNA, One Dashboard, One Culture, One Playbook, (and more).  We have found that this level of clarity and precision is essential to bringing people together.

So they can work as One Team!

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

 

Orange Flowers

In Leadership, Teamwork on November 28, 2011 at 7:34 am

As we mentioned last week, a simple thank you goes a long way.

But, a creative, unique, and differentiated thank you will never, ever be forgotten.

One of our clients, BTI360 (www.bti360.com) recently sent flowers to the spouse of an employee* who worked especially long hours to complete a critical project.

Sending flowers to a spouse will definitely go a long way.

But, BTI360 did not just send flowers, they sent orange flowers.

See, BTI360 chose orange as their corporate color.  This simple choice helped them differentiate the company in a highly crowded market.  So, when it came time to send flowers, the decision about what kind of flowers to send was easy.

This was a creative, unique and differentiated thank you that will never, ever be forgotten.

* BTI360 does not use the word employee … they call their people “Teammates.”  Exactly the word you would expect a company who sends orange flowers to use!

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

Horsepower

In Performance Management, Teamwork on November 14, 2011 at 7:30 am

Normally, I prefer horsepower of the automotive kind.

However, last week, one of our clients had an all-hands meeting that used the story of Secretariat as their theme.  In the process, I learned a great deal about this amazing athlete and the team that helped him win the Triple Crown.  Some of the highlights:

  • The team overcame tremendous obstacles and accomplished what most people said was impossible.
  • The team was comprised of a surprising mix of “has-beens.”
  • The team endured ridicule and an endless stream of naysayers.
  • The team pushed harder than most felt was wise.

Secretariat still holds the track records at The Kentucky Derby and The Belmont.  He was #35 on ESPN’s list of the greatest athletes of the century … ahead of Mickey Mantle!

I think this inspiring story was best summed up by Randall Wallace, the director of the Secretariat movie, “There are capabilities in each of us that are beyond what we think we have… and life is about finding how far you can go, how fast you can run, and you never know until you run.”

High-performance organizations, like Secretariat, have capabilities beyond what they think they have … and they will never know where the limits really are until they align behind a strategy and run.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

Second Person

In Alignment, Leadership, Teamwork on September 6, 2011 at 8:12 am

We received a great response to our last blog post from Brad Hill, CEO of Site Organic. Here’s what he wrote:

“Equally important, I think, is to listen for first person language. “Here’s what I decided” communicates something very different from “Here’s what we can all do.” Followers are more likely to respect and rally around a leader who considers himself part of the team, not an aloof order-giver.

  • First person = ego
  • Second person = invested in the team
  • Third person = disengaged, CYA mentality”

I think Brad is exactly right.

You can’t finish in first place if everyone talks in the third person. But, you won’t build consensus if leaders operate in the first person.

So, maybe we all should have paid better attention in grammar class.

PS: If you are looking for a new web site, check out www.siteorganic.com. Brad and his team have built thousands of web sites for organizations that want to “produce fruit” online. They have done a great job for The Dashboard Group, and I am sure they will do a great job for you.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking…Accelerate Your Results.

Developing Ultimate Teammates

In Alignment, Employee Engagement, Teamwork on July 11, 2011 at 6:44 am

One of our clients, BTI360 (www.bti360.com) has adopted the idea of Developing Ultimate Teammates as their “One Thing.”

We arrived at this idea after over a year of intense effort, debate, and corporate soul searching. We had early versions that worked well for a season, and constant refinement eventually led us to the big idea.

In Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about the build-up phase (where intense effort yields seemingly minimal gains) followed by the breakthrough (where exponential gains take the organization to unprecedented heights.)

And we are starting to experience the breakthrough!

At BTI360, the Developing Ultimate Teammates idea has transformed the organization. There is piercing clarity. The executive team is fully aligned. Every teammate has a clear development roadmap. Enthusiasm is at an all-time high. We are receiving unsolicited resumes from exceptionally qualified people who have heard about our strategy and want to be a part of the movement.

In an industry that is highly competitive, and frequently treats people simply as “bodies on a project,” BTI360 is a beacon of light. They are proof that being people-driven is an exceptional and differentiating business strategy.

BTI360 is an inspiration to me, and The Dashboard Group is very proud to have them as a client.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking…Accelerate Your Results.

Mixed Signals

In Alignment, Execution, Teamwork on June 13, 2011 at 10:10 am

In the 1997 Indy 500, Tony Stewart hit the wall on lap 198 (of 200).  His accident brought out the yellow flag.   On lap 199, the starter waived the green flag, indicating that the race was back on, but the track lights still showed yellow, indicating that the race was still in a caution.

Arie Luyendyk saw the green flag and hit the gas, but Scott Goodyear saw the yellow-lights and hesitated.  Mixed signals cost Scott the Indy 500.

Unfortunately, organizations send these kinds of mixed signals all the time.

  • They say that people are their most important asset, but whack them unmercifully at the first downturn.
  • They declare that integrity is one of their core values, but tolerate people who shade the truth.
  • Their mission statement talks about teamwork, but the comp plan rewards only individual performance.

I could go on.  I’ve seen hundreds of examples of these kinds of mixed signals.  And just like they caused Scott Goodyear to lose the Indy 500, they cause organizations to dramatically underperform their potential.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

It is not where you start …

In Leadership, Strategy, Teamwork on May 23, 2011 at 7:18 am

This weekend was the qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Congratulations to Alex Tagliani for capturing the coveted pole position. But as racers say, “It is not where you start, it is where you finish!”

Since 1910, only 20 of the winners have come from the pole position. 500 miles is a long way, and lots can happen. In fact, many cars don’t even make it through turn 1 of the first lap.

For several years back in the 1990s, Nortel sponsored an IndyCar team. Part of my responsibility was to manage the racing program. It was an incredible experience, and I learned lots of lessons about high-performance organizations and the importance of focus, efficiency, and resilience.

In 1997, Nortel / Treadway Racing swept the Indy 500, with Arie Luyendyk finishing just .570 seconds over Scott Goodyear. It was an amazing 1-2 finish for the team. (More on Scott Goodyear next week.)

Building a high-performance organization is a long-term effort. It takes months, even years, of relentless effort.

Just like winning the Indy 500.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking…Accelerate Your Results.

A Follower Worth Leading

In Employee Engagement, Leadership, Teamwork on May 2, 2011 at 8:03 am

Last week, we challenged leaders to take a hard look at themselves to see if they were “a leader worth following.”

This week, we turn it around to challenge followers … to see if they are a follower worth leading.

In our work, we see all kinds of organizational pathologies.  One of the most damaging is employees who undermine their boss, and “throw them under the bus.”  This kind of behavior kills organizational performance, and must not be tolerated.

So, what makes someone a follower worth leading?  Great followers:

  • Accept (and implement) decisions that they were not included in
  • Highlight their boss’s strengths, rather than criticize their weaknesses
  • Express concerns privately and directly, rather than at the water cooler
  • Give the boss’s initiatives their very best, even if they don’t fully agree with them
  • Keep their word, meet their deadlines, and make their numbers … not one-time, but every time

Great leaders are rare.  But perhaps great followers are even rarer.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust. 

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

Zero Tolerance

In Leadership, Teamwork on November 1, 2010 at 7:48 am

High-performance organizations are fanatical about their values.  Their values are more than words on a web site … they are their defining DNA.

But, far too often, we see leaders who tolerate all kinds of destructive, dysfunctional behaviors (in themselves and in others) that are inconsistent with organization’s values.

Some of these behaviors include:

1.       Badmouthing teammates (one leader even described their teammates as “evil”)

2.       Judging motives … and assuming the worst

3.       Focusing on finding blame vs. solving the problem

4.       Bypassing the chain of command

5.       Passing the buck

6.       Missing deadlines and deliverables

7.       Talking about people behind their back

8.       Complaining about clients

9.       Second-guessing decisions

10.   Avoiding difficult conversations

We advise our clients to have a zero tolerance policy on these kinds of behaviors, especially among those in leadership positions.  Confronting dysfunctional behavior is difficult, but tolerating it will destroy you.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.

Can This Team Be Saved?

In Teamwork on January 25, 2010 at 8:16 am

Last week, I ended with a reference to the Ladies Home Journal column called, “Can this marriage be saved” and wondered if we needed a new column called, “Can this team be saved?”

Well, consider this the first installment.

When I meet people, I ask them to tell me about their organizations, and the senior executive team.  Often, they’ll joke and ask if I want them to “lie down and start at the beginning?”

I’ve heard all kinds of things, like:

  • Our CEO has a different strategy every day … he has A.D.D.
  • Our CEO is incredibly out of touch … but refuses to listen to anything negative.
  • My vice president walks around the office bad-mouthing the other executives.
  • Our executives fight all the time … I’m not sure they agree on anything.
  • One of our VPs is totally passive-aggressive.  He is calm in the meeting but goes off the reservation afterwards.

So, can teams like these be saved?  Unfortunately, the answer is, “Maybe … IF they are willing to do the hard work required to change.”  Many will say that they are willing to change, but give up when the going gets tough.

The first step is a brutally honest assessment of the organization’s performance.  If you are losing market share and heading downhill fast, you have to face the facts.  If your executive team is passive-aggressive, you have to call it like it is.

The next step is to engage some outside help.  An outsider can be the voice of reason.  They can be the referee when meetings get hostile.  They can hold people accountable.  Of course, you have to give the outsider the authority to play this role.

Finally, you must “get the wrong executives off the bus.”  This can be really hard, especially when an executive has been part of the team for a long time.  Even harder when the executive is “delivering the numbers.”  But, you have to deal with the problem people, because they bring everyone else down.

I’ve been part of this process many times, both as a consultant and as an executive.  Reflecting back on my experience, the success rate is about 50%.    Not great … but not hopeless either.

Stay tuned for details about a new web site dedicated to this issue:  www.canthisteambesaved.com.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking.  Accelerate Your Results.

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