Toolbox Tool : Three Step Process to Encourage Teamwork

Behind every able man, there are always other able men, Chinese Proverb.

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17.

No is no question about it, the team is greater than the sum of its parts. It is the successful leaders responsibility to assure proper teamwork in group settings. This can be completed in three steps.

1.Teamwork Envirnoment

K I S S- Keep it simple stupid. Small teams don't need lots of hierarchy. Extended process impedes teamwork.

Cooperation- Encourage team goals, not individual competition.

Provide necessary support- be a servant, provide information, extra staffing etc.

Authority- Allow teams to act on their given consensus.

Feedback- Give positive feedback to the team when warranted.

Disclosure- Give the team full information on needed requirements.

2.Coaching others on Team Skills

Mission Statement- Help the team define its mission/mission statement

Stewardship- Help the team define its roles and responsibilities.

Feedback- Ask the team to evaluate its own effectiveness.

Leadership- Discourage We vs They discussions and thinking.

Action- Encourage the team to involve others in the process.

Accomplishments- Praise the team often when it is effective.

Self Evaluation- Encourage the team to once again evaluate its effectiveness.

3.Problem Solving Skills

Investigation- Define the problem, ask ask and ask again, sometimes the problem on the surface is only a symptom of the actual problem.

Influence- seek input from others before making any decision. Some of this could be group discussions or one on one.

There are literally thousands of books written on Teamwork. I would encourage you to read "The Skilled Facilitator" by Roger Schwarz.

Remember Leaders are Made not Born. Keep reading and learning. Attend Automobile University to sharpen your skills. Dont know what Automobile University is? Check this link Automobile University

Coaching Part #2, The 10 Essential Ideas for Coaching Success

1. Ask Good Questions- Questions are a catalist for conversation. Conversation then in turn provides a basic grounding of relationship.

2. 70/30 Rule- You have 2 ears and one mouth. Try to only speak 30% of your time, spend the other 70% Listening.

3. Edify- Lift others up. This builds confidence. It inspires, and cultivates greatness in others.

4. Gently, Allow others to Fail- Failure is one of the greatest teachers. Then help them by learning from their failures. This inspires confidence.

5. Encourage Risk- Sets the president that it is "OK" to fail. Remember, failure is only failure if it is at the point where we quit. If we keep on and find a solution, we merely successfully found another way which didn't work. That's not really failure at all.

6. Involve them in Your Time- Spending/Using your time with others shows them that they are valuable to you. Time spent increases the value of the relationship. This is essential for great coaching.

7. Be "There"- Being available for consulting/Edifying is needed. Use these times to help strengthen the relationship by helping remind them of their successes.

8. Wait- It is an easy temptation to help "Fill in the Blanks" when we think we know the answers. There is however great value in silence. As coaches, sometimes we need to be silent and let them construct viable answers. (I guess this is a variation of the 70/30 rule)

9. Praise- As a Coach, it is your Job to notice successes, And Praise every at every possible venue.

10. Progress Reporting- As a Coach, it is your responsibility to give feedback. Feedback is one of our Seven Essiental Tools for Leadership Success. When Things Go Great, give positive feedback, when things dont go great, give positive feedback. The learning is usually greatest at points of failure.