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 “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?”
― Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein I'm going to go out on a limb here. I'll bet you've worked on (or are working on) a team that is an amalgam of previous groups. Teams are consolidated to save money. Teams are orphaned if they lose a leader. Teams are shuffled to energize a strategy. All of these may be valid but can result in inefficiency if we don't concern ourselves with what happens after assembly. If we stitch together teams hastily and then abandon them with no sense of self, we run the risk of that team malfunctioning. Crews struggling with identity issues are never a pretty sight. This creation may even loose the best qualities of its members. Thrown into chaos, plagued by power struggles between cliques, and dealing with clashes of values, these teams start to flail wildly and can cause a lot of damage in the process of finding themselves. When this happens we leaders can become disheartened and find ourselves writing off these problem-children. And this just compounds the problem. If you are in the process of reanimating your organization through the formation of new teams from old, make sure you take the time to give them purpose. Otherwise, you may be setting yourself up for disaster. Check out what it means to GET TEAMS TOGETHER with TWE>> Best, Tim "I could no longer doubt the doom prepared for me by monkish ingenuity in torture." - Edgar Alan Poe Are Teams going back to their "old ways"? Are groups holding on to previous behaviors and processes with a death-grip? If you're a change leader, it's not their problem; it's yours. When change-efforts starts to fizzle, stakeholders have taken what info they have, connected the dots and decided that the change is doomed. And who can blame them? They have a job to do. Commonly when this happens, leaders crank-up the hype and spin can keep the transformation going. But "rah-rah" sessions won't save it. Results are what count. Resentment and dissolution among will become contagious and commonplace if the project pendulums between promises of innovation followed by excuses and reversal, followed by innovation, followed by reversal, innovation, reversal... and so on. Get good at sharing REALITY. Give stakeholders clear signs that you are making steady progress and momentum towards your promised outcomes. This way, even set-backs, and mistakes can be used as propellants and seen as lessons that help you go forward with more clarity. <<Previous Check out what it means to GET MOMENTUM with TWE>> Happy Halloween, Tim  Employees having trouble thinking outside the box? Are you Having trouble thinking inside a box? Small offices can still be jammed-full of inspiration. Large spaces can be vacuous and devoid of spirit. Cubical walls can be high and isolating. Office doors can be always-open, inviting others to lean in an share what's on their mind. I ask leaders to look less nature of a workspace and more at the "walls" that are present (visible and invisible). Offices, cubicles or open-concept spaces are not determinants of the creativity and connection present in a team - Design can help, but it won't counter a culture that inspires isolation and whispers. It's interesting that many organizations still focus (and reward) on personal performance and productivity, while we try to engineer team connection. Shouldn't team connection and be included in assessments? And if we're going to create spaces for teams, we have to ensure that our culture and incentive programs likewise adapt to inspire connections between people, collisions of thought and space for creativity. <<Previous Checkout what it means to GET CREATIVE with TWE>> Best, Tim  "The light.... it burns!" - Nosferatu Entertaining new ideas and crazy questions may be challenging for a leader who's trying to keep the cart on the rails. Don't squash creativity. Employees offering of new ideas, even if the ideas are wacky, are a sign that staff is highly engaged. Entertaining these ideas gets them and keeps them engaged. Even 5-10 minutes spent playing in this space with your staff will be a good investment. You'll be surprised how talking about possibilities for tomorrow adds energy and fuels the achievement of what's right in front of us today. If you feel a tendency to draw the shades on your team's bright ideas - slap on some SPF 3000 sunscreen and step into the light with them. “There are darknesses in life, and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.” - Bram Stoker, Dracula <<Previous Next>> Checkout what it means to GET CREATIVE with TWE>> Best, Tim   Thanks for checking out our TWE graphics:
Half-way is very different from half-hearted. We're never done changing or transforming, so don't be stressed about not having everything locked-down. But as leaders, we must be crystal clear on where we are, where we're going and how we're getting there - and communicate this well. There is no excuse for not being engaged in a transformation effort. Engagement does not mean passively following the herd - you must invest. For lasting change, I'll take engaged skeptics over blind followers any day You can go slow, You can go fast, Just don't go half-fast. <<Previous Next>> Best, Tim  "What do I have to do to get noticed?" There's a lot of talk about having "one team", but can employees articulate how they add the most value? Do leaders consistently recognize when good work is pivotal to strategic success? Until Halloween I'm adding one of these "movie posters" each day - I hope it helps you reflect and maybe start a performance moment to hear how your team feels. <<Previous Next>> Best, Tim  At this time of year, groups are knocking on my door collecting bottles, selling cookies and asking for support. It has me reflecting on instances where I'm asked to intervene on issues of customer and co-worker interaction. What I'm seeing at the door helps to explain the lack of decent customer service and collaborative instincts present in new grads and younger staff. There is something both parents and leaders can do about it. Opportunity Knocks I grew up being a boy scout in the early eighties. To raise money for my troop, we used to have annual bottle drives. We would walk the communities, in pairs, ringing doorbells, while a parent would follow in a vehicle, which we would load with donated bottles and cans. When asking for donations, even the youngest and shyest were taught to smile and be polite. We all wore the uniform of our troop and would diligently explain what the donations would fund. I remember being given a script when I was seven years old, which I memorized and used into my early teens:
“Hi, I’m Tim Sweet from the Dalhousie 141 scouts. I’m asking for bottles today to pay for our camps and activities this year. I also want you to know that the 141 is here to serve. If you need help ‘we’ll do our best!’ Can we do anything for you today?” Whether the homeowner contributed or not, we kindly thanked the neighbour before leaving. Sometimes, even without a donation, my fellow scouts and I found ourselves raking leaves or moving a pile of junk to the curb when asked, true to our motto. BRAINS! Without a clear vision to follow - teams either amble aimlessly and swarm issues reactively. Sound familiar? Until Halloween I'm adding one of these performance moment "movie posters" each day. Based on real-world issues that TWE clients are overcoming, I hope they'll help stir up a cauldron of good conversations. I hope you have some serious-fun with these. <<Previous Next>> Best, Tim  Trick or Treat! Here is the third of these halloween graphics for you to share. Every day, from now until Halloween, I'll add one of these light-hearted "movie poster performance moments". These are based on real-world issues that TWE clients have overcome. Perhaps you'll find one familiar. I hope you have some serious-fun with these. << Previous Next>> Best, Tim  Trick or Treat! We're having some fun here at TWE. Here is the second of these halloween graphics for you to share. Everyday, from now until Halloween, I'm going to upload one of these light-hearted performance moments wrapped up in a movie poster. I hope will help you start a conversation at your weekly meeting.. (Share any insights in the comments!) I hope you have some serious-fun with these. <<Previous Next>> Best, Tim  Trick or Treat! We're having some fun here at TWE. Here is a very real issue to share and discuss with your staff and colleagues. Everyday, from now until Halloween, I'm going to upload one of these performance moments for you to share. I'd like to challenge you to start a conversation on this issue and gauge how you're team is doing. (Share any insights in the comments!) I hope you have some serious-fun with these. Next>> Best, Tim  If we are to improve, we have to be ok with failure (preferably small and controlled failure). It is equally important that we send and receive clear, consistent feedback of when we're winning or losing. We often seek to protect others by softening the sting of getting it wrong - this confuses staff and hampers progress. Be kind, direct and consistent with staff and they'll be better able to fulfil your vision and innovate successfully.  Here's a couple of ways you can use TWE graphics:
To receive more fun and inspiring quotes and other tools to help you develop a high-performance culture, be sure to join the TWE tribe by clicking here or using the form on the sidebar>>> Best, Tim Over the years, there have been a few tools that I have worked with that have proved invaluable. I tend to go back to these "golden" tools again, and again, and again. When I share these tools with clients, they find them useful, and I look like a hero. This is one of those tools. The Periodic Table of Visualization Methods, designed by Ralph Lengler & Martin J. Eppler at the Institute of Corporate Communication, University of Lugano, Switzerland, classifies visualization methods so those trying to tell a story graphically choose a framework to display your data.  I am constantly surprised that despite being around for over ten years now, how many people have not heard of it. I shared it again this morning, and I figure it's high-time I do my part to spread the word. I have no affiliation with the Visual Literacy Project, but I am a fan. It has helped me professionally, I hope it helps you. The Periodic Table of Visualization helps you decide on an ideal graphic based on their subject, goal, and the needs of the audience:
Using the Periodic Table of Visualization Methods will not only stimulate ideas on how to best visualize the story you want to tell, but it helps you to pause and consider what you are trying to convey through the presentation. That will help you stay on message and build a common understanding with your audience.
Save this link to your favourites, and have fun using this tool over and over. Best, Tim  The stats say if your performance doesn’t suck today, it likely will tomorrow. In the middle of a downturn, it's easy to blame the economic environment for our performance woes... and it's easier than you might think to unwittingly encourage a culture of complacency. Here are a few of points to consider.
Only by maintaining a factual perspective can everyone see there is a problem. Teams must set meaningful targets and make those intensely personal for each person. In a Yoda-esque statement, former CEO, and chairman of the board of Intel Corporation, Andy Grove said, “Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive.” Leaders must remain ever vigilant. "Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive." Complacency is the result of inaction by leadership; and inaction is a choice "Do. Or do not. There is no try." Low performers are complacent because they are allowed to perceive they are succeeding at something. I consistently come across performance issues which are rooted in leadership not holding everyone to a “standard of success” based on the creation of real value.
The good news... it can be prevented, and it can be reversed.  In a previous post, published the eve before the Mayweather Pacquiao "Superfight", I explored what leaders could learn from boxing regarding process, engagement, resilience, and culture. I'd like to reflect on something else evident during this event:
As the bell rang the end of what was billed as "the fight of the century", both boxers mounted the corner ropes to accept the admiration of the crowd. Manny Pacquiao raised his arms high, the crowd cheered and he blew kisses in thanks. Floyd Mayweather Jr. struck a defiant pose, rejected the jeering and hurled boastful protests at hecklers. Manny Pacquiao came to fight as a champion and role model to a nation. A rags to riches story, standing up for the impoverished, wearing his passion for his country and sharing his faith with the world. Floyd “Money” Mayweather, self styled as TBE “the best ever”, proved both his boxing and promotional prowess. While being “the best ever” is disputable - he is very good - and has the bank account to prove it. The Mayweather brand is is all about Floyd Mayweather Jr. - and he is living large. Boxing is about points. Boxing is about punches. Boxing is about spectacle. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a master of all these things… he won the fight, yet he lost the crowd. There is another stark lesson here for the leader. Personal excellence and success alone is not enough to keep people committed. If you’re successful you may find people who want follow to get a piece of the action… they want to live just as large. They will follow you until they reach that point themselves or find a role model who might get them there faster… This can be fine in a mentoring relationship, but is more difficult if you are trying to lead others in contributing towards a common goal. A group comprised of people focused on accumulating wealth, status or some other self-serving benefit may cooperate, but rarely act as a real team. Fickleness and instability ruin these arrangements. If you lose - they go. If you show weakness as a leader - they pounce.
People don’t stand up for a person... People stand up for what a person stands for.
Manny Pacquiao stands for things much larger than himself. If you stand for something larger than yourself, you’ll find impassioned people adopt your vision as their own… albeit for their own reasons. This gives you tremendous momentum and energy to carry you through tough times towards success. You know you have a team when everyone stands for the cause and each other. TS A note about the featured artwork: The artist expressed his support for Manny Pacquiao by painting the Filipino boxer using his own blood. Elito Circa, who goes by Amangpintor, is known for using his own hair and blood (Type O) for his paintings. His painting of Pacquiao "Hearted Fist" depicts the different aspects of the boxer's life, including his stint as a singer and his role as a congressman. |
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