Team Health Indicators
Keywords: small business, communication, teams, team work, meetings, management, managing effective meetings
The power teams can be equated to draft horses. One can pull 5,000 pounds, but together they can pull 30,000. Yet too often teams are implemented as an end versus a means to an end. Teams have, in some circles, become a trend, implemented “because it’s the thing to do.”
While teams can create dynamic results, poorly implemented teams can produce disastrous results.
The purpose of this article is to provide a checklist on how well your teams are doing. Here are some ideas for renewal.
Renewal doesn’t come from carefully written words, framed and hung on the wall. Renewal comes from your actions, the way you spend your time day in and day out. Let’s look at five indicators of team health.
Mission
Is there a clear purpose? Is everyone on the team engaged in a common goal? Is the team focused on the original objectives? What has changed since we started? Do we need to modify the original team charter or operational guidelines?
Problem vs. Solution Orientation
Are your problems more important than solutions? Healthy teams spend more time working on solutions than defining problems. What’s the difference? In a world of finite resources (time, energy and money), the more you concentrate on analyzing problems, the fewer resources you’ll have to develop solutions that will propel your team forward. How much time does your team spend on these positive activities: Deciding how to close the gap between where the team is now and where it wants to be Understanding what the team does best Determining how successes can be built upon for greater success
Avoid “The Swamp”
Healthy teams celebrate success as soon as it happens and as often as it happens. All too often the purpose, scope, or tasks of a team change, leading to an environment that can be unfulfilling because the target changes. We’ve heard this dynamic called “the swamp.”
Not every champagne moment needs to be celebrated with a bottle of bubbly! But even small results deserve a moment of recognition, and the team can be rewarded for successes during the journey.
This fosters continuous improvement, encourages their continued efforts, and leads to higher performance because they see that their efforts won’t be taken for granted. Celebration confirms the sometimes taken-for -granted fact that success doesn’t just happen; it’s the result of initiative and follow through on the part of team members. Look around your office: Does your team track daily accomplishments on a prominently displayed sign where people can share their results? Does your team start meetings with a review of recent successes? Does your team recognize accomplishments by all team members, not just a favored few?
Are people being heard?
Do people listen as much as they talk? Texas oil tycoon H.L. Hunt said that he learned most of what he knew by listening! Healthy teams are made of up of people who have as much to hear as they have to say.
A critical part of communicating is listening to what’s being said so that you can respond to input with information that is appropriate in terms of both content and spirit. And sometimes, an effective listener is all that another person needs to clarify their thoughts or release frustration.
Do people make the mistake of trying to listen and do things at the same time?
Does body language indicate that people are open to input and non-judgmental?
Is there an open and trusting environment in which people are given a fair hearing for their thoughts and ideas?
Is There a Rumor du Jour?
A subtle but solid indicator of team health is: how still are the jungle drums, how quiet is the rumor mill? Healthy teams operate in an environment where issues are openly discussed and no one is excluded from the discussion. Individuals can inspire long lasting, positive result by what they do not say in casual conversations. An Enlightened Leader models this behavior by only speaking what is true, what is kind, and what is useful.
Do people speak in whispers around the copier, coffee pots, or water coolers, giving others a negative feeling about what they’re discussing?
Are team members kept abreast of important issues and are concerns openly addressed in regular meetings so that rumors aren’t necessary?
Work Environment
A lot of searching has gone into defining the kind of environment that enables people go to work at peak performance. What percentage of the day is your team actually performing at its peak? It would be unreasonable to expect a sustained performance of 100% effort, but what can be done to make the environment more like the one you’ve envisioned?
Is everybody clear and following the team’s operational guidelines for each individual? Are people empowered? Does each person understand his or her role in accomplishing the objectives? Do they have what they need to succeed?
Review your values; is there mutual respect for every individual and is there a high degree of trust and openness?
After reviewing these Team Health Indicators, you may want to change some things in your workplace. That’s OK! Healthy teams are in a process of continuous improvement. Follow the principles of Enlightened Leadership and our team will enjoy a long and healthy life.
Ed Oakley is the founder of Enlightened Leadership Solutions. Solve your greatest management challenges with his new book, Leadership Made Simple www.leadershipmadesimple.com
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Introduction To Debt Settlement (1)
Check with your library for examples of these letters. Basically you make them an offer saying that you will pay them X amount instead of the amount that was originally owed.
Managing Effective Meetings: A Powerful Tool For Leaders, Part I (2)
Determine the outcome or objective of the meeting Having a clear purpose goes a long way to ensuring a successful outcome. Ask yourself and/or the participants questions like: What would be the most valuable thing we could accomplish with our time?
Best Secured Credit Card Deal- Beware (3)
Joe Maldonado is a speaker, author and online counselor to major worldwide credit affiliate sites on the Internet today. His focus today is assisting the consumer to select the right credit card at www.creditpapi.com
4 Things ALL Articles Must Have - Don't Forget! (4)
Keywords: article, article directory, distribute article, sysdicate article, news article, publishing articles The importance of articles in today's websites and internet based companies are immeasurable. They dictate a lot in the success and the drive of traffic into one's site.
The Basics Of Currency Trading (5)
Example of How Margin Works Since the trader opened 1 lot of the EUR/USD, his margin requirement or Used Margin is $1000. Usable Margin is the funds available to open new positions or sustain trading losses.
How To Create An Outline For All Of Your Article (6)
This will form the body of your Article. While the introduction will usher in the ideas of your paragraph, you will need a conclusion. The conclusion will wrap up your points and drive in what you are saying in your article.
6 Red Hot Tips To Get Your Articles Read (7)
Like a friendly teac her having a little chat with an eager student. Keith Londrie II is a successful Webmaster and the publisher of http://free-article-depot.com/ A website that specializes in providing articles on a wide variety of topics.
Build The Type Of Residual Income Stream That Works For You (8)
Passive residual income is generated as a result of little or no direct involvement in the actual creation or production of the money. In essence, passive residual income is income that you may have stirred up, but it's still coming in whether you work or not. With income such as this, you are your own boss, you set your own hours and the hours that you do put in are not directly involved in the amount of revenue that you create.
Really Bad Credit Credit Card- News (9)
Am I looking for reliable and a trustworthy credit issuer to enjoy the benefits of having person a new personal history with all the credit bureaus by starting again? Do I need to restart my credit in order to get better interest rate for home loans, car loans or simple refinancing my humble home?
Articles Are The Quickest Way To Your Customers Wallet (10)
In the shortest span of time also, those are distributed to more sites than you can think of. Even before you know what is happening, you are getting more visitors than you previously had.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Cleaning Cubic Zirconia (1)
Pearls are especially susceptive to the solvents in hair sprays. In the reality of the jewelry business, I see people who refuse to remove rings and those who do so only once in a while.
Contractor And Home Builder Shows: The Power Of Advertising (2)
Moreover, how will they know where to get in touch? Always have it in handy while you make your remarkable sales pitch and you're sure to get solid leads yourself.
Where And How To Get Rings Engraved (3)
See the shiny surface of the coin? Look at the edge and you will see a darker, coppery colored layer. Gold filled is a layer of gold on top of another metal.
Tips For Finding The Perfect Home Business Income Opportunity (4)
Obtain References Another way is to obtain references from friends and family members who may currently be operating a home-based business or have done so in the past. By obtaining references of this type, one will be gaining advice from a trusted and reputable source as well as know whether this was a lucrative opportunity for the individual.
Online Dive Classes: A Safe Way To Start (5)
Online dive classes can help you get a leg up on your goal. There are now online courses on pretty much everything. There are law enforcement courses, real estate courses, even college and high school courses for that elusive diploma.
Walking For Weight Loss (6)
4. Feel free to sing, whistle, or hum as you walk. This develops breath control. It also monitors the vigor of your workout: If you're too breathless to maintain a song, then reduce the pace.
Laser Treatments For Acne Scars - What Is Involved? (7)
Actually, redness disappears very quickly and in a few hours your skin looks normal, but smother and refreshed. Vbeam Laser Acne scars can be different shape: flat, depressed or raised.
Saddle Shoes Are Back In Vogue (8)
Well, I'm not going to knock it. It's saved ma a ton of money on shoes just by passing on grandpa's and picking them up at garage sales! Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach Florida.
When To Negotiate With Creditors Is The Best Time (9)
So if you were among the top 1% of wage-earners in this country, and you had a six-figure job paying $100,000, it will probably take you about 10 months to find a similar-paying job.
Some Of The Basics You Need To Know About Boating Shoes (10)
Boat shoes, on the other hand, are more for sports looks. They should be worn with things like golf shoes, shorts, and even polo shirts. In essence, they should be worn with dressier sports wear.