Barriers to High Performance on Teams

While it's important to understand and apply the factors of team success it's just as important to anticipate and illuminate obstacles. The very diversity that engenders innovation, problem solving and synergy can interfere in optimal team work if it's not valued or respected.

Patrick Lencioni in his book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" identifies absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results as the things that impede team performance.

Here are a few other ideas to explore if you are struggling to flow through interpersonal challenges that are a natural part of team work. How are you:

• Giving voice to varying perceptions, assumptions and mindsets without making anyone wrong? 
• Recognizing and minimizing team toxins (blame, defensiveness, stonewalling and contempt)?
• Understanding and honoring different work, leadership and communication styles?
• Distinguishing between barriers (which can be overcome) and limitations (which are constraints that can't)?
• Establishing meaningful and relevant direction?
• Aligning individual and team needs?
• Leveraging talents and fueling passions?

High performing teams expect obstacles because they inform and can change the course of any valuable endeavor for the better!

Balance or Congruence?

Work-life balance seems to be a constant challenge for those doing more with less. While the intent of this competency is for us to be healthy, happy and fulfilled the verbiage can actually create stress.

Career is one aspect of life. It not the opposite of home/family. Balance is not static. It requires subtle movement. Who you are is ever present regardless of the role you are playing.

What if work-life balance isn't about the hours you spend in one place or another, but about congruence. The more aligned and awake you are in all areas of life the less energy you'll spend trying to balance something that inherently can't be. Here are a few questions to get you started:

• Do your personal values and the organizations align? 
• Are you different at home and at work? How so? What do you gain? lose?
• Does your inhale equal your exhale?
• Do your four intelligences (physical, emotional, intellectual, intuitive) work together?
• How do you show up in different roles (mother, boss, soccer player, team member, sister, customer, board member, volunteer, etc.)?
• Where are your authentic and egoic selves at odds?
• What supports your capacity to do and be?
• How much unnecessary tension do you hold in your body? (Try standing straight using only 10% muscle)
• Do your thoughts, words and actions match?

4 Revealing R's

One way to reflect on your leadership impact is to periodically consider the 4 R's- Results, Relationships, Reputation and Resilience.

• Results: What are you striving for? Are you achieving the outcomes you desire? Does what you contribute add value? Does what you are working on enliven or deplete?
• Relationships: Who matters to you? What is the quality of your interaction with others? What relationships are evolving, dying or stagnant? Where are you dependent, independent or interdependent? 
• Reputation: How are you perceived? What is your status in your organization? Is it accurate? Is it current? What PR is needed?
• Resilience:  How flexible are you? Do you anticipate, avoid, fight or ignore change?

Your answers to the 4 R's will create a 5th. Revelation...the cornerstone of change!

Source: A client shared this model but the original source is unknown.

All Voices Heard?

In Team System work we invite teams to be sure "all voices are heard" to illuminate insights, challenges, needs, barriers and solutions. If team members believe that this means "my idea will be used" or "I will get what I want" they are sure to be disappointed and engagement will actually drop. So, what is this team intelligence skill getting at?

• Reality Check- How do you encourage and honor the good, the bad and the ugly?
• Transparency- How can you make your thinking behind an idea visible and invite others to do the same?
• Redundancy- What issues keep coming up and where do voices get louder?
• Unpopular or Marginalized Perspectives- What is not being said?
• Listening Beyond Right or Wrong - If 2% of what is said is true, what would it be? 
• Communication Styles- How can you create space for introverted thinkers to contribute and extroverts to pause?
• Choice- What do you need to accept, change or let go of? 

As you work with this practice, be sure team members understand what "all voices heard" really means. When in doubt, ask them!

New Year's Reflections

Mt. Sopris at Sunset

It's time to reflect! Ask the following questions from Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire. Invite the first response and let the answers reveal... 

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

What is your greatest fear?
What historical figure do you most identify with?
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
What is your greatest extravagance?
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
What is your greatest regret?
What or who is the love of your life?
When and where were you happiest?
What talent would you most like to have?
What is your current state of mind?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be?
What is your most treasured possession?
What is your favorite occupation?
What is your most marked characteristic?
What do you most value in your friends?
Who is your favorite hero in fiction? in real life?
How would you like to die?
What is your motto?

Positioning Your Niche

Great brands know themselves. Consider the difference between King Soopers and Whole Foods, Linked In and Facebook, Droid and IPhone, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, Haagen-Dazs and Dairy Queen or Donald Trump and Paul Hawken. Each person, product or company owns who it is by recognizing and sharing its unique place and function in the world. 

Whether you want a promotion or new assignment it is helpful to claim and communicate your niche so you can intentionally attract what is yours and repel what is not.

A niche is the specific way in which you add value in a given profession. It's about who you are and what you offer. Here are some questions to get you started: 

• What differentiates you?
• What is your specialty?
• What makes you good at your work?
• What is your style? 
• What is your expertise?
• What are you known for?
• What do people ask for your help with?
• What do employers/clients pay you for?
• Why do you exist?
• What makes you unique? 
• How do others describe you? (hip, traditional, necessary, innovative, affordable) 

Positioning statements articulate a niche in a compelling manner. Starbucks is "the third place" (the stop between home and work). TED (the online video site) is "the ultimate dinner conversation." Jen Spencer (life coach) is "your wing woman."

What's your line?

Interviewing tips from the “Corner Office”

The NY Times feature called the “Corner Office” provides great tips for interviewing from CEO’s.

John Chambers of Cisco Systems wants to hear about your results not all you can do. It’s the difference between saying, “I write good copy” and “My last blog generated an increase in web site hits by 25%”.

He also wants to know about your failures because “all of us have had mistakes and failures.” Instead of responding, “I can’t think of one” which Mr. Chambers says, “immediately loses credibility.” Share a lesson learned or two.

Then he “tries to figure out if you’re really oriented around the customer.” Do you speak in terms of how your work impacts the customer? What are the needs and aspirations of the customers of the position you are interviewing for?

And finally, do you have good communication skills--especially listening. Do you interrupt or plan your next response? Are your questions rote, standard or do they arise out of your conversation naturally?

Maigread Eickten CEO of FRS, a maker of energy drinks “finds that a ton people don’t know that much about the company.” She’s looking for preparation. Do you know the success and challenges of the company? The history? The mission, vision, values?

She’s also looking for passion. Do you exude competence? Have enthusiasm?

Demonstrate ways you can add value?

And finally product knowledge. She’s had a few people who haven’t even tried the FRS energy drink. “If they say that, the interview is over.”

For more from CEO’s on interviewing go to http://www.nytimes.com/ and search “corner office.”