Work continues to change in our economy and in our society, and the pace of change continues to accelerate. Your colleagues need to continue to view change through the correct light and to keep it in proper perspective and context. To enable transformative change, you need to ensure strong and supportive collaboration and teamwork. Here are four actions you can take to build a culture of strong supportive teamwork on your team.
- Channel the Intensity into Creating Value – I hear a lot of talk lately from business people who mention how high the expectations are and how intense the pressure is for delivering consistently strong results. Sound familiar? Sure, it does! We are all under increasing pressure to do more and to find new ways to innovate our way to increased results. Expect that to continue. Instead of worrying about it, embrace the intensity, and use it to focus everyone on your team on what really matters, which is creating value for others. You can always find ways to improve when you are focused on making things better for your customers and your colleagues. Ask questions and listen actively for the answers and then get to work on making it easier for your customers and your colleagues to do business with you and your team.
- Avoid Labels, Embrace Diversity –Lately, I hear a lot of talk about how people and teams are so different. Too often, it is said to me like it’s a problem. Certainly, differences CAN be a problem. On the other hand, the differences between us are always far less significant than the things that we share in common and the things we share that make us alike. Embrace the differences and see them as the frosting that makes the cake so very delicious! Homogenous teams just cannot deliver the same kind of disruptive value that diverse teams can deliver. Celebrate the areas where you agree and likewise, celebrate the areas where you are different or see things differently. Frankly, that’s where the most valuable innovations come from, our differences. Vive La Difference!
- Connect People and Draw Them into a Higher Purpose –Working in an intense time of change and innovation can tend to make good people withdraw from the rest of the team. Invite your entire team back into the midst of the battle, and let them know about the reasons why you’re engaged in the pursuit of your big ideas and audacious imperatives. When the entire team knows where you’re going and understands at a profound level the “Why” behind where you’re going, they’ll willingly engage and bring their best work to the table.
- Remember to Remain Focused on the Horizon – It’s easy to get too focused on the urgencies of today and forget about the larger imperatives of the longer term tomorrow. Business is not like a sprint. It’s more like a punishing 10,000-meter run. You need to train at your best, and take care to remember that a fast start or a fast finish might not be enough. You need to work with your team to craft a long-term strategy to build sustainable success into your business model so that you can continue to generate long-term value for your customers that lead to continuous business strength. Don’t settle for a good quarter at the expense of the longer term health of the business and the relationships that rely on integrity and trust.
Increasingly, sustainable success in business these days is based on having strong teamwork in place. A culture of high performance and collaboration makes the journey easier. You want to be sure to support your people through change and to help them to anticipate and to be well-prepared for the changes that will come their way. Show your people how to think about and how to handle changes and the teamwork will improve positively.
Michael is an award-winning Leadership Coach and Executive Development Thought Leader. He works with Leadership Teams all over the United States to help them to create cultures and environments that support transformative changes that make business organizations stronger over the long haul. What are you doing in your organization to create the optimal conditions for growth and positive change for your people? Check out Michael’s YouTube Channel where you’ll find an abundance of helpful and free videos on Leadership, Teamwork, and Building Culture for your business.
