As the leader, you have two big levers to adjust your teamwork. These levers are WHY and WHO.
The WHY lever
People work for many more reasons than just the paycheck. As Simon Sinek explains in his book Start With Why, people buy into the WHY before the WHAT and the HOW.
As the leader, you can ensure that the WHY is clear by making sure that your Vision and Values are clearly communicated regularly and often, and by checking to make sure that your team is in alignment with the Vision and Values through their actions and behaviors as well as through their talk.
When your organization is clear on it’s WHY, everyone knows what to expect and what is (and is not) acceptable. Your employees will be more energized, and your customers will be more engaged.
The results of your organization are measured against your WHY, against the Vision and Values you have established. If you’re not getting the results you expect, are they truly aligned with your WHY?
The WHO lever
Do you have the right people? Do they buy into your Vision and Values? Are they working in their areas of strength and expertise?
When you have the right people in the right places pursuing the right results, you will achieve your goals and everyone will have a better time doing it.
Your people will be more engaged in the meaningful work behind your organization’s WHY. They will solve their own problems and work well together.
This really can happen, and it has for many teams. It can happen for your team too.
All teams have their challenges and dysfunctions. Trust is the foundational factor in the health of a team. It is lack of trust that causes most teamwork issues.
Lack of trust results in isolated and siloed job functions, lack of cross training, “indispensable” employees, gossip, bickering, and infighting.
It also shows up in employee dissatisfaction, increased turnover, and missed milestones.
Vulnerability based trust is the most powerful and most rare form of trust. It is the foundation of the most effective and cohesive teams.
I can help you build this kind of trust in your team. I will also teach you how to foster it.
When your team grows in trust, you will become more effective, better enjoy your teamwork, and reach your goals.