[Item Sold!] Five Star Teamwork

It’s a commonly used term in the language of  business. It’s essential for successfully competing in an ever-changing global marketplace. It’s necessary in order to combat the tide of shrinking resources and meet the need of doing more with less. It’s a strategy … a tool … a buzzword.  The “it” is TEAMWORK. And it also happens to be one of the most misunderstood concepts in business today.

Look around – the labels are everywhere. There are service teams, manage­ment teams, task forces, quality-assurance teams, self-directed work teams, product-development teams, launch teams, departmental teams, and even teamwork-enhancing teams. The list is seemingly endless.

So, with teams being that prevalent, how is it that “teamwork” is so misunderstood? Why is it that so many teams fail to reach their true potential? Primarily because of the all-too-common belief that forming a group – and giving them a title – equates to creating a team. But that’s a misconception. As the old song title says, It Ain’t Necessarily So!

The fact is that while all teams are groups, not all groups are teams. What separates the two is interdependence. A group becomes a true team only when its members support and enhance each other’s performance and contributions … when they collaborate to achieve results that are bigger and better than those that could be realized individually.

Simply put, it’s what people DO that makes them a team – not the mere fact that they’ve been assembled.  Effective teams understand that teamwork is a behavioral issue. Team members recognize that their success is inextricably linked with one another, and they act accordingly. And so must you!

But there are effective teams and then there are “FIVE STAR” teams – the best of the best. What separates them? The answer is

commitment.

More precisely, it’s five commitments. And they are what this team building workshop is all about.

Five Star Teamwork  workshop is a fun-filled, interactive, and reflective program designed to bring out the best in your team. The ideas presented are principles that can work for any kind of team.So, bring FIVE STAR TEAMWORK to your company today and you will achieve success … together!

Duration: Two days

Team members participate in a series of group activities and both large and small group discussions, complemented by a number of lectures by the instructor. Individual and pairs activities include active listening exercises, skills practice, and case studies.

Leaning Content:

1. The Five Commitments
2. Getting Things Done

Five Commitments

1. Be Committed to ... EACH OTHER

How do the members of that team behave? How do they interact with each other? What kinds of things do they say? What do they believe? It’s a safe bet you’ve envisioned a group of people that cares about each other, helps each other, and covers for one another. There’s no “me first … we’re all in this alone … every man for himself” thinking in your vision, right? Of course not! The members of your role model team are more likely to say (and believe) things like, “you can count on me,” “I’ve got your back,” and “we’re all in this, together.” And that’s no surprise. Undoubtedly, your group exhibits the first – and arguably most important – characteristic of five star teamwork: a commitment to EACH OTHER.

• Three factors that drive mutual commitment
• Am I a team player?
• How to develop teamwork
• How to motivate your people
• Accountability Agreements
• Building Trust

2. Be Committed to ...  THE MISSION

Humans – and the organizations they comprise – have an inherent need for purpose, meaning, and direction. In order to achieve success, we all need targets to shoot at, roadmaps to follow, guidelines to keep us on track, and end states to pursue. That’s why one of the things common to just about every organization/team is the existence of “a mission” – a business purpose that typically encapsulates what the group is there to do … and for whom they do it. Everyone is expected to know, follow, and contribute to the mission. And most employees of most organizations do just that.

 But for members of five star teams, the mission is more than something merely to abide by, it’s the embodiment of their personal values – it’s something to believe in … something to live by. In the words of a very savvy team member: “If you don’t believe in what you’re doing, you need to be working someplace else. If you do believe in what you’re doing, you ought to be giv­ing it everything you’ve got!”

1. Your personal mission statement
2. Your corporate mission statement
3. Your commitment to your mission
4. Committing to Action

3. Be Committed to ... THE CUSTOMER

In all likelihood, your mission entails providing high-quality goods or services to other people. The “other people” are, of course, your customers. And your mission undoubtedly reflects a truism that applies to employees of all businesses – regardless of the organization’s type, size, location, or industry: Serving customers is the reason your business exists. 

From our perspective, that’s pretty much a “no-brainer.” For members of five star teams, it’s a mantra! They understand that their entire professional world revolves around customers … that being committed to their jobs and being committed to customers are one and the same. And they never allow themselves to forget these important workplace realities:

• Everyone, and every team, has customers. Those customers are either “external” (the ones who pay the bills) or “internal” (other departments and coworkers who help “make it all happen”).
• If you don’t serve your customers well, they’ll eventually take their business elsewhere.
• If your customers go away, eventually so will your job!

For five star teams, satisfying their customers is everything! It’s why they exist. They live it … they breathe it. They’re grateful for the opportunity to serve – realizing that their customers choose to do business with them. They believe that each customer deserves the very best in exchange for his or her hard-earned money. And they know that in order to deliver the very best, they must work together.

• Moments of Truth
• Strategies for Excellent Customer Service ( internal and external)

4. Be Committed to ... RESOLVING CONFLICTS

Take any group of employees, put them in a high-pressure environment requiring constant interaction, and there are bound to be problems. After all, employees are human … they’re emotional by nature. They get tired. They get cranky. They have ideas (not to mention personalities) that sometimes clash. So, it’s inevitable that they will occasionally do things that rub each other the wrong way.

Think five star teams are exempt from this phenomenon? Well, they aren’t. Actually, they’re more susceptible to it than most! Why? Primarily because of their high standards and unwavering commitment. You see, the higher “the bar” – and more intense the zeal – the greater the potential for friction.

Passionate, action-oriented people are more likely to step on proverbial toes. As a result, five star team members experience their share of tension. Ironically, however, the same combination of passion and commitment that produces occasional spats is also what provides the motivation to address issues quickly and collaboratively.

• Obstacles ,  Results, and  Relationships
• Assertive communication
• Win/win approach

5. Be Committed to ... THE DETAILS

Truth be told, most jobs have some repetitive and mundane aspects – for individuals and for the teams they comprise. While some teams are created for special, short-term purposes (new product launches, new system installations, etc.), most exist to handle the daily, routine tasks necessary to accom­plish the organization’s mission. And missions don’t change all that often. What we do is what we do. We did it yesterday, we do it today, and we’ll do it tomorrow. Sure, we try to make improvements … we strive to do our jobs better and faster, but the nature of our work tends to remain the same. For average teams, that can pose a significant motivation challenge over time. Repetitive tasks can be boring – if you allow them to be. But five star teams rarely make such allowances. They have different mindsets. For them, routine work is not a problem – it’s their mission ... their opportunity to shine.

-          The Devil’s in the Details

-          The Leadership Imperative

-          How to Commit Your Teams to Details

If you could miniaturize a five star team and put it under a micro­scope, there is a good chance you'd be surprised at what the eyepiece re­vealed:

ordinary people!

You would see individuals who – just like the rest of us – have hopes and dreams, disappointments and frustrations, joys and sorrows, family and friends, good days and bad, and lives away from the job. But if you in­creased the magnification and adjusted the focus a little, you’d also see that these “specimens” behave differently than most – they interact with each other in ways that are far from commonplace … ways that make it possible for ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things and enjoy extraordi­nary success.

Getting Things Done. 

The purpose of any team building is to see positive change in the team’s relationships and results. Before this team building program ends, the participants will come up with action personal and team actions plans.  After this, the actual team building begins. The speed and quality of change will now depend on the willingness of the team leadership and membership to apply what they have learned.

-          Action Planning

-          Commitment to Change

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Do you think that building your team is essential to your success?

Jef Menguin can help you identify your needs, set your team building goals, design and facilitate your team building workshops, and provide your followthrough programs. Having conducted various team building programs since 1996, Jef Menguin understands that you need a unique program. Team building principles are universal but the people in your team are definitely not the carbon copy of the people he was with last week. You and Jef Menguin will collaborate to ensure the success of your team building effort.