Why is it important that your team enjoy their work? If ALL of the members of your team enjoyed their work, your team could achieve tremendous results for your organization! And, imagine the impact on your own personal job satisfaction from your team achieving amazing results...see how it's all connected?
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Who is my team comprised of? This may seem silly, but it is critical that you define the team that you want to use with this exercise. So, get clear on the team you want to look at -- e.g. is it a team of people that you work with daily because you're working toward the same goals? Is it a cross-functional team that represents different departments/areas? Is it a Board of Directors? Clearly defining who is on the team is the first step.
2. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest where your team absolutely loves the work they do, where would you rate your team's current level of work satisfaction? Notice what number comes to mind immediately and write it down. You might be saying "that's hard to answer because some team members clearly love their work more than others." For this exercise, it's important to rate the team as an entire system, not as individual people. Average the individual scores if needed!
3. If you didn't rate your team's current fulfillment at a 10, what would a 10 look like for your team? In other words, what would your team be doing on a regular basis if they were fully fulfilled? What would it feel like for you to work with this team that really loved their work at a level of "10"? What would be different about the individual team members if the group was at a "10" fulfillment level?
4. What does your team currently love about their work? Get specific - think about your team as it exists today and list all of the things that you know your team loves about the work it does.
5. Why does your team love these things? What is it about your list above that brings your team joy and fulfillment? List all of the reasons why these things give your team pleasure.
6. What does your team not love about their work? List the specific aspects of your team's work that you know they do not enjoy.
7. Why does your team not love these aspects of their work? What is it about the list above that does not bring your team joy and fulfillment? List all of the reasons why you think your team does not love these aspects of their work.
8. What could you do to help your team so they DO love their work? This is the time to get creative, have fun and start taking action so that you can have the level of joy and fulfillment that would be a "10" for you and your team! Just because there are a couple of things your team doesn't currently love about their work doesn't mean you can't help the team change those things. It IS possible for your team to love their work! Get specific for each one. For example, if your team feels like the team members don't communicate well with each other, and then ask yourself what you could do to help your team start communicating more effectively. In this example, you might suggest that your team create some ground rules or group norms for communication so that each team member can agree to those rules and start holding each other accountable. Be specific here - this is the time to explore the different ways in which you could have an impact on your team to help them love their work AND get their desired results, so that ALL of you can love your work.
9. What will you commit to? Of the possible actions you looked at above, what WILL you commit to doing to help your team love their work? By what deadline will you do these things (note: it's critical to have a specific deadline for each commitment to ensure your success)?
10. What support and accountability do you need to ensure that you stay committed to these intentions so that you can have the impact you desire with your team? You will have a 95% chance of achieving your goals if you commit to another person and schedule regular, ongoing accountability/check-in discussions. If you don't have someone you can do this with who is truly committed to your ongoing success, contact us about how coaching can support you individually or to help your team stay on track - that's what we do in coaching, is support you and hold you accountable to your most meaningful goals on a regular basis, so that you WILL achieve them!
11. Go back to questions #2 and #3 above - what else does your team need to help it get to the next level of both fulfillment and productivity? Up until now, we've been looking at your team from your perspective. We don't yet know what the entire team thinks/feels about these questions.
Remember: You AND your team deserve to love your work and produce the results that your organization expects...and it doesn't have to be a struggle! We have the diagnostic assessment to measure your team's current productivity and level of cohesiveness with each other, as well as the team building and facilitation expertise to help your team IMPROVE its results to the level your team desires.
Is Your Team Hiding Behind Masks?
Often many team members don "masks" that they hide behind in their communications and interactions with their team members. They are often afraid to be "real" with their colleagues - they are afraid to speak their true thoughts/feelings because it might create conflict, or because their organizational culture supports "sugar coating the truth" instead.
Has Your Team Lost It's Mind(fulness)?
Teams are impacted greatly by the level of mindfulness, or presence, of its team members. Teams that are fully present with and for each other are typically more successful. How mindful is your team on any given day?
How Well Are You Managing Change?
Change has an impact on you whether you work for someone else, work for yourself, or don't work at all. The truth of the matter is that change is constantly happening all around us! Being flexible and able to adapt to change in a way that works for you and not against you is key -- both personally and professionally. Learn 3 key tips to managing change.
