One area many teams struggle with today is role clarity. This can entail clarity around individual roles and responsibilities, priorities, lack of clarity around reporting, and/or lack of clarity around levels of authority.

As we consider what role clarity in our team we may be exploring questions like :
Who is doing what? When?
What are the reporting structures?
What needs to be reported, when?
What level of responsibility do people need?
Where does overlap exist?
What gaps exist? What needs attention?
 
This week take  note of the clarity, or lack of clarity that exists around role clarity
Some of the impact this can have includes:
 
Team members being unsure as to what they  need to do, when

• Inefficient communication, or lack of communication
  
• Priorities not getting met or executed on
• To create more clarity around goals:
• Have dialogue around what people are working on in the team. Note overlap and how work fits together
• Have a focus on role clarity in your one on ones or team meetings
• Map out the different roles (literally writing them down) and see what changes the team would benefit from. This approach may be most suited when significant issues are flagged
  

This week take some time to focus on role clarity and what the current state is in your team.

Have a great Tuesday,
Jennifer

After a long weekend of being offline  it’s an interesting process to get reconnected. I found myself moving quickly through the lighter volume of mail that came in over the weekend, with a quick reply as needed, closing down within ten minutes. As I commuted into the city this morning. What struck my eye was an article on email management and how shackled we  have become t email. The article “It’s time to take control of your inbox” cites the following studies:

• Some of us check our email up to 36 times an hour
  
• Approximately 45% of email we receive is spam
• One  assets that we could spend up to 30 hours a week checking new email
• Some of us receive 200,000 emails in a year (yes, I may be in this category)

(Reference: 24 News Toronto, pp 16, April 17 2017)
 
For many years now I have been  pointing professionals to the 4 D model of time management, a iteration of which they reference in the article. The article also recommends a modification of this in “taming your inbox”. Consider how you can :
Do it
Dump it
Delete it
Defer it

As it relates to email management, this might entail:
Do it – Set fixed periods during the day to check email. During other times, where feasible, turn it off to support you in focusing on one task at a time
Dump it – Consider what emails/subscriptions could be dumped. What is adding value to your day? What  is weighing you down?
 Delete it  - What can automatically go to the delete pile? Are there specific terms which you know become automatic junk email. I know for our business anything SEO related gets siphoned off.
Defer it – what are the emails you need to look at later? Be careful with the defer pile that if you do need to touch it more than once you schedule in time. For some professionals a better solution may be to check more frequently (i.e five times a day – not 36 times an hour!) and respond, clearing the inbox as you go.

As you consider starting a new week, with perhaps lighter volume than normal, what do you want to change about how you approach your inbox this week?

Today's Sunday quote gets you thinking about what is helping your team thrive. We know that teams that excel have place attention on both results - getting things done, and relationships - connections. Consider where you might want to put more attention on this week.

Note that results could include:
- Goals - What they are, how they align, where duplication may occur, what is a priority, where there may be some competing priorities, how they are measured?
- Vision - how clear is our vision? Is it shared by everyone? Have we taken time to translate the "vision down" to practical issues?
- Roles - how clear are we with who does what and how that interfaces

Relationship elements in teams include:
- How we work across differences
- Trust
- Connection

Also impacting teams are elements such as our styles and preferences and how we work, as well as things such as how comfortable we are in dealing with conflict.

What do you notice about the conversations which need to be had this week?

Enjoy your Easter Sunday,
Jennifer

One of the areas both teams and team leaders struggle with is Feedback. Our ability to provide both positive and constructive feedback is critical for team success in today's environment.

​Today's post takes us back to a short 5 minute audio I first did back in April of 2015 on feedback. If this is an area you think you could augment your skills in, take a click and listen in!

​For other posts on feedback please refer to some of these past Teams365 posts:
​Teams365 #860 - Foundations of Feedback Part 1 - Did you Know. Read it here.

​Teams365 #861: Foundations of Feedback - Part 2 - Why Feedback. Read it here.
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​Teams365 #862: Foundations of Feedback - {art 3 - Preparing for Feedback. Read it here.

​You can check out many other Teams365 posts on this topic  here.

​Have a wonderful weekend,
Jennifer

It is Friday which means that it is time for another Flashback Friday. One of the themes this week here at the blog has been around Conflict. In light of April's focus on better teamwork, teams often struggle in the area of conflict.

Today's post takes us back to a short post #Teams365 #510 where we explore some of the different ways team members may be a approaching conflict, based on how important their relationships or results may be. Take note of these:

Our ability to work through differences and conflict is a key skill for leaders and team members. What we know from research is that complimentary skill sets often make a team strong. In saying this, it may mean that we have different styles which exist, which means that what we value and how we interrelate with the world is different.

What is your natural style in navigating conflict? Different conflict models may have different names for these but we may demonstrate one of many styles including:

Accommodate  - Often when the relationship is important but the results are not we will accommodate to enable the other party to have their preferred outcome. In accommodation the other party wins, at our loss.

Compromise – Compromise may be important when the outcome is important for both of us, as is the relationship. In compromise, I win some and you win some, but neither party really win.

Avoid – There are instances where it makes sense to avoid conflict and sweep things under the rug. The challenge and danger with this over time is that the issue can fester, and the small minuscule issue can grow into an elephant. Where is may be appropriate to avoid conflict is when the issue is not important and the relationship is not important. IN avoiding I lose and you lose.

Collaboration - Collaboration takes time and may be the preferred solution when relationships and results are both important. Not every situation warrants collaboration, and as Morten Hanson writes in his books, Don’t collaborate just for collaboration’s sake. While collaboration often takes more time, it can be the best outcome. In collaboration I win and you win.

Compete – We may choose to compete to achieve an important outcome when the results are key and the relationship is not as important. When competing we need to be aware of when it becomes too aggressive. In competition I win and you lose

As you consider these five different styles, what are examples of each one and how you and others would benefit from adopting that approach? When might the approach be beneficial?

 For those interested in learning about their own style or supporting team members in this area, one interesting online resource I found was Conflict 911.com/resources

For the next few Thursdays we are going to be focusing on different activities you can use with your team to enhance relationships and also get clearer on results.

Even though we may be meeting, we might not really know what everyone is focusing on. In this activity which I call – What’s on your desk? – each individual gets to share what is on their desk. Figuratively and literally. This can be a very powerful connector for people who work together on a virtual team.

It’s also fun to give people a visual “snapshot” of what their desk looks like. Our desks can tell a lot about who we are and how we approach work. From what we have visible – trinkets and photos, to what our desk looks like, it can be a fun connection activity. So for example, if you are working with a virtual team, each person can take a snapshot of their desk and post it during the meeting on your shared whiteboard, or have them send it ahead of time. You could even get people to guess whose desk is whose.

When might you be able to incorporate What's On Your Desk?

Have a great Thursday,
Jennifer

Only a few short years ago ongoing uncertainty and change was more the blip than an every day reality. Today teams operate in a context of ongoing change - in what we commonly refer to VUCA - Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. Take a look at past Teams365 posts which have expanded on this notion of VUCA.

With this ongoing change, some of our core team ingredients become even more enhanced. Here are half a dozen elements, or ingredients, I think any team can benefit from today.

While our end results or actual goals may change more rapidly than before, these factors help us with alignment and the ability to move together:

• Clarity around values and what is important to us.
• Our behavioral norms and how we do things;
• How we have each other's backs, or our level of commitment to each other, our work and/or results;

Teams which excel in today's VUCA world are also:
Knowledgeable about each other -Teams that can thrive in this context are knowledgeable about each other. They know their preferences (how they work together) and their strengths. They also are attuned to work styles - so knowing who on the team might be better working with details or the big picture.

Able to adapt, experiment and iterate -  With change being the new norm, our ability as teams collectively and as individual professionals, to adapt, experiment, and iterate takes on new meaning. what are you noticing about these qualities in your work and/or industry?

Comfortable with the unknown or new - given the amount of change which is occurring in some contexts, we are having to experiment and iterate on a daily, or sometimes hourly basis. Being comfortable with not having an answer, or knowing that you will have to experiment is a very different way of working that many have been trained.

What do see as essential ingredients for successful teamwork in your context?

Best
Jennifer

Conflict in teams is an everyday occurrence and it can be like an Achilles heel – the thing that brings a team down.
Conflict in teams can emerge for many reasons including:

• Competing demands
• Unclear roles
• Lack of clarity around where we are going – our vision, our goals

Regardless off the source of conflict, becoming more proficient and confident in navigating conflict is very important.
In navigating conflict, you will want to consider these questions:
What is more important here - the end result or the relationship? This will influence everything from our stance and approach to conflict. For example, if the end result is really , really important in the short term I may adopt a stance of competition where I do everything I can to “win” at the other’s expense. If the relationship is more important because I need to work with this person, or team, on a regular basis, then I may choose to collaborate. In collaborating, I may let the other party win or spend more time
What do I know about how I approach conflict? We each have our own unique approach to conflict which also shapes how we view conflict. Many team members may have been socialized that conflict is not a bad thing. In fact, part of the team development process is the storming stage where a team needs to figure out who they are, what is important and how they want to operate. That stage is naturally conflict ridden.
It can be important during the storming stage for team members to be aware of their natural approach. Are they more conflict avoidant – i.e. preferring to sweep it under the rug, or are they more head on with conflict – i.e. raising issues and placing them on the table to immediate exploration.
What is the common ground we share? A third essential area to consider when thinking about conflict in teams is What is the common ground we share. Helping people find that expanse where they do align is critical for conflict resolution. It may only be a small sliver, but helping people see the area in which they align is core.
Supporting teams through conflict.
There are some specific things we can do when supporting teams through the choppy waters of conflict. Consider these next time you are working with a team:
Normalize it. A natural part of the formation of groups and teams is conflict, and the recognition of differences. Helping teams understand that they are not alone can be useful in taking off some of the pressure of the thinking that “they are all alone”.
Give time for the team to work through it. It takes time and space to have these conversations. Prioritize this as something which does need time.
Consider the resources which will support you as a team around this. Having a common framework and skills you can all use in navigating conflict supports the process of resolution. If people don’t know how to have the conversation around conflict it can be challenging. Consider investing resources in some skill development for the team, and/or bringing someone in who can help you with this.
Focus on supporting enhanced self-awareness in the team – In today’s teaming environment we all benefit from enhanced self-awareness. Awareness around how we naturally approach work, our styles, as well as our approach to conflict. Many times teams may be experiencing conflict due to differences in work styles. If you have some team members who are driving for results, and working to get things done quickly, whereas others want to make sure things are done correctly, conflict is likely. Helping team members understand their natural style can be of great benefit, and may reframe differences to simply differences, rather than something which is wrong or a problem.
Consider the end result. Sometimes it is very easy to get mired in our own perspectives, and what needs to happen. Helping team members reconnect with the end result is critical for success. Connecting with the bigger picture, also helps team members find those slivers, or 2%’s, where they do align.

What is important for your team to notice about conflict? What's the issue they need to work through?

Have  wonderful start to your week,
Jennifer

It's Sunday, and time for an audio post. Aligned with our theme this month on teamwork skills, I wanted to draw your attention over to the concept of Trust and how important it is for teamwork today.

​I'm taking you back today to an audio posts from 2015 on Trust: The Glue that Binds Teams Together. Please check it out at #Teams365 #404. As you listen, what are the concrete action steps you can undertake with your team around boosting trust? What is trust like in the team right now?

​Have a great Sunday
​Jennifer

Teams benefit from regular conversation. Today's quote or question gets you thinking about what are the conversations the team can benefit from this week.

​If you haven't done so in a while, take a few minutes to stop and think about where the team is at, and conversations which need to be had. Yesterday's post was all about Leveraging Peer Coaching for Better Conversations. Consider how you can support team members in having better conversations as well.

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer
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