As with many of my Team Building programs I began the day by forming a circle with the participants. I handed a ball of yarn to one individual and asked them to throw the ball to a person in the circle who they depend on to get their job done. Then that person throws the ball of yarn to another participant who they depend on. Each person holds onto a piece of the yarn before tossing the ball. What results are interconnected and overlapping strands of yarn that forms a giant web. The visual is profound and helps everyone see how much we need one another to achieve our goals and deliverables.
What does your web of interconnections look like? Who are the people you count on in your work world?
Why is it so important for leaders to depend on others?
1. TO SEE OTHER PEOPLE’S POINTS OF VIEW
A great benefit from working with other people and listening to their ideas and suggestions is learning about different approaches to solving problems. Sometimes we are so stuck on seeing issues from our experiences that we forget there are alternative solutions. In a recent workshop, a manager was frustrated that several of her team members wouldn’t follow her tried and true procedures but rather wanted to test out a new strategy. By keeping an open mind she learned a new way to approach an on-going challenge. By depending on her younger team members, a customer’s need was creatively solved.
2. WE AREN’T STRONG IN ALL SKILL AREAS
We each have our strengths as well as our blind spots. Recognizing that we may not have the strongest skill set in a particular area is a sign of strong leadership. Instead of thinking that we are smartest person in the room, reach out to a team member with the best experience and knowledge to help an outcome shine.
[Tweet “Leaders excel in identifying other people’s gifts and strengths.”]
3. MEANINGFUL COLLABORATION FOSTERS TRUST
On many teams I work with, I notice that there is far more competition than collaboration. The magic in teamwork is knowing how to bring individuals together for the betterment of the team. Here are a few ways to build trust to lead from wherever you are:
- Ask your team members about their life outside of work
- Find out what each person is really good at doing
- Encourage team members to use their talents at work
- Give credit to each person’s contribution
- Share something personal about yourself with others
4. WE WILL CREATE BETTER OUTCOMES
When leaders depend on others they are honoring their abilities and knowledge. They are telling team members that they have important ideas and suggestions. They are empowering each person they connect with to offer their strongest work. When people feel valuable they will be more creative and even work harder. The result of including the contributions of others is a richer outcome and project. In my Team Building workshops I use the mathematical equation: 1+1=3. What? Exactly! We can achieve more as a team than the individuals working alone. So depend on others for great results!
[Tweet “When everyone’s ideas are included a team creates stronger outcomes.”]
How do you depend on others to get your job done? How have other contributed to making you a better leader?
I LOVE working with a team – especially one that respects and encourages everyone to step into their strengths. When I was a corporate VP, I depended on my team to be and do their best. I also depended on them to lead within their functions. I didn’t want to do their jobs or take credit for their work. Working together, in synergy, is when we created remarkable outcomes.
PS The web exercise is one of my faves!
Thanks, Terri!
~ Alli
You make a great point about not wanting to do the work or take credit for your team members. Sometimes team leaders or even team players are reluctant to ask for input from their teams for fear of not knowing it all. But when we ask others: “What do you think?”, we are showing them how valuable they are and how much we need them to create outstanding results.
Thanks so much Alli for sharing your insights with us!
I love the yarn idea. When teams can admit and appreciate that they truly need one another, it’s such a powerful thing. When there’s real trust it’s amazing what can be accomplished. Great post!
Love how you put it, Karin- “When teams can admit and appreciate that they truly need one another, it’s such a powerful thing.” Trust will most definitely follow.
Thanks Karin!
I love working with teams that can actually function effectively in the work environment. I know personally I have been a part of many groups or teams that turn into a group think meeting where new ideas are not encouraged and people never want to challenge the status quo. Building a culture that fosters creative ideas and encourages all team members to participate with equal voice is extremely hard to do and must happen from the top down. A great leader knows that they need the input from everyone to get the most out of any team, as you said, we are not all experts in every field.
Thanks Terri!
Wonderful additions Brent! I too have seen an entire team go along with an idea even if it wasn’t the best direction just not to rock the boat. The result of course was misalignment and redoing the deliverables.
If each team member empowers themselves to be a leader and recognizes the contributions needed by everyone, high team performance and satisfaction results.
Thanks so much for continuing the dialogue Brent!
I love the EL activity Terri! And you are totally preaching to the choir! We are all incomplete without each other. Our differences that can be misunderstood or drive others crazy are also what we need to learn, grown, perform at a higher level and bring balance to our teams. And when we learn to celebrate those differences and see them as strengths the synergy that follows is life altering.
I so agree that “Our differences that can be misunderstood or drive others crazy are also what we need to learn, grown, perform at a higher level and bring balance to our teams.” For all of us, it is critical to being aware of our strengths and flexing when it comes to our blind spots. No one can do it all and that’s the beauty of teamwork. Keeping an open perspective and drawing out the gifts of others can bring a team to new heights.
Thanks for your amazing insights on teams, Chery!