Bill Nelson asked:
Above all the aspects that are seen as the norm, as far as the concepts of teamwork are concerned —
the meetings where aspects of communication are discussed;
the gatherings where team goals and objectives are discussed;
the team bonding get-togethers;
the future-direction discussions;
and certainly, the recognition and reward ceremonies —
when, how and how well does your team discuss the issue of performance? No, not the peripheral excuse-making, it-was-someone-else’s-fault discussions, but those discussions where issues of performance are laid on the table and the real issues are understood, discussed and dealt with.Meetings where there is a no-excuse environment, where individuals raise their hand to take responsibility for the levels of performance, both good and bad.
Get togethers where communication is open and an honest: where what needs to be said in relation to success is outlined, but is done in such a way that it never gets personal while at the same time, things are not held back.Times when performance is discussed and participants don’t get so precious that important aspects are swept under the rug so people don’t get their noses out of joint.
Conferences where responsibility is accepted and accountability upheld.
Opportunities that are purposely created so as to be able to break down performance into the smallest pieces, understanding each and every aspect as you go about the dissection.Time taken to think through what needs to be done and when it needs to be done; knowing how it needs to be done and by whom.Do you have a group of individuals who understand and are committed to their roles, and are prepared to be responsible for that role and everything that comes with it?
Is it a team that is outlining what needs to be done both individually and collectively to get the job done?
Are you and your team prepared to have those types of meetings? As a team, are you truly doing what needs to be done to profile your performances both good and bad?Are you pushing each other to greater levels of performance for two basic, but nonetheless very important reasons? One being that there is opportunity for improved performance, and the second that the potential of the group has not yet been realised.No doubt there are weekly discussions on performance in most teams; however, for some the performance discussion is real, whereas for others it is pretend.
For true performance to happen and then to consistently happen, these deep, meaningful, open and honest performance-profiling meetings need to take place.Yes, performance can happen without them. But it will never be as good or as consistent as when these real meetings begin to take place, and take place on a regular basis.If they are there now, good for you. But look for ways to continually make them better, more engaging, more specific and more real.
If they aren’t, well now is the time to start making them come about.
And for both situations —
The Journey Continues!