Today’s post discusses Solution-Focus, the last element of the High Performance Model I have been sharing with you that will help tranform your organization from an I-Pod to a We-Pod culture.
So far I have given you tips on:
Creating high performing teams in your organization through regular communication and accountability develops the roadmap for a solution focused culture; one that encourages creative thinking and innovation, producing greater results.
When your teams are solution-focused, everyone has the opportunity to participate in a proactive way to create solutions. For your next team meeting create greater collaboration by:
Present an initiative, goal or area of issue to the team that is important to the strategic plan.
When you move from an I-Pod to a We-Pod culture you lead through collaboration; understanding the primary importance of the team you are member of can carry greater potential than the team you lead. In other words, make the team of your peers a laboratory for bringing forward the collaborative culture mind, utilizing the Communication, Accountability and Solution Focus ideas as a proactive member of your own leadership team. Encourage solution-focus vs. blame by creating an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and challenges and have regular a forum in which to do so.
If you ‘re interested in exploring the Collaborative Leadership, High-Performance Model more in depth, be sure to check out our upcoming virtual class series starting May 15.
Do you have a solution-focus success story or challenge to share? I’d enjoy hearing from you; please be sure to leave a comment.
In previous posts I have promised to take a deeper dive into each component of the upcoming class, Jump-Start Your Team. The entire focus is to jump from the I-Pod to the We-Pod as a culture. Today I’d like talk about the accountability aspect of collaborative leadership and high performance. When using a process like the Jump-Start, High Performance Model, one that promotes collaborative and open communication, accountability becomes a supportive process that leads to greater success.
When I look at the essence of what this process is all about, I realize it is symbolic of the technological time we live in and the new networking opportunities that are possible. Even before the I-Pod culture became as developed as it is now, with the increase in technology, more information to digest, and teams who have global or remotes members, the essential alone quality of working in large organizations has been prevalent.
Because so much of our work is done via e-mail, we tend to work in our own pod or bubble, and have the illusion of connection, yet there is so much information and communication missing, that connection and relationship are stymied. Because our culture has become more virtual, it is essential to find ways that allow all members to experience the full advantage of being part of a team.
In the I-pod culture, where it is easy to reside, we tend to operate in the bubble of isolation. But if we have an accountability partner to discuss goals and action steps with, this bubble disappears, and the connection to other people, working either in the same region or on the same aspect of business, increases. With the increase in connection, solutions are easier to achieve.
As I mentioned earlier, accountability is a supportive process, leading to greater success. The Jump-start process helps companies go from an I-Pod culture to a We-Pod culture. Team members create partnerships that continue over time.
Below are a few tips for creating greater accountability in your teams:
This process begins to break down the isolation barriers that exist in a highly charged, busy and challenging environment. It also gives everyone opportunities for creative thinking, which in an overall way, develops the culture for innovation.
If you’d like to learn more about how to jump-start your team into High Performance, be sure to check out the virtual, interactive class series that starts on May 15. For more information visit: Jump-Start Your Team
Do you have any accountability experiences you’d like to share? I’d enjoying hearing from you; please be sure to leave a comment.
A few weeks ago I announced a new, online interactive training series starting May 15 that offers busy business executives a jump-start method for propelling their teams into high performance mode.
In today’s post, I want to more fully explain one of the main elements outlined in the series for creating high performance in business teams; the Communication and Connection aspect.
Often we think of communication as the sharing of information, our opinions and sometimes our new ideas. Have you found that this sharing is not always successful in that you do not receive the responses or results you intended? You are not alone. In my experience you must first have the intention for connection before true collaboration can take place. When you set your intention to connect by using the four parts of speech outlined below, you begin to see how you can engage others and be more engaged yourself and be part of a vibrant team that has the courage to communicate and connect with respect and trust for the process.
The four parts of speech that develop connection are: *
Framing – the process of creating the agenda for a meeting or conversation. It includes framing what is to be discussed, what are the preferred outcomes and how the conversation will proceed.
Illustration - provide familiar examples of what is being discussed to create reference points so people can personally relate to the discussion. This makes what is being said easier to relate to and something others can see themselves doing.
Advocacy – this is often the reason a conversation occurs in meetings especially when the leader has an agenda. When you allow for advocacy to occur from others, making it a part of the agenda, you empower your team and provide a stronger opportunity for expression. This part of speech is often a given but sometimes becomes too big a part of the conversation or agenda; make sure you manage the time well so that involvement and buy in of others can occur.
Inquiry – this is the least used part of speech and the most important component for connection, participation and buy-in. It means that every meeting and conversation is set up to include inquiry throughout. The questions are not challenges or asking for information, so much as inquiry about what they think about what you are saying and any questions they may have.
*Action Inquiry, Bill Torbert et al
Stay tuned for more information from the class series on creating collaborative, high-performing teams that are solution-focused.
Want the full high-performance jump-start process for your teams? Be sure to register form my Interactive, Online Series, starting May 15: Collaborative Leadership: High-Performance Model
Do you have any collaborative teaming experiences you’d like to share? I’d enjoying hearing from you; please be sure to leave a comment.
In today’s business environment, many business leaders are challenged with leveraging fewer resources for more profits, including their workforce, making team collaboration an essential part of their success.
If you are a leader struggling with team productivity and results, you don’t want to miss my upcoming interactive teleclass series: Collaborative Leadership: How to Harness the power of your People, starting on May 15, which provides 4 practical steps for jump-starting your team’s results.
In this interactive teleclass series you will learn:
• New information on neuroscience, it’s relation to High Performance and how to use it to jump-start your team
• Detailed 4-meeting jump-start collaborative program that you can implement today
• Communication techniques on how to create connection and alignment
• How to use the four Parts of Speech that create partnerships for greater results
• Accountability as a process that can be implemented with specifications and partnerships
• Solution Focus and how it relates to High Performance
Dates: Tuesdays; May 15, May 22, May 29, June 5, and June 12
Time: 10 AM Pacific, 11AM Mountain, 12 Noon Central, 1PM Eastern
Sign up today: http://bit.ly/GTtjs9
I look forward to “seeing you” online and sharing the effective Team Alignment process for creating teams who communicate more effectively, with solution-focus and accountability.
Stay tuned for my next blog post which dives deeper into the aspects of creating new pathways in the brain that create higher performance and changes in mindset.