February 2014 Newsletter - Keeping Your Team on Track

Letter from the Editor

By the time we get to this point in the year, it is pretty safe to say that many of us have a bit, if not a lot, of cabin fever. Especially this year, and winter isn’t even over yet! And, since we have absolutely no control of what Mother Nature chooses to send our way, we might as well get creative around what we get!You see, we can either complain about the circumstances we find ourselves in or we can create from them. So, which category do you fall into?If you find that you are in the complaining category, my guess is that it’s done you very little good. So, why not take on creating instead?Use any energy you might have used to complain to create instead! Create special moments by spending quality time with your family on “snow days.” Simply choose to slow down and be present to the beauty around you. Make a difference where a difference needs to be made... help your co-worker... help your neighbor... help a stranger!Nature has a phenomenal ability to provide for us what we need, and maybe the unusual winter weather, that has enveloped so many of us, is Mother Nature’s way of helping us slow down and simply be present. So, embrace it! Spring will spring soon enough, and all of the activity that comes with it will begin to swirl too.Warm Regards,

Clay S. Nelson

Assumptions... We all Know What They Make Out of You and Me

You’ve likely heard the adage, “Assumptions make an *** out of you and me.” Yet, we all make them! But, what if you gave up assuming those things you assume to be true... even just for a day? How different might your day turn out?Assumptions are something we make-up when we don’t fully understand a situation or we have not listened well. They are like the missing pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, and they allow us to make sense of an event, or something someone says, or something that happens in our lives. The problem with assumptions is that very rarely are they correct, which means assumptions can get us into trouble... fast!Our incredible, creative, make-it-up machine brains assume things; we make stuff up and eventually, what our brains ponder over time becomes a perceived reality... when in fact it is 100% false! And, we do it without even realizing it is happening.Now, while a certain amount of assumptions are necessary, the point is that we assume things to be true that turn out not to be true all of the time!!! For instance:

• We assume we know what other people are thinking and what they are going to say.
• We assume how people are going to act and we even assume we know how we are going to react in any given situation, but the truth is WE DON’T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING!!!

Giving up Assumptions

To give up making assumptions, you have to give up “being right” and the fear of being wrong. It really is that simple!

• If we would simply communicate with our loved ones when they leave us wondering if our relationship is okay and ASK them if all is alright, we won’t assume the worst!
• If we would simply ask for clarification when we don’t understand something, we won’t have to make up what we don’t know.
• If we would simply communicate what was communicated to us, rather than including our own editorial on what someone might be thinking or feeling, we wouldn’t find ourselves with an exaggerated version of a story weeks later.

Assumptions of the wrong kind create a great deal of wasted time and efforts, misunderstanding, unending stress, and mental hurdles that don’t even exist! To eliminate a great deal of this from our lives, all we have to do is ask more questions, communicate fully and completely, and give up assumptions. While that doesn’t always come easily, it is simple to do! Get in tune with the assumptions you make. Where are you assuming things that you shouldn’t? Then choose to communicate instead!

Keeping Your Team on Track

It can be a challenge to keep your team on track and performing at their best—all the time!We are all human and when the world around us is being negative, it is easy to fall into negative thinking ourselves. Yet, you can’t afford to have a team of negative people around you. You need your team to stay motivated, excited, sharp, and on track.Here are some team pitfalls to watch out for and some tips on how to move your team members past them:

The “good enough” syndrome

The “good enough” syndrome is when your team has experienced some success—a few wins or they assume they’ve accomplished as much as can be given the current economic conditions—and they begin to sit back and coast.What’s important, first, is to thoroughly acknowledge your team for its accomplishments. Make sure they really get your communication about the fantastic job they have done so far. Next, communicate with your team and help them refocus on your company’s business plan and purpose or mission statement. Ask team members to state what it means to them to fulfill the business plan and to further the company’s reason for being. Then ask them to recommit!

The “blame game”

When your team has been missing its goals, sometimes it slows down its production or the quality of its work even more because it is busy blaming someone outside the company or circumstances for how the company is doing.The antidote for this team behavior is a review of what it means to be accountable. At some moment in the past, team members agreed to allow you to hold them accountable. Now is the time to do that. Make sure they understand the impact on the company when the team ignores its accountability. Ask them to recommit to be accountable in the future. Say something that completes the issue and reestablishes the relationship with each member.

“When one member is in breakdown, the whole team breaks down”

Sometimes, when one team member is experiencing personal or other problems, that member’s performance breaks down. Often, the remaining team members use that circumstance as an excuse for them to stop functioning, as well.Team members need to be reminded about their power—their power to produce results, even if one of their members is not contributing. And, they should be reminded about their power of choice—that they can choose to give as much effort as they decide to give.

Bottom Line:

Spend some time thinking about your team and how it functions. It isn’t wise to assume that your team will function at its best all the time, as if it is on automatic pilot. Be proactive and sensitive to what’s happening with your team. Part of being a leader is being a good coach or mentor for your own team. Why not check in with your team today?