Daniel shares some observations about successful team culture in this follow-up to his recent post, The Monday Morning Huddle.

Related posts:

1. The Monday Morning Huddle
2. Conflict: Friend or Foe?
3. Bifocal Vision Required

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We all walk through life hearing about what we should do to improve. Still, most of us struggle with changing our behavior.

Over the years, I have coached thousands of people in one-on-one or group sessions. Most of these coaching conversations revolved around the topic of improvement — quality of life, business results, health, relationships, team performance. People typically hire a coach because they believe they will have a better chance of making the necessary changes with a coach on their team.

And of course, I agree!

The problem is that almost all of these improved results require improved behaviors, and behavior is not easily changed. If we want to change our behavior, we must change our thinking. And to change our thinking, we must be able to clearly define “why.”

Our “why” must be worth shaking up our comfortable behaviors. If it is not, we will go through life knowing we should improve in certain areas, but we won’t until it is too late.

So, how do you find your “why?”

Change can be negatively or positively motivated. For example:

Positive: I will exercise 5 days per week so that I am able to connect with my kids by playing with them and doing things they like to do.

Negative: I will exercise 5 days per week in order to reduce the odds of my health failing and being a burden to those I care for.

I believe that we are most likely to sustain healthy habit changes if we can connect our “why” to something positive.

Additionally, it is best when we can connect our “why” to those we care about most, or to a cause that is bigger than ourselves. We all want to make a difference with our lives. As a result, we want our actions and gifts to contribute to the people and causes we are passionate about.

Is there a habit you want to improve, a gap you want to close, or even a talent you want to further leverage? Take some time and figure out “why.” It will be well worth the time invested.

Why not?

Related posts:

1. Goal or Discipline?
2. Me First!

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A few years ago, I started working with the leadership of a UK based petroleum additives firm. One of their primary initiatives is “organizational excellence.” Last week, I spent time with the leadership of a huge restaurant chain whose first principle of success is “operational excellence.”

Tomorrow I will be with a mortgage banking firm, and “manufacturing quality” is one of their guiding principles. Now, “manufacturing quality” does not have the word excellence in it, but as I read what it means to them the word excellence jumped right out.

As leaders, we must closely examine this trend.

Today’s consumers are experience minded. They like to buy from those they have relationship with and who have the ability to deliver excellence in their buying experience.

I have coached many leaders who have overlooked the need to make organizational, operational, or service excellence the foundation of how they deliver their products or services. They spend all sorts of time and money sending their clients handwritten notes and elaborate Harry and David gift baskets, hoping this will result in raving fans.

What we all must remember is that no matter how much fruit is in the gift basket or how nicely worded our notes are, if we did not deliver our product or service with excellence, the note and basket won’t matter.

Offering excellent services or products is the starting line; it is what allows us to compete in today’s business environment. If we don’t have excellence as a deep conviction tied to clear behaviors, we are likely to have businesses that are very much like leaky buckets. We will work hard to attract new customers today as we lose yesterday’s customers due to mediocrity.

At Building Champions, one of our Convictions is that we exemplify excellence in all we do.

Striving for Excellence,

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When you feel unsure about next quarter, next week, or even tomorrow, fear can take over. It’s easy to lose sight of your larger plan when you feel like you’re scrambling. I’ve found, time and time again, that the best remedy for fear and uncertainly is a healthy dose of vision.

Whether you know it or not, your team is probably feeling the same uncertainty. Will my husband lose his job? How much of a loss will we take if we sell the house now? Can we still afford that vacation if I bring in less commissions?

The urgency of today pulls our eyes downward, and it’s more important than ever that we see there is something better ahead that’s worth fighting for. We all need to know that we’re a part of something bigger.

The 3-B Vision is the best tool I’ve found when coaching my clients on vision. Essentially, this tool helps you answer three questions:

1. To what will my team members BELONG?
2. If they invest their time and effort in this organization, who will they BECOME?
3. Together, what are we going to BUILD?

If you’ve created a vision already, it’s time to dust it off. Walking through this tool can help you see it with new eyes. If you’ve never created a vision before, then 3-B Vision is a great way to get started. I invite you to email us at info@buildingchampions.com to request a copy.

Make the time to lift your eyes up above the uncertainty of today. I know you will be refreshed by seeing the promise of what you belong to, who you can become, and what you are to build.

May this help you to see things more clearly,

Related posts:

1. Bifocal Vision Required

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Dealing with these very real scenarios can really bring a leader down.  And the unfortunate thing is that, if he spends too much time each day focused on these activities for too long, he and his team will begin to lose sight of why they do what they do.  They will lose sight of the mission, they will no longer see opportunity, and they will lose hope. 

Ultimately, if the leader has both eyes down on the data, the organization’s health and culture will suffer.

For the last few years, I’ve been saying that the best leaders have what I call bifocal vision.  They have the ability to keep one eye down looking at reality while keeping the other eye up looking at the future.  They do spend time managing to the very real challenges of today.  But they also spend time playing offense, sharing vision and executing plans that will help them and their teams to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

I know from personal experience that this can be very difficult for a leader.  But without bifocal vision, I have seen leaders kill their organizations — long before they ran out of cash.

Action Plans:

1. Schedule time to review your key reports or scorecard.  Weekly is usually enough, but during times of crisis you may need to see the data daily.
2. Schedule time weekly to review your vision.  During times of crisis or real challenge, you might need to review it daily.
3. Share a portion of your vision with your team weekly.  This can be done by discussing a conviction and its corresponding behaviors during a weekly team meeting.  Or you could communicate one key element of what you see the organization or team becoming in an email message (or for even greater impact, try recording a short video from your desk).  The purpose is to keep the team balanced between dealing with the very real and sometimes painful changes of today, and remaining passionate and engaged with the possibility of tomorrow.

Keep one eye down and one eye up!

Related posts:

1. Belong, Become, Build

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