Work Together as a Team

Every wise leader enjoys doing work together as a team that hits targets and achieves goals? It's the highlight of any leader's experience.

If you lead a team, make sure they are quality people, conscious of the effective use of time. To the degree you have influence, exercise it in helping every member of that team make the most significant contribution they can. 

On the flip side, quality team members want you also doing the most important thing at any given point in time. By your very position, you are in a place to advance the purposes of the organization. These men and women want you operating at peak efficiency.

Additionally, they don’t want you to burn out by doing too many things with too few resources and too little assistance. Allow these people to care about you and to challenge your thinking. Good people are an asset.

Five Days of Coaching to Work Together as a Team

DAY ONE

Take some time today to think about your team members. What influence do you have in their lives? They in yours? How are they supportive of your efforts? How plugged in are they to having you at your best? What have they been saying that you would do well to pay attention to?

The Coach asks:

• Far too often leaders think of team as only one way - from leader to team member. This isn't as effective as a two-way relationship. What feedback are you getting from your team? What is important for you to pay attention to? 
• Take some time to reflect on your own "philosophy" of what it is to work together as a team. Capture your thoughts. What have you noticed about yourself? Your attitude toward the team? 
• In what ways do you contribute to the personal and professional growth of team members? 
• What else would you be able to do that would build up your team? What could you do to allow them to build you up? What kind of a difference do you think these efforts would make? 

DAY TWO

What influence do you have in selecting team members? How do you go about getting quality people who can really assist in advancing the aims of the organization? Develop a long-term strategy for getting the best people you can. Be cautious of loading your team with your clones. You want people who can challenge your thinking.

The Coach asks:

• How do you go about selecting those who work on your team? What characteristics are you looking for? What definitely causes you to say, "no?"
• What is your long-term strategy for continuing to get the best people on your team? 
• How well do your team members understand what exactly it is that the organization wishes to achieve? How well can you articulate the "deliverables?"
• How often and how well do your team members challenge you to think bigger? How could this be fostered both ways? 

DAY THREE

Does your team believe they have the freedom to make a difference or do they see themselves as token contributors only? Create systems so their expertise and insights are utilized.

The Coach asks:

• What do your team members believe about their contribution making a difference? How accurate do you think their belief or assumption is? 
• How are good ideas and contribution recognized? 
• What single area, system or practice could be adjusted to foster greater contribution, thus "upping the game" of your work together as a team?
• If any, what individual or few individuals might benefit from changing their attitude or adjusting their performance? What will you do about this?     

DAY FOUR

Take the time today to thank your team members for their input.   Let them know that you value their efforts.

The Coach asks:

• What constitutes genuine appreciation?
• Do some research today around what employees say most contributes to job satisfaction. What did you learn? 
• How often do you, or are you able, to engage individuals one to one? What is your aim in doing this? What kind of a difference is it making? 
• Take the time to thank key leaders today. Make it a point to do the same with others on the team, for the next few days or until you cover the whole team. 

DAY FIVE

Are you on a team? Are you marking time or making real contribution? Determine to be a positive and supportive contributor. If you believe you have given all the input that you can, maybe it's time to leave. Allow fresh energy and insight to step forward.

The Coach asks:

• Be honest. What kind of a contributor are you to the team and the work it is to be doing? Do an "inventory" of the positive difference you make week by week. 
• How sensitive are you to knowing when to leave? Do you feel this is something a leader should give consideration to? On a scale of 1 - 10 where is your enthusiasm and engagement for this organization and the role you play?
• What would fresh energy and insight actually look like? 
• How willing are you to grow and invest in the role you play? What will you do as a result of reflecting on this? 

Spiritual Reflection for Christian Leaders

As a Christian Executive Leadership Coach I encourage Christian leaders to reflect on God's Word to add to their wisdom.

• Rm 16:3  Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 

• Ps 78:72  And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. 

• Rm 12:6 - 8  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If you gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach ...

• Ex 18:21  But select capable men from all the people, men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain, and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 

• Lk 9:1,2  When Jesus had called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 

• Ex 31:1 - 11  Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have chosen Bezalel ... and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills, to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of cfrafts. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab .. to help him. 

If you are a leader, executive, or senior level professional looking to work with a Christian Executive Coach, I invite you to connect with me here.

If appropriate, we can meet by phone or Zoom to discuss your situation.

Record Your Progress

This is your opportunity to track your progress. Start by asking yourself how important this practice is to you? Record the importance as - not at all, somewhat, fairly, highly or extremely. 

Now next to it ask yourself how well you carry out this practice. Record your performance as - very poor, poor, okay, good or very good. 

The things we track, we pay attention to. Across time, come back and record your new results. You will find that as you are intentional about making improvements, you will bump your "score" up higher. 

This is significant. Don't miss the opportunity to acknowledge your success, and use it as a springboard for making even further gain. 

Notes

It's a real personal thrill to lead and be a part of something that works well. A group of individuals who order themselves to work together as a team, and do it well, is something to experience. 

Teams a a curious mix of the unknown and the cultivated. Wise leaders pour their time into the cultivation of a well working team. And that effort gets noticed.