Ken

Thankfully, we no longer live in the day and age when workers were thought of as cogs in the wheel. If one cog broke down (literally or figuratively), then another cog was ready to take its place. Over the course of my work career, organizational theory and sound business practices have begun to take into account the well-being of employees. This shift has manifested itself in different business strategies, employee benefits, and work environments. Here is the next commitment healthy teams make: We are committed to the principles of self-care. The idea of self-care is more common, and talked about, than ever before. Overall, I believe this is a good thing. As long as the result isn't increased selfishness or narcissism, we should all be concerned with taking the best care of ourselves as possible. During 2019, I wrote about this idea of self-care. Here is part of what I…

Teams are more than just a collection of individuals doing individual things. But even they are working together, growing teams require growing individuals. In other words, a healthy team is not built with unhealthy individuals. Which brings us to the next commitment that healthy teams make: We are committed to being teachable and to take personal responsibility for our own leadership growth. No healthy leader ever stops learning, adjusting, and growing. Unhealthy leaders reach a base of knowledge and refuse to entertain new ideas or dissenting opinions. Those leaders are dangerous. They might be stuck in the past or blind to new opportunities. But even more dangerous than that, they won't attract (or keep) the people they need to be successful. When a teammate refuses to grow, they are putting the team at risk. If all they have to do is shovel dirt from one hole to another, maybe not.…

It sounds silly, but a healthy team is more than one person acting alone. That is called an individual action, not a team effort. As we are exploring what makes for a healthy team, I believe one of the most important commitments we can make is this: We are committed to helping each other succeed, because our individual effectiveness is directly related to our overall effectiveness. Teams are comprised of individuals with a variety of skills, abilities, and backgrounds. But this alone does not guarantee a high-performing, healthy team. That requires individuals to function like ... are you ready ... a team! Think about professional sports. Imagine an athlete that is only concerned about individual achievements or records. Every move is based on what will allow them to accomplish more. They decide not to do things that are outside their self-interest. If the athlete is a golfer, bowler, or singles…

Why do teams stacked with superstars fail to win championships? Whether it's business or sports, high-performing teams rely on more than just natural talent alone. Having been in various positions of senior leadership for nearly 30 years, I have noticed that the healthiest teams share certain commitments. It is the strength and keeping of these commitments that often make the difference. Here are the five commitments I believe are crucial to building an effective team: We are committed to building trust into our interpersonal and team relationships. We are committed to helping each other succeed, because our individual effectiveness is directly related to our overall effectiveness. We are committed to being teachable and to take personal responsibility for our own leadership growth. We are committed to the principles of self-care. We are committed to living on the solution side of every issue. We are committed to building trust into our…