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Each
of these leaders were masters of change. One of the most
significant essentials for success during transition is
teambuilding. Leaders that can challenge, motivate, and
empower their teams through change are successful. Most
change disrupts teamwork. The leaders who can keep their
work teams focused during changes will have
organizations and businesses which thrive.
Health
care and banking are two industries, among many others,
which are experiencing dramatic change at this time. For
the last five years I have had the opportunity to
consult and train health care groups and banks during
their times of transition.
American
River Bank is a growing and profitable bank in
Sacramento
,
California
. Several years ago they were experiencing significant
growth and purchased another bank. One of the changes
that was impacting the bank was the integration of bank
officers from two different banking systems. The
question was raised, "How do you effectively merge
two banking teams?"
President,
Bill Young, effectively built a team that did not just
survive change, but thrived. They choose the theme for
the year, "Thrive in '95!" I spoke at
breakfast meetings and held special training sessions on
the importance and role of team players in the midst of
transition. I remember the high energy during these
sessions as work teams were synergized. The bank has
continued to grow and has a positive reputation in the
business community in
Sacramento
.
Capitol
Periodontal Group is a growing periodontal practice of
five doctors and about 35 employees. Dental specialists,
such as periodontists, depend on general dentists as the
gatekeepers for their continual referrals. When
gatekeepers begin to recommend other specialists,
business can eventually dry up. Several years ago, when
one partner left the group, the general dentistry
community wondered what was wrong. Why would one partner
leave a thriving business to join another? The staff
also struggled with this change since the one doctor
brought in a great deal of business.
But
Capital Periodontal Group focused on a strong strategic
mission. They developed a strategic plan for the
transition and kept focusing on sound periodontal health
care and building a team of caring workers. I
facilitated several workshops on team and patient
communication. In the past few years, the group has
added two more doctors and is recognized as a fun place
to work because of its team spirit. At a recent
workshop, each of the doctors sat and listened to small
groups of employees evaluate each doctor's communication
skills. I have worked with a lot of businesses in
communication. However, this is the first time I ever
saw partners who listened carefully to their staff
evaluate their communication skills with patients. No
wonder they are growing and the staff enjoy working
together.
When
taking a team through transitional times, we emphasize
the following five essentials. Not only are each of
these essential, but they are listed in the proper
order. Each one builds on the preceding one. Get one out
of place and you disrupt the team. The five essentials
are the basic outline of our consulting, training and
development.
Essential
One: Knowledge
Is
your company a learning organization? A learning
organization includes the following characteristics:
1. A belief that systems thinking is fundamental
2. A climate that encourages, rewards, and enhances
individual and collective learning
3. A view that holds surprises, mistakes, and failures
as learning opportunities
4. A desire for continuous improvement and renewal
5. Learning integrated with work
Do
you have knowledge workers or skilled workers?
Successful
businesses today focus on knowledge workers. Knowledge
workers are entrepreneurial —— visionary and
creative. They look at their job as a business and serve
other workers in the company as their customers.
Knowledge is the foundation to vision
Essential
Two: A Focused Vision
The
team must have a unified mission.
The team mission is not for the customers, it is for the
staff
The team mission must be developed by the staff ——
for ownership
Without knowledge, the team mission is a false hope
Essential
Three: Faith
Doubt
and skepticism will erode the team spirit
The dynamic team must have a strong faith and trust in
the mission
Faith is no stronger than the truth of its assumptions
Therefore, faith must be built on the first two factors:
Faith without knowledge and vision is merely presumption
Essential
Four: Initiative
Peter
Drucker says that "sooner or later all plans
degenerate into work."
How
do you motivate your staff to do their part? You don't.
Motivation is an inside job: It is internal. Therefore,
daily initiative comes from making sure each person is
doing the part of the whole that they feel they can best
contribute to the overall mission. Initiative without
knowledge, vision and faith is misguided energy.
Without
initiative, knowledge, vision and faith are just a
dream.
Essential
Five: Training and Development
Jerry
Rice of the 49'ers practices catching 100 balls a day
with one hand. You would think that after playing
professional football for over 10 years, he would know
how to catch a football, right? But he gives himself to
constant skill development. American Society of Training
and Development found the following major competencies
as models for human performance improvement:
Industry
or corporation awareness
Leadership skills
Interpersonal—relationship skills
Technological literacy
Problem—solving skills
Problem—definition skills
Systems thinking and understanding
Performance understanding
Knowledge of interventions
Business understanding
Organization understanding
Contracting skills
Advocacy skills
Coping skills
Ability to see the big picture
Great
teams are made up of knowledge workers, who have a
focused vision, believe in their mission, and empower
each other with their initiative and skill development.
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