| "Which is more important; relations or tasks?" The seasoned students, familiar with Hersey & Blanchard as well as the earlier works of Fred Fiedler, will confidently respond, "it depends on the situation." And that, of course, is a good answer. Still, I probe further. "Sure, we need to do both. But which is most important?" After a lively debate across the aisle of the classroom I finally offer my opinion. We must focus more on the relations because it is the most difficult thing we do.
Most employees are very good at what they do. (Otherwise, we would not employ them. Right?) Their competence is the very reason we hired them - they are very good at their job. The problem is, however, that when they go to work to do their job, there are other people there. And the other people screw everything up. The problem is not task competency, but relational competency.
Over the years, I have watched teams develop into driving forces with fully devoted members who are absolutely committed to their objectives and are completely aware of their interdependence on one another. I have observed these highly functioning teams pass through the stages of orientation, conflict, emergence, and now operate at an optimum level of high performance.
This high functioning teamwork first begins with a deliberate initial focus on the relations among members. Then the phenomenon is set in motion that heightens the sense of accomplishment; increases the collective level of confidence, and sustains a great intensity of enthusiasm. The RACE begins.
Relations
The starting line for teamwork is the rela-tions among the members. I am not suggesting by this that people are expected to see each other socially outside of work or even that they like one another (although this often occurs as a result over time). I am referring to efficient work relations, not necessarily personal friendships. Teams with good working relations operate with a collaborative interdependent exchange based upon mutual trust, respect, and commitment to the organizational mission and team objectives. These members know that others have skills and insights which are unique and that add value to the team. These members also realize that they themselves contribute in unique ways. They trust each other because they understand that all members are committed to the task at hand and are not out to satisfy their own personal agendas. Concentrating on relations first causes a chain reaction of high performance.
Accomplishment
The sense of accomplishment is always greater in a group than it is individually. If you have ever participated in an individual team sport you know exactly what I mean. Wrestling, tennis, track, and swimming are all examples of individual team sports. Individuals compete, win or lose, based on their own performance. The team score is predicated on the collective individual scores. An individual could have won all of his or her matches, while the team lost.
As a high school wrestler, I remember the joy of accomplishment being so much greater when the team won. While I won every one of my league matches, the bus rides home on the days the team lost were pretty quiet with no real celebration. However, the days the team won, I celebrated enthusiastically. My team won! The sense of accomplishment is always greater when the team wins. Organizational teams are just the same. It is simply impossible to experience that type of accomplishment alone.
Confidence
A great benefit of team accomplishment is the heightened confidence that results from team accomplishment. I think the reason that confidence is greater in a group is that a team sustains pride longer than individuals can through its perpetuating legends. Face it, when we enjoy success individually we begin to doubt ourselves and eventually suspect that we just got lucky and eventually doubt if we could ever do it again. It is harder to experience that spiral of doubt in a group because team members tend to perpetuate the accomplishment by reinforcing it through story telling.
Enthusiasm
When people feel that they are good at something they are more prone to try new things. Their confidence is greater and so is their enthusiasm. Teams are no different. People (individually) and teams (collectively) are more enthusiastic when confidence is high. Enthusiasm is a contagious optimism that opens doors of opportunity for organizations as well as individuals. Perhaps the most telling evidence of a team's level of enthusiasm is its eagerness to embrace new challenges. "We did it before and we can do it again...only better this time!"
Team members who win in today's organizational race have the ability to work with a team and create change. They are constantly working to enhance the relations with their colleagues. These enthusiastic team players make an immediate contribution to the whole organization and are committed to the ideal that if the team doesn't win, no one does. They accomplish great things with their teams and are open to change, not stuck in the trenches of habit and predictable patterns based solely on history. They are confident in their future because they understand and appreciate their history. Team members are enthusiastic because their confidence is based on genuine accomplishment that is shared by a team with which they continually and intentionally optimize their relations.
 Download PDF Version
|
