Relationship Building with Teams

From sharing a common goal, common tasks to sharing a rapport of working together, a few jokes here and there, sometimes teasing a team member… all this and more goes on when teams are formed. Some members would like to keep the relationship very professional where as some others would like to meet after the office hours for a couple of drinks.

Managing the relationship sometimes gets tough for the managers, and they encounter various problems sometimes to such an extent that the coalition disrupts to the level of beyond revamp.

What can be done by Managers to create magical teams where the problems can be resolved before they erupt? How can it be handled in a way that the team does not plummet?

Emotional Intelligence-EQ: Yes, it has been a very popular topic of discussion in the recent years, but alas the patience level of our people in the organizations is taking a plunge and from destructive feedback, to hurling abuses, to less ratings we are doing all of it just to pull each other down. Where is the empathy factor? Bring it back, empathize with your team members and once the relationship starts to develop you will see the results.

Trust: Instill that confidence in them every time they are seeking any guidance on new projects, or experimenting with the ideas. As a manager your role is focused on the objectives of the team and how to accomplish them, for that building a sense of trust in each member is suggested. Give them constructive feedback, let them be involved in decision making and nurture them as family members at times. Investing time and effort to guide them will bring back desired results.

Recognition: Although recognition brings trust still we will discuss it as a separate point, make them feel good, praise them, review their performances, and say good things and the ball is in your court then. The team will reach the destination without many hurdles of relationship related issues. The confident team can bring better results than the stressed team; choice is yours! Which one would you want to choose?

Manager’s perception: Please understand this; your perception is not necessarily a reality, so do not bring in stereotypical thinking in between the relationship with your team. Do not perceive, as people may not like to be handled in a particular way. Individuals are unique and so are their problems and solutions.

Resolve their conflicts: Take them and their problems seriously, if some one comes with a conflict do not hesitate to ask questions, do not avoid thinking that it may get resolved on its own, sometimes smaller problems take time to get resolved as unique people carry different emotional baggages and their perceptions do not give them a chance to resolve those problems as they may have encountered a similar thing in the past and their beliefs are set. Identify the root of the issue without wasting any time and effort, just deal with the conflict with your maturity and experience.

Apart from these suggestions, managers can involve various team building and relationship building activities during work hours; it will not only help in creating a better team culture but also break the monotony of the work/project. The leader’s job is to bring creativity amongst the team members and make their relationship as healthy as possible to reach to the desired goals.

Some activities which can be used for relationship building are:

Trust walks: Make pairs in a team, and then one member can go blindfolded and the other partner can guide him/her without speaking, to the other end of the room with lots of hurdles(read objects like chair, dustbin etc). It makes it fun as well as creates a sense of trust amongst the team members.

Tell me a truth and a lie: Ask all the team members to write a truth and a lie about themselves on a piece of paper and ask others to guess which one is a lie and which one is a truth.

Jigsaw Puzzle: Divide the team in to two groups and give them a jigsaw puzzle to solve. The way they communicate, and work towards solving the given task, will reflect in their real life project.

more at http://www.citeman.com/14906-relationship-building-with-teams-image-added-please-publish.html#ixzz2c857AnWb

Avoid the Trap – Weigh Your Alternatives

A point of cross roads or a dilemma, you can call it any name. Choosing an option, whether to follow your boss after he has decided to call it off with the present company while quietly extending an offer your way to join them in their next venture or to stay put. Its tough to take a call here but if you brood over this profoundly you may get the answers you are looking for.

Consider thoughts like, do you enjoy working for them? Which is the most important question of moving with him/her to a new job? If you don’t like working for them then switching jobs will not improve your work environment or working conditions. If you do enjoy working with your present boss, then that is a positive reason to move, but remember if you don’t like working for him, just because he has a new job doesn’t mean his personality will change or his work ethics.

Sometimes we consider this as a safe bet and move on but how many times do we consider a question. What am I moving for? Is there anything for me in this shift or its just an unadorned option of following blindly?

Ensure you are not losing your identity in the course of such an action; the relationship you share today may turn sour tomorrow and then what? Weigh your options in a manner that will bring fruits for you in the long term.

Think about responsibilities, your role, the company and brand name( if you are interested in that), the freedom of thoughts to work, creativity factor, your dignity in the due course, the relationship you share and if this is what you planned for your self or not? Sometimes, though we get attracted towards the monetary benefits we fail to realize that the new role may not fit us but only be conducive to our bosses.

Upside:

• The boss knows you well, and the gelling obviously will pay a crucial role in working together in the new assignment also. How to capitalize on your strengths and weaknesses is the boss’s job and if (s) he is good at that then why not?

• It is wise in some cases to shift, chiefly when you know that this is how you get better opportunities and this person can actually guide you towards the right direction. The faith in your mentor if you consider them one is the key in situations like that. Once you plan your move, don’t look back for any reasons of regret.

• Better & superior opportunities await you on the other side, most of the times this is what happens if the move is planned as your boss has obviously moved for a higher package, a larger role and enriched responsibilities, the bigger his pie the chances are you are going to get the large chunk of the pie as his/her pet.

Downside:

Following him/her sometimes is like being a shadow…and not actually looking for your own growth.

• Sometimes, an employee is just left to being a dummy and then these people don’t enjoy the stint by following their bosses. Low respect, no dignity and other similar factors come in the way of success then and the bell of regret is all that rings in the mind.

• Most of the time the Boss is moving for his own benefit, and on his own conditions, if you think that they match with you then go ahead but if not then discourage your thoughts of going on with him especially if you have no other motive than just being an acquaintance to your boss.

• Once you ponder on the reasons you may realize that staying back may offer a better opportunity, you might end up in the same position as a successor, which  might not be the case if you follow.

Here is the self confessed real story of agony of following blindly,

I am working with the same Boss for the last 6 years. I have been with him in the last 3 companies. Now due to the long relationship he has started taking me for granted.
Some of the important points I am narrating below:

1. No exposure to senior management
I am in the current company since the last 3 years and all theese 3 years he has stopped me from interacting with the senior management of the company. Whatever I am doing as my job role; He shows to the top bosses as if he has done them. He stops me from talking & mailing to them. He manages region & I am handling location but he stops me from interacting with my counterparts even at the location level.

2. Harassment assuming he is the Godfather for me
Due to the long relationship he has started taking me for granted, he harasses me like anything. No leaves, No Saturday offs, unnecessary work pressure. The way he interacts with me & my counterparts is totally different where in he insults me in front of my counterparts & team mates. He thinks I don’t have any option other than him.

3. Dual reporting problem
Due to structure change now, I am reporting to 2 bosses (Old one & new One (Business Head)). Actually my Old boss is VP & New Boss is SVP. Old boss stops me from interacting, sharing data, coordinating with him. Due to which new boss thinks I am a bit reserved towards him. He tells me don’t interact with him as I have done everything here for 3 years and this guy is trying to take the credit where as on the other hand he himself interacts with him and shows him the picture that he is doing everything in my location.

4. No decision making powers
He has not given me any decision making powers so far. Whenever any approval of my level comes in; He stops me from making any decision giving the reason of lack of experience for the same.

Changing to a new job without a lot of pondering and honest soul-searching can sometimes be the best thing you could do for your career. So please ensure you don’t fall in the trap where the piece of cheese is bigger but not tasty

more at http://www.citeman.com/16448-avoid-the-trap-%e2%80%93-weigh-your-alternatives.html#ixzz2VnlsMklz