OrgHealth’s Post

TRUSTING YOUR TEAM Once upon a time, I was leading teams across two countries. We had a training in which we were bringing in team members from one country to another. I disagreed with one of my team leads about some of the people she wanted to include. I thought we needed them to attend for 2 days, she thought they should be there for the 4 days. After our back and forth, I told my team lead “ I still don’t agree with your position but I trust your judgment. Let them attend the 4 days.” This was my way of communicating that I trust her judgment even if it doesn’t align with mine. Why the fuss over 2 or 4 days? It communicates the importance of everyone in the training. They are not there to make up a number. There must be added value that we expect them to bring to their work after the training. This is what my team lead tried to explain to me. I conceded that since she was closer to the ground, she had a view more relevant to the matter at hand than I. The financial cost of the decision was not a high one. It’s an investment in two groups of people. My team lead and the people she spoke up for. The bigger investment was my trust in her judgment. Are you showing your team your trust in them? As always. Keep Multiplying what you have been given by God in life. I am a Workplace Multiplier. Tola Akinsulire #workplacemultipliers #empoweryourteam #leadershipdevelopment #trustyourpeople #delegation #strongerteams #highperformingteams #employeeengagement #motivatedworkforce #positiveworkculture #investinyourpeople #growthmindset #leadershiplessons #buildtrust #empowerment #managementtips #healthyworkplace #careerdevelopment #professionaldevelopment

TRUST AND BEING ACCOUNTABLE In a recent team training it became clear that while being accountable requires integrity, honesty, and a willingness to take ownership of one’s actions so that expected results are consistently achieved, it also requires reciprocated TRUST. Fundamentally, it means doing what you said you would do, when you said you would do it and it intimately affects other people. To improve and complete promises on time, involves being open to feedback. Then, trust for the people with whom we work is becomes an important element. Our personal openness and vulnerability is critical to consistently performing accountably and improving our practice of being accountable. So if being open to any particular person or team risks our embarrassment, we naturally become reluctant to engage or interact. We will tend to reduce our promises and commitments to that person or team or find excuses for our non-performance or delays. Being accountable is as much a process of communication as it is of performance. Make sure you "train" your team and co-workers to expect your openness and willingness to accept feedback and make changes. After a while, they will begin to enjoy talking and engaging with you to accomplish tasks and projects and will work through the issues without rancor or negativity. Know that as we continue the journey to becoming exceptionally accountable, performance and productivity will increase for ourselves, our teams, and our businesses. In light of this theme, your comments and feedback to this post are most welcome. Owen

Celebrating Vulnerability: A Key Step Toward Building Stronger Teams Today, I experienced a first in my career—one that reinforced my belief in the power of vulnerability and how it can make us a stronger team. As a self-professed "fan girl" of Patrick Lencioni. His work has deeply influenced how I approach teamwork and leadership, so much so that I’m currently on my second copy of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The first copy was so tattered from the countless notes I’d scribbled and the number of times I’d returned to its pages for guidance. Lencioni’s insights on building trust, fostering accountability, and creating cohesive teams are not just theoretical—they are practical tools that have shaped my thinking over the years. People often aspire to build high-functioning teams, but achieving one or being a part of one can feel as elusive as finding a unicorn. This truth became even clearer during a development program I’m participating in at CloudFactory. During the first module, we were tasked with getting real-time feedback from our colleagues. As luck would have it, and by complete accident, my cohort for this program consists of the very team I work with daily—an exceptional group of professionals I deeply respect. The questions we were asked to address were anything but easy: - What is it like to be on the other side of me? - What tendencies (behaviors, mindset, actions, etc.) undermine my influence with you? - If I could work on one thing to improve my character, what would it be? Even in teams with high trust, these kinds of questions can be challenging to both ask and answer. However, as Lencioni says, "Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability." And that’s exactly what we did. Instead of offering this feedback in private to each other, we chose to gather as a team and share our feedback openly and honestly, in person. What struck me most was the atmosphere in the meeting—no egos, no excuses, and no defensiveness. It was refreshing. In an environment where vulnerability was not only accepted but embraced, we were able to exchange candid insights and constructive feedback that, ultimately, will make us stronger. It’s moments like these that remind me why I value this team so much. The willingness to be vulnerable, to seek growth, and to prioritize collective success over individual pride is what I believe truly defines a high-functioning team.

Did you know there are 5 different generations in today's workforce? 😮 With the workplace including more generations than ever before, it is crucial that organisations find creative ways to bring colleagues together and bridge generational disconnects. At Grayce, we're doing this through reverse mentoring! Reverse mentoring sees junior colleagues mentoring their more senior counterparts, giving them the opportunity to share their perspectives whilst also gaining an understanding of how business decisions are made. The benefits? Improved engagement, informed business decisions, and real-time feedback ✅ Hear more from Grayce's Performance & Development Director, Gemma Collins: https://ow.ly/BeoA50QulCF #ReverseMentoring #Mentoring #EDI

Our Values: Fairness Support-Edu is built on 5 core values. We exhibit these in our work, but also believe that they form a key part of leadership, team building and delivering performance conversations. When reading this piece, consider the following questions: How does fairness build alignment/strength in a team? How does fairness enable successful performance conversations How does fairness help in the change management process? How does fairness achieve the main thing – trust! Our first value is that of fairness. The dictionary definition of fairness is: the quality of treating people equally or in a way that is right or reasonable   We would add to this in a leadership context – adding the need to be honest and authentic with individuals and your team. They know where they stand with you as a leader. This means defining your non-negotiables but also have the flexibility to be fair depending on the circumstance and context that you find yourself in. Jim Afernow talks about authenticity: “do you believe in something or are you dealing with things randomly?” If you, as a leader, do not apply the same standards across your organisation, then trust diminishes. This is supported by Owen Eastwood who writes that “What we say and what we do are the same”. Consider how your actions can be perceived. What behaviours do you let go? What standards do you let slip? If you, as a leader, allow one member of your team to break the team rules or disrupt the non-negotiables then what are you saying about their importance? Amy Edmondson (Harvard) talks about fairness when it comes to voicing opinions. She believes that “when people can speak up at work, the learning, innovation and performance is greater”. When people, therefore, are treated fairly in an environment of trust, when they believe they will be given fair treatment when they volunteer ideas, then the team works better. This also applies when it comes to giving and receiving feedback. Feedback is vital in an environment of trust, and people need to feel that they are being dealt with fairly. Karen Martin of BBH believes that you should be tough on the issue but soft on the person – make feedback about the facts of the professional matter, not about the personal self. Dan Carter talks about clear, precise and direct communication – fairness in the way you deliver your feedback. Support-Edu strives to empower people and organisations shape their future.     We are now accepting bookings for one-off training days, twilight INSETs and regular courses for June 2024 and beyond.   For more information about our programmes, please do contact me via LinkedIn, on email (john@support-edu.com) and check out our website – www.support-edu.com  

It is no secret that we are all different. Different things motivate us to get up every morning. Different things stress us. We embrace the differences and we actively promote a diverse workforce. So why don’t ALL organisations understand the absolute importance of ‘human’ training? As a manager, when you are training your team in a new process, do you realise that Charlie wants to know how to do the new task in lots of detail and why, whereas Izzy just wants to know the top line information and to get on with it? Would it surprise you to know that if you skimmed over the detail, Charlie would feel stressed, in the same way that if you went into vast detail with Izzy she would switch off and learn nothing? When an established process at work is about to change, do you take Simon to one side and ensure you explain the change and support him through the process, knowing that he will find it difficult? Do you just give Diana a brief overview of the change, knowing she will confidently take immediate action and embrace the change about to happen? When you are praising your team, do you take Clare to one side and quietly let her know she is doing a good job, because you know that she will feel incredibly uncomfortable if you praise her in front of others? Do you praise Raj in front of the whole team in the morning meeting, because you know that he is motivated by social recognition? When there is conflict in the team, do you speak to Dean about showing more patience and empathy to the rest of the team and being less forceful and direct? Conversely do you ensure you listen more to Sofia and give her extra support, as you know she will be struggling with the lack of harmony within the team? Or is it just a one size fits all approach with your communication? Understanding the individuals within your teams is the only way to get the team working productively and cohesively together. Being understood, means your teams will be more engaged with their work and the organisation and more motivated to perform well. We used to say ‘treat people how you would want to be treated’ but now we know we have to ‘treat people how they want to be treated’ If you would like to equip your team with better management and team working skills, get in touch! lucy@surgeahead.co.uk 07713 069050 #talentmanagement #peopledevelopment #learninganddevelopment

Once you understand what peer-based and behavioral accountability practices are and the status of your team, you can put together an action plan that will help propel your team to be the best one you have ever been a part of. Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q02lD8nG0

Standing out is more straightforward and achievable than you might think. Whether you're angling for a promotion, looking for mentorship or just want to be more recognized, focus on these elements.

Standing out is more straightforward and achievable than you might think. Whether you're angling for a promotion, looking for mentorship or just want to be more recognized, focus on these elements.

Standing out is more straightforward and achievable than you might think. Whether you're angling for a promotion, looking for mentorship or just want to be more recognized, focus on these elements.