“What’s present when teams work?” by Sandhya Maheshwari

There is a lot of material available about “teamwork” that provides the mechanics of a powerful team, the characteristics of a winning team, the important aspects of a team, and so on and so forth. My intention is not to compile a bunch of information and repackage in my own words. Instead I am going to share from my heart some of my experiences around team and teamwork.  What is present when teams work? What’s missing when “team” is not present?

I assert that people around me in my life are there “by design”; that there is no accident who is around me (whether in the work place, or in my life at home, or in my community). Another way of saying it is that what I am attracting in my life is directly related to the basic beliefs I have already developed about life. There is no “wrong” boss, “wrong” coworker, “wrong” business associate.  I invite you to consider that there is something available in terms of creating team and teamwork in any situation that allows us to produce measurable results with ease and freedom, as well as to have love and affinity present in all of our conversations and relationships.

Out of my experience of working with people in corporations I have seen how the contribution of each and every person in a department directly or indirectly impacts the final outcome. Where there is workability there is team present whether it has been declared or remains in the unspoken.  Team leaders/bosses act as coaches and mentors and cause others to produce results on an increasing scale. Certain elements are key to creating team whether at home, at work or in our communities, and are as follows:

• Having clear communication.  Clear communication is more than just communicating clearly. It is making sure that your communication is being understood by the other. Having them recreate what you said such that both of you are clear and what you have said has been gotten.
• Listening to others. We listen most effectively when we are being in the other person’s world and getting what they are dealing with and what they are up against. When I listen to my team and get in their world I find them inventing new ways of producing results that they did not know was possible. Another way of saying it is that when a person is fully heard they can then invent and create beyond what they have known themselves to be.
• Integrity – There are many definitions of Integrity. The one that I am referring to here is “honoring your word.” That does not mean keeping my word (Yes, you read it correctly).  “Honoring your word” does not mean “Keeping your word.” A person of integrity does not always keep their word but they always honor their word. Honoring your word means treating your words with deep respect.  Don’t give your word to look good.
• Acknowledging others leaves them empowered.  Many of us have been recipients of this gift. I am referring to the wide spectrum of gestures beginning from a gentle smile to an award. The little tap on the shoulder or hearing the words “Good Job” energizes the employees and enhances the quality of what they do next. It is one of my favorite things to practice. Giving acknowledgement leaves me related, connected, and it gives me an opportunity to contribute. It is easy, simple and very powerful.

Though many of us may prefer to do everything ourselves we have the opportunity to maximize our resources when we work as team. A team allows results that would otherwise not be possible. We see the results of powerful teams and teamwork around us in many areas like successful businesses, sports, non-profit organizations and very importantly our homes. Creating team and teamwork is possible in any situation, thus creating an opening for having extraordinary results especially in those areas of our lives that are important to us.

What’s Your Story? By Corinne M. Smereka

“A big part of a CEO’s job is to motivate people to reach certain goals. To do that, he or she must engage their emotions, and the key to their hearts is story.”

-Robert McKee, Harvard Business Review, June, 2003

“Every great leader is a storyteller.”

-Howard Gardner, Five Minds for the Future

Stories sell.  Stories persuade.  Stories inspire.  So, why not use them consistently to stake out a position in the marketplace, pitch new business ideas to investors, explain why a failure was actually a success, or inspire others to reach new performance heights?  Companies like Kaiser Permanente, Intel, Nestle, Lufthansa, and Samsung are using storytelling for innovative long range planning, marketing and persuasion, and product redesign. In fact, the ancient art of storytelling is emerging as a 21st century corporate planning and communication strategy, and nowhere is this more powerful than in the executive presentation toolkit.  In the critical art and science of influencing, storytelling captures the hearts and minds of the audience.

Humans are hard-wired to listen to and tell stories, and have been telling stories since first huddling in front of the cave fire.  People retain information, change behavior and become inspired through storytelling.  Stories fire up our imagination, present us with ideas, and move us into action. Storytelling, combined with other presentation strategies can keep audiences engaged, and drive business decisions with velocity, power and momentum.

Watch closely as a presenter introduces a topic by saying, “Let me tell you a story.”  People settle down, get comfortable in their seats, focus their attention, and listen.  How many people have this laser-like focus combined with rapt attention in viewing a PowerPoint presentation loaded with graphs, charts and bullet points?  And yet… the vast majority of corporate executive presentations are saturated with mind-numbing sets of facts combined with complex analysis.  Analysis can excite the mind, but it rarely offers a pathway to change or influence, and most importantly – the heart.

Story establishes a personal connection to the presenter and the information, and if we truly want to influence people’s choices, enroll them in vision, or spur them into action – we must make it personal.

Bad business decisions are rarely made because people lack all the facts.  They are generally made because people ignore the facts, misunderstand them, or minimize their importance.  Facts are neutral until we add meaning to them, and we make decisions based on what facts mean to us in our own context and filter.  Stories are facts wrapped in emotion.  A skilled storyteller creates a connection that helps us interpret the facts, give them meaning, and make them easier to accept. To paraphrase a famous, old, teaching story*:

Fact, cold and hard, had been turned away from every part of the organization. His coldness frightened people. When Meaning found him, he was huddled in a corner shivering. Taking pity on him, Meaning gathered him up and took him home.  There, Fact was dressed in story, warmed up, and sent out again. Clothed in story, Fact knocked again on the organization’s doors and was readily welcomed.  People invited him to work with them, and warm himself in their company.

Imagine how powerful a storytelling tool could be in the hands of executive leadership wishing to maximize their ability to inspire people to act on what is possible, or dramatically influence the direction of their organization.

Sharing a story about how a previous customer overcame a problem using a product is much more meaningful than a listing of product benefits.  A story told by a leader who was fired twice and created a multi-million dollar product makes a far more important point about never giving up, than a listing of accomplishments.  The best presenters build stories around their products, services, or organizational values and beliefs, and deliver an entire package of facts and feelings.

What makes a good story?  All stories involve some element of drama, action, conflict, uncertainty,  and risk (the very definition of American corporate life.)  In business, it’s the drama of the company, the product, or the people that makes the story exciting and compelling.  Powerful stories have:

• A hero/heroine (could be a product, service, or staff person)
• A villain or antagonist (perhaps the competition, an obstacle to production, a divisive community, a risky venture)
• An “aha” moment (awareness) where something happens and the hero/heroine overcomes an obstacle (maybe a business issue, a financial concern, or an IT problem)
• A  transformation where something works out in the end (positively or negatively)

Stories in the corporate arena should be short, sweet, and to the point. They require practice so they are told authentically and truthfully, with energy and passion.  Storytelling is a skill that can be mastered (there are resources available), and great storytelling generates action. Most importantly, great stories influence behavior.

Nowhere can this tool be leveraged more, than through executive presentation. Next time a point needs to be made, people persuaded, or stakeholders inspired, try adding story to your presentation.

Select the context, understand the audience, create the story, practice, and “pitch it.” Add it to your presentation repertoire for an exceptional, inspirational, and meaningful talk.  You may be surprised at the reaction.

*Adapted from Annette Simmons, The Story Factor