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You recognize the setting.
A lot of important business communication goes on in rooms like these.
Sometimes it's presentations, but mostly it's a group of people working together, a team.
No matter what type of business you're in, whether you're a manager or a frontline worker,
it's likely that you are or will be part of at least one team.
Of course, teamwork doesn't occur just in conference rooms.
It happens wherever people communicate.
And wherever it happens, understanding is critical to success.
For example, no one would expect an athlete on a sports team to perform
without knowing the roles his or her teammates were playing.
But in business, it's quite common for people from different areas of the company
to come together as a team without a clear understanding of what each team member really does.
Sales might not understand the problems of engineering and vice versa,
and management might not understand the real challenges faced by frontline workers.
For teams to truly succeed, they must reach two levels of understanding.
Horizontal, which occurs between team members who work at the same level within the organization,
and vertical, which occurs between managers and employees on the team.
Strong horizontal understanding is important because to have a clear picture of your role
in the organization, you must understand the roles of those around you.
But just as important is building vertical understanding.
In some organizations, team members never truly understand why their managers ask them to do things.
And quite often, managers don't fully appreciate the challenges or time constraints
that team members face when attempting to carry out management requests.
Either way, when people fail to understand each other, teamwork crumbles,
productivity suffers, and frustration runs high.
In this video, we're going to use a group of actors to show you how much better teams function
when members really understand each other.
This is Tim, a manager.
Sally, an account executive.
Jimmy, a product designer.
Julie, an engineer.
And John, a production supervisor.
Together, we're going to show you how to communicate clearly and openly
and to build a high level of trust and understanding between team members
so that everyone feels that he or she is working toward a common goal.
We're going to show you the team approach.
The first steps, teach, empathize, ask, and motivate.
The first part of the team approach is to teach one another what you do
and what you bring to the team.
You should begin by specifically identifying each participant's strengths, skills, and role.
You're working together because you all have something important to bring to the process.
Each team member needs to be clear about what he or she can contribute
as well as what the other team members can contribute.
You can't play the game until everyone is clear about the position they play.
Okay, let's say we're having a team meeting to teach each other what we do for the team.
Handle all customer requests within 24 hours.
Okay, now this is the task we've been given and we all know how important it is to the company.
So the question is, what are each of us willing to do to contribute to reaching this goal?
Okay, I'll start.
Now my job is to develop and implement a strategic customer service initiative
to increase customer satisfaction levels and lifetime value
in an effort to boost our division's contribution to operating profit.
Now, Lee, why do you think you're here?
Well, I just designed the product, so I really don't have anything to do with taking care of customers.
Julie, how about you?
Well, because I build the stuff we sell.
John?
I'm not sure. I make sure the lines keep running, which I should be doing now.
I don't know what I can add.
Okay, let's stop right there. That was pretty bad.
These descriptions didn't give us any understanding of what each person does for the team.
Tim was unclear because he used too many management buzzwords
that don't communicate much to the rest of the team.
Lee didn't realize that his role relates to the rest of the team.
Julie was far too general, and John doesn't seem to care.
To help you specifically identify what you personally bring to the team,
remember this formula, strengths plus skills equals role.
Strengths are your positive personal characteristics.
Some examples are being organized, being able to work well with people,
and being able to keep on top of deadlines.
Skills are the abilities you've developed that help you do your job.
Some examples are knowing how to fix computers, write business proposals,
or operate a piece of machinery.
Your role is the part you play on the team.
It determines what you're responsible for on the job.
For example, a designer is primarily responsible for new product design.
A manager is in charge of setting team goals
and seeing that team members work together to reach them.
A customer service rep is responsible for taking orders,
handling customer requests, and solving problems.
Understanding your personal role and the roles your teammates play
makes it easier for everyone to work together and be more productive.
Here's an effective technique your team can use to teach each other
more about the roles everyone plays.
The first step is to meet with your team.
Every team member gets three 3x5 index cards
and lists their strengths on one, their skills on another,
and their roles on the third.
When finished, each person should exchange cards with another team member,
preferably with someone they don't often work with directly.
Using the information on the cards,
each team member should answer out loud the following questions
about their teammate.
Why is this person on the team,
and what would be missing if he or she weren't?
How does his or her role relate to mine?
Why are his or her strengths important to the team meeting its goals?
For example.
Okay, Sally, why don't you start?
Okay, I have John's cards.
John is on the team because he understands how things happen
on the warehouse and manufacturing floor.
If he's not here, we could design a process that wouldn't work in practice.
His role relates to mine because as account executive,
I have to make sure John is able to meet my customer's delivery requirements.
His strengths are that he's very detail-oriented
and he's able to dissect the process we come up with
and tell us how much time each step will take.
When people think about what others bring to the team,
how another's job relates to their own,
and how everyone contributes to a common goal,
they begin to develop mutual understanding
that will build cooperation and teamwork.
But there's another part to teaching.
Team members at every level of the organization
should realize that each teammate is an expert
in some particular area or function,
whether it's customer service, operations, production,
office management, or whatever.
Let's see what happens when you don't know the expertise of your team members.
Tim, got a minute?
Sure, John. What do you need?
I need to know whether the T-50s have the same size casing as the T-30s or the T-70s
and which manual they ship with.
I know they don't really have their own manual.
Well, I know they all have the same features as the 70s,
except for a few minor details.
So I would assume they use the same casing as the 70s and the same manual.
You're sure?
No, but I think so.
Thanks anyway.
Hi, Sally. Mind if I join you?
Sure. What's up, John?
I got a question for you.
Do you know whether the T-50s have the same size casing as the T-30s or the T-70s?
I just sold a bunch of the T-50s.
I'm pretty sure they're the same size as the 30s.
Okay, so which manual goes with the 50s?
Can't help you there.
John doesn't know who the expert is,
so he ends up wasting a lot of his time and everyone else's.
Here's what would have happened if the team had gone over everyone's role
and John knew who the expert was.
Hi, Lee. You got a second?
Sure, John.
Lee, the T-50, which size casing does that use?
It's the same size case as the T-30, the 48 centimeter case,
because it has the old board set in it.
And it ships with the T-30 manual?
Oh, no, no. Even though it has the old board set,
it does just about everything the T-70 does, only slightly slower,
so it ships with the T-70 manual.
You sure?
Absolutely.
Thanks a lot, Lee. I appreciate that.
That example shows the benefit of knowing each other's area of expertise.
After TEACH, the next step in the team approach is empathy.
Empathy means trying to see where somebody else is coming from,
trying to put yourself in their place.
It's important to the team because it helps us relate to each other better.
If we understand each person's biases and anxieties,
we know how to avoid conflict and how to get along with each other better.
Empathy helps you understand why people do what they do.
But empathy is not just saying, I understand.
It's communicating and demonstrating through action
that you understand your teammates.
The first technique to show that you empathize with your teammates or your manager
is to call on your past experience.
Try to relate the situation the person faces
with a similar situation you faced in the past.
Think about how you felt or reacted.
Another way we can use empathy to understand teammates
is to look for value clue phrases.
It's important to listen for value clue phrases
because they clue you in to how someone really feels about something,
which is the basis for empathy.
These statements usually start with, I think, the way I see it,
I can't believe, it's amazing to me,
or anything that signals a personal opinion is coming.
By paying close attention to value clue phrases,
you gain a much greater understanding of how team members feel and what they value.
For example,
Lee, the way I see it, the biggest challenge will be
to get everyone committed to this 24-hour goal.
That's a good point, but with as busy as we all are,
it may be difficult to get everyone to agree that it's even possible.
How do you plan to build support?
Tim started with the value clue phrase, the way I see it.
When Lee heard this, he knew it was important to treat the feelings being expressed
with respect and understanding, not immediate rejection.
By restating what Tim said and by asking a relevant follow-up question,
Lee showed empathy with Tim.
The third technique to increase empathy is to use top priority statements.
A top priority statement is a summary of what you believe is most important to your teammate.
It's important that both manager and team members make top priority statements
to demonstrate understanding of each other's main concerns.
It will also help put you back on track if you happen to be wrong.
Remember the example about meeting customer requests within 24 hours?
Let's see how Lee would use a top priority statement to show Tim he understands.
Let me make sure I understand.
The most important thing for you right now is for us to let you know
what might prevent us from meeting the 24-hour delivery deadline.
Right. We need to work out any obstacles as soon as we recognize them.
Now, our biggest competitor is getting orders processed and out the door
to where the same data are placed, and we've got to find a way to do the same.
By stating each other's top priorities, you ensure that everyone understands
each other's needs and that everyone is working toward a common goal.
Being sensitive and responding to your teammates' needs means that you have to be open
to lots of give and take, which brings us to the third step in the team approach, ask questions.
Our first technique for using questions to build understanding
is to use a mix of open and closed questions.
Open questions don't have a definitive answer.
Use them when you need to promote discussion and encourage others to share their opinions.
Here are some examples.
Sally, as the person with the closest contact with the customers,
how can we make sure that the next generation product line will meet their needs?
So how do you think we should divide up the technical research?
Closed questions, however, have definitive answers.
Use them when you need to gather facts or set deadlines.
How many of these should I order for the prototype?
So Lee, will those designs be ready tomorrow?
You should also use questions when presenting ideas.
When you ask questions, you give teammates a chance to improve the idea
and understand it better.
Here's how it sounds when you don't use a question.
Okay, we need to streamline our back-office workflow.
So by next Tuesday, let's have these three new procedures up and running, okay?
Let's hear how different this sounds when posed as a question.
Okay, it's clear that we need to make our back-office workflow more efficient.
So how does everybody feel about trying these three steps?
You think we can get them up and running by next Tuesday?
Offering the idea as a question opens the matter up for discussion.
The team members might have some suggestions to improve the idea
or be able to offer some valid reasons why the idea won't work.
Posing ideas as questions helps others understand and become involved
because it encourages feedback.
Another way to use questions to better understand your teammates
is to use what-if questions about their area of responsibility.
Done properly, it's a great way to help them think outside the box
and give you a better idea of what they face on the job.
Here are some examples.
What if you could triple the speed of your production equipment?
What if we lost our three biggest accounts?
What if we used a material that was 10 times as strong as what we use now
and cost half as much?
What-if questions promote a supportive, non-threatening atmosphere
and help the team uncover possibilities they may not have seriously considered
in the normal course of the day?
Sometimes people with little knowledge of a certain job
come up with the best what-if questions
because they're not restricted in their thinking.
Remember, no question is too outrageous.
That brings us to the last step in the team approach, motivate.
A key point to remember is that it is not strictly the team leader's job to motivate.
Every team member plays a role in motivating the team.
Here are some helpful ideas you might try.
One idea is to appeal to group identity.
People in the same work environment often develop common attitudes and interests.
What motivates you will likely motivate them.
By expressing what motivates you personally,
you encourage others to think in the same direction
and motivate them to share your enthusiasm.
For example, John is motivated by a personal sense of satisfaction.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to feel real good
about solving this production nightmare.
It's been making life difficult for a long time.
Two, motivate by example.
Few people want to be the only one on the team not pulling their weight.
Take advantage of the fact that motivation is contagious.
Demonstrate through action that everyone else supports the idea
and is willing to work hard to achieve it.
Unmotivated people are likely to change their tune
because they fear being the only one holding the team back.
Come on, John. I know that you're busy, but everyone else has made the effort.
I stayed late to finish the technical part.
Lee came in on Saturday to finish the design section,
and Sally came in early all last week.
How's it going to look if you're the only one that hasn't made the effort?
Finally, look for ways to praise team members.
Praise is one of the strongest motivators available.
Unfortunately, it's something that is too often forgotten.
The best team members motivate each other by recognizing each other's contributions.
It's especially effective when the praise is specific
and you acknowledge the results of their help.
This lets the person know your appreciation is sincere.
Yeah, thanks for your help in getting those orders out two days early.
The client called and was so impressed they placed another order.
Nice job.
You know, John, I appreciate you running those extra inventory reports for me.
It really helped me make the case for those changes we want to make.
By following some of the ideas we've discussed today,
you'll find it easier to understand your teammates and easier to work together.
Let's review the key points.
To teach, you must identify each participant's strengths, skills, and role.
And remember that each team member is an expert in some aspect of your work
and is a great source of information.
To empathize, it's important to draw on your experience,
listen for value clue phrases,
and make top priority statements about your teammates' goals.
Remember to ask a mix of open and closed questions,
clarifying questions, and what-if questions.
And finally, remember how important it is to motivate each other.
Appeal to group identity, motivate by example,
and look for ways to praise team members.
By using the team approach, you'll work better together,
appreciate each other more, and get more done.
On behalf of Communication Briefings, I'm Alan Pratt.
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