Successful Teams Communicate
“Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller
No project of scale can occur without clear communication. Everyone involved must know what needs to be done and how they’re expected to do it. Otherwise, you’ll quickly get a silo effect, where team members work too independently and decrease productivity.
As leader, you’re the one who needs to set the tone. For many of us, this can be a real challenge.
Many years ago, I was taking a methodology class as part of my graduate studies towards a degree in education. The class met at Roosevelt University’s Schaumberg campus just outside Chicago. During one class, the professor related a conversation that he had had with an executive at nearby Motorola. The topic of education had come up between the two men, and the executive had really laid into his professor friend.
“You guys in education have it all wrong,” he said. “You teach everyone to work alone and that communicating and sharing ideas is cheating. Once these kids get into the workplace, we need to completely deprogram and retrain them to cooperate and collaborate, to work together effectively.” The professor, duly humbled, shared this powerful conversation with us. It was a concept that I held on to as I began my career in the field of education.
Too many new leaders also have it all wrong, at least regarding how we view our new roles. We think of leadership as the next step in our ascent, representing an increase in responsibility, authority, and prestige. But we do not necessarily see it as one that demands fundamental changes to our core thinking and behaviors. That is a mistake, for to assume a leadership post is to accept a whole new type of position than what we’ve held until then.
Before accepting this new job, attainment was all about you and your performance. You worked hard to achieve success and hoped that it would get you noticed and promoted. You invested time and effort in showcasing your contributions, with the understanding that your accomplishments would translate into you being able to take that next professional step.
Once you become a leader, however, achievement is measured mainly by your ability to grow others, to make those around you more capable, more confident, and more efficacious. The game is no longer about you winning. It’s your team that must win for your term as a leader to be deemed a success. As Jack Welch once said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
One of the best ways to grow others, and to get more done, is to think “we first.” Organizations that embrace this kind of thinking tend to outperform their competition. They are less consumed with territorialism and personal recognition and focus instead on finding solutions and improving performance. They understand that with the victory—measured by their ability to work together and support each other—come the spoils.
Perhaps the strongest indicator of a “we first” mindset is open and regular communication. Successful leaders regularly communicate what’s happening with their people while also soliciting input. They recognize that by being clear and open, they can give their people the necessary information to get things done, get timely and useful feedback, and build morale by creating a supportive and empowering culture.