Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

Fear and control deeply affect teamwork in experiences I've had. When someone thinks they know more and can do the project better and fear releasing control, it causes much damage. Since this new research shows how to get past this problem, you have brought a major piece for us to consider. Thanks so much.

Wow -- it seems to me that the stage is set for teaching at least one fine skill for each of the factors lisde by these authors. What a great idea your comment raises, Robyn. Thanks.

What would be a skill you'd teach to prevent fear and control?

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Ellen, good information, I just posted 3 post on my first managing job, the last post was on building a team. the dynamics you shared were true for this team. my strategy was to build my team one person at a time. Together Everyone Accomplishes More. For the team to exsist, each person has to know their role and feel valued. it has worked best for me when everybody took the time to realy understand each other and have fun while excelling.

Thanks Jim, and congrats on the successful team building. Your own leadership sytle -- as demonstrated on your site at http://www.blackinbusiness.org/ tends to attract fun and excellence at the same time. What a great combination! Glad you stopped by Jim.

Ellen, nice post. I have been on a team that was a disaster and that has now transformed into a dream team. A lot of changes had to happen. First, people who were not team players had to go. Then we had to take who was left and give them a new way to go and think. We did that by gaining trust and that inspired caring. We did a lot of sharing type meetings that really brought the real person out to the group. It was a risky venture but everyone knew that they could pass on participating if they were uncomfortable. We used some questions that you posted recently at one of our meetings. We changed them a little to fit our needs and had a very successful meeting. We work on character issues frequently and look at what we're doing together, who we're doing it for and why we're doing it. I have to say I'm very proud of our team and we are very proud to work for our dentist. That is probably the main key to success. It's what gives us the desire to grow.
Linda

Thanks Linda for these interesting pictures of what a team can be - or fail to be! Very few leaders find the courage you found to risk growth in such a strong way.

And yet business in our country has lost its competitive edge without the zest your laid out so well. It's great to hear a success story - and to find leaders like you who take the risks, build on a firm's past mistakes and move in the direction of new growth. That also takes talent as I see it:-) Nice start to a new week!

Attracting young professionals to Rotary is a challenge but we are making progress. I think we in Rotary collectively must understand what has changed and then change accordingly. Some of these changes include an almost too comsuming life stye nowadays of raising a family, the loss of many local businesses to the malls, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc., and the growth of many singular charities that serve one purpose. I am sure there are others. Rotary is adapting and, importantly, is just beginning to promote itself -- something Rotarians have been reticent to do. Rotary is a big tent for service and personal growth. We need to make people aware and welcome.

Tom, I am intrigued here with how deeply you lay out the complexity and necessity of change in so few words. I'll bet if there is a change commission -- you'd be a real asset to it:-) Thanks for your insights here!

Ellen,
That was a good insight to successful teams in how they work but the key componment is left out? What are the most common attributes? of a successful team? HOw are they made up with and with whom, i.e. age, gender, differences in backgrounds. How a team works is only part of the equation - the right componeents need to be place. I have been on teams that I felt were heavily staffed by the same sector of MBAs who can't think out of the box. Are successful teams formed from a combination of women and men or are they single sex teams. Is there a huge difference in gender, age, culuture or do they tend to be more homogeneous? I think that this is the key to understanding successful teams and subsequently, forming teams to be successful. Lastly, what the maximum number of members on successful teams?
WOuld love more information on this. I am expecially interested in multi-sectoral teams tasked with the responsibility of mitigating global health issues such as HIV/AIDS. These are commonly in the past, not successful in making change. I have personal experience and have always wondered if age and gender make a difference in the output.

Thanks,

Liz

Liz - thanks for your own insights to successful teams and for your thoughtful questions about "HOw are they made up with and with whom, i.e. age, gender,
differences in backgrounds?"

My own question is ..."Why do we have what you refer to as the" same sector of MBAs who can't think out of the
box." My work is with leaders in business and universities - where a few are looking to change that - and many meet huge resistence.

How you found successful teams formed from a combination of women and men or are
they single sex teams.

Have you found a huge difference in gender, age, culuture or do they tend to be more homogeneous? I write often about the tactics that work best to bring out far more - from the diverse teams I advocate -- but will continue to post even more on this topic - from a brain based perspective. Great insights here and terrific questions that segue change! Thanks Liz!

Ellen,
Let me come back with another obseration. I believe that successful teams , that people tend to work best together when their job is on the line. In the public sector, government and in the huge international organizations such as the UN, job loss is extremely rare. There is no incentive to make the team work and that is the key. There needs to be willingness among all members to make it work. That is probably the most basic differences between successful and unsuccessful teams. It is not really that mysterious.
I remember listening to a panel discussion at the World Bank or some such organization. An employee asked a leading expert how their teams could get beyond the cultural differences that she attributed to bad team work. I was not born yesterday. There is little chance that any of these civil servants could ever loose their job therefore the team does not have to work and they can blame the waste of time and resources on diversity! I love knowing the real reason behind all this from your brain research and I hope that you can reach this individuals to get them on track. I am not worried about the private sector who get rid of dead wood immediately. They are also the ones who spend scarce resources to understand the theories.

Thanks Liz, I'd love for you to consider writing a blog for http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2007/06/enter_your_blog_to_create_a_bo.html on the one word TEAM. I'd be facinated by the tool you offer to inspire a great team! Check out http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2007/06/enter_your_blog_to_create_a_bo.html and see what you think, Ok?

Thanks for the suggestion. Sounds fun. I visited several blogs on the list - did not see Team on the list.. I did read the directions but not sure about blogging about Team. Create new one or post under another word, if so, which one?

Liz, I created the word team for you after our discussion and your keen sense of possibilities for that could inspire team building. If you write the post, you'd have added to the list and we'd all be richer:-)

Got it. I will do but I perhaps should take your advice and unwire some for the weekend, Hope you do too!