Although they may seem like an unusual place to find inspiring lessons on teamwork, the giant redwood forests have a lot to teach us.
The majestic trees found in the redwood forests of California have been on the earth for over 100 million years. At one point, giant redwoods could be found almost everywhere in the world, but they are now found primarily in a narrow strip of land near the California coast. The statistics describing the redwood tree are truly amazing: These giants can live for upwards of 2000 years. They can weigh up to of 500 tons. They may grow to a height of over 350 feet and be over 25 feet in diameter.
You would think that the root system for trees of this type would go deep into the earth, providing the support it would need to weather high winds, lightning storms, and earthquakes. You would be mistaken. In my research on these trees, I was amazed to learn the root systems of these giants only go between eight and ten feet deep. The roots of each tree spread out laterally and interlock with the root systems of surrounding trees, giving them the strength they need to stay upright over millennia. And in addition to the joint strength of their roots these trees also release upwards of 500 gallons of water into the air each day to help create a moist fog that provides the other trees and plants in the forest the water they need to live.
CMOE defines teamwork as, “A group of people who combine their energy and efforts to achieve a common goal; A group of people who clearly understand the team’s goals and are committed to achieving those goals; A group in which team members understand their roles and responsibilities. Productive teams have an atmosphere of trust and are completely accountable for their results. Each team member invests in the team through their actions and attitudes. Team members are respectful, caring and cooperative. Teams are the mechanism by which organizations can unlock world-class results.”
The redwoods are a prime example of effective teamwork. In order to survive, withstanding adversities and inevitable hardships, all the redwoods must work together. By sharing their main resource (water) with the other trees and plants in the forest, they are truly making and investment in the team, and through their teamwork, these trees have absolutely unlocked “world-class” results – they are breathtaking.
We can learn many lessons from nature. How much stronger might we make our teams if we were to implement some of the same survival strategies found in the redwoods? If each member of the team became more concerned about supporting the whole team, how much better could the whole team be? What if the individual members of the team were more open in sharing their resources (their talents, ideas, and workload) with one another? By making these decisions and becoming a little more like the redwoods, we can all help to create environments where teams can unlock their true potential.
Traditional rock climbing is a style of rock climbing where a climber places pieces of protection gear, such as camming devices and stoppers, into the rock as they climb up. In traditional climbing there are at least two people, one who climbs andone who belays. Traditional climbing also requires more gear than other styles of climbing. At the base of the climb two people attach themselves to the rope. The climber ties the rope into his harness and the person on belay connects the rope to his harness using a belaydevice, giving him the ability to manage the rope as the climber ascends the wall. The person that begins climbing up and placing gear to get to the top leads that wall. This leader has the responsibility to plan out and take the correct line or route, use the proper pieces of gear throughout the climb, and to set up a secure anchor to which he and the other climbers following him will rely on. Once he reaches the top and sets up his anchor, he takes over the role of belay and manages the rope as those who follow ascend. Often times the reward of traditional climbing is phenomenal as the climbers are able to stand at the peak of their climb and take in the beautiful view hundreds of feet off of the ground.
To run a successful business there must be those who rise up and lead, and as a lead climber does, one must step up and make many decisions that will be crucial to the life of the company. As a leader you will not be alone. You will have those who are beside you who, when you begin the climb, will be there to catch you if you fall. There are also many tools available that you must use to aid you in getting to the top.
To have leadership that gets results many of the same responsibilities that a lead climber has must be taken on. The first responsibility a leader has is planning out and taking the correct line. Remember, others who follow behind you will take the same rou
te you did, make sure its where you want them to go. The second is using the proper tools available at the right times. Often, leaders feel like they have to do everything. Trust and teamwork must come into play. You hire specific people who all have different skills an abilities for a reason, use them. Lastly, setting up a secure anchor. If you do not have a secure anchor to rely on and keep you steady as you make your way to the top, there will come a time when something will happen and because of a lack of an anchor you and others may fall.
These of course are only a few of the responsibilities necessary to lead, and every leader will need to carry out these responsibilities in the way that is specifically tailored to their companies needs. When things get a bit challenging, tie in and climb on, the rewards waiting at the top are well worth the effort.
Question #1: Is it possible for a manager to manage sales in a retail store?
Through out the retail industry, including manufacturers and distributors, the sales number is often the number one priority. Indeed, in many companies sales numbers are so far above any other measurement that managers live and breathe by whether sales are up, or down. If sales numbers are so important they must be manageable, right? Let’s find out.
A number of years ago two highly experienced retail store managers quit their jobs and promising careers and purchased two stores and began a career of teamwork as owner-partners, rather than employees of a large chain. For four years the partners did everything imaginable to build sales volume in both stores. During the first two years the partners frequently told friends and family, “Sales are up.” In fact, about 18 months into the venture one of the partners said, “Can you believe it, our sales are up 22 percent over last year!” Without doubt these two owner-partners had achieved the American dream. They owned their own business and were controlling their own destiny. Clearly, everyone who knew the owners was envious, wishing they had as much courage to do the same. After all, isn’t this how other successful retail business began?
The first indication of trouble was when the partners tried to sell one of their stores. When that didn’t happen, they abruptly closed it over a weekend. Their explanation was that the store had always had problems and by closing it they could focus their attention and capital resources on the one remaining store. With the problem store closed, friends and family once again heard reports of, “Sales are up.” But within a few months the second store was also closed and the owner-partners declared personal and business bankruptcy. Literally the partners lost almost everything they owned. They escaped the failed venture with one taking a job as a clerk for Home Depot, and the other selling used cars.
What happened? If sales were consistently up, how could the business not be profitable? The answer is that in retail there is no direct connection between sales and profit. Unless gross and expenses are fixed, sales and profit become independent variables. It is possible for sales to go up, for example, while profit goes down; and profit can go up, while sales go down. The reason is that there are no guarantees in retail. Other factors such as gross margin, labor, overhead, and expenses have greater impact on profit than sales alone. That’s what happened and crushed the American dream for two enterprising, former, store managers. Now do you know the answer to the question, “Can sales be managed?” Let’s use a bit of strategic thinking and drill a little deeper toward the answer.
Question #2: Is there anything a manager can do directly to sales that will make the number change? Is it only possible to impact sales by influencing other factors?
Actually, sales are a product of two factors. That means nothing can be done directly to sales to make it change. To change sales a manager must manage something else, not sales itself. Therefore, to focus primarily or excessively on an unmanageable number, at the expense of the things that can change it, could lead to failure. This explains the failure of the two storeowners.
Question #3: What are the only two factors that determine sales in a retail store? Can these two factors be managed?
It’s true that many things contribute to retail sales; things like, margin, signing, suggestive selling, pricing, displays, merchandising, stocking, store location, advertising, product availability, and many more. But all of these things can be rolled up into two factors. Do you know what they are? The accompanying illustration is the key. All of the things listed above, and many more contribute to two factors: (1) Number of Guests, and (2) Sale Per Guest. The number of guests and the amount of each transaction determines sales. Did you answer correctly?
Question #4: Can the two factors that contribute to sales, Number of Guests and Sale Per Guest, be managed?
As with the sales number, what can a manager do directly to Number of Guests or Sale Per Guest to make them change? The answer is, not much. Once again, it isn’t possible to manage these numbers either, because they are the products of other things. Although they are excellent measurements of the health of a retail store (or company), they are technically unmanageable. To focus primarily or extensively on them at the expense of the basic things that really drive sales could be a mistake.
Question #5: So what can a retail manager manage?
The answer to this question is everything that contributes, or rolls into, Number of Guests and Sale Per Guest. The basic elements are the things that can be managed, not the products of these elements. That means the most effective place to manage sales is not with sales itself, but rather in all of the fundamental elements that begin the process. These are the things that are manageable, not the product number such as sales. When a retail employee is told, “Your sales are down, you better get them up,” the employee can only make the change at the basic element level. And if the employee doesn’t have a good understanding of the process, it will be very difficult to make the change.
Playing the piano is generally done on an individual basis with the occasional duet. When I was 14 years old, I had the opportunity to learn a lot about teamwork from a piano playing experience. I was invited to play in Pianorama, a concert put on in Nashville where piano players are invited and to perform and divided into groups based on their level of skill. I happened to be put in the advanced group with 23 other participants. We were then paired with another individual who we would play a duet with while sitting at the same piano. In my group, there were twelve pairs playing the duet on twelve pianos simultaneously. At one point, the duet splits into two parts, becoming a duet with six pianos (twelve participants) playing one part and six pianos (twelve participants) playing the other part.
When I look back at everything that had to come together for that concert to be a success, there is a lot that can be learned about teamwork. We all came from different parts of the state and had different piano playing styles. Because we came from all over the state, we could only practice together once a week for six weeks. We did a lot of work as individuals to learn our parts and then as we met as a group put it all together. We had to rely on and trust not only our partners to learn their parts, but everyone in the group. In the end, we had the chance to play in front of 5,000 people and our performance was a huge success.
Here at CMOE we define teamwork as a group of people who:
• Combine their energy and efforts to achieve common goals.
• Are committed to achieving the team’s goals.
• Fulfill their roles and responsibilities.
• Have defined processes, procedures, and mechanisms that enable them to function at peak performance.
With Pianorama, our goal was defined and each of us knew exactly what we individually needed to do in order to accomplish the goal. The more specific the goal and the assignments at the individual level are, the better the chance that everything will come together in the end. As we become members of different teams, we need to understand that everyone will have different skills and personalities and that in order to work together as a team, we must learn how to capitalize on those differences.
After all the individual preparation was one and we put all the pieces together, the end result was a beautiful, harmonious song. No one stood out any more than anyone else. Cohesive teamwork occurs when each person recognizes that individual recognition and achievement is less rewarding than achieving the team’s overall goal.
The bottom line is, good teamwork makes beautiful music.
Welcome to the March 31, 2010 edition of Business Lessons. In this edition of Business Lessons the topics that will be covered are: Leadership, Strategic Thinking, and Teamwork.
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of business lessons using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
With companies merge, employees leave one company for another, and new members of the workforce land their first jobs, many individuals are trying to form new teams. Regardless of the situation, most organizations encourage open and candid discussions between staff members among employees throughout the organization. These differences in perspective can elevate teams to a higher level of performance. Differences in opinion and/or outright conflict is natural, and it can be very productive. The key is how to use conflict to our benefit so we can reach these higher levels of performance.
So how does one operate on a conflicted team? We still need to be able to create a win-win solution for the team and the organization. How do we use conflict to our advantage?
1. Acknowledge Conflict
Acknowledging conflict can be uncomfortable, yet once the conflict is recognized and discussed the team will feel a sense of relief. People tend to be more effective when they can agree to work together and find mutually satisfactory solutions to common problems.
2. Gain Common Ground
Is there common ground between the parties involved in the conflict? Put the conflict in perspective based on the team’s goals. If everyone is committed to a common purpose, they should be willing to address any issue that may affect the team’s final outcome.
3. Understand Each Point of View
Gaining an understanding of difference perspectives does not necessarily mean gaining agreement on all sides. Here we must take the time both to understand and be understood as we gain information from all sides.
4. Attack the Issue(s), Not Each Other Bickering or fighting with someone on the team is an unwanted stress, yet the issue needs to be addressed in order for the team to maximize its potential. The goal is to reach a solution that allows everyone to achieve individual/team goals without violating anyone’s values.
5. Develop an Action Plan
a. The team will outline specific steps that each person on the team will take in order to reach the team’s goal. Each person will be accountable for his/her role in the action plan, and the plan will be written on paper so that each person is aware of his/her responsibilities to the team.
As team members utilizes this five-step process to address issues and conflicts, they will see more win-win situations and the team will increase their levels of productivity.
A co-worker told me about the success of her grandson had trying out for and making the High School Soccer Team. One of the youngest on the team, she told me how excited he was being a part of the team, making the cut out of 78 other people for the few spots available. He was looking forward to the opportunity of playing with new teammates. “We even have our first game next week!” He had told his Grandmother.
This team was brand new! The players had only been chosen a few hours prior. You might ask, how can a newly formed, young team with different personalities, new and old players being merged together with varying degrees of strength, etc. be ready to play, with the intention of winning in under a week? How does a team, newly formed or established become synergistic with one another?
To make any team succeed you need to be aligned with one another. The team needs four necessary traits in order to become synergistic and succeed: A clear team purpose, solid communication, empowerment so the team can lead themselves, and finally make sure there is a commitment to the goal.
Be clear: Goals need to be clearly defined for each person to understand how and in what role he/she will need to create and fulfill a team’s success. Understanding the team’s goals and purpose and knowing how you will achieve them is empowering.
Communicate: Communication is vital in team members so they know where the ball is and where it is going. Just as crucial for the organizational team, all need on-going communication in order to stay productive, overcome obstacles, and check progress towards targets.
Empowerment: CMOE describes empowerment as the extent to which someone provides the encouragement, tools, and authority to others enabling them to use their power, talents and skills effectively. Empowering your team to help them lead themselves creates trust and innovative behavior, in turn, a synergistic team and coaching.
Commitment: Finally, being a member of a team requires personal commitment and dedication to the overall success of a team. Once we harness the power of synergy within a team we can accomplish anything.
Working in teams and across functions can often be complex and challenging. If you’re like most teams, you have certain processes that you are supposed to follow (guidelines, operating rules, specific forms to be utilized, etc.) When attending to these, how often do you encounter a process that is broken, doesn’t work, or seems to be pointless? Maybe your organization has processes that work most of the time? The bigger question is what do you do when you encounter troubled processes? How often do you attempt to fix broken processes? Do you ever try to diagnose what could make a process more effective?
To be part of a high performing team, it is important to constantly evaluate processes to determine if they are working, effective, and worthwhile. Effective processes help us to be efficient, reliable for our customers (internal and external), and minimizes the likelihood of a problem occurring.
In 2003, a US Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 crashed at an air show in Idaho. The pilot ejected from his aircraft and aside from the crashed fighter jet, there was no other damage. As unfortunate as this story is, I think it is an excellent example of taking the opportunity to improve processes. Take a look at the video from both inside and outside the cock pit.
After investigating the crash, it was determined that the pilot had incorrectly calculated his altitude as if he were at Nellis Air Force Base (where the Thunderbirds are stationed). The investigation board looking into the crash determined that “other factors” such as the pilots need to calculate MSL (Mean Sea Level) altitude to the AGL (Above Ground Level) altitude contributed to the errors resulting in the crash.
As a result of the pilots error and “other factors,” the Air Force determined that the processes around the calculation of altitude and “Split S” exercise needed to be fixed. And fix they did. Thunderbird pilots must now call out the MSL altitude at air shows. When they execute the Split S maneuver, they must climb an additional 1,000 feet to prevent and minimize the danger of altitude miscalculation from occurring again.
While the pilot only suffered minor injuries and a $20 million aircraft was lost, an improvement in a process was gained. While we may never know the future value or full impact in improving processes, it helps take a high performing team to the next level. Call it Continuous Process Improvement.
Suggested Tip:
Next time a process, action, or project in your team doesn’t go quite as planned, don’t be complacent. You don’t have to be the team leader seeking to improve team development. Step up as a team member and ask the following questions:
What went wrong?
Why did it go wrong?
Is it a problem or one time goof?
How can we prevent this from happening again?
Maybe there is nothing needs to be done after your analysis, but at least you’ve asked the questions to be sure.
After five years separation, several former employees of a bankrupt company, which I was one of, decided to have a mini reunion. The main purpose of getting together was to find out how our coworkers survived their major life changes. We wanted to know if the others were happy in their new jobs or did they even have one? Unfortunately, some of us had had more than a couple positions in the five years following the company’s closure. We had worked together, more or less, for 20 years and we found that building relationships like we had was proving to be difficult to attain in our new positions.
What surprised me was the company’s failure was never discussed at this gathering. In fact, no one seemed to remember the difficulties we experienced, such as crews meeting production costs, budgets, or wage issues or even what drove the company to bankruptcy. What we remembered was the camaraderie and funny happenings. We talked about how coworkers were often more like family than their real relatives.
Like most families, we had our share of strange, fanatical, and outlandish people. I remember one year we had them all at once. Yet, in the center of the turmoil was a core group of individuals everyone else depended upon. It was guaranteed that these people would show up every day, ready to do their best, and answer any question that crossed their path.
What Makes an Organization Special
I guess what made the organization special in our memories was the fact that we were in it together. Whether the times were good, bad, hard, or easy, we stuck together, trying to do the best as possible for our clients. Oh yes, we had our idiosyncrasies that drove other team members crazy. Occasionally, one of us would complain as if we hated our jobs, throw a tantrum, or cause an uproar. But, we truly cared about each other and the business so we would over look the infringements. In the end, we were the ones who mourned the death of the company.
The Leadership Team
Looking back on it now, I realize that this feeling was due to our leadership team. They certainly weren’t the greatest or most objective of leaders. They didn’t always listen or communicate their wants and needs clearly. In fact, one supervisor often said about his team, “People are just no damn good.” Not that he really believed it; I think he just liked to say it. Their example set the tone for the organization. Leaders didn’t dictate but were team members, who worked hard to make a successful business. By the way, this leadership team wasn’t the cause of the bankruptcy, that’s another story. Gross negligence comes to mind.
The Lesson
The lesson here is leadership isn’t about perfection but about intention. It’s doing your best, continually trying to communicate with others, struggling to give your people the tools they need, and doing the right things (as much as possible). What holds loyalty from core team members is the loyalty given by the team leaders. Our leaders truly cared about their subordinates and the success both for each individual and the company. Yes, we were disappointed when some leaders let us down. However, collectively, the team stood for us and against outside forces intent on our failure. As such we stood with them to fight those forces as well. Sounds like a family, doesn’t it?
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
-Andrew Carnegie
Each of us is a member of a team – be it through family, sports, work, community, church, etc. Within each of these teams, there is bound to be differences in opinions. In fact, many times those differences can actually elevate the team to the next level of performance. Disagreement and diversity are natural, and they can be quite productive. How does one deal with these differences and resolve these issues? The answers to these questions are vital to making the team work and function as a unit.
How does one go about creating a win-win solution, when a team is faced with various challenges? How do team members go about defeating the challenge rather than defeating each other? How do team members develop trust so that all members in the team can win?
1. Recognize and acknowledge differences – this is, at times, difficult but extremely helpful to the team. Issues, challenges, or conflicts must be recognized and discussed. This recognition helps the team come together to find a mutually agreed upon solution or goal that will help each team member find greater commitment in working together.
2. Gain common ground – how can you put the conflict in perspective with team goals? Is everyone on the team committed to the team goals? Are there issues that could prevent the goals from being attained? If so, these matters need to be brought forward.
3. Understand different opinions – step in another’s shoes to gain their insight. This step is intended to gain insight, not necessarily to gain agreement.
4. Work to overcome the issue – differences in opinion are acceptable and even welcome! Remember, attack the issues and not the person. As a team, what is the best solution that can help the team achieve its goals? One should not have to compromise his or her values in reaching a solution.
5. Develop a plan of action – outline what each member of the team will do, and be extremely specific. This document will also serve as an accountability document.
6. Follow up – put the plan into action, follow up, and revise as needed in order to optimize performance.
“No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing.”
The majestic trees found in the redwood forests of California have been on the earth for over 100 million years. At one point, giant redwoods could be found almost everywhere in the world, but they are now found primarily in a narrow strip of land near the California coast. The statistics describing the redwood tree are truly amazing: These giants can live for upwards of 2000 years. They can weigh up to of 500 tons. They may grow to a height of over 350 feet and be over 25 feet in diameter.
Traditional rock climbing is a style of rock climbing where a climber places pieces of protection gear, such as camming devices and stoppers, into the rock as they climb up. In traditional climbing there are at least two people, one who climbs andone who belays. Traditional climbing also requires more gear than other styles of climbing. At the base of the climb two people attach themselves to the rope. The climber ties the rope into his harness and the person on belay connects the rope to his harness using a belaydevice, giving him the ability to manage the rope as the climber ascends the wall. The person that begins climbing up and placing gear to get to the top leads that wall. This leader has the responsibility to plan out and take the correct line or route, use the proper pieces of gear throughout the climb, and to set up a secure anchor to which he and the other climbers following him will rely on. Once he reaches the top and sets up his anchor, he takes over the role of belay and manages the rope as those who follow ascend. Often times the reward of traditional climbing is phenomenal as the climbers are able to stand at the peak of their climb and take in the beautiful view hundreds of feet off of the ground.
This team was brand new! The players had only been chosen a few hours prior. You might ask, how can a newly formed, young team with different personalities, new and old players being merged together with varying degrees of strength, etc. be ready to play, with the intention of winning in under a week? How does a team, newly formed or established become synergistic with one another?
What surprised me was the company’s failure was never discussed at this gathering. In fact, no one seemed to remember the difficulties we experienced, such as crews meeting production costs, budgets, or wage issues or even what drove the company to bankruptcy. What we remembered was the camaraderie and funny happenings. We talked about how coworkers were often more like family than their real relatives.
Each of us is a member of a team – be it through family, sports, work, community, church, etc. Within each of these teams, there is bound to be differences in opinions. In fact, many times those differences can actually elevate the team to the next level of performance. Disagreement and diversity are natural, and they can be quite productive. How does one deal with these differences and resolve these issues? The answers to these questions are vital to making the team work and function as a unit.
