Friday, March 07, 2008
What Does ‘Waving’ Look Like?
I have a sweet, sassy, and smart miniature schnauzer puppy - Sadie. She’s 15-months old and clever. Yesterday she learned to “wave.” This time last year it was a very different story. In fact, my joke was that I was the leader of a highly dysfunctional team! Who was to blame? ME. And, teaching Sadie how to “wave” brought it all together.
Using The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dog Tricks , I realized that the language I use changes. Sometimes it’s subtle; sometimes it’s blatant. The problem is when I’m unconsciously giving instructions and the result I see is not what is expected.
What is the “common language” among your team? Does each person understand the meaning of your statements in exactly the same way? If you gave instructions once, would the outcome look alike for everyone?
Nothing is more important in helping a work group become a team than you consciously shaping attitudes with the language you use. It is what will guide them to form a more cohesive entity. An effective way to boost your effectiveness in this area is to frequently use the terms we and us.
Incorporate some of these phrases into your daily conversation:
* “Our team.”
* “We achieved this.”
* “We are looking good in the eyes of our customers.”
* “We work great together.”
My point: Be intentionally focused on what you are saying to each team member. Be clear. Be concise. Verify the person understands your meaning.
Tomorrow I need to re-teach Sadie the meaning of “Off.”
Until next time...Live like you mean it!
Marjorie