Are You a Contributing Factor?

We have all been a part of a team hopefully at some point in our life, in some capacity. Whether it has been as a member of a sports team or a business team the concept is close to the same- Work together for the greater good of the whole in order to achieve the ultimate goal of success. Every member of a team must be working to contribute to this ultimate goal, so this brings me to my question. If you are on a team, are you truly contributing to the overall success of your team or is your team carrying you along to the finish line? How do you know? What follows are a few things you will need to work on in order to become more aware of your real contribution to your collaborative team. If you are doing some of these things you are a contributor, if you are not... well you have some work to do.

Begin with identifying what your team’s specific goals and objectives are. If there are none, work to create some. It is not even the goal so much that is necessarily the most important part, it is what it does to a teams current reality that is most important. Create measurable goals with easily identifiable milestones, dates and check-in times to make sure the team can track progress toward the goal and away from their current state. Learn the roles and responsibilities of all team members within your collaborative team so you are better able to turn to them for their strengths as well as know exactly who is responsible for what, for the betterment of the entire team. A strong collaborative team is able to understand how the parts affect the whole and what part they play. Identify procedures or processes that are in place for achieving team goals and help create them when they are missing. Teams often run into organizational or other obstacles, so look for ways to clear away obstacles and distractions to the team's accomplishments. By working on getting a group of people in the same book and on the same page, you will begin to look more like a team.

After a group begins to look like a team it is then important for them to function as one. This begins with involving others and keeping them informed the entire way towards accomplishing a goal. In team decisions and actions, actively seek the input of quiet team members, and ask what would make it easier for them to participate. There are always times when people wish they would have said that one thing, but it may have been that little bit easier to say if someone would have asked. So be the person that asks. Once you have asked, or even if someone is contributing on their own, listen respectfully and fully. Make sure that you are listening to understand not just to respond. Hear everyone fully and to the best of your ability and seek clarification when you need it. There will also be times when you learn information ahead of your team. When you have information that affects your team, share it with everyone. Collaborative teams do not withhold information in order to receive personal gain. They understand that as one member goes, everyone goes. Success of a collaborative team is holistic.

There are times when a teams' work seems to never be done. Here is a surprise for you- it's not. Now that you know this, it is important for you to model commitment for the long haul because that is what it is going to be. No one wants to be brought down by negative comments or "can't do it" ways of thinking. If you believe that you and your collaborative team can achieve then you will; if you don't believe then FAKE IT for the good of your teammates! No one needs an anchor to slow them down so don't be one. Instead, energetically and publicly pursue the team’s goals, and adhere to the team’s defined roles, responsibilities, and processes. Demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment for the team’s projects and initiatives as a way of motivating yourself and others. Choose to have a can-do attitude and approach challenges with optimism and energy. Work to become the motor that propels your team forward to eventual success rather than the anchor that slows the entire team down.

Proactive versus Reactive

What does it mean to be proactive or reactive? When I did a web search of these terms it was interesting to see that over one hundred thousand results came back. To me the terms are closely related, but what separates them is that being proactive requires a person or group to react before an event takes place. By evaluating the situation in front of them, predicting what may take place, and then taking the needed actions in advance a group increases their chances to acquire their desired results first. So how do proactive groups flourish in the face of chaos?

"Some people want it to happen, some people wish it could happen, others make it happen."

Michael Jordan

Proactive groups make things happen for themselves. Reactive groups have things happen to them. Which one do you want to be? Sometimes it is hard to see where you are in relation to the team you are working with, but everyone within a collaborative group works to maintain the capacity for reflection even in the “fog of change”. In times of stress and uncertainty remember to step back and ask "What’s really going on here?" Work to make sure that your group becomes fluid within the realm of change. This will allow you to see and be a part of change from as many angles as possible in order to stay ahead of the game.

Collaborative groups also know that part of being proactive is paying close attention to the pace of change. Individuals cannot adapt well to too many life changes at once. The same is true of organizations. It is important to remember that in the business world absorptive capacity theory reigns supreme. Pacing typically requires people to let their ideas and programs seep out a little at a time so they can be absorbed slowly enough to be tested and accepted. A collaborative group realizes they can only move as fast as its' slowest members and yes some may get lost in transition, but some casualties do not mean keep pushing your group to the speed of destruction.

Finally, a collaborative group continues to be proactive by having a keen eye focused on the future. They work to make their vision is more tangible, reminding people of the values they are fighting for, and showing them how the future might look. Once again, if you are able to think ahead about what you expect to see you will begin to become the change you have envisioned. While this transformation is in process there will always be setbacks and your group will need to assess their progress on a regular basis. Monitoring the level or lack of progress made over time will help others be willing to endure the hardships as long as they can see the big picture.

There will always be things in any groups cycle that they must react to, but by being proactive whenever possible there will be less left to chance over time. Collaborative groups that are proactive always seek for clarity in times of chaos. This will allow them to speed up or slow down in order to meet the actual speed of change while continuing to look for the future. So now I ask you- Do things happen to you or do you make things happen for you?

Allowing the Freedom to Find the Way

The president of a local community college tells the story of how a new building was built on his campus. He instructed the maintenance staff to only create one sidewalk leading to and from the new building until the students came back on campus after the winter break. Upon hearing this the maintenance staff was stunned and confused. Why would there only be one route to and from the main entrance to a brand new building? When questioned about the lack of routes, the president explained that before observing the natural flow of students to the new building, there could only be speculation about where would be the best places to create more sidewalks. After allowing the students to determine how they would get to and from the building by creating rabbit paths, these paths would then show everyone the true best placement of the new sidewalks.

Just as Beta was beat out by VHS, and VHS was beat out by DVD, which is now giving way to even newer technology; it is important to continually monitor and realize new and improved ways of doing something. As a process, and the system developed to manage it, is first being created there are usually several views of the best way to make it work. Allowing a group the freedom to find their own way increases the chances of more people being willing to contribute. An increase in the number of contributions leads to a higher likelihood of new and innovative ways of seeing things and the development of a better product over time.