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Tag Archive for 'team atmosphere'

bnasal

How can more connections help us?

Published by Bob Nasal on August 22, 2011.

It’s OK, don’t panic—we won’t have to deal with any more passwords. Because I’m not talking about electronic connections. Many of us already have that base covered. We can point to e-mail, IM, texts, blogs, feeds, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Linkedin, and many others. What I’m talking about is networking with other people face to face. And I realize this might be daunting for many of us, but it helps to be open to the possibilities. Let’s trust that we really can safely detach from our electronic screens for a little while and have meaningful conversations with people who can help us and grow us.

Networking—we’ve heard about it, and some of us even practice it. But I think we sometimes treat it the same way we treat the fine china in our cupboards. We know it’s there, we know it’s valuable, but we store it away most of the time—for any number of reasons. Then, on special occasions, we bring it out, make it sparkle, and make good use of it. Maybe we shouldn’t confine our networking in this way, restricting it to one “big” special purpose. Such as trying to move up within the organization (or out). Want to get promoted? Networking can help. But that’s a very narrow view of its potential.

Instead, consider networking on a continuing basis with smaller goals in mind. Aim for small victories. This can be helpful to you and your company. This is true even if we’re quite content to leave the corporate ladder-climbing to someone else. How so, you ask? In an article in the July-August 2011 issue of the Harvard Business Review, authors Rob Cross and Robert Thomas identify  benefits of networking relationships as follows: they can help us get personal support, gain influence, reduce bias in our decision making, broaden our expertise, learn new skills, and find purpose and balance in our lives. I don’t know about you, but these sound like some exciting and worthwhile outcomes to me. Anyone think these benefits won’t lead to happier, healthier, and more-productive people?

The article presents study findings, questions to ask ourselves, networking dos and don’ts, and a process for developing a productive network. Although the ideas are slanted toward executive networking, there’s plenty of good advice for all of us. Such as:

  • Size isn’t that important. The quality of the relationships is more important than having a large number of surface-level relationships
  • Diversity is very important. Choose people at varying levels in the organization and in different parts of the organization; also include people outside the organization
  • When you can, choose people with positive energy, people who are “enthusiastic, authentic, and generous.” Some of that good stuff is likely to rub off on you
  • Avoid choosing people primarily because they’re a lot like you and so you’re comfortable with them; you want challenging talks and exposure to different points of view
  • Choose people who have knowledge or a skill set that you lack; push yourself beyond your safety zone
  • Select people who can provide one or more of the benefits listed above. In other words, match your contacts to your needs

Connecting in person and doing it regularly can generate rewarding payoffs. So if we think it’s something we can do that might help us, we should go for it. We really don’t have to wait for a special occasion to take networking out of our cupboards.

Categories: Marketing trends and best practices
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mhallett

Good relationships with co-workers helps keep emotional wellness in check

Published by Maggie Hallett on August 3, 2011.

For many of us, it isn’t just what we do for a living that’s important; it’s who we do it with. According to a study in the Journal of Applied Communication Research, “co-worker liking” had a high positive correlation to job satisfaction. But maintaining enjoyable, healthy relationships with co-workers isn’t always easy in high stress, competitive environments. Consider the following situation and the five simple steps you can take to manage the interaction and come out feeling good about yourself in the process.

Situation: Your boss assigns you to a big project that will be getting a lot of attention within the organization. You are thrilled about the opportunity, but dismayed when you find out your boss has also assigned one of your co-workers to lead it with you. You like the co-worker personally, but in your past experience working on projects together you’ve found that you usually do 80% of the work, and when it’s complete she has no problem taking 50% of the credit. You are determined to not let that happen again, but you’re also nervous about difficult conversations and confrontations you anticipate happening.

  • Remember, you are not a mind reader: Do not assume the co-worker is thinking “Sweet! I’m partnered with a workhorse. I know I won’t have to do much and I’ll still look good…” By making assumptions about what someone else is thinking, it becomes your truth—even though it may not actually be true. You enter the situation on the defensive, with a suspicious, negative mindset, which is never a good way to begin a partnership.

  • Set ground rules: Put a plan in place that clearly outlines everyone’s responsibilities. Make sure it’s in writing, and share it with your boss so she’s also aware of who’s responsible for what.  If your co-worker is not doing her part, it is now easier to approach the subject since it was agreed upon by all parties up front.  Also, make sure to address your co-worker directly before going to your boss so she’s aware that you have an issue with the situation. Give her the opportunity to fix it before involving anyone else.
  • Just the facts, ma’am: If you feel like your co-worker is slacking, make sure that you stick to only the facts when reviewing the situation—both in your head and with her. It’s our natural reaction to add some color commentary to a heated situation, so attempt to take the emotion out of the interaction to come across more professional and less accusatory. For example:  “We agreed that you’d be done with the budget by Friday, and it’s not complete. Can you let me know what your plan is to get it done in the next 24 hours?” versus  “You’re not done yet?? Are you kidding me? It’s going to put us so far behind!!” You can see how the different lines of questioning will likely garner very different responses.
  • Never say never (or always): When having a difficult conversation, try to remove the words “never” and “always” from your vocabulary.  It’s hard to stick with the facts when using extremes like “You are always late!” or “You never support me in meetings.” Most likely neither of these things are true, even though it’s how you feel. However, you won’t accomplish your goals (of your co-worker arriving on time or supporting you in meetings) if you approach her with extremes instead of the facts.
  • There IS an “I” in “Team”: When a difficult conversation is necessary, it’s much easier to make it about you versus the other person. Using “I statements” forces you to share how you are feeling about what your co-worker is doing rather than making it about her and immediately putting her on the defensive.  You can see how “I feel taken advantage of when you ask me to do your portion of the proposal” is more difficult to dispute than “I have to do everything. You always get away with the easiest part!” No one can argue with how you are feeling, because, well, they are your feelings. But as soon as you tell someone else they are doing something wrong, their natural reaction will be to defend themselves.

The gist of these five rules can apply to all relationships, not just at work. If you can remember to remain factual about the situation and stick with explaining how you feel, you’ll set yourself up for the best chance of having a productive interaction—one that helps you accomplish your goal and still feel good about yourself in the process.

*For more information on health and wellness visit thewellatgsw.com

Categories: New ideas and approaches
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mnelson

What if the only cells we brought to meetings were brain cells? (UPDATED)

Published by Marcee Nelson on June 2, 2010.

(Originally published on 4.27.10)

We have a new client on the west coast who has a wonderful policy for working back to the future—meetings with no cell phones or Blackberrys allowed!

Imagine actually focusing on one subject—the subject you are sharing with people across the table from you. Imagine your mind in the same conference room with your body. Imagine actual eye contact.

The irony of our digitally enhanced work lives is that in the effort to be multi-tasking and multi-achieving we often end up being virtually productive. Not to mention, just plain rude. I have a feeling this electronic-free meeting policy will move eastward. At least I can dream. Until then, I will be left without my own devices in conference rooms to come.

Update: It looks like I’m in good company on this idea. In a recent post on Harvard Business Review’s blog, Peter Bregman wrote:

“A study showed that people distracted by incoming email and phone calls saw a 10-point fall in their IQs. What’s the impact of a 10-point drop? The same as losing a night of sleep. More than twice the effect of smoking marijuana.”

Multitasking is a myth. Moving your attention from one thing to another is really interrupting yourself. (Not just your meeting). We lose focus, concentration, and – potentially – some of our best ideas.

(Article via Mark W)

Categories: New ideas and approaches
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Kelley

Let the individual speak through the crowd

Published by Kelley Smilkstein on April 26, 2010.

“Know the value of the end-user and know the value of just listening.”

-Ben Heywood

In a recent article on how social media can help pharma advertisers connect, Ben Heywood, co-founder and president of PatientsLikeMe.com, highlighted not only how important it is for a patient to be able to voice his or her personal experience in a nonjudgmental setting, but also how valuable it can be for the companies that serve those individuals to actually listen.

As an editor at GSW Woldwide, one of my primary tasks is to keep an independent perspective as I evaluate the material that will be presented to HCPs and eventually filtered through to consumers. As part of that role, I am often (and rightly so) left out of the creative process. The team needs me to see their work from an outsider’s perspective.

So imagine my delight to hear that the guys and gals upstairs (or rather, the creatives down the hall) were inviting anyone in the company to brainstorm ideas for an upcoming pitch. The outsider in me, the serious, to-the-letter regulation abider in me, would get the chance for one afternoon to say what I thought, not just what the rules of grammar, design, and regulatory agencies dictated.

A shop that creates a truly team atmosphere – where each individual, no matter in which department he or she sits  can have the chance to participate – is a shop whose work looks less like a tired cookie-cutter on a conveyor belt and reflects more of what the consumer needs: simplicity, honesty, a touch of humor. A perspective that matters.

Regardless of whether my ideas made it to the end, I know that I’ve been heard. Likewise, as consumers, as patients, or as providers, having a sense that the crowd is made up of individuals, well, there’s real value in that.

Categories: New ideas and approaches
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