Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Bonita Argent, Partner at InCite Performance Group. We hope you enjoy Bonita’s wisdom and perspective.
In the last quarter of the year I often work with executive teams on their strategic-tactical planning. One of my favorite parts of the planning process is looking back over the past year and identifying their successes - and more importantly, the “why” behind the successes. Most often it is connected to the people, and more specifically, the teams – both leadership & front-line.
We know teams are much more capable than individuals. This is primarily true because different people bring more ideas, skills, unique talents, experience, and personalities to a team. This allows for more creativity, innovation, and the right talent to be applied in the right place at the right time.
I am often asked… what makes a successful team? What I do know for sure – dream teams don’t just happen. The ability to identify what drives team success is very important.
When organizations put teams together they often do it based on identifying the strengths of the people on the teams. They normally focus on two areas: the person’s cognitive ability (special skills, intelligence, knowledge, experience & education) and the person’s personality (motivation, attitude, values & beliefs), both of which are very important but often they may still struggle to get things done. There is a type of stress people don’t recognize – the stress of trying to act like somebody other than their true self.
Several years ago, through an entrepreneurial program, I was introduced to a profiling process called Kolbe. Kolbe does not measure how smart we are, nor does it measure our personality. Kolbe tells us how we will instinctively take action when striving to get something done (our MO). Kolbe can help you relieve the stress on your teams when people are not using their true strengths. It also allows teams to identify synergy or lack of synergy. The entire team understands the things that come most naturally to each other and allows them to stop fighting against their natural instincts.
So going back to the question – what makes a team successful? It doesn’t just happen by chance. In addition to cognitive abilities and personalities, it takes the right mix of instinctive talents. We often call it the 3 parts of the mind.
What’s The Risk?
We all know having people work in the wrong lanes on a team can have such a great impact on results. If you do not take the time to look at people’s entire talent – cognitive, affective, and conative you will risk:
- Increased conflict
- Inertia or organizational paralysis
- Misalignment of team member expectations
- Lack of instinctive strengths on the team
- Ability to understand the best way to communicate
- Reduction in individual and group productivity
- Increase in employee turnover
In the workplace, teams are critical. Work is a team sport! Teams that identify and maximize the diversity of each other have the ability to become even more powerful.
This content was written and shared by guest blogger, Bonita Argent.
Bonita is a partner at the InCite Performance Group where she works with Independent Insurance Brokers across Canada and the United States. She has a passion for helping her clients be successful through working on culture, team development, employee engagement, planning, operations and client experience. Bonita now lives in Newfoundland, Canada with her husband of 31 years John.
Connect with Bonita on LinkedIn. Connect with InCite via their website, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
