5 Traits of Highly Effective Work Teams

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strong team

Work teams are an integral part of so many businesses today.  It is important that teams work well together to innovate, problem solve, and ultimately move a company toward success.  To develop a strong team, strive to adopt the following 5 traits, common in highly effective work teams:

Clear Goals – Effective teams define what success is, and commit to achieving specific, attainable goals necessary to reach that success within a given time frame.  All members of the team know, understand, and strive to reach that end.

Commitment – In truly effective teams, every single member is committed to the purpose and success of an organization and the team itself.  Team members not only commit to their individual roles, but they also support and cheer on other members until team objectives are met.

Strong Communication – Effective teams exemplify clear, two-way communication.  Regardless of personality style, each member is listened to and offers consistent, valuable feedback.

Trust – Trust is a crucial characteristic of strong work teams.  People who feel valued and trusted keep themselves accountable and are encouraged and empowered to take on greater responsibilities, produce, and innovate.

Purpose – Effective teams are driven to succeed when they maintain a strong sense of purpose. Leaders of these teams deliver a strong mission that motivates and inspires people to complete their individual tasks in order to benefit a greater cause.

10 “Be”-haviors to Gain Respect

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Respect

As a manager, respect is essential to building a successful, productive team.

While many managers struggle to gain respect from employees, respect can

actually be earned and maintained with simple behaviors that let people know

you can be trusted to lead effectively. Adopt the following behaviors and watch

employee respect for you grow:

 

1. Be encouraging. Offer sincere praise for a job well done. Tell your

employees that you appreciate their efforts while they are working, and

offer immediate recognition upon successful completion of a task, while

the work is still fresh in the mind of the employee.

2. Be trusting. People feel devalued by managers who can’t let go. It is

important, when delegating responsibilities, to trust employees to

accomplish tasks without telling them how to complete their work. Trust

and empower employees to explore ways to achieve success in a manner

that will lead to the development of their own skills.

3. Be honest. Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know the answer! No

one respects an arrogant fool, but respect is gained through honesty and

understanding. Similarly, give truthful feedback to employees rather than a

simple, “good job,” especially if the job done did not meet company goals.

4. Be available. In addition to leaving your door open, schedule time to chat

with employees. Letting coworkers know that your time is not too

important for them will cause them to value and respect you.

5. Be positive. No one is drawn to negativity. Work to see the positive in

your employees and express optimism regarding the progress of your

team.

6. Be helpful. Never be too busy to make yourself useful to others. Being

willing to stop and offer advice to those who ask for it, or to assist in areas

that may even be “below” your status are sure ways to encourage

appreciation and respect among employees – they will see that you

actually care.

7. Be relatable. Don’t be afraid to laugh and smile. Managers who are too

serious can seem sterile or even hostile, causing mistrust. Don’t be afraid

to occasionally have some appropriate fun with your employees.

8. Be open. Ask for the opinions of your employees, then actively listen and

respond to their views. People respect those who actually consider their

ideas and show interest.

9. Be humble. As Jim Collins observed in his book, Great by Choice,

companies that have incredible track records of success consistently

boast leaders who take personal blame for failures and setbacks, but give

others credit for progress and success.

10. Be reliable. Make sure that what you say and what you do match up.

Whereas consistency quickly earns trust, inconsistency leads to doubt and

a lack of respect. Following up and following through will quickly establish

credibility among employees.

 

What are some effective ways that you gain the respect of your employees?

We’re eager to share ideas with you. Contact us!

Tips for Offering Effective Feedback

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feedback

 

Effective feedback is something that every good manager should offer to employees.

Good feedback drives individual and company-wide performance. It motivates

employees and, in turn, fosters company-wide productivity. To some, offering

feedback is daunting, and to others, knowing how to offer valuable feedback is

somewhat of an “unknown.” It is important to consider that feedback is not praise,

it is not criticism, and it is not advice. Good feedback is about offering constructive

information in response to efforts toward reaching a particular goal.

 

Consider the following key elements to improve your feedback and the overall

success of your team:

 

Effective feedback is goal-oriented.

Feedback should be catered toward moving employees closer to their own

performance goals, or toward the betterment of the company. If your response to

employee performance does not have to do with these objectives, it is likely

unnecessary and will actually result in counter-productivity and frustration.

 

Effective feedback is specific.

Clear communication should take place when offering feedback. When offering

information about employee performance, managers should relay specific examples

to demonstrate why efforts were effective, or illustrations of where goals were not

as successfully reached. Furthermore, it is important that the recipient of the

feedback relays a clear understanding of what is being communicated.

 

Effective feedback is empathetic.

It is important to view the perspective of employees when offering feedback.

Consider the last time you received feedback that mattered to you – information

that you took to heart and that encouraged better performance on your part.

Usually it came from someone who genuinely cared about you, who appreciated

where you came from and where you were headed.

 

Effective feedback is timely.

Don’t wait until the quarterly review to offer feedback. Immediate response to

employee performance will be more meaningful and applicable when the action

taken is fresh on the heart and mind of the employee.

 

Effective feedback is honest.

Feedback that is fake, forced, or not completely truthful is neither good for

employees, nor for the overall organization. In fact, it can actually create barriers

skepticism. As a manager, honesty can be hard at times, but trying to tell people

what you assume they want to hear can actually hurt their effectiveness; on the

other hand, providing constructive, truthful feedback in a gentle, empathetic

manner is proven to build employee engagement and productivity over time.

 

Effective feedback is consistent.

It is important to offer constant feedback, and to follow up on feedback given.

People want their efforts to be recognized. Acknowledging the work of employees is

guaranteed to increase engagement and motivation. Offering consistent feedback

helps people to know whether they are on the right track, and how they can better

contribute to an organization’s success.

 

Effective feedback leaves room for improvement.

It is important, as you offer feedback to employees, to get their input regarding how

you offer feedback. Asking employees how you can better respond to their

performance will increase trust and lines of communication overall, and it will help

you to improve your ability to offer better feedback to other employees, and your

own managers as well.

 

What is your greatest challenge with giving feedback? Share in the comments or contact

us at bridgebetween.com.

10 Simple Tips for Minimizing Stress

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stress management

Are stress and anxiety constant themes in your daily drama? While a little stress is a

regular part of life, too much stress can eat away at happiness, make you less

effective at home and work, and worse, stress can cause negative long-term effects

on overall health. Follow these 10 simple and easy tips to find greater calm,

contentment, and productivity in your life:

 

Start small and simple.

Don’t let the grand idea of change stress you out. Make a list of alterations you know

you need to make to ultimately de-stress. Start with one small thing, and once that

small thing becomes a habit, move onto the next.

 

Meditate or Pray.

Start each day focusing on your purpose through a short time of prayer or

meditation. Begin each daily journey by focusing on what truly matters – on “what

it’s all about.” You will be reminded that all the tedious interruptions and

frustrations are just noise, and that noise won’t seem so deafening; rather, a calm

sense of purpose will result.

 

Foster positivity.

People in positive relationships are proven to have better heart health. Surrounding

yourself with happy people, calling that friend that never ceases to put a smile on

your face, or investing in a pet that will dote on you will result in improved health

and happiness.

 

Take one step at a time.

Multitasking actually minimizes efficiency. It leads to distractions and scattered

thoughts, thus increasing stress. Focus on what needs to be accomplished in the

moment, accomplish that task, take a deep breath, and move onto the next.

 

De-clutter.

You don’t need to take on massive spring-cleaning projects to get rid of the clutter in

your life. Take 15 minutes per day to tackle a section of your desktop, 10 emails in

your inbox, or 1 drawer. Slowly, you will see the clutter minimize, and that small

sense of accomplishment will replenish your “calm” stash.

 

Make gratitude your daily vitamin.

It is hard to experience true gratitude and stress simultaneously. Set a reminder in

your phone for three times a day to focus on what you are grateful for – from the air

you are breathing, to the amazing things your body can do, to the creation outside

your window.

 

Smile.

Smiling – even fake smiling – releases endorphins in the body. Endorphins are

proven to reduce both pain and stress. Take time throughout your day to pause and

find a way to smile or laugh. Watch a funny video, dance in the break room, and

laugh at yourself!

 

Exercise.

Like smiling, exercise releases endorphins. The brain loves endorphins and

translates them into pleasure. Start by taking a break for two or three 10-minute

brisk walk between work tasks. Getting up and moving will add positive energy to

your day.

 

Eat healthy.

Make a point of adding fruits, veggies, and lean proteins to your diet, and avoid

eating junk foods and refined sugars. Whereas junk food sucks energy, healthy food

contributes to a positive mood.

 

Schedule relaxation.

Make time to de-stress. At least once per week, schedule one non-distraction hour

for yourself. Get a massage, get a pedicure, people-watch at the park, or take a bath.

Turn off your phone. Close your computer. Sit and enjoy the hour of calm. You will

find yourself surprisingly recharged.

 

No one enjoys being the victim of stress. Start today taking small, proactive steps to

rid that negative emotion and embrace that better version of yourself.

 

How do you alleviate stress? Share in the comments or contact us.

The Impact of a Certified Woman Owned Business

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Shannon Cassidy and Agnes Doody at ESPN

Shannon Cassidy is Founder and CEO of bridge between, inc.. Shannon combines a keen ability to get to the heart of every matter with a proven track record.

She is the author of The 5 Degree Principle: How Small Changes Lead to Big Results and V.I.B.E., a discovery of what lies beneath and how that impacts you and others.

I recently had the privilege of speaking with her about her journey and becoming a Certified Woman Owned Business. As one who is eager to empower others and encourage them on to success, she generously shared some specifics on how being a female entrepreneur has impacted her, and why she does what she does.

Who is a female role model you looked to as an inspiration when starting bridge between?

Shannon: Agnes G. Doody, my mentor, former professor at the University of Rhode Island, and dear friend. She joined me at ESPN to discuss Gender Communication and Conflict Resolution to the leadership team last year. What a privilege! My kids call her Aunt Agnes. We visit her every summer. What an inspiration.

Was there a specific moment you felt the push, became inspired and convicted to become certified as a Woman Owned Business?

Shannon: When I spoke with a client at Comcast who said an objective of theirs is to partner with vendors who are women and minority owned. I looked into it and found out how to do it.

What is a company today (big or small, local or national) empowering women and why?

Shannon: Deloitte! They put their money with their mouth is by appointing the new CEO Cathy Engelbert.

Another is ESPN. My friend CFP Christine Dreisen was named WICT’s (Women in Cable Telecommunications) Woman of the Year. She was instrumental in launching espnW, ESPN’s first digitial initiative geared towards inspiring female athletes and fans.

What holds women back?

Shannon: Ourselves. I think we doubt, question, think we need 100% of qualifications before applying for positions, etc. We also aren’t as comfortable gaining sponsors and asking for what we want. We often live by: if I work hard enough that should be enough OR if I want to have kids I need to be okay with a certain title / level. So, ourselves primarily.

The Imposter Syndrome is when you feel like your accomplishments are nowhere near as good as those around you. Alicia Liu wrote an interesting article with the key takeaway “Imposter syndrome is not only an invisible hand that holds people back from attaining the things their abilities warrant, but it is also a blindfold that prevents people from even seeing what those things could be. That is very difference from having self-doubt about one’s real limitations.”

We all make hundreds of choices each day. Every step or decision we make adds up. Some get trapped in overindulging on self and minimally focusing on purpose. There are lots of things about you that you control.

At the end of the day, remember Shannon’s mantra at the end of this video: “I am enough.”

Contact Shannon and her team with help in connecting your potential to performance.