Fourth Quadrant

As the world economy shrugs off the impact of the pandemic, it is time to seek new opportunities to generate revenues in the short term while forging a sustainable growth strategy for the long term. Here are five opportunities for innovation that can help businesses surge ahead.

1. Address customer feedback

As a starting point, ask yourself: are customers dissatisfied with your products, services or processes? In the current environment, being easy to deal with has become a key reason for doing business with a particular company. Make sure that adverse feedback is captured and addressed immediately, and corrective action is communicated to the concerned person or company.

Corrective action can not only ensure the continuation of a business association but also pre-empt similar feedback from other customers.

2. Go beyond existing customers

While existing and long-standing customers keep your business running, growth opportunities lie elsewhere. Speak to customers who have stopped buying from you, have never bought from you, and those who have a negative impression of your company. Know the reasons that keep them away from doing business with your company.

These groups can open up an entirely new market for you through new products and services, value-adds or simply a different way of servicing them.

3. Study other innovative companies

There is more to growth than customer feedback alone. Study what other innovative companies are doing to grow their business. These include both, the ones in your industry but operating in other geographic markets and those outside your industry but known for their innovative practices.

What are they doing right? Do their innovations work for your company? Examine how their best practices can be adapted to your business and implement them.

4. Examine emerging trends

Current trends are a good indicator of market dynamics. In the post-pandemic era, virtual interaction has driven people to pursue individualist experiences such as self-education and self-fulfilling goals.

To gain insight into such trends, attend virtual events and webinars by thought leaders and experts within your industry and outside. Subscribe to research and trend-reporting services to have an ear to the ground.

5. Look within

While the first four approaches encourage you to examine external agencies, it is your leadership and team that eventually determine how efficiently your company can tap growth opportunities. Both must be aligned with the company’s goals.

Strategic workshops are an effective way to achieve this alignment. Teams usually work in silos with prescribed systems and procedures, leaving little room for interaction and exchange of ideas. Such workshops bring people from different teams together, breaking walls and enabling a better understanding of each other’s contribution to the overall objective.

Keep workshops short and focused. Attention tends to waver if sessions are stretched beyond 2-3 hours. Preparation in advance is essential to have productive workshops. Make sure all participants have the material well in time to contribute to the discussion.

Now that you have the basics in place, make the best of the opportunities thrown up by the emerging environment.

Often associated with the creation of new products or services alone, innovation is the implementation of ideas that result in improvement in offering goods or services. For innovation to thrive, it is essential to create an environment that encourages out-of-the-box thinking. Here are some tips to foster innovation at your workplace

1. Encourage a culture of innovation

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy! Allow employees to devote some of their time to doing something of their choice. Let people feel free to express themselves without being bogged down by systems and procedures.

2. The workplace as a creative hotspot

Allocate time-out spaces for employees to take breaks and reboot. By their very nature, workplaces tend to be rigid and formal spaces that stifle creative thinking. Let no routine work be discussed in such designated spaces.

3. Recruit creative and imaginative people

Get off the beaten track. Recruit people who can bring a different perspective, as long as they are in sync with the organisation’s culture.

4. Recognise leaders and influencers

Some people possess a natural ability to lead and influence others. Identify such people in your team and channelise their talent to encourage others to think innovatively.

5. Allow time for research

Research is a key ingredient of innovation. It can be conducted on a variety of subjects such as technology, competition, trends, customer expectations, technology and delivery systems.

6. Reward initiative

A reward is a great way to let employees know that their effort is being appreciated. Rewards needn’t be monetary in nature. Recognition and non-monetary rewards such as experiences often work better than cash rewards.

7. Remove the fear of failure

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Let your team know that there’s nothing wrong with failing. Risk-taking and experimentation is the pathway to success.

8. Conduct training programs

Training lays the platform for new ideas and ways of thinking. It also brings people together and allows for learning from the experience of others.

These tips should get you started. By its very nature, innovation is an open field that lends itself to creative thinking all the time. If you have a great new idea, why not share it with us? Connect with our expert team at [email protected] today.

While an organisation is built around the idea of a common goal based on its vision, mission, and values, it is crucial that the professional aspirations and expectations of each of its team members are also addressed. This ensures a harmonious relationship between the organisation and its team members; an environment where individuals are motivated to do their best. Here are three ways in which you can find out what your employees are looking for.

Obtain quick and regular feedback

We live in the digital era. Attention spans are short and patience is limited. People expect speedy redressal of issues. Quarterly, half-yearly and annual reviews are passe. As is the practice of seeking feedback through lengthy forms. Let the procedure not be viewed as an impediment, a mundane exercise in form-filling.

Now or never is the new mantra. Many organizations have learned that quick and regular feedback is more suited to addressing employee-related issues. Keep the questionnaire brief and easy to answer without missing out on the specifics. An employee is more likely to be enthused about responding to short monthly surveys than longer-format probes spread over months. The former also ensures that issues are addressed as and when they crop up

Encourage manager one-to-ones

The bond between a manager or team leader and individual team members is perhaps the most crucial in an organisation. Individuals seek guidance, motivation, and encouragement from their immediate manager. A supportive manager can be the difference between an outstanding employee and an average one.

Encourage managers to have one-on-ones with individual team members. Employees are more likely to open up to a senior they trust than an impersonal mechanism to elicit feedback. Further, hold managers accountable for their team’s plans.

Break the hierarchy

Hierarchy, though essential to an organisation, can often become a barrier to knowing what employees want. Let hierarchy not become rigid enough to prevent the flow of ideas and feedback.

Skip levels with team members to know their views about the work environment and working with their manager. Follow this up by getting managers to have conversations with team members about the findings and what they are going to do about it.

These simple but effective measures can go a long way in building harmonious work relationships beneficial to both, the organisation and the individual.

5 Facts and Fictions about the Great Resignation After the great depression of the 1930s and the great recession of 2008, we find ourselves amidst The Great Resignation. Also known as The Big Quit, the great resignation is one of the major results of the Covid-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns. As the employees switch their jobs due to multiple factors, the companies are experiencing an aching employee turnover.

T5 Facts and Fictions about the Great Resignation After the great depression of the 1930s and the great recession of 2008, we find ourselves amidst The Great Resignation. Also known as The Big Quit, the great resignation is one of the major results of the Covid-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns. As the employees switch their jobs due to multiple factors, the companies are experiencing an aching employee turnover. In March 2021, Microsoft conducted an extensive study finding out that around 41% of employed folks are planning to shift from their present job roles. Subsequently in August 2021, The US Bureau of Labor Statistics report highlighted an all-time high resignation number as 4.5 million employees quit their jobs. This accounts for around 2.9% of the entire American workforce. Here are some facts and myths about The Great Attrition, aka the Great Resignation.

1. Covid-19 is the catalyst, not the cause Looking at it from the outside, it may seem that the virus is the core factor forcing people to resign. While it is true that the lockdowns helped employees to realize the importance of work and personal life balance; the need for a healthy work environment, flexible work schedules, and better benefits are fuelling the step-down. And those who want to work autonomously are diving into freelancing and entrepreneurship domains at an unprecedented rate.

2. Marked Transformation in Workforce and Workplace

The Covid-19 pandemic is a double-edged sword. On the negative side, the pandemic has hit jobs and livelihoods severely. But on the optimistic side, it introduced the world to new ways to work. Needless to say, the remote work from home scenario is a phenomenal change, and it is here to stay. As the biggest companies shift to a permanent work-from-home model, the transformation from a one-size-fits-all approach is already evident. A new ecosystem of asynchronous organization, roster work model, booming startups is birthing the need for self-leaders. Moreover, a remarkable shift on the infrastructural front is obvious as the demand for office space will go down. Post-pandemic, the offices will become mere cultural touchstones for occasional team-building activities and organizing boot camps.

3. Only some sectors, countries, and demographics are hit

Well, this is quite fictitious as the great resignation is being observed in almost all the sectors, though not uniformly. On the national front, it is most prominent in the USA and European countries. In Asia and Africa where the opportunities are already low compared to the job demand, not as many people are resigning as of now. Secondly, the forefront sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, and leisure are experiencing the highest turnover. Moreover, mid-career folks are the hotspots considering either a job change or venturing into entrepreneurship.

4. The Great Resignation is about gains and realizations, not quitting and subtractions

As humans are programmed to look at quitting from a negative angle, we are missing out on the bright side of this transition phase. More than quitting, we are going through a transformative phase where employees are realizing their priorities and worthiness, and grabbing what is best for them. Most of these transitioning folks were underpaid, ill-treated at the workplace, or simply unhappy with their current role. As the job vacancies are soaring high, the employers will need to provide what employees expect.

5. Employers need to stop, think, and implement

A famous quote by Marcus Buckingham says, “People quit managers, not companies.” It is high time that employers recognize the fact that a humane and inclusive workplace is not optional anymore. Now is the best time for companies to bring long-overdue fundamental changes and starts caring for their employees. Frequent, unfiltered, and open-ended feedback from employees and a keen eye towards implementing the solutions can drastically boost the employee retention of companies. It is evident that “The Great Resignation” is more than just a seasonal phenomenon. As hows, whys, and when we work changes, coping up with the new ecosystem is a pressing challenge for companies that need to be addressed at the earliest. A holistic approach considering all the key factors will go a long way to tame employee turnover and sustain work motivation.

Many of us work hard and are proficient at work. However, ever wondered why only some of us end up being renowned in our organization or industry for our professional abilities?

The visibility quotient is as important as the workability quotient. You may be professionally as worthy as a gold mine, but your worth is subject to your discovery or visibility. Failing which, you are one amongst millions of workers, efficient but unknown beyond your immediate circle. Here are some ideas to make yourself known.

1. Act like a big brand

Coca-Cola is amongst the biggest brands in the world. Everyone knows it. All the same, the company ensures that the brand is visible continually. You can do likewise by maintaining regular contact with your professional and social network. Let the world know the things you have been up to, new experiences, recent achievements and such like.

2. Position yourself

Determine what you want to be known for. Think of speedy pizza delivery and Domino’s comes to mind. It is because the brand has worked over years to create this identity for itself. Make a list of attributes you want to stand for and communicate accordingly.

3. Be part of special-interest groups

Involvement with such groups ensures that you are updated on the latest in your domain or interest area and that you can share the information with others. This reinforces your positioning and allows you to maintain regular contact with your network.

4. Transact the currency of networking

Leverage the benefits of digital technology. Today, you can maintain contact with as many people as you wish, without having to worry about the speed and efficiency of the transmission of your message.

5. Be consistent

Stay in regular touch. One-off or sporadic communication weakens the bonds you build with the people you have worked with. Be consistent. Out of sight is out of mind.

Getting things done in complex organization structures may not be as easy as it seems. As businesses grow larger, systems and hierarchies creep into place, making influence-building a vital asset to get things done. Here are a few best practices that will help you navigate through the process and influence outcomes.

1. Map the decision process

To get to your destination, ensure that you are aware of the milestones on the way. Who are the people involved in the decision-making process (the sponsor, the approver or the evaluators). For example – getting an approval for a full-time position as a resource will involve HR, Finance and the Business Head. But getting an additional water cooler will involve Admin, Finance and Facilities in the decision-making process.

2. Know what they want

Influence is all about knowing what people want. Find out the motive of each person involved in the decision-making process. For instance, the A Senior Manager might want visibility with the Business Head but cost control might be of key concern to the Finance personnel.

3. One step at a time

Influence exerts itself one bit at a time. Work with each individual in the decision flow to influence the outcome. As a best practice, Present your idea to each of the decision-making group members individually and get their view before the big meeting.

4. Tell them what they will get

Don’t tell them what you will get. Instead, focus on telling them what will they get. When their motives are achieved, they will work harder to get approval for it. When this happens, you will have achieved your objective and your influence will grow within the organization. For example, instead of saying you want your team to work from home two days a week, tell the finance head how it will help cut office operational costs.

There’s more to appraisal and communication than meets the eye. As a Manager or Team Leader, get the most out of performance appraisal communication with some simple tips.

Performance appraisal communication is a fine art, that, if handled well, strengthens the bond between the employee and the organisation. If not, it can lead to misunderstanding and distrust, neither of which benefits either party. Ironically, many managers/team leaders treat performance appraisal communication as a chore to be completed as quickly as possible. Here are a few dos and don’ts to ensure a meaningful and productive appraisal session. 

1. Prepare well

Performance appraisal is not meant to be a monologue. Don’t simply walk into the meeting room and start talking. Prepare well, and decide what’s to be said and how. How a point is put across is often more critical to a meaningful outcome than the matter itself.

2. Structure your conversation

Ensure your appraisal follows a logical sequence to enable the person being appraised to understand the reasons that make it up. Jumping from one unconnected point to another only ends up with more questions than answers. Acknowledge the contribution of the appraisee and share the key highlights.

3. Listen

Performance appraisal is a conversation, not a monologue. Listen to what the appraisee has to say, ask for their perspective, regardless of whether you agree with that view or not.

4. Don’t be impersonal

A performance appraisal works best when it is conducted on a one-on-one basis. Mailing the appraisal or leaving a copy on the appraisee’s desk is impersonal and suggests that the appraiser or the organisation doesn’t really care about it.

5. Don’t rush things

You can get the best out of a conversation only if you do not convey that impression of being in a hurry to get it out of the way. Valuable feedback is often lost because appraisees wonder whether their point of view will get a patient hearing.

6. Don’t be defensive

Avoid defending yourself. If there is anything you disagree with, either respond with an objective counterpoint or accept it as feedback and move on. Don’t kill the messenger; understand the message instead. Trying to defend your viewpoint will only turn the conversation into an argument that leads nowhere.

Why do performance conversations meander and often end on an inconclusive note? Why are the decisions taken not followed up on?

The answer lies in our communication and preparation, rather, our understanding of what constitutes communication and lack of preparation. Here are 5 important tips to make your performance conversations more effective.

1. Listen before you speak

Performance conversations are meant not only to give feedback but also to receive it. While much time is spent on imparting information, little attention is paid to hearing from across the table. We simply don’t listen enough!

Most managers use performance conversations as a one-way platform to give feedback. Not realising that giving feedback is just half the task done. Such platforms are meant to listen and take feedback as well. Little wonder that such interactions leave team members disillusioned and wondering whether their feedback matters to the organisation or not. Many a time, a patient hearing can be as effective as the solution itself.

2. Get your facts in order

We often overlook the fact that for any performance conversation to be meaningful, it must be built on facts, logic and reason; all of which require preparation. Managers walk into performance conversations with little or no preparation. Data is meaningless unless analysed and presented as information.

Preparation is vital. It ensures that a meeting concludes meaningfully, and all participants go away with absolute clarity about the decisions taken. More importantly, it shows that you care for your team members and value everyone’s time, including your own.

3. Look ahead, not in the rear-view mirror

Preparation enables decision-making. While performance conversations must dwell on the past, these must not end up as post-mortems alone. Use the opportunity to discuss employee aspirations, learning opportunities and areas of improvement.

Remember, the past is history but the future is an opportunity waiting to be tapped.

4. Be positive

Often, the manner of putting across a point carries a greater impact than the point itself. Build confidence, recognise the contribution and ensure your tone is always positive. Positivity attracts, negativity repels.

5. Be Courteous

A few other acts of courtesy go a long way in creating a healthy work environment and identifies you as a person with a positive approach. No matter what, don’t blame others for failure. Introspect and accept where you have gone wrong. A blame game has the potential to boomerang miserably.

Few Other Tips

Address people by their name in your communication. Being impersonal is uncivil. Likewise, hard copies of communication are best handed over in person rather than being left behind on the receiver’s desk in their absence. Avoid getting into arguments if your communication receives an adverse response.

Communication is a powerful and highly nuanced tool. A slight change of tone or phrase can send across a wrong signal. Used with discretion and subtlety, it can work wonders for the individual and the organisation.

As the workplace culture has transitioned in the past two years, employees have started facing anxiety and inertia, and dread commitments taken up during the WFH (work from home) times. This may act as one of the barriers in shifting back to work from office as these factors may hinder their personal as well as their organisation’s growth. So how do you, as an employer ensure that this transition takes place smoothly? Here is a four-step approach which will ease this transition for you, your employees and your organisation. Firstly, start by making the transition gradual and work on case-to-case basis. Eventually, communicate and showcase care to your employees. With an approach like this, you can conduct the transition smoothly without affecting the overall outcome of your organisation.

In the past two years, the workplace scenario has transitioned vastly, with employees shifting to the work from home mode. Today, as companies around the world begin to open the doors to their employees to resume working from office, it is worthy to note that this difference will invite their anxiety and apprehensions, thus affecting their work styles and productivity.

Some of the anxiety that prevent the employees from wanting to return to work, include falling sick, using public transportation, and moving to alternative childcare solutions, etc. While all these anxieties are rational and valid, it also means that the transition back to the workplace may be way harder than we can imagine. As human beings, we are sensitive to change. Feeling lost in the familiar space of a work environment can be one of the major challenges that hinder the true growth of an employee as well as an organisation.

So as an employer, how can you ease this transition for your employees? To enable this process, here is a step-by-step method that will guide you to maximise the potential of your employees in the post-pandemic scenario:

1. Make it gradual

Start with the hybrid model, that promotes the 0-2-3-5 workday schedule in a week – make the transition gradual. Give your employees the chance to gradually shift from the work from home model so that they can shed off their commitments that they had taken up during this period.

2. Work on case-to-case basis

Each employee comes with a distinct set of challenges that affect their work ethic. To be able to constructively cater to all their needs, it is very important to empower managers to understand these individual constraints. Training and development workshops that enable them to understand the right approach in dealing with employees can prove to be beneficial.

3. Communicate non-negotiability

As much as it is important to cater to the distinct needs of your employees, it is also necessary to understand that this transition is non-negotiable. The quicker your employees understand this, the faster this transition will take place. While the overarching end goal to make your employees transition smoothly is non-negotiable, the transition process can be negotiable.

4. Communicate care

When it comes to a smoother transition, creating situations that enable small victories for your employees, will boost their morale. Alongside, recognising individual challenges and offering counselling and feedback will elevate the overall shift. The care and concern you show right now will prove to go a long way in the future.

Following the above steps in an organised manner as well as proper training on the same, will help you, as an employer, to make your employee’s move as smooth as possible and thus, improve their productivity and your organisation’s outcome.

Metering your productivity has become more critical in the remote work culture now. The below tips are some efficiency hacks proven to boost your productivity and help you achieve more quality work within the given time.

Analyze your habits The first step to forming productive habits is analyzing the pattern of your current practices. Once created, habits become second nature to us. We may not even realize how many things we accomplish just out of habit. So you must analyze them mindfully and decide which habits your need to break and which are healthy to continue.

Say no to multitasking. It is a myth that multitasking saves time. It is a false efficiency technique that actually takes up more time. Each time you jump from one task to another, your brain has to re-wire its focus which consumes a lot of mental energy. It also has a negative impact on the human mind.

Work in small sessions In the digital era, the ability of human minds to focus on a single thing for long periods has depleted. As per the scientific studies, it is believed that after 20-30 minutes, we start losing our concentration.

Therefore, if you want high-quality work done, make sure you work in small-time sessions. Give yourself small targets for each session and see how it works for you.

Take strategic breaks If you are using productivity techniques like Pomodoro, you may notice that after each session of 25 minutes, you get to take a 5-minute break. It is essential to take strategic short breaks instead of working for long until exhaustion.

You should do tasks that relieve your stress and charge you up for the next session. You could go for a walk, listen to music or do a fun exercise. Make sure to give your brain a good quality break which means don’t run to grab the phone and spend all your break time checking it over. These breaks will give your brain a chance to recover from the intense focus and get ready for the next.

Block distractions It is a sad outcome, but the digital era has made us a slave to virtual connections. It leaves our monkey minds constantly jumping from scroll to scroll, from one thought to another, having nowhere to focus.

You can use applications that block the distractive apps when you have to do focused work. Obey these apps to get the critical job done. Or, if it is still difficult to stay away from the phone, give the accountability to someone else who can make sure you don’t fall prey to temptations.

Creating a routine. Human beings are a creature of habit. If you have good habits, you don’t have to constantly motivate yourself to stay focused on work. It becomes an automatic process. Set up procedures, routines, and dedicated workspaces to train your mind to enter the work zone. This will help you gain a work-life balance and also boost your productivity

In these modern times, when we can have all that we desire, it is indeed difficult to stay grounded and get work done. Keep experimenting on different tricks and tips that work well for you so that you seldom have an unproductive day and march towards your goals faster.

Selling & Buying are products of marketing. So, what’s the goal of marketing?.

The ultimate goal of marketing is affecting the way your customers feel. Customers are buying the experiences they get from the products and services they purchase. There were days when customers were simply buying products and services based on price or on the product or service alone. It is all about perception and how you make the customers feel when they purchase your product or service, that will keep them coming back for more

The definition of customer perception is a marketing concept that encompasses a customer’s impression, awareness, and/or consciousness about a company or its offerings. Customer perception is typically affected by advertising, reviews, public relations, social media and personal experiences.

In-order to attain and keep this attention, brands must be creative and sell far more than a product experience. Selling experiences is one way that leading brands are achieving the goal of capturing and keeping their customers’ attention.

What are the 3 tips of Selling an Experience??

The potency of video

Influencers

Indisputability

1. The potency of video Any brand attempting to begin selling experiences today, video must be at the core of everything you do; it is the only way you can truly connect with your customers in today’s marketplace driven by the internet and sociability. It is important to find a way to reach your customers without losing the real-world sense and tangible feeling. Video, therefore, is one of your most useful assets.

2. Influencers The best way for brands to grow their audience and reach them in a meaningful way is to tap into the power of reviewers. Product experience doesn’t need a large audience to happen. A reputed influencer can enjoy and share their experience to a larger audience. If you can find the appropriate people and tap into their audience, there’s no limit to the indirect experience you can sell. As in marketing we say- Right Time, Right Place.

3. Indisputability Indisputability can only be provided through your product or service to a certain extent. In-order to get full value and provide the best experience, you need to engage your younger audience through channels and mediums that are recognized as being authentic. So, Buying Products & Selling Experience runs hand in hand

Things to keep in mind 1. Make a promise and deliver 2. Tell stories 3. Make a connection 4. Share moments 5. Know the lifestyle

For an organisation to achieve its vision, an organisation must look to its workforce to help deliver the vision by building a strong culture based on its core values.

Organisations seeking to remain commercially competitive can achieve only so much with improving systems and processes within an organisation or defining an excellent business strategy. To become more innovative, productive, diverse, safe, and skilled or to improve quality of the goods and services offered requires a greater level of engagement of the people working within the organisation. The level of engagement is driven through the culture that exists within the organisation. Quite often we overlook the causal factors when things fail.

How many organisations develop a brilliant strategy and then fail to execute?

How many embark on a major change that does not get successfully implemented or takes too long?

How many leaders sit at the executive table where good decisions were made, agreements achieved, commitments made, then only to watch, perplexed, as little or nothing happens?

How often do we see creative ideas and innovative plans become stymied by bureaucratic processes and energy-draining efforts? In most cases the cause is the absence of a performance culture.

Key Fundamentals to build a high-performance culture A simple “V-S-C” framework can do wonders to build a high-performance culture. Simply put, an organisation needs to assess the performance culture across its:

Vision and values

Systems and structures

Capability and credibility

1. Vision and values – Build a shared meaning For people to be interested enough in the future of the organisation they need to feel that what they do is important. People need to feel that their effort is making a difference. They need to feel that what they do is worthwhile.

2. Systems and structures – Allow people to get involved The structure of an organisation represents the division of functions and roles. The key focus is how these functions and roles interrelate and coordinate to create a whole and how the structure facilitates or inhibits opportunities for people to influence what happens and the extent to which they are involved in helping the organisation improve the way it operates. Staff members must be given the opportunity to provide input to the decision making process. For innovation to occur, people need to believe that they can challenge the status quo and that their voices will be listened to.

3. Capability and credibility – Give people autonomy & great leaders to do their jobs well All the systems in the world will only be as good as the people employed or engaged to give effect to those systems and structures. Having people, senior leaders (and indeed all leaders) with the right capability to lead and manage performance (and even inspire high-performance) is essential.

However, even with highly-capable leaders and managers, organisations need to regularly watch out for these individuals having the necessary “credibility” within the rest of the organisation. Do they walk the talk? Are they themselves performing in the manner that resonates with the high-performance mantra?

Organisations that perform well, against the benchmark have constructive cultures that lead to: – 27% better teamwork – 68% better cross-functional coordination – Staff that are 76% more motivated – Staff are 35% more satisfied in their roles, and – The organisation is rated as being 45% more adaptable to changes in its external environment (innovation)

Leaders in every organization talk about building the team, working as a team, and “my” team. Yet few understand how to build and create a strong, supportive business team.

Why is this? Because most skilled company executives and managers are exploring ways to improve business results and rightfully so, view team-based organization structures as the best design for involving employees in creating business success.

No matter what you call your team-building efforts – whether it is continuous improvement, total quality, or lean manufacturing – you are striving to improve results for customers.

Unfortunately, few organizations are pleased with the results their team efforts produce. If this describes your organization, then you will gain a tremendous edge by learning what our experience has shown in helping organizations across North America and Europe to build and create strong, supportive teams.

We call these “truths” because they have stood the test of time. These truths of creating strong, supportive teams in the workplace continue to re-occur across time, genders, industry verticals, and national boundaries. The Six Truths to Creating a Strong, Supportive Team are:

Truth One: A Sense of Commitment

Truth Two: Showing Appreciation

Truth Three: Sharing Positive Communication

Truth Four: Spending Off-Line Time Together

Truth Five: Shared Values

Truth Six: Cope with the Unexpected

Truth One: A Sense of Commitment A commitment is a promise. Applied to a workplace team, it is a sense of responsibility or duty that allows team members to override temporary conflicts that often surface in organizations. Members of strong teams take this commitment seriously. For them it is conscious, unwavering and unconditional.

Truth Two: Showing Appreciation Strong, supportive teams share in common the ability to show appreciation to each other on a consistent basis. In showing appreciation, team members are essentially expressing that their fellow teammates are appreciated

Truth Three: Sharing Positive Communication Strong, supportive teams spend a great deal of time talking to one another. This “talk” is both about trivial issues as well as important issues. Clearly, communicating on a continual basis makes team members feel connected and this feeling of connection allows team members to feel free to exchange information and ideas. Why is this important? Because teams who share positive communications are teams who are good at solving problems. Teams that do this well take the time to set aside the time to talk. When they do they focus on the team’s progress and team’s behavior

Truth Four: Spending Off-Line Time Together Strong, supportive teams make a conscious effort to spend off-line time together. They know that this type of time helps build relationships and helps to create a feeling of team identity. Off-line time together can involve eating meals together, participating in community events, celebrating special events, holidays, or just plain “hanging out.”

Truth Five: Shared Values One characteristic of strong, supportive teams is a shared belief in a set of values that guides ethical behavior. These shared beliefs in values help to create a bond between the team members as a way of working, interacting, and behaving together. Shared values serve to connect team members at a core level and this serves to validate and strengthen the team.

Truth Six: Cope with the Unexpected All teams experience challenges of some type at a time of crisis. Strong, supportive teams have the ability to pull together and draw on each other’s strengths when they are faced with the stress of a crisis. They are able to pool their resources, work together, get help from outside support systems, keep communications open in the face of strong emotions and most importantly draw on their shared beliefs from their team values.