Manager, Mike, our team needs to have greater trust in management and each other.
Me, How will you know that this trust is greater amongst management? With each other?
Manager, I will just know it…it will be a feeling I have when I walk in the room.
feelings are not an indicator of progress
Once trust is increased how will it affect the work?
Moving feelings into observations makes team progress pragmatic.
Me, This feeling of greater trust. How will your reaction to the team change – what will they notice that’s different?
Manager, I don’t know. I will feel more prepared.
Me, Finish this sentence. When the team has greater trust I will see ____ .
When the team has greater trust I will see
- Everyone arrives at team meetings on-time and prepared to discuss the agenda.
- During team discussions people share ideas, points of view and evidence that is truly focused on achieving the team goal.
- Everyone is really listening to what others are saying and not just waiting for their time to talk.
- When the time comes to assign tasks, the team members openly support the team leader and offer ways to be of assistance.
- After the meeting teams arrange their own time to meet and discuss team task, without having to schedule through me (the project manager)
- Team members come to the meeting with completed project tasks.
- If the task is going to be completed Early, Late, Above Quality, Below Quality the team is alerted, and the team works together to solve any problems.
From the list above we were able to identify some clues or indicators of progress. From there we created small experiments and changes to how the teamwork got done.