Our company is in the process of moving toward a more team-based environment. I’m excited about this and frustrated at the same time. We’ve been working on this process for over a year and I really had expected to see more change by now. Is it always this slow? How can I help move things along?
The Team Doc Says…
Congratulations! I’m sure you’ve already reaped some of the benefits that a team-based environment can bring such as being a real participant in how the company moves forward.
Don’t despair. Moving from a hierarchical environment to a team-based one is a long slow process. Celebrate your “wins” along the way. Think back to how things were just one year ago and focus on the good that has happened instead of what’s left to come. Remember that moving to a more participative culture is a journey, not a destination. You might want to keep a personal (or team) journal of successes for review when things don’t seem to be going so well.
The best thing you can do to help move the process along is to “walk the talk” and be an advocate for change. Use your influence skills to help others that are less positive about the changes that are happening. If possible, get involved in the teams that are “making things happen” in your workplace.
Best regards,
Denise O’Berry
aka ‘Team Doc’
About Denise O'Berry
Great post Denise. It’s important for leaders to realize that deeper team building is about a long-term commitment to changing behaviors. It takes times to change the behavior patterns that have been established in the organization. Many leaders believe that one team building session will create significant change, which is like trying to reinvent who you are as a person in one day.
Love that Guy! — “trying to reinvent who you are as a person in one day” — quite a spot on way to put it. But leaders just don’t seem to get that. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.