Introduction: Getting
Started—
How Much Do You Want to
Grow?
The dawn rises. It's your first day on the job, and you are on time and anxious. As the new employee or employer, you've obtained this position and its accompanying title, surviving through layers of interviews, background and reference checks, intense scrutiny, and get-acquainted meetings. You'll work with some of the people you've met, others you will lead, a few will lead you, but all of them have sized you up from the moment you were introduced.
After the arduous process-sometimes exhilarating, sometimes exhausting-you have gained the post. So consider this: What does it mean to start well, establish strong relationships, and confront fresh but unfamiliar atmospheres, attitudes, circumstances, and controls with positive intentionality, giving your best and succeeding?
You may be new to the place but perhaps not the procedure. What should you contribute in the opening crucial moments when the honeymoon, if there is one at all, has already begun and no one has a clue how long it will last-including you?
A fresh opportunity may pose a threat because much is unknown. In a new environment, a person searches for common threads of understanding and camaraderie or, at least, reassuring glances that indicate there are advocates, people you can believe.
On what basis will you trust someone you don't know, extend a plea for help, or request assurance during the opening hours in an unfamiliar culture? You could imagine your fate may already be determined by actions you see or by incidents hidden from your eyes.
Do you wonder how your performance is going to be measured or if you will be accepted? If you are the new person, regardless of position or title, how do you build a firm foundation on unproven hope, surpassing the passing whims and alleged promises, and discovering your way through mazes of unknown agendas, while rising above secret alliances and the destructive persons about whom you may know nothing yet?
In postmodern business climates the new guy or gal may not be taken as valuable on the basis of merit, honorable mention, pedigree, or title. In the average workplace the new person may not be granted, at least at first, open opportunity or necessary tools to succeed. The fresh face may be greeted with displays of open challenges such as, "I wonder if he or she will make it?" Or, "I heard you're here because you knew the strings to pull." "Good luck…you're going to need it." Or, behind his or her back, "She knows the boss and made promises no one could keep," "That position should have been mine," "Let's wait and see what he is made of," or, "I will not allow that person to succeed." In a desert scorched by relational dryness and invaded by hostile life forms, the cooling refreshment of encouragement may have long vanished with the winds of strife, skepticism, sarcastic innuendo, and barbed-wire commentary.
Even where a welcome is extended with a smile, a few well-chosen words, and the expected handshake, how do you, as the new arrival, know you are experiencing anything more than covert and consigned negatives from the ne'er-do-wells of the workplace? Is there a way to promote and dwell in a place of building up and not tearing down? If you are the one most recently arrived, is it possible to possess solid assurance that the team on which you are to serve is there to serve you, see you win, and help you succeed? How confident could you be that you will receive correct and timely information, resource tools, extended confidence, and genuine displays of, "We're glad you're here!"
Jenafer's Introduction to Small Business
"The hairdressing industry is highly competitive. When I became a licensed hairdresser just out of beauty school, I was anxious and excited. I wondered if I would be good enough to build my clientele and if I was going to be successful.
"Outward appearance is 'it' in the beauty industry. There is constant pressure to look and perform your best. My training had been extensive and I had the knowledge to become all that I wanted to be. The expectations, though high, were motivating.
"The salon I first entered provided a medium-paced place to begin my career. The biggest challenge, however, was in owning and operating my own business from the outset. I was my own promotions director, customer service provider and administrator. From day one it was hard to figure out whom to trust and where to turn for advice.
"I obtained a mentor in the business and learned all that I could from her. I kept an open mind and I retained a learning attitude. I can never think in business that I know it all. I have to constantly develop my skill and clientele to keep my business growing."
Justin's First Day on the Job
"Walking into my first day on the new job was definitely an adventure. Multiple emotions cycled their ways through me. Among them were anxiousness, nervousness, and eagerness, to name a few. I didn't know what to expect about the work or the people I'd be working with. Sure, I knew what kind of work I had applied for, but I didn't really know the full extent of what it would require of me.
"On my first day I met with one of my bosses who taught the day-to-day procedures, explaining in greater detail what I was going to be doing. Soon after, I was handed off to one of the other workers who showed me around the place and labored alongside, explaining everything in detail.
"I was fortunate. Upon starting the work and meeting my co-workers all the 'fears' of the job dissolved because this was an excellent group of people and they worked as a team. They drew me in as a part of them."
This is how it should work.
Whether self-employed or joining the work force of an existing organization (regardless of size), experiencing a positive work environment may seem too good to be true in the opening moments of the endeavor. But it is possible. A great team is good because it is true-to itself, its principles, and the decisions of the people on the team that promote best practices. Positive contributions emerge from people of integrity who are part of a core team that is built on foundations of mutual support, encouragement, truthful conversations, and other values-driven behaviors.
Involvement on a core team that fits the description of health is not automatic nor should it ever be assumed. Most often a team that has achieved fitness and presents a truly welcoming environment has matured through numerous prior tests and has consistently desired something better as it has striven to reach worthwhile and desired goals-growing its members through the process.
The team that has survived and thrived has earned respect because its members have learned what to expect from the good and the bad, their successes and failures. Their actions are proof points of agreement and adherence to the "Code of Achievement" (from Leadership Is-) where their strong commitments uphold:
1. Values (the principles upon which all members are agreed and to which they adhere unreservedly)
2. Vision (the reasons for the team's existence)
3. Mission (the tasks the group undertakes and completes with excellence, above and beyond expectations)
4. Message (the central lessons they learn and teach to those they impact)
The core team that works well handles incidents and issues with confidence. It learns and grows through circumstances while it focuses on long term prospects because this team knows that their existence and contributions depend upon willful and values-based agreement on core issues.
Members of a great team pursue discovery of their answers to the Four Questions, also from Leadership Is-, that align with the "Code of Achievement":
1. Who are you at your core? (Values)
2. What are you called to accomplish? (Vision)
3. What do you want? (
4. Whom will you impact? (Message)
Teams in this model think and act from a solution mindset, choosing winning over whining. They engage in forming and implementing strong solutions that endure when they commit to the "Four Decisions," as shown in Industrial Strength Solutions.
1. Turn habits of complaining into habitats of constructing.
2. Replace negative attitudes with positive solution-focused outlooks.
3. Redirect an ego-centered focus to concentrating on benefiting others.
4. Confront problems with positive planning and action steps.
They actively employ the "Four Standards," from Industrial Strength Solutions, of Integrity, Decision-making, Commitment, and Faithfulness to Duty while upholding one another in day-to-day engagements. They count character, reward competence, and celebrate good choices. Solution provision is seen in attitudes, actions, and great results.
A vitalized core team agrees with, and seeks to uphold, this first and most important truth: People are more important than what they do and relationships (decisions about another's success) come before and give rise to functions (the tasks that prove the reliability of the decisions). A core team of people committed to exercising controlled strength is one that proves it will not be moved in character by negative circumstances nor become subservient to compromise when confronting challenge paradigms that come their way. Its strength originates from shared principles and sound practices. It withstands because its people have withstood while they have understood that their contributions exceed the needful functions for which their team was formed.
A working team that contributes well gets jobs done from positions of internal strength, maturing while they work. Endurance permeates attitudes and activities. These people are dedicated unreservedly to trust, honoring who they are. They uphold high and verifiable accountability and employ methods that showcase consistency, obedience to values, right relationships, and examples that build legacy. These people form one great core team.
A work group embodying these positive characteristics is one with which every boss and employee looks to become engaged or associated, if-and only if-the person weighing the character of the team desires to join a group of this kind for the right reasons, wholeheartedly desiring to contribute to its success. If you are the new person, would you like to join a team like this? If you are the recently hired boss, would you like to lead a team like this? Regardless of your current position, title, or tenure, would you like to help create a team like this?
What makes a team work well-or, better put, what makes a great team far exceed mediocre expectations? In two companion volumes already referenced, Leadership Is— and Industrial Strength Solutions, leadership is described as not inherited, but decided, and teams who make positive and long-lasting contributions are shown to accomplish their goals because what they want is based on solid beliefs in unshakable truths. These two books explain and illustrate that simply following "easy-way" instructions and check-off lists will not necessarily produce greatness if building lasting legacies of contribution are the higher goals of interaction.
Great core teams work well because they are composed of growing people, firmly convinced that achieving leadership, team creation, and cooperation constitute ideals of completion that require diligence and hard work. They know that efforts to acquire what they desire are worth the expenditures they require of themselves. These teams produce better people as part of the process and don't use them up. When what they receive endures beyond the price the team paid to realize its dreams, they've won.
Gregory Edwards, the New Manager
After many years of working in his chosen profession, Greg received what he thought would be the position of his dreams, joining a dedicated staff for a respected enterprise. Responsible to senior executive management from a remote location, his home, his duties seemed to fit him well and travel was minimal. Staff assigned to him consisted of administrative assistants and sub-contractors, as well as on-site managers for those times when Greg needed to be at the company's home office. Responsibilities aligned with his creative solution thinking. Challenges appeared to be manageable and he set about fulfilling his role with enthusiasm.
There was one problem, though. Russell, Greg's immediate supervisor, was hungry for power, position, and prestige. He lorded it over his staff with unmitigated fervor-especially in group meetings. While Russell talked frequently about teams and how much he valued a team approach, to Greg it became blatantly clear in short order that what Russell did was not in line with what he said.
As initial weeks dissolved into opening months, Greg realized that working for Russell was not working unless behaviors changed. Greg came to the conclusion that this relationship was anything but a team. This was a dictatorship run by an insecure leader whose selected modes of operation consisted of intimidation, interruption, unclear communication, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering. Interestingly, the CEO for whom Russell worked treated his executive staff the same way.
Striving from within to forge values into a working environment that clearly needed help, Greg sought to bridge the communication gaps on his own team, confront problems appropriately, and stimulate staff growth and development.
Russell had a lot to deal with in Greg. Here was an employee who was clearly liked and respected because he did what he said he was going to do. His product delivery was on time and on target. He showed respect to his co-workers and endeavored to produce a team that worked well. Were Russell to have been more secure and appreciative he would have sensed, if not completely understood, that enfolding Greg instead of stifling him would have been a best choice. But Russell didn't get it. Instead of creative freedom, Russell employed his tough and testy traits of put-downs, gossip, and power-center positioning. Russell feared that Greg could become the go-to guy, so he tried to reign in what he thought was a threat, but he couldn't have been more incorrect in his assessment and action.
Greg could see Russell's discomfiture from nearly the first day. His efforts to bridge the gaps and cooperate with Russell were refused-not once, but repeatedly. The staff saw it and executive leadership above Russell actually encouraged more disconnect-as though distance, distrust, and discomfiture were the characteristics to be acquired and admired. It was unbelievable.
Enough became enough after nearly a year of constant struggle and, with no end to the dilemma in sight, Greg resigned. It was a good decision and was handled well-at least on Greg's part. While not burning bridges Greg did venture to tell the truth within an attitude of respect to Russell and the company's leader. Communication with both of these men bore little fruit at the time but future events proved that this was a good choice. In a few months the CEO resigned in disgrace and Russell soon moved on to new and better responsibilities in another company, but Russell and Greg maintained occasional friendly contact.
Ties hammered out in unfortunate circumstances still bind Russell and Greg today and may last a lifetime. Their shared relationship is mutually beneficial even though they are not engaged in the same enterprise or industry.
In tough times, when truth and principles are upheld, they produce benefits even if won through great but momentary difficulty. Relationships founded on principle endure beyond what may appear to be ineffectual results at the moment-if practiced on the basis of truth and respect, regardless.
Core Teams Work Their Principles and Practices is the third in a series of three books-presenting practical applications of principles that, when exercised consistently, validate the worth of solid and true foundations and provide frameworks and proofs for repeatable operations that produce quality consistently. All three books, Core Teams Work Their Principles and Practices, Industrial Strength Solutions Build Successful Work Teams!, and Leadership Is- How to Build Your Legacy, are business life investment models that you are invited to use in your life and workplace.
This book explores the principles and practices of a Core Team, illustrating how values, when applied to the working environment, change it for the better.
Ø The opening you are reading now, Getting Started-How Much Do You Want to Grow? is preceded by the pages on which the Dedication, Permissions and Credits, and Table of Contents appear.
Ø Chapter 1: On Time, on Target, on Treasure examines these elements of success.
Ø
Chapter
2:
Ø Chapter 3: A Clean Atmosphere Is Made of Fresh Air confronts the characteristics of the micromanager, the intimidator and the attention-grabber, and explains how to handle stress.
Ø Chapter 4: Truth and Tenacity describes these important healthy team characteristics. A team is wise that embraces both.
Ø Chapter 5: Stovepipes, Silos, and the Circle of Rights views two challenging workplace phenomena, showing that isolationism and working together are opposed. When you are the right person in the right place you know that you fit with the others on your team on the basis of shared and agreed values. Diversity is welcomed and contributes to strength when the mixes of people, ideas, and production are supportive.
Ø In Chapter 6: Team Communication-Examples that Endure the all-important topic of communication takes center stage. In this "how to do it better" chapter you will read methods of conducting profitable conversations and productivity meetings, the value of communication loop closure, and confidentiality and obtaining permission.
Ø Chapter 7: Rehearsal and Performance—A Customer Service Model describes core team customer service initiatives based on enduring principles.
Ø Chapter 8: Reserves, Not Reservations identifies and addresses the reservoirs of values that healthy core teams possess and shows how they may be used.
Ø In Chapter 9: You Can Bank on It the benefits of investing in the people of the core team are examined and illustrated, as well as the returns on their investments.
Ø In Chapter 10: Core Issues for Core Teams the 21 most common issues, challenge points, and related solutions of a core team are tallied and treated. Cross references from all three books are included.
Ø The final section, Concluding: The "Secrets" of Success Are Calls to Action shows that many so-called concealed success principles are no longer hidden to a team that truly wants to operate within the benefits of Core Teams Work Their Principles and Practices. 321 principles and practices are listed. It is up to you and me to turn these ideals into ideas and action steps.
Ø Acknowledgements are located just before the CTRG information page and are expressed from a heart of thanks.
Ø A description of CTRG wraps up the book. You are invited to contact our organization for speaking engagements, consultation services, and related tools to help you and your teams succeed.
Strong bridges are constructed between a value and its corresponding validating actions when principles are intentionally learned and earnestly lived. Because learning becomes living only when behaviors change, each section of the book is crafted to teach and then reach beyond instruction into real-life environments of the workplace, the testing and proving grounds of principles in practice. It is "on the job" that truth presented is truth perceived and applied where it really counts.
Most people enjoy a story that proves a point. Interspersed throughout the book are true accounts that show evidence of principled activities or the lack of them. These stories come from people in multiple sectors of society and work experiences. The fields represented are listed below in alphabetical order:
Ø Arts
Ø Camping
Ø City Government
Ø
Ø Construction
Ø Cosmetology
Ø Entrepreneurial enterprises
Ø Farming
Ø Financial services
Ø Investments
Ø Household products
Ø Law enforcement
Ø Manufacturing
Ø Marketing
Ø Media communications
Ø Military
Ø Music production and recording
Ø Non-profit organizations
Ø Parks and recreation
Ø Professional services
Ø Property management
Ø Real estate
Ø Religion
Ø Retail
Ø Sales
Ø Small business
Ø State Government
Ø Theater
Ø
Ø Warehousing
Ø Wholesale distribution
True stories from identifiable sources have been included with the explicit permissions of the parties involved. Other true stories for which permission was not obtained are included because they proved the point so well. For these illustrations, the names and incidents have been changed. Any resemblance within them to any known entity, company, person, incident or issue, is purely coincidental.
At points within the book a text box is placed containing questions for your team. These insertions are designed to serve as discussion points for your group, to encourage application of principles you have just read.
If you were recently the new person on the new job, or one who welcomed a previously unknown individual, consider this as you begin: What principles and practices would you like your core team to demonstrate so that your team's work culture is altered for the better? Further, what part would you like to play to achieve the worthwhile goals of building greater people, superior contribution, positive results, and living legacy-at the same time?
The answers to these questions are vital. You are invited to allow the principles and practices to reveal your responsibilities and position you to become the learner or the leader, but above all, the living example of one who decides and acts.
Enjoy the journey. Let's get started.
© Copyright 2007 Creative Team Publishing