Inside Out
Business Edition
"You can't change the direction of the wind. . .
but you can adjust your sails!"
--Jimmy Dean

Kim Olver, MS, NCC, LPC

www.Coachingforexcellence.biz
Kim@Coachingforexcellence.biz

To read our blog click here or go to www.coachingforexcellence.biz and click on "Blog" on the left hand navigation bar.
Read some of Kim's musings and add some of your own!

A Message from Kim

Hi there. I hope you all have had a wonderful month. This month’s article is on Teamwork, as many of you have been asking about developing teams on your jobs. I hope you find it helpful.

I am very excited about the progress I’m making on my new book called, Diversity from the Inside Out: Build, Retain and Leverage the Diverse Workforce You Need. I am co-authoring this book with Sylvester Baugh and we are projecting a spring release date. I just wanted to give you the head’s up about it. If you are interested in receiving an email when the book is ready for purchase, just visit www.diversityfromtheinsideout.com and fill in your name and e-mail address at the bottom of the page. You will receive advance email notification of the release date and the best way for you to purchase the book. Signing the list helps me to show the publisher advance interest and will influence the amount of copies that are printed for the first run. This book extols the virtues of celebrating and nurturing diversity in the workplace. It will help businesses boost profits, improve employee morale and reduce expensive employee turnover. It will help women and minorities to freely express themselves at work and to offer valuable insights into challenges, product development, service delivery and customer satisfaction and loyalty. Please let me know of your interest by signing to receive an advance notice. Anyone who signs up to receive advance notice and then follows through on the actual purchase will receive an autographed copy of the book. I can’t wait to put it in your hands!

In This Issue

Feature Article
Teamwork

Upcoming Events
Teleclasses
Chat Room

Quote of the Week
"As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down
there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might."
                             --Marian Anderson

Book Review
Multiple Streams of Internet Income: How Ordinary People make Extraordinary Money Online
by Robert G. Allen

Tip of the Week

Business Q&A

CLICK HERE
for Free Teleclass Offer

About Kim Olver

Feature Article

Teamwork
by Kim Olver

Strong, positive teamwork is defined by a leader who has a vision and the ability to inspire his or her team to work toward the realization of that vision.

The leader is not threatened in the least by the expertise and diversity of his or her team. Rather, a good team leader engages his or her teammates in a discussion about what quality looks like, what is needed to perform and complete the job, and empowers the team members to always strive for quality improvement.

Let’s break all that down into its component parts. The first is a clearly defined leader. I believe every team must have a leader. There must be someone who is in charge and makes the ultimate decisions.

Team members may take turns being the leader as long as everyone is clear who the leader is on any given day. Another variation of that theme is to have certain people be the leader for projects that are in their area of expertise. However, in every event, there can be no question among teammates who is the leader for that day or project.

The leader needs to have a vision. This is similar to Covey’s second habit, “Begin with the end in mind.” A true leader creates the end product twice---once mentally and then in its actual physical form. It is impossible to lead toward a fuzzy vision. People are simply not inspired to follow uncertainty.

Having the vision is not enough to inspire teammates to strive toward the same goal. A good team leader knows how to help each teammate see how the end product or service will be useful and what, exactly, their individual contribution is toward that end.

How does the janitor contribute to fans’ enjoyment at a professional baseball game? By providing a clean, neat bathroom experience---that’s how. If the janitor sees himself as a critical cog in the big picture goal and he receives positive recognition for it, then he is more likely to perform his job with enthusiasm.

Another component of being able to inspire one’s teammates is having a clearly defined mission that everyone, preferably, has had a part in developing, but if not, then at least team members can agree to the previously established team mission.

This becomes important in times of conflict between team members. When there is a dispute to be solved, it is helpful to have an already established way to measure the solution. Solutions are always held up against the mission and whether or not it will move the team closer to or further from the ultimate goal.

The other advantage of having a mission that has been agreed upon by all team members is that it can enhance cooperation. One of the most difficult things to manage on a team is an individual ego. There can be petty jealousies and a competitive spirit that can kill the cooperation of the best team. The mission statement is a way to minimize this potential for disaster.

The mission remains the focus to which everything else is compared. An individual’s action is either helpful or hurtful to the mission and dealt with accordingly. The group’s goal must always be placed above any individual’s desires or ego. Jealousy and backstabbing have no useful place on a team.

A good leader is in no way threatened by the expertise and diversity of his or her team. The best leaders are always seeking information from the front line people who are doing the actual work. Without information from team members, the leader’s hands are tied behind his or her back.

It is also critical to use team members in their areas of expertise. Leaders can’t know everything about everything. There will be team members who have skills and abilities that surpass those of the leader in certain areas. A good leader will ask for help when it is prudent.

This is also a time to value diversity. Having a team made up of people who all do the same jobs in pretty much the same way really has no value. One person could more easily do the job than assembling a homogenous team.

The value of a team comes from its heterogeneity. Getting feedback and suggestions from people who do things differently is what will spark the creativity and the genius of the team. This is what masterminding is all about. Tap into the wealth that is already there.

Finally, a good leader holds the bar high. He or she does not ask his team to be average or mediocre. Average and mediocre can be easily replaced. The leader asks his or her team to collectively do their very best and when they are done, the leader asks them to always strive for continuous improvement. The work is never done. The team should always be evaluating what has been implemented and be comfortable making suggestions for ways to do it even better.

Previously, I mentioned that a good leader empowers his or her teammates. Creating a need-satisfying environment does this. Team members must get along and know that the leader and the company have their best interests at heart. They must feel important, listened to and respected. They must have the freedom to make choices within the context of their assignments and they must have some fun in their work.

It is also critical for team members to feel safe. This means that they are not fearful in any way. The team leader is critical in fostering this environment for the empowerment of the entire team.

If you are interested in training your employees in the area of teamwork, contact Kim at 708-957-6047, email at kim@coachingforexcellence.biz or visit the website at www.coachingforexcellence.biz

Copyright © October 2005 Kim Olver. All rights reserved

*Click Here or on icon to read some of Kim's other articles*

Upcoming Events

Teleclasses
(Times in EST)

All teleclasses are one (1) hour in length and all you need is a telephone. When you register we will send you a phone number that you will call five minutes prior to the start of your teleclass. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, but if you prefer to just listen that’s all right too. You do not need a computer or Internet, only a telephone. Don’t delay. There are a limited number of slots available.
Click on date to register for teleclass or visit www.coachingforexcellence.biz events calendar

Quality Schools
October 19, 2005 - 3:00 p.m.

Are you a teacher, school administrator or board member? Are you concerned about discipline issues in school and poor academic performance? Then join this teleclass and learn about the innovative new approach to education based on Dr. William  Glasser’s Choice Theory. There are currently 15 Quality Schools in the US and they all have eliminated discipline problems and have significantly increased their scores on state academic achievement tests. This class could be your answer to “No Child Left Behind.” Register for this call today.

De-Escalation Skills
October 31, 2005 - 1:00 p.m.

Are you someone who is confronted with angry people in the course of your job? Angry co-workers, angry managers, angry customers, angry supplier, angry subordinates? Want to learn ways to take the wind out their sails and have them communicating more cooperatively? Then this class is for you! Register for this call today.

Value Clarification
November 29, 2005 - 2:00 p.m.

Are you in a business where your values and the values of others often come into conflict? Are you involved in a diverse workforce or customer base? Do you often find yourself shaking your head at the way other people do things? This class will help you by providing exercises for you to clarify the values that are most important for you as well as giving you the opportunity to hear other’s differing view points. You could gain the understanding necessary to accept other people’s ways without frustration. Register for this call today.

Chat Room

Kim will be available in her chat room for questions
and dialog on the following dates and times:

October 24, 2005 - 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
November 3, 2005 - 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
November 7, 2005 - 9:00 - 10:00 p.m.
November 15, 2005 -12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
November 22, 2005 -3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
December 1, 2005 -4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Quote of the Week

"As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to
hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might."

                             --Marian Anderson

One of the things that gets in the way of good teamwork is individual egos. People have often been programmed not to do their personal best but to strive to be better than anyone else. When this is the case, a person will go to extraordinary measures to appear to be the best. A person might cheat, lie or unfairly compete in order to be perceived as “the best”. As you can imagine, this is not something that enhances teamwork.

As the quote says, when we attempt to keep someone else down in an attempt to make ourselves look better, then we cannot be our best since we have to be “down there” to hold the other person down. The better approach is to develop a team attitude and decide what’s your best contribution to benefit the mission and vision of the team.

Book Review

Multiple Streams of Internet Income: How Ordinary People make Extraordinary Money Online
by Robert G. Allen

I wish I had read a book on teamwork but I have been most keenly focused lately on maximizing my web presence. I am in a mentoring program with Mark Victor Hanson and Robert G. Allen so I purchased and devoured Robert G. Allen’s book on Multiple Streams of Internet Income. My review is mixed on this book.

I got a whole lot of ideas from this book. I highlighted and underlined several sections and tid bits of information. There were many things I put on a list of things I need to do. In that way, the book was extremely helpful.

On the other hand, since the internet is such a rapidly changing entity, I believe that some of the information contained in the book published in 2001 is already outdated. I got excited about some things in the book and attempted to go to certain websites, only to discover that the websites are no longer in existence.

The other thing that was challenging for me is that the famous author and business guru, Robert G. Allen, speaks as if any ordinary person without a following or reputation could do the same thing he did to build these multiple streams of internet income. However, I don’t believe it is that easy. His solid reputation definitely had a major role to play in his internet success. Not everyone who is trying to build their web presence is named, Robert G. Allen.

However, the book is definitely worth a read. There are many great ideas and lots of sound advice for the new entreprenuer.

Click here to order this book

Tip of the Week

I often hear from team leaders who are wondering how they should manage petty jealousies or gossip within their teams. When this occurs, I believe the best approach is to call a team meeting. As the leader, I would lay out on the table exactly what my concerns are. I wouldn’t say, for example, that I heard John told Jim that Jerry was sleeping with Tara on the weekends. What I would say is that it has been brought to my attention that some team members may be sharing personal information about other team members on the job that is irrelevant to the workplace. I would ask the team to evaluate if that behavior were going to move the team closer or further from their goal. I would reiterate what the vision and mission of the team is. I might ask how the team wants to handle things if one team member discusses personal information about another.

In other words, I would recommend addressing the problem head on and soliciting input from the team members themselves. This way, the guilty party will indirectly learn that there is no support for gossip with the team and team members will help correct the behavior in question.

F-R-E-E Teleclass

How would you like to take one of my teleclasses for f.ree? All you have to do is get two (2) people to subscribe to either of my e-zines and send me their e-mail addresses for confirmation with the name of the teleclass you would like to attend. If you do not wish to attend one of the teleclasses, you can give your f.ree teleclass to a friend or family member. It’s that simple! Send either one or both of the following links to all your friends and family and ask them to subscribe to the e-zine. For the personal edition of "Inside Out", go to The Relationship Center and for the business/school edition go to Coaching for Excellence and have them type their name and email address in the boxes on the right-hand side of the web page where it says, “Subscribe to Receive 'Inside Out', our Fr.ee EZine". Only two people actually have to subscribe for you to be eligible for a f.ree teleclass. Once their subscription has been confirmed you will receive an e-mail giving you the bridge line and access code for the teleclass of your choosing. A listing of teleclasses being offered can be found in both my weekly e-zine or on my calendar page at either web site. There is no limit to the amount of f.ree teleclasses you can earn---you get one f.ree teleclass for every two referrals that sign up for one of my e-zines. Within the next year I am planning on adding many new teleclasses on several topics including the following:

How to Do More in Less Time
Coaching for Peak Performance
Effective Communication
Goal Setting and Attainment
Diffusing Anger
Problem Solving
…….and many more.

Please continue to check this eZine and my website calendar for these new and exciting teleclasses. Don’t wait, take advantage of this offer and experience the new technology of teleclasses, learning and growing from home or office.

Business Q&A

Question: I am a team leader and I am having trouble figuring out how to motivate my team to perform better than they currently are. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: Yes, I basically have a checklist for you to think about. If you answer yes to all these questions, then we will have to have a more specific conversation but here is my basic checklist for developing strong teamwork. 1) Do you team members feel safe on the job? Do they believe that you and other team members have their back? 2) Are they connected to each other and to you as their leader? Do they believe that you care about them individually and have their best interests at heart? 3) Do you really listen to them? Do you respect and value their opinions? 4) Do they have choices within the context of their role? Do they have room for creativity? 5) Do they have any fun on the job? Are they learning new things that are useful to them? 6) Do they understand how their part fits into the bigger whole of the company? Do they understand why they are being asked to do what they do? 7) Do they have a solid understanding of what quality looks like? Do they know exactly what is expected of them? Are they asked to self-evaluate how their effort matches the standard of excellence? Are they expected to always improve the quality of their work? Can they honestly self-evaluate without the fear of punitive consequences? 8) Are you known to work as hard or harder than you expect them to work?

If you answered no to any of these questions, then that would be an area where you, as the leader, could make improvements. If you were able to answer yes to all questions, then either call or send me an email discussing the particulars. I hope this has been helpful.

About Kim Olver

Kim Olver is a professional coach, specializing in the field of interpersonal skills, empowerment and leadership development. She has functioned in the role of supervisor and administrator for over 20 years. This column is for readers to submit their questions for Kim to answer. It could be a question about supervision skills, maximizing teamwork, customer service, interpersonal skills or client satisfaction and empowerment. No interpersonal question in the field of work is off limits. To ask your question, simply send it by email to Kim@CoachingforExcellence.biz and look for her response in future issues.

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Copyright © October 19, 2005 Kim Olver. All rights reserved.