To Build a Better Team, Build a Better You

            A very common question is, “How do I coach a better team?” Depending on who’s asking, the answer can be long. However, the starting point and the finish line are the same … a long look in the mirror.
             For many leaders and managers, oftentimes the effort is misplaced. Team leaders focus on trying to get someone else to do something, such as making someone else see the big picture. Or getting someone else to be more organized or have a better student-mentality. Most often, this approach nets frustration and limited improvement. It’s a control issue. We cannot control the behaviors of others. We can only influence it.
            So focusing effort inward will always net a larger result.
            For example, if a team leader repeatedly runs into working with team members who aren’t organized, start with the mirror and ask the following types of questions:

• Is organization a major strength of mine?
• Am I role modeling a systematic approach to keeping things organized?
• Do I communicate consistently how important organization is to my success?
• Do I communicate to my team members a clear picture of what “being organized” looks like?

After answering these questions, only two scenarios can exist. One, you’re doing things perfectly and you simply need better team members. More likely though is the second scenario: You will find areas for personal improvement. As you begin to attack these areas and role model aggressive commitment to improvement, as long as you have at least a mild level of influence, your team will gravitate toward improvement too. That’s a fairly immediate return.
The greatest win, though, comes later. As you develop stronger skills and habits, your future team members will be stronger in these areas from Day 1.
First, new team members with an already high level of competence will recognize your strength in an area such as organization and be attracted to your team. And with team members who still need development, because you’ve labored through the effort of self-improvement, it will be easier to recognize and fix the weakness in new team members.
This process works for most of the topics that team builders struggle with. Having a problem with attitude, time management, work ethic, professionalism …, begin with yourself. As you improve, so will your team.