Team Tip

Don’t “overcook” an idea before you present it to the rest of your team. Give members a chance to help improve the idea so they buy in to it. You might think it’s more efficient to work out the details yourself. But if you do this regularly, team members will begin to ask themselves “Why does the organization need me?” Suggestion: Learn to ask for input, and , when you receive it, say, “Thank you for improving my solution.”

Smash The Pyramid, William Doyle and William Perkins, Warner Books

Techniques of a Good Coach

Although every coach has his own style, the best coaches employ certain techniques to elicit the greatest performance from teams. Good coaches:

• Transfer knowledge and perspective – One benefit of having a good coach is the opportunity to learn from someone who has more experience than you do.
  Example: “Sharon, we faced that same problem about five years ago. Let me tell you what we did then. And we can see if that makes sense in this situation.”
• Obtain needed resources – These resources can take many forms: money, time, staff, or equipment.
  Example: “John, if you’re confident we can improve cash flow by hiring a collection assistant, then let’s do it.”
• Offer a helping hand – A good coach is not good to do the work he asks of his team.
  Example: “Jane, while you’re putting extra effort into the Jones project, I’m going to fill out your daily reports.”

Managing For Dummies, Bob Nelson and Peter Economy. IDG Books, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Ste. 400, Foster City, Ca 94404

Gaining Real Consensus

In group decision-making, the greatest barrier to consensus is the illusion of consensus. This illusion can come in two forms:

Silence. Example: The purchasing team manager asks, “Does anyone have a problem with buying the part from XYZ Manufacturing?” He’s greeted with silence from group members. “Good,” he says. “I’ll call XYZ and place the order.”

Hubbub. Example: The line supervisor says, “Is everyone OK with the plan to start work an hour earlier on Tuesdays and Thursdays so we can leave two hours earlier on Friday?” Two group members remain silent, while the other five erupt in enthusiastic support for the idea. The supervisor makes plans to change working hours beginning the next week.

Remember: “No comment” doesn’t mean “I agree.” By accepting silence as consent or by missing a few silent members in the hubbub of affirmation, these managers don’t know for certain if they’ve gained genuine buy-in. To gain true consensus, you must:

Check with each person. Ask each person, “Do you agree with the proposed course of action? Or if you don’t agree with it, will you support the proposed course of action?”

Give dissenters a say. Ask dissenters to elaborate on what they would add to, subtract from, or modify in the proposal.

Keep in mind that those who don’t agree with the majority opinion will often support it if you meet three conditions: You let them present their viewpoints to the group; the group listens to and understands their objections; and the group considers their ideas in formulating the final decision.

Reprinted from Team Power, Thomas A. Kayser. Irwin, 1333.

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