In my last blog, I gave you some tips for assessing your team in the
areas of communication, effectiveness, openness, work efficiency, and respect
among team members. I hope by now you’ve
had a chance to evaluate where your team is in these areas, and collectively
decide on the things you need to do as a team to move forward.
In my work using Lumina Spark with teams, there are a couple of things
we discover that provide tremendous benefits when it comes to team performance,
team communication and managing team conflict. Lumina Spark looks at three
persona: 1) the Everyday, which is how you show up at work based on your role
and what’s expected of you; 2) the Underlying, which is how you behave more
naturally, and when relaxed; and 3) the Overextended, which is how you behave
when you are under stress.
Recognizing the Underlying persona and identifying the qualities
associated with that persona can reveal some “hidden gems” that may have lain
dormant because they were not perceived as needed in the current environment.
This may provide an opportunity to move forward from an area where the team has
been stuck, by leveraging one of those hidden gems. Not only will it help the
team, it will help the individual become more engaged and motivated by having
the opportunity to use a strength that has been idle.
Learning how team members behave when they are Overextended, and
identifying the triggers that put them “in the grip” is extremely helpful in
managing team conflict. As team members become more self-aware in recognizing
their own triggers, they can learn to manage their responses (Emotional Agility,
launching April 1 in the US) and avoid nonproductive conflict. A certain amount
of conflict is healthy in sparking creativity and new ways of thinking, but
when it’s not managed it has a detrimental effect.
Take a look at your current team initiatives. What are your goals,
challenges, and needs? Are there hidden
gems within your team that could raise your effectiveness in meeting these
goals? In addressing some of your challenges? As an answer to your needs?
Would you recognize the strengths someone on your
team might bring to the table if, in fact, those strengths seem opposite to
their currently recognized strengths and job role definition? Are you aware of how to find the power of
passion for your individual team members?
If you can tap into this, you don’t ever need to worry about employee
engagement.
When the going gets rough, are you aware of how you, as a leader,
respond? What are your triggers? What are the triggers for the individuals on
your team and how do they respond to stress?
What can you do, as the leader, to get your team “out of the grip” and
back to high performing?
You can learn the answers to these and more questions and begin to
propel your team forward with Lumina Spark.
Contact me at info-us@luminalearning.com
or 888.827.8855 to learn more.
