In catching up with my work from being out for a week at my daughter's wedding, I noticed a consistent theme with some of my coaching clients – one of judgment and resistance to contributing their best to their team. 

Now these are very talented and successful leaders that are caught up in the trap of “thinking they know what is best” for someone else on their team.  Their judgment is keeping them from allowing a team member to fully explore their participation on the team.

One especially clear piece of judgment is the idea that a team member is not doing what they should be doing. 

Really, how do you know?  From your point of view it could be the case, but are you really correct and is your judgment serving you?

Many times what happens when we judge another is that we are watching them operate in their own very natural behavioral style and we don’t quite “get it”.  Some examples could be:

• Someone works more slowly than we do
• Someone works way too fast
• Your teammate might not be absorbing the information at the rate you want them to
• Your teammate takes too long to share information when they speak and/or write
• Their emails are endless
• Their emails are too short or one word answers

The dynamic of our own natural behavioral styles – the rhythm of how we work best – can frustrate the heck out of us or others.  Our natural behavioral style is the style that suits us and allows us to be effective and productive.  There are many assessments that help us determine what our natural most productive style is.  The following are ones we use with their brief behavioral definitions.  With these definitions we are giving you a thumb nail sketch of how they appear to operate and work:

Dominate:  they need clear, specific and to the point information and they need it now

Influencing:  they love to have people interaction and use feeling words and action

Steadiness:  they are the holders of the history, need information repeated and accurate

Compliant:  they can seem cold and would rather work with data, stats and research than people

You can see from these brief definitions, that communication, rapport, execution could be difficult depending on who you have on your team; who is supposed to do what and what results you are looking for.   

So, if you are finding yourself being judgmental about a teammate, you might want to consider what their behavioral style is and how they would be most effective within the team.  You might have a lazy or ineffective person on your team or you might just have an inability to communicate well because of the different behavioral styles. 

We can help you determine how to communicate effectively and with impact in your teams.  Let us know what help would be most important to you.

The new Leadership Excellence - THE ROADMAP^(sm) Teambuilding eBook with MP3 is on our website at http://www.NatalieManor.com/shop.  It is a step by step overview of how to build an effective team.  The Teambuilding eBook with MP3 is loaded with information you can use for your team and/or for yourself.  We think you will find the summary and activity sheets key to your teambuilding wants and needs.  Let me know what you think.

My best,

Natalie

P.S. By the way, thanks for ALL the wonderful best wishes and feedback regarding my daughter’s wedding.  She surprised everyone and sang at her own wedding – Ave Maria.  Not a dry eye in the place.

P.P.S On this Memorial Day weekend please be safe and take care.  Keep in mind what this holiday is truly about, our men and women in uniform.  They serve their country and sacrifice so that we may be free to celebrate holidays such as this.