A strategic whaaaat?
Up until a few years ago, I had never once uttered the phrase “strategic action plan”. The first time I heard said phrase, the initial thought that crossed my mind was BOOOORING!
What WAS Chandler Bing’s job?
We are sitting around the campfire, everyone is chatting when I hear, “Dee! I want to talk to you about your business. I want to share it with people but I don’t really understand what it is you do exactly.”
Ouch.
You talkin’ to me?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I am talking to you.
Actually to be more specific, I am asking you a couple of questions.
How are you doing? And what do you need?
These are two vital questions to check in with the team, increase camaraderie and connection and make people feel cared about.
Isn’t that so nice? To feel cared about? To know people give a damn that you are there because you are YOU and not just a warm body.
What your team really wants.
The beauty of working with teams is that I get a lot of intel around what teams want and NEED to thrive.
Since I’m feeling especially generous today, I am going to share the top three things that teams want.
When a Negative Nelly is bringing the team down.
We’ve all worked alongside at least one of these people in our lives. Maybe we’ve even been that person.
I know I have.
You know the one. The one who thinks everything sucks. The one who complains that work is terrible and refuses to participate in staff events. The one who is like a dark cloud that rains on everyone else’s parade.
This is my battle cry.
“Well that’s a new one”, I say incredulously to my co-facilitator at the end of our workshop.
I am holding a card that says one word. DICTATORSHIP. It is printed in bold, block letters as a response to the question:
‘What is blocking you from achieving a mentally healthy work environment?’
Bringing teams back together.
Kids crawling all over you during zoom meetings. Trying to homeschool while managing a full time workload. Struggling to find daycare because you couldn’t work remotely and schools were closed. Being the lone one or two staff stuck in the office. Dealing with the constant moving target of new rules and protocols. Handling enforced business closures. Having to lay people off.
Which of the above are memories you would happily leave in the rearview mirror and never think about again?
Maybe it’s you.
You know the classic breakup line “it’s not you, it’s me”?
Well, when it comes to the turnover or your quality team, maybe it is you.