Your team is in a rut. How can you inspire them to work together more effectively?

Así es, empezar por uno mismo, analizar nuestras fortalezas y nuestras debilidades para arrancar desde la humildad, el agradecimiento y el auto conocimiento

Invite the team for a meal. This is to loosen the tension or stress Talk about what went right and what didn't. Let everyone have a voice. Praise individuals for their efforts though things didn't turn out well. This will strengthen the team spirit and individuals will feel respected. Encourage growth mindset and start collaborating. This time the team will see the view with new lenses but with an enriched experience. Not from scratch but from where they left off.

Engage in activities that stimulate your senses and spark creativity. I would consider taking walks in nature, visiting art galleries, listening to music, or even cooking a new recipe. These experiences can help shift your focus away from the problem at hand and create space for fresh ideas to emerge.

Encouraging team members to take short breaks to stretch, go for a walk, or engage in other physical activities can help refresh their minds and provide new perspectives when returning to their creative projects. Open communication while in a mindful setting allows the team to discuss or feedback productively and even helps with stressful situations.

Mindfulness can help the team by fostering a sense of unity and focus. Start by leading short mindfulness exercises during team meetings to help everyone become present and centered.Encourage open communication and active listening to create a supportive environment. Highlight the importance of collective goals and how each team member contributes to achieving them. Incorporate mindfulness techniques into daily tasks, such as taking mindful breaks or practicing gratitude. By promoting mindfulness, you can cultivate a collaborative mindset and enhance team cohesion, leading to more effective teamwork.

In my experience working with leadership teams, there are a number of key components to curate collaboration. Implement quarterly review, reflection and rejuvenating team sessions to explore what needs to change. Use a strengths based approach to all your work as a team and as a leader. Understanding individual and collective strengths enables you to address challenges more collaboratively by directing the right strengths/individuals to achieve maximum benefit. Involve your leadership in leading your entire business/department, not just their function. Ensure collaboration is measured as a key KPI for all of your leadership team.

It’s essential to address the underlying issues and reinvigorate their sense of purpose and collaboration. -Openly recognise that the team is facing challenges and acknowledge any concerns team members may have. -Encourage team members to share their thoughts and feelings about the current situation. -Remind the team of the overarching goals and objectives they are working towards. -Recognise and celebrate small wins and achievements along the way. -Demonstrate a positive attitude, resilience, and collaboration in your own actions and interactions with the team. -Offer support to team members. -Regularly assess the team’s progress. Be willing to adjust strategies or priorities as needed to keep the team on track towards success.

When the team is in a rut, we can also try to extend 'cognitive flexibility' towards other team members and try to understand the situation from their lens. Practice active empathy, step in their shoes and try to feel the situation and challenges from their perspective and then take those feedbacks for making systemic changes to make it into a better work environment for them. Mindfulness is wonderful to do the inner work and improve upon ourselves, but sometimes, improper systems at work cause the burnout and stagnancy. As 'mindful leaders' we have to understand that the employees are not always at fault and how can we also 'nudge' the systems in a better direction to make it suitable for the majority, if not for all.