Yes, there is an "I" in "Team" !

Yes, there is an I in ‘team’ and this could be a game changer for your business.

How many times have you heard the cliché “There’s no 'I' in ‘team’”? To me, this means we should put the team first, get everyone singing off the same hymn sheet, and shut down selfish or self-serving behavior. A cohesive team is essential and businesses rely on everyone pulling together in the same direction.

Often, leaders subscribe to the above idea, but they don’t always place individual team members’ needs, skills or aspirations at the same level. Prioritizing the team over the individual can be dangerous. In addition to craving a sense of belonging, every human being also wants to feel significant and special. They also have unmet expectations and unfulfilled goals, which can ultimately lead to discontent and attrition. Of course, it’s usually your best people who jump ship.

Too many people just talk about ‘the team’, when the fact is that the team is always made up of individuals. Remembering this fact and creating a culture where individuality is valued can help make each individual team member feel valued and appreciated. I’ve seen both scenarios when I was a senior leader in a large organization. I was lucky enough to understand the importance of balancing team objectives with individual needs, and I worked really hard to keep every member of the team feeling happy and fulfilled.

One of the best ways to help people feel valued is to discover how each team member would like to express their views, opinions and thought leadership, then find a way to help them do that. Enlightened organizations I have worked with understand that the more thought leaders they have creating and sharing truly original, exciting and disruptive content, the more the organization’s brand will be seen as a leader in their space.

However, many senior leaders feel threatened and nervous about allowing people to express themselves in writing or speaking. They either want all the glory for themselves or, more often, they fear what  those folks will be saying in the market. It’s a lack of trust, but it’s really just a lack of strategy. If there are no guidelines, it can certainly be risky to let people loose on the market, writing and speaking about whatever they like.

It is also easier and more convenient to lump people together. It saves time when you are busy. But I think it is often the lazy manager’s strategy. If you lead or want to lead a loyal, motivated team, keep reading.

Making time to listen to people on an individual basis and create personal development plans for each one takes more time, but it is well worth the effort. See item 2 below if this is already making you feel nervous…

Here are seven strategies for showing your team members you value them as individuals and show your market that you are a caring, thought leading organization:

1. Listen out for lumping language, such as “I’ve asked the team to…” or “I’ve had a meeting with the team” or my bug bear “The team decided…” Excuse me but teams can’t decide things; only individuals can. Anytime you find yourself using the word ‘team’, see if you can replace it with ‘team members’ and see how that feels.

2.  Create time for each person in the team to really understand their current mood and emotional state. If you can’t personally meet with everyone, share this activity with some of your leadership team. I believe one-to-one virtual meetings can be just as powerful as face-to-face ones, if you are fully focused with no distractions.

3.  Get excited about the diversity in your team. This is a secret weapon very few organizations leverage effectively. Just as there are many types of people in your target market, you have diverse people right there in your team who can connect with all those different clients and prospects. There is a clever way to create a matrix plan which I’d be happy to share with you.

4.  Introduce thought leadership and thoughtful leadership development plans for each key team member. This entails planning and agreeing exactly what each person will be writing and speaking about, and making time and space for them to create and share their thought leadership. My clients have seen this one strategy create immense loyalty and improve retention.

5.  Seek to reward individual contributions wherever possible. If possible, link published content to compensation plans. Money isn’t always the top motivator, so include other rewards as well, like public recognition, more responsibility or even promotion.

6.  Move fast. This discipline is still in its infancy and very few companies understand the importance of this concept, so currently you have a chance to gain a first mover advantage. Over time, the majority of companies (who survive) will be including individual thought leadership in their strategic plans.

7.  Shout about your success and inspire other organisations to follow your lead. You will attract more good people who want to be part of your inclusive thought leadership program. It’s also inspiring to read and hear truly thought leading ideas coming from diverse people at different levels, with diverse styles and personalities – and most importantly, diverse insights.

One cliché I am happy to agree with is “Together Everyone Achieves More”. As we build a more caring business community and individual value becomes part of our everyday language and behavior, we will see motivation and retention improve across many industries. I’m excited about all the ways this will impact individuals as well as teams and entire organizations, and I hope you are excited about it too.