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Secrets From a Coach - Debbie Green & Laura Thomson's Podcast
Secrets From a Coach - Debbie Green & Laura Thomson's Podcast
215. Essence of Successful Teamwork: Care
In this second episode in our latest mini-series looking at the essence of success in 4 specific areas, this one is all about teamwork. Out of the million of words written about what makes a team successful, we think it probably be distilled down to one word: care.
Using our CARE acronym, we explore concepts and practical examples around great Communication that means we check in on each other, practising Acceptance of each other rather than judging, being Ready to listen and shift from transactional to relational, and showing Empathy to each other.
Whether virtual or in-person, keeping a good team going or looking for ways to improve things, we take a practical look at the role caring for each other has in getting the best work achieved. Particularly if it feels there is just not enough time to care, then our call to action is to prioritise it as a performance enabler.
Secrets from a coach Thrive and maximise your potential in the evolving workplace. Your weekly podcast with Debbie Green of Wishfish and Laura Thompson-Staveley of Phenomenal Training dance.
Speaker 2:You're all right? Yeah, I'm doing well. I'm doing well. How are you doing? I'm all right. Actually, yeah, good week, this festive month that we're having at the moment in time, it's um, it seems we go super quickly now and I'm thinking my countdown is like oh, I'm not sure if I like the countdown, but, um, yeah, every time I turn the calendar it's like oh, that's getting close, I better do some wrapping.
Speaker 1:Oh, my word, oh gosh. And it's funny, isn't it? Because you know whether you are someone that celebrates this time of year or whatever that holiday season may be, there's almost a bit of a double-edged sword with these celebration-y times. You look forward to it in the future, and then you arrive at it and think, oh, I haven't got time for this. That seems all a bit kind of much.
Speaker 1:But, of course, the reason why humans have these celebratory moments is to just take stock and remind ourselves of the big things that count, which is why, in this month, we wanted to focus on what are actually the essence of successful aspects, whether that be internally, with confidence and decision making. The focus we're going to have on this episode is around what is this essence for successful teamwork and what makes a successful team so, debs, it'd be great to get your thoughts on this, whether from a coaching perspective or from a workshop perspective. What is it about successful teamwork? That means it's something that should be on our radar when we think about the concept of teamwork. That means it's such a big foundation for so many workplaces.
Speaker 2:I think it is huge and I think people are beginning to recognise that it is coming towards the end of the year and it's been a tough year for a lot of organisations and that ability to rally the team around to just keep going. I know some businesses are open over Christmas and New Year, some aren't, but the ones that I've been working with recently they shut for that Christmas period, like in between Christmas and New Year, and you can feel they're limping towards it. However, they still have deadlines, they've still got to be successful, they've still got to bring everybody along with them and they've got to keep that morale high so that they can deliver on what was expected or what was asked of them in the last quarter of this year. So I think that ability to notice and care more right now, I think, is the gift that keeps on giving, if you like, because people are, yeah, just a little bit jaded. I was with a company this morning and it just felt like they were limping towards the end of the year. They've just done a massive launch. It's gone exceptionally well. They're all on a high, yet they've still got their day jobs to do. So it's that keeping the morale going, the spirit, going without alcohol or anything on the premises, but just keeping the momentum going for their teams.
Speaker 2:And the person I'm speaking to today has put together their own little care initiative and when I was asking her about what was behind that and she said well, it's important to recognize that people have contributed throughout the year in different, you know different ways, and she and I just wanted to do something that would wrap up their year and because to show I care, um, and she's bought them all in. She's got 12 in her team, but she's bought them all little individual gifts and she's written her own personalized note with them as to how the impact they've had and how they've helped each other get through the year. And she's gonna give them all out, her out. Her next team meeting, which I think is next week, she was mentioning. But just that little gesture. I think it's a great thing to do. I think we forget that sometimes the little things matter.
Speaker 1:TNTs, that's what we call it Tiny, noticeable things. Tnts which can have explosive effects on just people's feeling of oh my manager's kind of noticed. And I guess teamwork we've talked before about this concept of teamship, so creating an environment where people are willing to work with each other and to help each other out and to work in a way that sort of reciprocates, favours and all that kind of stuff. So I guess this isn't always looking at the leader has to do this or the manager must do that. I guess this isn't always looking at the leader has to do this or the manager must do that. It's actually, if we're all in this together, what does that mean in terms of looking out for each other? And the reason why nature shows us that animal, all successful species, work as a collective, as a team, is because you're stronger and safer together. And if there are 10 of you on a team and two of you are feeling a bit down and actually you can take on the energy and the uplift from maybe the other eight and vice versa. So the reason why we're in teams is it just means we can look out for each other and the most successful teams we've worked with you can just sense that they really care about each other. So what would be awesome would be to just share some examples and some thoughts around.
Speaker 1:Why is care a fundamental essence of successful teams? What happens if you have a team that doesn't care for each other, and what are the benefits of prioritizing those moments where we can care for each other? Let's explore that. So what impact does a caring team have on sustaining success? So, debs, how would you describe care in the workplace? We work with some organisations where care is the service they provide. But if we're talking about everyday caring and looking out for each other, what, for you, would be some examples of where you've seen it present and when you've seen it absent?
Speaker 2:There's been a few. When it's present, that person, or each person in that team, acknowledges the other person. The teams I've seen that are really successful acknowledge people as they walk into the office and they take out their ear pods and they just, you know, take over and as they're going over they chat to people. That's what I've seen when you know successful teams care because they do, as you said, the little things that matter. If they're running late to a meeting, somebody will check in on that individual to see if they're all right. Are they, you know, finishing up late on a call? Are they just stuck somewhere or you know whatever? So, rather than walk in and everybody huffs and puffs because they were late, someone else has picked up the phone just to check in on them. Are they okay? And I think that is what makes people feel like they matter and that that person cares about them. And that, as you said, doesn't have to be the manager, the leader, it can be any of that team. And then I think that all pulling together part, they know that they have got some deadlines they have to meet and maybe a few people might be behind they might not but they also huddle together and check in where everyone's at in the morning. So it's that little bits that show that you care enough, because it feels like that you've listened, um, and you bothered to follow up. You know, and I think you know successful, I mean, we have it. I think we're really fortunate in our team because you know people sort of sense and they do reach out. We'll reach out to each other and go just checking in, um, you know how was so and so, or how was that appointment that happened with your mum or your dad, or how's your daughter doing? You know how was so-and-so or how was that appointment that happened with your mum or your dad, or how's your daughter doing? You know, I think it's those little bits that make the biggest difference, and that's when care is present.
Speaker 2:When it's not present, you could feel it. It's like walking through horrible toxic green sludgy, like fog is what it is. No one's laughing, no one's talking, Everybody's head down. No one's passing the time of day with anybody On a Teams call or a Zoom call. It's just straight into business. There's no niceties around it, it's like a crack on and everybody doesn't get to ask a question and it feels controlled. I suppose. Yeah, fog is what I would say.
Speaker 1:That's fascinating. Devs Love that description. A couple of thoughts going through my mind. The challenge about making that call to check someone's all right if they're a bit late logging on to something. It takes time and I wonder if there's a link between the more busy people say there are or the perceived lack of resource they have to do the task that's on their list, the easier it is to let these nice to haves kind of slip. So I wonder if there is almost a bit of a reminder.
Speaker 1:You know, just even thinking about this is actually if, on the whole, when I think big picture, I want to work for an organization or I want to be part of a team that cares for each other, what does that mean? In some of those TNT, tiny, noticeable things, opportunities, it would be easier to just go through my inbox and clear through emails. But if actually I've just caught a tone of voice on a conversation I've had with someone and they don't sound great actually, let me kind of leave my task for a bit and then get into the relational aspect. And what's it lindsey talks about is moving from transactional to relational. Our associate, our colleague lindy, and it's. It's brilliant when she sort of talks about that and of course, the benefit of that is, even if you do work for the most hard-nosed cutthroat, if I feel like I'm in that fog and we're operating as a group and I've seen a definition of the difference between a group of people and a team of people is there's no psychological commitment to each other. What that means is I'm far more vulnerable to getting headhunted away or going bugger this and resigning, because most people, when you sort of say them, you know what's kept you in that long service or what's kept you in this industry, it's the people.
Speaker 1:It's not the job that people leave, it's the people that they leave, because actually there could be the most boring jobs out there if you looked at it black and white in terms of what people do. But the sense of spirit, purpose, working together, it's that heady mix of I can't leave actually because these people mean too much to me. And in my experience of when I've chatted with friends and colleagues and all those kind of you know lunchtime conversations you might have, when people are toying with leaving, it's because they're thinking actually it's easy to leave this place because I don't really feel connected. So I've just sort of put care on the radar is that, even if you're quite a black and white kind of thinker and this is sort of in the grey area this idea of caring for each other I bet there'll be a link between it. There is a link between if you feel like those people around you care about you, you're far more likely to want to stay, to do your best work and to keep doing what you can to innovate and progress things forward.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think you're spot on, laura, and it doesn't take much to be a human and just be. I think, just to be nice to people. It really doesn't take much. But unfortunately there's quite a lot where people just aren't nice and it's like no, the world needs more care, the world needs more kindness and it's free, right, but it lifts you up as well as it lifts somebody else up, so why would you not do? It's like a double whammy of a feel-good hormone.
Speaker 2:Um, and I know when we think about care, we sort of get across to people around. First of all, it's about how you communicate with each other. It's then about how you accept where everybody is at and that everybody is at a different space because everybody's different. And then it's all around that being ready to engage in a conversation or be ready to notice if they're not themselves in inverted commas and then it's having the empathy to understand it from their map of the world. So when we think about that communication and then being acceptance, ready and empathy, it enables us to just be in a better place, be a better human.
Speaker 2:And I know you always say about the robots they can't quite do that bit yet, because we can then pivot, based on the response we get, because we have communicated in the first place and we have accepted that person is where they're at and we are ready to sort of support them, guide them, listen, whatever, just know that they're there, because we're understanding it with an empathetic viewpoint of from their map of the world, not just ours and we can then choose how we then respond and relate back so that it becomes, as you mentioned, that relational piece of work rather than just transactional. So for me it doesn't. It's for me, it's the most easiest thing in the world to do and I wish more people would do it. To be honest, it doesn't take a second to just go head up. How are you doing? Not great, oh, okay, what's coming on for you if the person tells you, great. If they don't tell you, great, but they know you're there for them if you, if they wanted to take, it costs nothing.
Speaker 1:Debs got ever so excited. Did you, did you just share a little? I just had to open up my pencil case and get a pen out. So C-A-R-E spells care.
Speaker 2:The.
Speaker 1:C stands for communication. All right, the A stands for acceptance. All right, yeah, and the R stands for ready Right, and then the E stands for empathy.
Speaker 2:Yes, right.
Speaker 1:Okay. So let's have a look at what might some practical examples be of bringing C-A-R-E to life, and I'll tell you what would be good. It'd be good to put a hybrid lens in on this. So what does that mean if you are working virtually with each other, and what does that mean if you are then having those face-to-face interactions, so to bring more care, which is the sustainable present, the energy, the fuel that keeps the team going? Then we'll have a look at some practical ways of bringing a bit of C-A-R-E to life. Right first off, debs, communication. I mean, how often is communication used, as this place needs to sort its communication out? And oh, there's one person going, there's too much. And there's another person going, it's not enough yeah, so we'd be millionaires law if we.
Speaker 2:We would be every time we heard that word.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, we would be. So, um, communication. So let's have a look at what might be some practical examples of, if you want to demonstrate more care, what does that mean from a communication point of view? So you've already given us some food for thought listening to that greeting how you doing today, not great, what's going on for you? So that's that's. That's. That's a nice little handy sort of question to ask. And, debs, I can't fix you in that moment, can I? No, no, you can't fix you in that moment can I?
Speaker 2:No, no, you can't fix me in that moment, but you've given me enough time to show that maybe I could come back and talk to you about what is going on, because only I can fix it. But to know I'm not alone oh my God, it's huge to know that I'm just not this lone wolf wandering around, don't know where to go. I've got somebody around me that's going to help me. I just need to then communicate back, to reach out and say yeah, you know, we had that chat yesterday. I wouldn't mind just going through that with you in a bit more. You know a bit more detail, because it's really playing on my mind and if you're a decent human, you'll be going. Yeah, sure, no problem. And then it's into. You know well, what do you want to do. You know how might you approach it. It's then that opportunity to use some coaching questions really, because, yeah, you can't fix me. You have to enable me to come up with the solution to how I want to fix it or move it forward. Yeah, love it.
Speaker 1:So you've mentioned about the sort of the greeting, the presence or absence of it, of us walking into an office. 'll tell you what you reminded me of is I remember speaking to a head of terminal in one of the airports that we work with and privileged over the years to just get a real insight into what makes a great buzzy operation, and that was in an airport environment. And I remember asking a really experienced terminal manager you know, how do you know if you're going to get good customer passenger feedback scores, basically that day and they said, oh, I can tell in an instant. The more smiles I see around the terminal, the more I know that the passenger scores on the doors are going to be, and I thought that was such an interesting insight. He said we don't need to spend millions of pounds on surveying people. If you look around that environment, if you can feel the buzz, if you can see the smiles on people's faces, that will give you an instant indicator in terms of what that kind of morale is like. So that initial greeting I think is really interesting.
Speaker 1:My favourite group check-in of 2024, whether this is virtual. I've just done one now, actually with a group of 48 people that are on a big virtual and it works a treat. It also works a treat if you're face to face in a room. Is the what? Three words as a check-in?
Speaker 1:Yes, that's nice. So what three words? I think is a really cute little way to get everyone sort of caring about each other, but it's not too nosy that anyone feels sort of put on the spot. And what three words? Is a play on that bit of technology. What three words? And What3Words is a play on that bit of technology. What3words, which allows you to precisely geolocate where you are. So, rather than an ordnance, survey, map, reference, rather than a postcode which could be a mile difference, what3words enables you to pinpoint precisely where you are in the world. So they're mapped every two foot square by two foot square.
Speaker 1:With these What3W words, which gives you this infinite combination, it works as a really handy way for a team to be able to just check in within a couple of minutes.
Speaker 1:How's everyone doing so? If you're looking for ways to ramp up the level of perception of care as a team, you first of all got to know, otherwise you can't notice it and then you can't do something about it. So what three words? You just ask a group of people what three words would you use to describe your working week, or how you feel about the next week, or how this year has gone, or how this quarter has gone, whatever timeframe you want to use, and then you just go around, what three words? And then it's just enough to get a bit of a feel, because if a couple of people have said overwhelming, then that gives you a bit of an insight. It also means a couple of other people might have said exciting. So it enables you to see at a glance just where there might be some differences. But it's not too much that people feel embarrassed or put upon right at the start. Any other tips from a communication point of view, debs, that you think can help demonstrate?
Speaker 2:care within a team. I think it goes back to your favourite, which is grip, isn't it? Which is set the goal, establish whose role, whose responsibility is it going to be in that moment? The interpersonal bit how are we going to work together to get the goal? And then the process is the process right, making sure that people have clarity and are clear on what is expected of them in that moment? And it could be adapted and flexed and stretched, and it just helps the team know that. Oh, ok, I now know where I'm going, I know what's expected of me, I know how I am going to work, what my role is in that, and I know the process we're going to go through. So, therefore, I feel safe. Safe which subliminally means that somebody cares about me, to provide a safe space for me to work at my best love it.
Speaker 1:So that's c the communication aspect of care. Yeah, talk to me about a acceptance. So what is it you mean by that? Something that's an interesting one everybody.
Speaker 2:Everybody comes with a backstory, whether you know them really really well or you've only met them on that one day. You don't know what's gone before they've turned up at work or turned up on a call. You have no clue about what else might be going on around them outside of the workspace. So acceptance of where they're at is what we always say. So if you can just accept that's where they're at right now, then that enables them to still perform, still do what they need to do without feeling judged. So I think acceptance is a massive thing. I accept you for who you are, not because of you, but who you are right now and I'll work with you which sort of links to empathy. Then I can understand you better, to be able to help and support you in whatever way I can. So acceptance of difference, acceptance that everyone has a backstory, acceptance that we have no idea how somebody is arriving at their place of work if we're not checking in properly with them.
Speaker 1:And again, this isn't manager to team member.
Speaker 2:This is team on team this is person to person.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that, that acceptance element, I think that's um, yeah, that's great and we all bring different experiences.
Speaker 2:I think that's the other thing, except that we all have different experiences and we can accept somebody's knowledge, their skills, how they, what, what's their work map of the world look like. I think that's also acceptance that we're all different and that's our special gifts.
Speaker 1:Yeah, otherwise we become robots. And then the R.
Speaker 2:So this is recognize be ready, ready, ready, ready this is the R of care.
Speaker 1:So being ready to listen to your response when I say morning, how you doing, rather than just ignoring it almost, and instantly going on to my task. So is that what you meant by ready? Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 2:Be ready to hear it. You mentioned listen. Be ready to actually hear it, because we're really good at going. How are you? And you go I'm fine, oh great, and off, you carry on. But being ready to really listen with your heart, you'll pick up so many nuances. So be ready. Don't just pay lip service to it. It's be present, be ready, take your ear pods out, whatever, just be ready to go with whatever comes your way.
Speaker 1:Lovely. And the final one E empathy. Do you know what has been quite startling to see in the various different random places I've been this year? How many industries are now having to put signs up that says please don't abuse our staff, please be courteous? And you're there and you're sort of standing outside a school and you're thinking, really, is this what is happening? Is this how people are acting with each other? So I guess what would be great to get your thoughts on is there are some workplaces that would be a privilege enough to work with, where people dealing with members of the public is actually becoming one of the riskiest factors of what they do.
Speaker 1:You know in terms of just how you feel at the end of the day and how a certain shift just might knock you sideways. You've just had constant negative, aggressive or, you know, almost violent interactions. So I guess, from a teamwork point of view, you need your team to be that safe refuge where someone might kind of get it. I'm just off the back of a big virtual I've just been running this morning and that idea of other similar job holders. Oh, I can speak to people who understand and know what it's like. So what role does empathy have and Debs give us a quick overview. What's the difference between sympathy and empathy? So we can make sure that these empathetic conversations don't stop work and we just sit there for hours talking about the problem. So where's that balance? And that'd be great to get your sort of definition around, where sympathy and empathy are just slightly different.
Speaker 2:Just as a good one. I think you mentioned it earlier. If you were sympathising with me about something, you try and fix it for me and you'd be in the mer with me. You be swimming around and, oh my god, yes, I know exactly what you mean. I happened that and it might turn into all about you, but it's that if me, are you sure?
Speaker 1:well, let me just think about that for a moment sorry she's talking, she's talking so that sympathy is picking up.
Speaker 2:As I was saying, you're picking up their emotion and it's not yours to pick up, if that makes sense and I know that sounds really hard, but it's not. Empathy, though, is okay. Help me understand what's going on for you right now. Then you can listen and then you can ask them. Puts it the ownership back on them. You empower that individual to make a decision for themselves um, providing it's a safe decision. And then it's where sympathy you're trying to fix it for them. Well, what if you did that? What if you did this? I know when I did that blah, and it's advice giving rather than going. Help me understand where you're at. What would you like to do about that? What have you done? It then becomes more of an empowering conversation for that individual, who then can take control. They take the control of what they want to do next, and for me, that's understanding it from their map of the world not mine at all, it's not about me, and empathy at all, it's about others.
Speaker 1:Debs, I love that description. So let's say you are caught in a lift with a colleague and you say, how are you doing they doing? They say, oh, not great. Actually I don't have to jump into that problem with them. No, it's. It's kind of uh, okay, you know well, help me to understand. You know, um, what's going to help you? Um, let me know if you want a bit of a chat later on. I guess it's just that 30 second interaction can make a world of difference about how I feel then walking into that working space or dialing on you know, if that's a little chat before everyone else kind of joins.
Speaker 1:And I guess what we wanted to get across from this episode was the thing about care is it takes time, but in the grand scheme of things, why wouldn't you want to work as part of a team that looks out for each other?
Speaker 1:And even if you are the most hard-nosed commercially oriented person, it makes commercial sense.
Speaker 1:When there's a team of people who feel psychologically committed to each other, you're far more likely to challenge bad practice, you're far more likely to innovate and give ideas to make things better, because you've created a psychologically safer space, because we're looking out for each other and there's like a moral impetus to it as well, because if actually increasingly, anyone that works in a frontline role, where you're dealing with members of the public, there's maybe a lot of behaviours that are happening out there at the moment in the world at large that actually can make work feel like a stressful aspect of our day-to-day lives, and actually that team aspect is that bit where we can feel that sense of connection. So, debs, wishful thinking converted into action. What would be your call to action? So this is the second in our focus looking at the essence of success, and this one has been looking at the essence of successful teamwork could probably be boiled down to one word, which is care. So what would be your call to action?
Speaker 2:Oh, I could have loads and loads, laura, but I'll pick one that just jumped into my head. My call to action would be to notice when somebody isn't in inverted commas their normal and just ask the question. That's my call to action, yeah.
Speaker 1:My share. The secret would be if you think that your team is all a little bit in the fog at the moment and you can see you want to get a little bit more light sort of shining, get a colleague to listen to this and then you can maybe make a decision about actually what's something you want to start doing. You know, as we wrap up one year and go into the next, what's something we want to start doing. Stop doing and continue doing. Debs, I'm really looking forward to next week's Focus.
Speaker 1:Yeah me too, Laura, when Debs, I'm really looking forward to next week's Focus. Yeah me too, Laura, when we are going to be looking at what is the essence of successful collaboration. R-e-s-p-e-c-t.
Speaker 2:I love that. Let's do it karaoke style.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, she's got a voice for TV, a face for radio.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, I love that. I'll get a bit tuned in.
Speaker 1:Better get me earplugs in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, better get your earplugs in. Yeah, listen to something else. Oh my God.
Speaker 1:So I'm really looking forward to that. So, Debs, have a wonderful, sparkly, twinkly successful week.
Speaker 2:You too, laura, and I look forward to seeing you on the other side.
Speaker 1:See you on the other side. Love you, love you, bye. We hope you've enjoyed this podcast. We'd love to hear from you. Email us at contact at secretsfromacoachcom, or follow us on Insta or Facebook. If you're a Spotify listener, give us a rating, as it's easier for people to find us, and if you want to know more, visit our website, wwwsecretsfromacoachcom, and sign up for our newsletter here to cheer you on and help you thrive in the ever-changing world of work. You