Successful Business Teams: Jay Holstine workshop

“What does it take to build a great team? Our discussion is enriched by 16 different leadership perspectives,” Jay Holstine said, as he moderates a CEO peer group dedicated to raising their businesses to new levels of productivity and efficiency. “Whether it’s: more defined rules of engagement, the attributes of a great teammate, or new strategies to build accountability… the interplay of ideas is crucial to finding solutions that fit each CEO’s company,” Holstine added. “I realized that having a team that working well together was as crucial as an excellent product, when I was running my process improvement software company, and employing experts in several countries,” Holstine said. Today’s group of CEOs are sharing research, practical experience, and ideas in identifying ways to help teams and companies work more effectively and successfully. Accountability and Clarity: “One of our leaders shared an experience in which employees in a satellite office perceived that others had not followed through on the plan; yet the expectations had not been clearly articulated, were not mutually understood, and were not measurable. This drove home the importance of clearly articulated measures of accountability, to make sure that everyone’s expectations are in line,” Holstine shared. “Another CEO relayed the importance of credibility and respect. The bottom line is that you need to have consistent application of fair standards in order to build an environment where the project team trusts that everyone is supporting each other and working for the same goal,” Holstine noted. “Critical conclusions included: Teams should have a support structure to enable frank discussion of solution options. Innovation comes from teams that are able to share different perspectives on problem-solving. With some guidelines and guardrails, a healthy disagreement can bring new levels of solutions. Structured Interaction, at a team event outside of work, helps team members see the less obvious strengths and authenticity of their team members. Understanding each other’s growth goals, or hurdles they’ve overcome, builds empathy. This shared experience helps build each other’s trust, respect and loyalty. Help your team understand each other. Build in a group meal, and personal sharing exercises, to highlight team members’ personal strengths and communication styles. The DiSC assessment test helps a team learn about their own disposition, and their colleagues’ preferences. By discussing motivators, work styles and communication habits, you can bridge misunderstandings and build trust. - The Finish Line: An inspiring and compelling goal focuses a team on success. Behavior is most likely to adapt when changes are a matter of survival. Necessity of project success is one of the most effective ways to build trust and involvement. A successful team is focused on a purpose, with an organized timeline and set of responsibilities, deliverables and rewards. This emphasizes the value of the team’s success and its importance to the company. “People are motivated by being a strong part of an important team. After a lot of shared strategies based on experience and research, the group agreed that these points are critical in keeping a team on the same page and working smart,” Holstine noted. “These types of concerns are one of the areas of leadership that this group regularly confers on,” Holstine said. "The Vistage CEO peer group enables a shared wisdom based on experience so that trusted leaders, from non-competing industries, can continue to grow their teams’ skills and capabilities.”