Avionics News November 2016 - 44

BUSINESS BASICS

Continued from page 43

Review. In the early stage of collaboration, you'll focus on ensuring
the team understands and commits
to its tasks and gets the ball rolling,
then you'll pivot to a leadership style
that promotes the interactions among
the team - with communication, support, team-building, and so on - so it
doesn't come to a halt. Just as importantly, demonstrate that collaboration
doesn't mean some members get to
coast along while others do the hard
work. Everyone should contribute
equally, so demand it, and act when
balances tip unfairly, according to
consultant Shani Harmon.
3. Form your team. Choose collaborators for their skills, experience, motivation and compatibility, not just their

avionics news

november

2016

availability, according to Kevin Daum,
author of Roar! Get Heard in the Sales
and Marketing Jungle. Indeed, the best
work comes from the best people.
Consider, too, including different personality types (extroverts and
introverts) and diverse backgrounds,
such as experience and gender,
according to Jarrett. In the first case,
you'll get people who are bold and
brash, who can elaborate on and sell
big-picture ideas, and those who
are restrained and thoughtful. In the
second, you'll see more social sensitivity, or the ability to take turns in
conversations and enforce everyone's
need to pull their own weight. In
both, you bring together people who
approach problem-solving from different perspectives, which can deliver
broader results than specialized
teams.

4. Set the stage. Establish rules
of engagement that define how each
member will interact with the group,
according to Nutcache, and present realistic short- and long-term
goals and expectations. This allows
members to understand their roles,
recognize their responsibilities, and
accept accountability for their tasks
and behavior - especially if they're
called to help one another. They
should also know what's expected of
them, what part of the project they're
working on, their timeline, and who
they can rely on for help, according to Dan Schawbel, founder of
WorkplaceTrends.com.
Then form communication practices
- daily huddles, shared Google Docs,
or chains of communication with
active facilitators - so team members
can share ideas and feedback, according to Nutcache.
5. Build relationships. With
expectations delivered, you will want
to cultivate the rapport that moves
the group on to the working stage.
This comes from building trust and
respect, which allows members to
share ideas and suggestions - regardless of how far-fetched - without fear
of ridicule or backlash, according
to Nutcache. Generating big ideas
requires people to be vulnerable and
open, so praise that when you see it.
This, of course, is a reason to make
sure at least some of the team members have worked together before,
according to Jarrett. Likewise, encourage them to interact outside of formal
meetings. Schedule group coffee
breaks and lunches, pop-up extracurricular activities, and other teambuilding opportunities that develop
community. And create supportive
environments in the shop by including
every member of the team in major
decisions, giving it the autonomy to
chart its own course, and building
team rewards - instead of individual
ones - into the process.

http://www.WorkplaceTrends.com http://www.beckerusa.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News November 2016