The Teamwork For A Winning Project
There is nothing easier to do that pays so much in extra as
making sure that your colleagues get their share of the credit for the success
of project. Spreading the credit among your coworkers for a winning project
actually radiates you in a positive light. By deflecting credit onto others,
you gain in status and prestige- two very important ingredients in the formula
for keeping your job.
Team-building is all about recognizing each person's
contribution to a job, project or company. It's not just about the person who
pushed the ball over the goal line. It's as much about the teammate who
designed the play and the guy who ran obstructions that allowed the ball
carrier to score. And who coordinated the execution of the plan? The team
leader.
Colleagues respond to good leaders who bend over backwards to
make sure they get their share of the credit. Before long, people will ask to
work with you because they know that you are not a self-promoter. They know
that when you make the presentation you will acknowledge and credit the group's
work and what it accomplished. So simply by virtue of sharing the credit with
your coworkers, some of it washes back on you.
There Is No "I" In Team
Still plenty of people don't understand the meaning of the old
saying, "There is no 'I' in Team". Enthusiastically, they show
everyone what they can accomplish on their own. By not getting all the credit,
they are afraid that somehow they are less valuable to the organization. The
fact is, when it comes to a team project, your manager and your manager's
manager didn't rocket from the mail room to the board room with no stops in
between. They know that 99.9 percent of the time, a project's outcome isn't the
doing of one very industrious person. Sure, one person does the presentation,
but they know that there were ten people behind the scenes contributing
information, helping hammer out solutions, and writing the final report and its
conclusions.
They know this because not so very long ago they were on a team
similar to yours. Moreover, if you use "I" all the time, you are
risking a whisper rebellion by your teammates. Word will spread across the
company that you are a jerk who takes credit for other people's work. That one
comment will spread across the company like a virus and ruin you and maybe your
job.
Make A Good Impression
It is not usual to be the leader of a team that includes
senior-level executives. So if you get tapped to head up a project, take
careful note of precisely who is seated around the conference table. Obviously,
you don't want to favor anyone on your team. Nevertheless, be mindful of how
you talk to, and act toward, your teammates. You can bet that they are closely
observing your leadership performance. For better or worse, they will remember
how you acted under pressure. But most importantly, they will be watching to
see how generous you are when it comes to giving credit for the work. The last
things you want are a couple of executives telling their peers that they would
steer clear of you at all costs and never allow you on one of their projects.
By the way, do you want to learn more about leadership in your
company? If so, download your FREE eBook here: Guide to
Elegant Courage Leadership
Jodi and Mike specialize in executive coaching with individuals
and teams. http://lighthouse-leadership.com
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