By Dr. Jan Ferri-Reed
Whenever NASCAR racers zoom around a track their drivers have to rely on gauge for critical information. Without those instruments a driver wouldn’t know when to pull into the pits for more fuel and a fresh set of tires. That’s when the pit crew leaps into action, rapidly replacing all four tires and dumping gallons of fuel into the car, all in less than 20 seconds! For NASCAR racers that kind of speed is critical. Even a few additional seconds could make all the difference between winning and losing! Effective teamwork is the critical factor.
Former NFL star quarterback and NASCAR team owner Roger Staubach once said, “I have a lot to learn about NASCAR. But I have learned that if you have the right people in the right places doing the right things, you can be successful at whatever you do.” That philosophy certainly applies to your employee and management teams no less than it does to a NASCAR race team.
How do your supervisors and employees measure up? Do they actually function as a team? Do they encourage and support each other when the chips are down? Do they clearly understand each other’s role and function? Most importantly, do they share the goal of succeeding together?
If you’re luckier than many managers your employees already work effectively as a team. But if you’re like most managers you recognize that your team could use a ‘tune-up.’ The problem is this … how do you actually “tune up” your team?
That’s where we can help. We have the experience and tools necessary to get your employees functioning like a well-oiled machine.
We Can “Gauge” Your Team’s Strengths & Weaknesses
When your vehicle isn’t running right you probably contacted on a mechanic who used an instrument called an Onboard Diagnostic Scanner to pinpoint why your vehicle wasn’t running right. Armed with that information your technician knows how to correct the problems and get your vehicle running again.
In a similar way our consultants use a variety of instruments to pinpoint why your team isn’t functioning as productively as possible. The resulting report will enable your employee team to improve their communication, minimize nonproductive conflict, build a shared sense of purpose and produce results that have the potential to transform your operation.
The payoffs could be huge. When your people complete our team building program they’ll be able to:
1. Manage conflict constructively, without bitterness
2. Hold one another accountable to follow-through
3. Achieve team-driven results that each member fully supports
ABOUT JAN:
Jan is a seasoned consultant and President of KEYGroup®, a 35-year international speaking, training, coaching and assessment firm and co-author of Keeping the Millennials: Why Companies are Losing Billions in Turnover to This Generation and What To Do About It, and the author of Millennials 2.0: Empowering Generation Y. Jan’s work focuses on creating productive workplaces and retaining talent while increasing the bottom line. Publications and media that have called on Jan and KEYGroup® for advice and guidance include Industry Week, TIME, Diversity Executive, NPR and Forbes, to name a few.
