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How do you inspire people to quickly become highly effective as a team in order to create outstanding results for your organization?
Research shows us that healthy organizations engage in two times more positive than negative dialogue (and healthy relationships/marriages need 5 times more positive than negative dialogue ouch!). There's no doubt though that we live in a deficit-based society. So given this negative framework, it’s important that we always leverage toward the positive, and design our team building efforts to bring out the very best actions and behaviors in others.
So how do you build an appreciative team? A good place to start is to discover, value and highlight the very best of what already exists among the team members, even if they have never worked together before. When bringing your team together, especially if it's for the first time, take a moment to explore each member's past high-point teaming experience and vision of what success looks like.
Next, build in opportunities so your team members can experience moments when they catch themselves doing something right. Take the time to discuss what went well, and build an environment where the group can celebrate and leverage each success.
Here is a simple activity for creating a positive tone-set with a team:
Your Proudest Moment
This is a great activity for (1) encouraging individuals to share moments of strength and pride, and (2) helping team members build rapport with each other (an initial step for strengthening trust).
Materials Needed:
- Paper
- Pens and drawing supplies
- A quiet room with a table or a place to draw
Take time to create an environment that is quiet and encourages introspection.
Ask team members to close their eyes, and visualize a moment that they are particularly proud of in their lives, a moment when they were at their best, and they and others knew it. Once visualized, ask team members to draw a picture of that moment, and to be ready to share a story about what happened. ( Variation : If the team has some history working together, ask members to visualize their moment of greatest eam pride.)
When ready, ask team members to share their pictures & stories, and encourage others to actively listen. Capture the dialogue and emphasize the words/phrases that highlight each person's strengths and the team's collective values (You can also post the pictures around the room, if appropriate).
When you ask your team to share stories about their “very best moments they bring their very best to the team. In doing so, you may discover that the conversation opens to new possibilities for individuals, the team, and for you as well.