Ideal: Everyone wants to work for a great team and to give credit to a great team – that’s most people’s workplace utopia.
Reality: Human dynamics, competition and workplace conflict make it difficult to know just where credit and responsibility are to be shared.
Here is a hint: It’s multi-level and sometimes confusing.
Clarification: Your team contributes to the overall success of the company and it’s imperative to give the team credit when publicly celebrating any success. “The group did this! WooHoo!” Where that thinking goes off the rails is when the focus is group, group, group, and there is no credit given to each individual for the unique strengths and abilities they bring to the team.
Tip: Every person wants to believe they bring value to the team, that they have made a difference in their own unique way. When we fail to pay attention to the individuals, we negate the hard work of each member of the team and this erodes the individual’s motivation to continue contributing.
Each member must be willing to acknowledge the core strengths of the unique individuals on their team.
Just as each type of cell in your body does a remarkable and unique function and contributes to a remarkable whole, we must give each type of cell its day to shine. The body is only whole and functional because of the individual parts. Just ask anyone who has had an injury how difficult it is when one part of the body is no longer functional.
The team itself is not discounted by recognizing strengths in the individuals (unless one person is taking ALL the credit for the team’s success – and that is a different blog altogether). When team members refuse to acknowledge the individual strengths of its members, it fails to function as a team – it’s broken.
Ironic, isn’t it? By giving credit only to the whole group and ignoring the individuals, the group begins to crumble.
Give the team credit – by all means, they’ve earned it by working hard together to accomplish their jobs.
Just remember: A team is made up of many individuals bringing unique strengths and qualities that only when united with other team members are they contributing to the whole. So when someone mentions a unique talent or strength of one of the members, don’t be too quick to call it a team effort –everyone’s unique contribution matters.
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Patti Blackstaffe works with people and organizations to develop
Happy Workplaces world-wide guiding them toward mastery and leadership
through consulting, advising, coaching, speaking, and delivering training.You can reach Patti at 1-855-968-5323
Contact us here to book for Idea Sessions, Change Management, Executive Coaching or Team Development.