Time’s Up: 14 Tips To Maximize Team Work As Women Leaders
Yes, it takes a village and it also takes a team.
How can you make the most of team work? Here is great advice to follow.
The recent announcement by more than 300 women in Hollywood of the creation of Time’s Up, an initiative aimed at equal representation to sexual harassment and assault survivors across all industries and backed by an initial $15 million, is a great, timely example of the necessity and power of teamwork.
Moving forward from the crucial and ongoing truthtelling of #MeToo, Time’s Up is a plan of action with an engine of women—and men—working together.
According to the Time’s Up site, “We partner with leading advocates for equality and safety to improve laws, employment agreements, and corporate policies; help change the face of corporate boardrooms and the C-suite; and enable more women and men to access our legal system to hold wrongdoers accountable.”
“Moving forward from the crucial and ongoing truthtelling of #MeToo, Time’s Up is a plan of action with an engine of women—and men—working together”
This is only one prime example of the crucial nature of working as a team, maximizing dynamics to achieve a goal.
“The foundation of every great team is a direction that energizes, orients, and engages its members. Teams cannot be inspired if they don’t know what they’re working toward and don’t have explicit goals. Those goals should be challenging (modest ones don’t motivate) but not so difficult that the team becomes dispirited. They also must be consequential: People have to care about achieving a goal, whether because they stand to gain extrinsic rewards, like recognition, pay, and promotions; or intrinsic rewards, such as satisfaction and a sense of meaning,” write Martine Haas, associate professor of management at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Mark Mortensen, associate professor and the chair of the Organizational Behaviour Area at INSEAD, in Harvard Business Review.
Managing team dynamics as a leader or collaborating as a team member can be tricky. Here are some of the best comments on team work from a variety of thought leaders, entrepreneurs and business leaders.
“Together everything appears manageable. That’s the definition of ‘TEAM,’” says Gloria Feldt, president and co-founder of Take The Lead. “Team work doesn’t erase the individual, but leverages each person’s unique capabilities to accomplish more together than one can do alone, sparks more innovations than any individual can produce, and creates more forward movement for change than any individual can do alone.”
“New leaders often think that they have to be the loudest and most dominant voice. But you can learn so much more by listening to your team,” says Mary Beech, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Kate Spade and Co. in Motto.
“We’re communal creatures. We can’t operate alone. Ask for support from others. It’s a gift to the person you ask,” says author and activist Gloria Steinem.
“My ambition is to have an employee population profile that reflects the consumer population, It makes for better insight and strategy to deliver campaigns. It begins with believing that diversity on a team makes a good team,” says Pam Hamlin, CEO of Arnold Worldwide, a global creative and advertising agency.
“The old style of networking involved a lot of ‘selling’ your skills and showcasing your knowledge. To truly build connections that work, resist that urge. Instead, when you’re talking to someone new, ask her about herself and really listen to her answers. It’s bad form to wait for your opportunity to talk without actually taking the time to listen,” says Dr. Nancy D. O’Reilly, founder, Women Connect4Good Foundation, author and member of the board of directors of Take The Lead.
“Hiring the right team is critical. I know now to spend more time talking about their motivation and how passionate they are. We move fast and make changes constantly, so they have to comfortable in sharing tasks. You have to make sure someone is joining the team for the right reason,” says Catherine Tan, founder of Notey.
“Business is about belonging. And you will do a better job of creating that sense of belonging with your customers when your team reflects your customer base. But it will be important for you to be intentional about building a team who will enable you to authentically connect with your audience in a meaningful way,” writes Sonia Thompson, marketing strategist, consultant, and author in Inc.
“We have a policy when people (on a team) need to work from home, to be flexible. We assume they will get their work done,” says Carolyn Morgan, president of Precision Effect, a healthcare brand agency.
“We need to realize that diversity is not a problem or hindrance that needs to be dealt with, but the source of enormous richness that brings compelling benefits and eventually higher profits. Yes, inclusion of all genders is about basic human rights and providing equal opportunities to everyone. And it’s also about harvesting the fruits that come with it,” says Regina Huber, CEO of Transform Your Performance, Take The Lead Leadership Ambassador and author.
“Our teams typically consist of people from several generations and they just learn from each other, rather than trying to impose one style over another. Technology helps, of course. And yet what we think matters most is that they all unite and align with the mission and the vision of our organization. It’s very rewarding!” says Magdalena Mook, ICF (International Coach Federation) in Forbes.
“If I pick my team from everybody and you pick your team from middle-aged white men, I guarantee I’ll pick a better team,” says James Dimon, chief executive of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co..
“One thing that is constant across all generations is that people enjoy having fun. To optimize your organization’s teamwork you should be sensitive to generational differences, but focus on having a fun, inviting work environment that allows people to express themselves. When this is achieved, the diverse, multi-generational knowledge within your staff will be make your team more productive,” writes Bruce Maj Pelz, Maji Safi Group
“One of the most essential characteristics for a high-functioning team — perhaps the single most important characteristic — is trust. Anyone who has worked on a team knows that team members must be able to trust each other to get the job done, and be committed and dedicated to the overall welfare of the group. In any group of individuals, trust is challenging to create and sustain, but in the case of a multicultural team it can be especially difficult for a variety of different reasons,” write Andy Molinsky, author and Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Brandeis International Business School, along with Ernest Gundling, author and Managing Partner at Aperian Global, in Harvard Business Review.
“Teams can have strikingly different social behaviors and still produce exceptional work. I’ve seen teams with an informal brainstorming process–they always went off track during team meetings–be just as successful as extremely formal teams that were totally goal-focused. What matters isn’t the style of behavior, but that all team members feel good about that style,” writes Ted Leonhardt is a designer and illustrator, and former global creative director of FITCH Worldwide, in Fast Company.
Lest we forget, the USA Hockey Women’s Team in 2017 demonstrated the power of team work and resistance as a team working for a singular goal.
“Noting the threat to boycott the International Ice Hockey Federation world championship in Michigan was real and imminent, the women’s team insisted in their less than playful negotiations that being paid a total of $6,000 for six months out of the four-year training period leading up the Olympic Games is neither acceptable nor fair. Nor is the lack of a development program for girls in the sport, comparable to the one for boys. And because they persisted, they won because they demonstrated their power to ask.”
“Things don’t just happen. People make them happen in a systematic way. And you can change systems. -Gloria Feldt, president and co-founder of Take The Lead”
In Power Tool # 7 in the 9 Leadership Power Tools she created, Feldt says, “Take Action; Create a Movement” centers on team work. “Things don’t just happen. People make them happen in a systematic way. And you can change systems. Apply the three movement building principles of Sister Courage (be a sister, act with courage, put them together to create a PLAN) and you will realize your vision at work, at home, or in public life.”
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About the Author
Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldonwww.micheleweldon.com