Transformational Teams - Lesson 3

Welcome back, this is session number three in Transformational Teams. And as you can see so far, our focus has been on you and your team as an individual and as a part of the organization. So what we're going to do in this particular session is help you understand how you integrate into the team and become an integral part of the team and a valuable asset to the team.

So the question we have to ask at this particular point is, are we going to fit in or not? Well, if God's called you to be on a specific team, he's called you for purpose. So here's what I want us to think about. All of us want to fit in.

It's our human nature. But if everybody thinks the same way, we may actually make mistakes and we may leave gaps in the process that are not necessarily needed or should have never been there in the first place. You see, we need both intellect and instincts that are different from us as individuals.

So when we think about the fact that, yes, we're individuals, yes, we're entitled to our opinions, and yes, we've been gifted in certain ways, doesn't mean that the other team members can't bring that intellect to the team also and help us identify how to make this a better well-oiled machine. We are stronger as a group than as an individual. It tells us very plainly that two are stronger than one in Proverbs.

So what are the most important aspects that we have to consider when we think about being an integral part of the team is that we have to respect the people around us and their strengths. The reason why they're doing a job or playing a specific role that's different than yours is because they've been gifted in a different area. They come from a different culture, they have different priorities, and they also have abilities that you're probably never going to be able to have.

So as we think that, one of the things that I think is important that we need to consider is how do we fit in to that team? And can we develop the respect that's necessary to focus on that? So let's consider the whole concept of respecting our team members and respecting the mission, vision, and values of ourselves, of our team members, and of the organization. So what we have here is we have a gentleman in our particular ministry who is very, very good at making sure things run in an orderly manner. And he is focused on the marketing aspects of our ministry.

Additionally, we would see that he seeks a world in our clients that can operate with the proper certainty through his marketing abilities that they are doing the right thing by choosing this particular ministry and finding joy in the fact that they are in the right place. So to achieve this, we need to form a team that is diligent, well-trained in the mission, vision, and values of the ministry, and has a support staff that's committed to carrying out the work that we have been ordained and called to with the highest degree of excellence. So as we think about that, let's look at Natalia and James, both team members in this particular effort.

So we notice that Natalia is extremely task-oriented, but she is extremely concise with that high C and has that alarm clock going off in her brain with a high dominance that everything is a priority and there needs to be a rush. But one thing that you have to notice about Natalia is the fact that her eye is extremely low. And with that extremely low eye, that is her core behavior.

And that says, I'm gonna be skeptical of just about everything you say because I wanna make sure it's perfect. One of the things that we learn over time is that a person with a very high C and a high theoretical can tend to be perhaps a know-it-all, but they can also be critical. But please be reminded that's often to help us make sure we make the right decisions rather than just being a pain.

So when we focus on Natalia, we know that she can be very task-driven. She can be very focused on getting things done. And we notice that her subjectivity is quite low, but her belief system in herself and the way that she's going to approach this ministry is strong.

So we have an objective personality that's task-driven, wants to be in the lead with the structure that they feel is appropriate for this situation. And then there's poor James on the other side, who also has a desire to execute and make things done and can be very objective, but he gets lost in the details, doesn't pay much attention to him. And we can see from his very low aesthetic that he's probably gonna miss a lot of the details along the way.

And that's gonna make Natalia crazy. And if that makes Natalia crazy, what's gonna happen? We're gonna have some friction between that. But here's the thing that Natalia needs to understand about James.

Look at his last three values in this graphic. He has a servant's heart. He is objective.

He wants to perform, but he can get in the zone and be soft-spoken at times. And Natalia can bulldoze him if he's not careful. So the skill of respect is going to have to go both ways.

Natalia is going to need to understand that James has a softer heart. He's optimistic. And that high I, he just wants to be approved of.

And every time she comes off with a, no, that's not right, it's going to crush him. He has two skills behaviors that are above the line and they're both people-oriented. Therefore, when she comes off with this very dominant task orientation that is her natural default behavior, he is going to feel less valued and he will internalize it, more so than, don't you understand why I'm telling you this? Because he's not thinking about the details and she's very focused on making sure that all the I's are dotted and T's are crossed.

So she needs to slow down. She needs to be willing to listen. And he needs to be willing to speak up, not in concepts, but more in details.

There needs to be that agenda and timeframes for each aspect of the agenda when they meet together. Because his nature will be to talk and to communicate and try to reason through a process while she's simply there ticking off the box. So when you have those team members, you're going to have some friction there.

But the important thing is, is that Natalia needs to understand James's servant heart. And James need to understand that she is there to get things done and he has to be respectful of that. So when you think about those two team members, I want us to remember something.

Natalia is going to bring things to fruition. She's going to be able to finish things. James is going to be that moderating factor to help Natalia understand how that's going to impact the people that she's communicating with and that the message is being purveyed to.

So as we look at Natalia, how well do you think Natalia's behaviors and mindsets align with this particular ministry? And how can she help James carry out the mission, vision, and values? Well, the important thing is, is that Natalia is going to be much more regimented with her mission and vision and values than James is. But James is going to have that people aspect. So she needs to make sure that she understands James' perspective so that the edges can be softened because the ministry is not directed at just one person.

And she is going to be focused on the shakers and movers and the people that are going to be contributors. He is going to be focused on making sure that it touches emotionally the people that are being spoken to. So when we look at James, his mindset and behaviors are much more softer on the edges.

The great thing about James is he has that strong objectivity and he can move the process down the line. He will probably actually be able to keep up with Natalia and her demands, but he also has a sensitivity level. That Natalia does not.

So what he has to understand is that he needs to focus on the issues, not the personality, because at some point Natalia is going to ring his bell and he's going to feel hurt. And he can't afford to feel that way because he is what you might call the heart of the message, of what is trying to be communicated. Where Natalia, on the other hand, is the driving force behind communicating that message.

So as we think about the skills of respect that can be communicated between these two people, let's look at the graphic here. Natalia, that high CD makes a good fit. While James may not be as good a fit for the details, he is going to bring other ways to help in this process.

Natalia can read the ministry's direction and documents, but she has a problem communicating, not just with James, but oftentimes people throughout the organization. So what she needs to do is when there is a message, she needs to give that to James, let him interpret it and allow him to be the advice and the communication person in the process so that the clients, the customers, and those receiving the ministry feel the warmth, experience the warmth, and can embrace the values that the organization is trying to communicate. Now, as we move beyond that relationship that happens between team members, it's important for us to take a moment to think about what we covered in the last session about a team's mission, vision, and values.

Here, we want to discuss your work, but first let's discuss the hunch about how a team actually operates. You see, your team is kind of a mini organization within itself. It's got a group of people that have a very directed focus, and it's distinct from all the other people in the organization.

Your team is specialized. While you may do similar tasks on the team, the personality of each person has to fit the work. Otherwise, there's gaps in the work that they're turning out, and we can't afford to have gaps because each team member plays a unique and different role in that process.

Each of us are specialized, even though there's similar tasks. My personality is an okay fit, but sometimes I see it different in coworkers, and just because it's different doesn't make it wrong. That's what we cannot forget.

Now, let's focus on your personal mission, vision, and values for just a moment. Take a moment to think about a few of the tasks that you take care of, whether it's on a daily basis or a monthly basis. Now, I want you to take just a minute, turn off the video for just a minute, and revisit the assessment results that you've been given.

What is the assessment score you received on each of the behavioral styles and the cultural mindsets, and how did those not only affect the tasks, but the mental aspects of each portion of your job that move you from one place to another? Once you've had a moment or two to begin to think about that, write down in a very concise manner or revisit the matrix that you were given in the initial stages of your training, and think about where is my dominance level? Am I high? Do I want to control a lot of things, or am I low? Am I willing to let other people take control of a situation? Is my influence high? Am I highly optimistic? Am I going to overbook myself simply because I think I can do all things? Or is it low? Am I a little bit skeptical of other people? And how should that govern my relationship with other people? Am I high steady? Do I want everything predictable? Or do I like a little bit of change if my S is low? And in my compliance, am I a stickler for rules, or am I a risk taker? When I move to the mindsets, the theoretical and utilitarian, am I always trying to be logical? Am I always trying to be both effective and efficient? Or am I more subjective? Do I pay a lot of attention to people in circumstances? Am I feeling more than knowing? That objective person wants, what is it that I need to know? But the subjective person is saying, how am I supposed to feel? But then when you move to beliefs, you've got a whole different thing. What am I supposed to do? Measure yourself in that process. Is it something I really need to know? Is it something I really need to feel? Or is it something I really need to do? Because each of your mindsets is gonna give you guidance in that area.

And your team members are gonna have that same compass in their minds. And you have to be able to flex with that. So based on your scores, I want you to answer two questions after you turn off the video.

What would you say are your personal strengths? And what would you say are the weaker points that you bring to the team? Now, welcome back. What are these strengths and weaknesses that are going to be central to defining your personal mission, vision and values? Because you're gonna bring those mission, vision and values into the team. Your mission has to be based on your role on the team, but your vision and values can be personalized.

So I want you to think again. Take a minute or two, turn off the video, and take several minutes to design a personal set of mission, vision and values for yourself. And when you do that, be ready to share those with your team members.

Now, welcome back. After you've shared your mission, vision and values, identify how they can serve as a blueprint towards your personal happiness and success on the team. Because each team member should find that success within the group setting.

If they don't find that success, they're not really contributing to the team the way that they need to. You see, your mission, vision and values can help clarify your role on the team, especially if you feel like you may not fit in or you don't have something to contribute. And honestly, that's a lie.

You have something to contribute. God ordered your steps to this team. So remember, the team needs your strengths, but you need to work the very best way you can towards helping those team goals and fitting into the culture that has been developed on that team.

In future sessions, we're gonna take a look at how that team culture is formed and what the personality actually looks like of a team. But until you understand yourself, you don't have a personal reference point. And without a personal reference point, you don't understand the value that you bring to the team.

And since we know that God doesn't make junk, there is a purpose for you being there. So as we focus in our coming sessions on how that works together as a team member based on who you are as an individual, think about how you're going to have to adapt to the team culture because it's not just you adapting, it's the whole team that has to adapt to the vision and the culture. Now, I'm sure some of you have questions that you'd like to answer.

And I'd be more than happy to share those with you. The individual is harder than the organization. Absolutely.

It's like Stephen Covey says, start with the end in mind. And how do you work backwards towards that? You see, do you know why Stephen Covey's books sold well, but his program sold poorly to organizations? Because there's no way to measure beginning at the end and working back. How well do you do that? How well do you sharpen the saw? And you see, that's what these assessments bring to the table.

They show you, they give you a starting point so that you know where the strengths and weaknesses are. That's why I had them break the video and write them down. Okay? So when you're talking about the individual mission, vision and values, is that within the context of the team that you're working on? What your individual mission values are according to the team? Yes, I think that's a good question because most people find a lot of their identity in their job.

While our identity is obviously in Christ, we do find identity in our job. And therefore, when we think about our personal mission, vision and values, it should align with the organizational's mission, vision and values, as well as the team's. So what I would suggest is this.

Stephen Covey, in his seven habits of highly effective people, made a statement that you begin at the end and work back. What are the organization's and the team's mission, vision and values? And how do you fit into that with the strengths and weaknesses that we just had you uncover in this session? And those should be patterned and focused together. And if they don't fit, are you really in the right job? But they should fit because part of your identity is wrapped up in what you're doing and where you're going.

So espousing some of those same mission, vision and values in the way that you approach your job should further enhance the way that you do the job, your performance, your productivity, and the way that you bring your role to life in front of other people.