The word „team“ is so commonly used in today’s organizations, most managers are oblivious to its true meaning. Here are three characteristics a group must have to be considered a real team, and to maximize its potential:
- A meaningful and common purpose – This is more than an outside mandate from the top of the organization. To be successful, the team must develop and own
its purpose.
- Adaptable skills – Diverse capabilities are important. Effective teams rarely have all the skills they need at the outset. They develop them as they learn what their challenge requires.
- Mutual accountability. You can’t force trust and commitment. Agreeing on the team’s goals is the first moment at which team members forge their accountability to one another.
If you believe you will succeed, you will. Right? Not quite. Research has shown that optimism and the confidence it brings will help you reach your goals, but there is no guarantee. In fact, if you believe that success will come easily to you, you are more likely to disappoint.
This is because you’ll fail to put in the necessary work. You need to think positively but also be realistic about what achievement entails. Knowing that success is hard won forces you to put in the necessary effort. Don’t spend too much time visualizing the end result. Instead, envision the steps you will take to get there.
When CEOs are suffering from personal problems, the effect of support from family and friends is 53% to 79% weaker than support from fellow CEOs in restoring the leaders‘ overall effectiveness, say Michael L. McDonald of the University of Texas and James D. Westphal of the University of Michigan.
Personal problems such as conflict with children or marital issues hurt CEOs‘ effectiveness because they prompt the chief executives to pull back on important interpersonal behaviors involving subordinate managers, the researchers say.
Working from home can be tough. Without the structure or the camaraderie ofoffice mates, it’s easy to feel disconnected or to let work run your life. If you have a flexible schedule, consider these three things to make your work life easier:
- Clearly delineate your workday. Make a schedule and stick to it. Without boundaries between work and non-work time, you’ll feel guilty if you’re not at your desk.
- Start your day right. When you don’t have to clock in by 9, it’s tempting to fritter your time away. Make your mornings time for work to get a jump on the day.
- Give yourself time off. Working alone can be intense. Don’t feel guilty about not working a full 8-hour day. Do what you need to get your work done and then clock out.
Being unemployed can be unnerving. But don’t try to ease your anxiety by pounding the pavement 40 hours a week. In fact, don’t spend more than one or two hours a day looking for a job.Instead, spend your time building relationships and doing things you care about.
Most people find work through their networks, not job postings. Go out to lunch with former colleagues, call up old friends, or work on a volunteer basis. The key is to broaden and deepen your network so that people will notice your passion, commitment, and skill. Then they will either hire you, or help you get hired.
