Book review by Ian Cook

What to Do When Your Team Gets “Stuck”:
7 Ways to Get It Moving Again
book review by Ian Cook

There is no question about it. A team can be a powerful vehicle for accomplishing a major project, guiding a unit to superior performance, or bringing together diverse perspectives to solve a pressing problem.

Have you ever been a member of a smooth functioning, high performing team? Those of you who have, no doubt, harbor fond memories of how energizing it is and how great that rush of pride feels when you achieve great things together.

The best teams, including certainly that great team you were on, are not just adept at driving outcomes. They also monitor their process,–how the group deliberates and makes decisions–the morale of the group and the well-being of the individual members. Therefore, the best teams are aware of how well they are doing during a meeting and, when necessary, discuss it openly right on the spot or in a debrief discussion at the end.

Getting Stuck
Do you remember the last time you were in your car when your wheels were mired deep in a patch of oozy mud (or, for those of you from a colder climate, in a bank of snow and ice)? How heavy it feels to be stuck. How helpless and frustrated you feel. You try to accelerate, spinning your tires faster and faster. If that doesn’t work, you try first revving up, then pausing, in an attempt to get a back-and-forth motion going so you can catch the next forward momentum and rocket out of the muck.

While even the best teams get stuck occasionally, most working groups experience this state more often than they realize or admit. I have seen some teams stay stuck for quite awhile, for days, even months.

Just what do I mean by “stuck?” Here are a few examples, when…
…A couple of people continue to dominate the discussion.
…After much debate, you still have two factions pushing their different solutions or goals.
…The discussions keep going off agenda and consuming too much time.
…Certain individuals hold up team progress by missing meetings or failing to deliver on task commitments they have made to the group.

The vast majority of teams either are not aware–or simply ignore it–when the team (which is, remember, a group of human beings) becomes stuck. Why? Because “stuckness” is a people issue, a so-called soft skills problem. It calls for courageously confronting the whole group or certain members and potentially bringing emotions into play.

The Cost of Remaining Stuck

You can’t afford to deny or ignore it for very long. When your team gets stuck, it can cost you serious money, in at least three ways:

The energy and enthusiasm around the table drops off. Team members become discouraged. They start to lose interest in the team’s goals. If the situation isn’t resolved, their off-line comments about the team turn negative. (“Man, what a waste that meeting was. We’re going nowhere. I wish they’d let me drop off this team and just do my regular job.”)
The extra time each one of you spends spinning team wheels constitutes an opportunity cost.

That time and effort could certainly be used more productively elsewhere.
Your team may end up squandering the time available for a quality decision on an issue or it may fail to meet promised deadlines. Obviously, poor decisions or missed deliverables can have serious negative repercussions for the operation and for the wider organization.
It pays to recognize when your team is stuck and then intervene quickly to get it humming again. But this still begs two questions: How do you know when your team is, in fact, stuck? What can you do to turn it around?


Seven Pitfalls and Seven Solutions

Below are seven situations that can cause your team to become bogged down and unproductive. In italics are suggestions of how to respond in order to give your team new found traction.
Lack of Agreement.We often proceed with the business of the team without everyone being clear and onboard about the team’s goals, priorities, tasks and time-lines. Have you ever held a discussion as a group to clarify everybody’s expectations regarding objectives, team operating rules and individual roles and accountabilities? Raise questions when you are not clear about something. Challenge the team to confirm that everyone is on the same page.

Lack of Commitment.
Sometimes people’s initial commitment to the team’s goals and agreed-upon priorities wanes. You can hear it in their voices and see it in their record of attendance, participation and delivery on promises made to members. When some people withhold their commitment, it can be a drag on the rest. Help each member identify benefits that will accrue to him or her personally from the team’s success.

Lack of Accountability.
Are all members following through on tasks they accept responsibility for and promises they make to the group? Take accountability for confronting–with respect and for the good of the team–a colleague when he or she does not (take accountability to) deliver on task commitments by the agreed-upon deadline.

Lack of Leadership.
Whom among you do team members rely upon to step forward and lead? Who keeps the team on target and on agenda? It need not always be the formal leader, the boss. Any member can take the initiative, when needed, to challenge, inspire or confront his/her colleagues. Ask the manager to be more directive when leading. At the same time, raise the issue with the team that none of you seems to play a leadership role. Or, try stepping in yourself.

Lack of Communication.
Communication is the lifeblood of your team. It is how the team makes decisions and gets things done. Are people being authentic when they speak in team discussions? For that matter, is it safe to say what you think, even if it goes against what the group–or the leader–thinks? Does everyone have a chance to contribute? Do members truly dialogue or do they just engage in dueling arguments? Ask everyone to be more conscious of listening, honoring all points-of-view and disagreeing constructively, with respect.

Lack of Collaboration.
Some teams, by their very nature, need to collaborate more than others. This is particularly true for groups, such as project teams, that have to share information, reach consensus decisions and integrate individual tasks into a collective outcome. This, of course, is less of an issue for a management team composed of department heads with little in common other than they report to the same boss. When collaboration is a must, alert everyone to be sensitive to what their colleagues need and how their own action (or inaction) can impact their team mates’ contribution.

Lack of Trust.
Leadership expert Warren Bennis calls trust the “emotional glue” that holds a team together. It underpins all six elements, above. For trust to be present in your team, members must feel safe to disagree with and confront other individuals or even the team as a whole. They must believe that their colleagues genuinely hold their interests in high regard. Be patient; trust builds slowly. Encourage everybody to demonstrate their trustworthiness by meeting their commitments and speaking authentically. In return, others will reciprocate…and trust will grow.

Whether your team is a project, cross-functional, matrix, limited life or a permanent one, it will from time to time become stuck. Look to the above seven factors for the key to pulling your group out of the mud…or the snow!
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Ian Cook, presenter and consultant, works with managers who want to increase their effectiveness as a leader and build a stronger team.

To book Ian for a training seminar, team facilitation or keynote presentation, call toll-free at: 1-888-FULCRUM (385-2786) or e-mail: Contact Us
For more articles and book reviews of interest to managers please go to: http://www.888fulcrum.com/free_resources.aspx
Fulcrum Associates Inc. hereby grants you permission to reprint articles/book reviews, provided that you:
publish the author's byline and contact information exactly as they appear at the end of the article/book review and You inform us of your intended use of the piece. Contact us toll-free at 1-888-FULCRUM (385-2786) or E-mail: Contact Us

You are encouraged to pass along to others and/or reprint these articles/book reviews for use electronically or on paper, as long as the following credit lines are included: This article/book review and others are available from Fulcrum Associates Inc. at: http://www.888fulcrum.com/free_resources.aspx

10 Reasons Small Business Fail

10 Reasons Small Business Fail
From the Canadian Chamber of Commerece


Small Businesses fail:
· 36% of in the first 2 years
· 55% in 5 years
· 71% within 10 years


Ten Key Reasons Why Small Businesses Fail
Potentially Fatal Errors You Must Avoid

1. Lack of an adequate, viable business plan
2. Insufficient sales to sustain your business
3. Poor marketing plan: unappealing product, poor customer identification, incorrect pricing and lackluster promotion
4. Inadequate capital, misuse of capital and poor cost control
5. Poor management skills: lack of delegation, leadership and/or control
6. Lack of experience and knowledge
7. Lack of managerial focus/commitment
8. Poor customer service
9. Inadequate human resource management
10. Failure to properly use professional advice: i.e. accounting, legal, financial, etc
_________________________________________

An interesting list with no suprises. In my opinion the list is not a good representation of why business fails. And the points are not on the same levels of danger.

Number 2 ( lack of sales) is the symtom of the other points. You can do a lot of things poorly in your business as long as you generate enough sales. While not having enough sales will surely kill the business.

Number 4 (lack of captital and poor cost control) will quicken your demise. However if sales are pouring in you will enjoy a respite.

Marketing, (number 3) is the real maker or breaker of business. We've seen many business with many faults outdo better products because of superior marketing. And conversely, having a better product is never enough to succeed.

There are plenty of successful businesses with bad customer service. Lack of experience and knowlege never stopped the best entrepreneurs. Many are pioneering new territory. They learn and adapt as they go. The same observation applies to the business plan. Keep it simple and adapt it as things change.

In my opinion, more than any other reason business fails because of bad marketing.


George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Marketing Expert and Author

Hamilton Chamber Media Release

MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release
Friday, May 08, 2009

CHAMBER STRONGLY SUPPORTS JIM BALSILLIE’S HAMILTON NHL BID

Hamilton – The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is strongly behind Jim Balsillie’s bid to bring the Coyotes to Hamilton, and is prepared to actively help sell tickets and boxes, and otherwise encourage widespread support amongst its 2,100 members, and throughout the broader region.

“We are more than enthusiastic about the potential for an NHL team in this City; not merely for the transforming effect that it can have to our Community, particularly our downtown;” says Ruth Liebersbach, President of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. “But more importantly because it just makes sound basic business sense to everyone involved, including the NHL, the City, and, more particularly, local entrepreneurs and their employees, indeed, all Hamiltonians. Hamilton is a hockey town and deserves the same level of hockey as enjoyed by their fellow Canadians in other regions; and that simply has not been the case in the past.”

Hamilton Chamber of Commerce had long advocated strongly for an NHL franchise for this Community, for many reasons, not the least of which is the business that it will attract to the City’s downtown core. They are convinced that the “trickle down” financial benefits will be tremendous for all Hamiltonians.

“It will be an economic shot in the arm to Hamilton of incalculable value. As former CFO for the Hamilton Bulldogs, I personally know the financial dynamics, and viability of this more than most!” adds Liebersbach. “This is more than a viable market for this team to operate successfully, and we enthusiastically applaud Jim for his Vision, Faith and Courage in driving this forward. We need entrepreneurs of this calibre; and I encourage all Hamiltonians, particularly our political leadership to get 100% behind him!”

“We need also to remember that an NHL franchise will be a Regional Team,” added Richard Koroscil, Chamber, and President-elect. “They will draw on a regional population of some 6.5 Million people – folks, who otherwise would likely never have a reason to visit our town. The jobs and prosperity opportunities for us are simply huge!”

The Chamber will open talks soon with Balsillie to determine ways that they can actively support his bid, including selling season tickets and boxes to Chamber members.

-30-

The HCC It is the oldest, largest and most broadly based business organization extant within the Hamilton economic region. Today, it comprises almost 2,100 individuals who represent about 1,200 companies and other organizations that collectively employ some 75, 000 Hamiltonians full time from all parts of Hamilton and indeed many beyond.
It has been the “ Voice of Hamilton Business” since 1845. Its advocacy and policy initiatives focus on Jobs and Prosperity for Hamilton.




For further information:

Ruth Liebersbach
President,
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
(289) 308-6191

Or

John Dolbec
Chief Executive Officer
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
W: (905) 522-1151, ext. 229
C: (905) 730-4224

Greater ROI from your meetings

Want Greater ROI From Your Meetings?
Six Questions That Will Make The Difference
book review by Ian Cook

First there’s the suffocating volume of e-mails. That’s complaint number one. But the next biggest gripe I hear from my clients is that they are spending way too much time in meetings.

Do any of these comments ring true about meetings where you work?

too long
no agenda (or, if there is one, we don’t follow it)
rambling, we get off topic a lot
little is actually decided
could have just circulated a memo
the boss does all the talking
no follow-through on commitments made

I can never quite figure it out? With people so strapped for time, it seems clear that excessive meetings consume a “mother load” of time that busy people today could put to better use. Why aren’t we “mining” time from our meetings?

If you agree with me and want to go after some of that precious time, adopt the following fundamental mind set about your meetings: treat every meeting as an investment. Attendees’ time and energy are valuable resources. When you call a meeting, always be thinking of how you can maximize the payback on everyone’s investment of time.

Here are six questions to ask yourself so your meetings will be productive and satisfying for all involved…and take less time!

1. Why am I calling this meeting?
It is an unfortunate fact but the most common reason meetings are convened is to exchange, collect, or pass on information. Be careful. This can be a real waste of time. If more than 25% of your meeting’s time is informational, there is probably a more cost effective way to accomplish this, such as e-mail or memo.

That said, here are some very good reasons to call a meeting. To…
ensure that all parties have the same understanding around an issue
surface new issues
develop strategies and/or action plans
address people’s reaction to new information, announcements or changes in plans
solve problems/make decisions
reconcile differences
assemble different perspectives and gain commitment
Be crystal clear about your overall purpose before you convene a meeting.

2. What specifically do I want to accomplish?
What are the actual questions or issues to be addressed?
What are the deliverables or outcomes?
Will the group be making decisions or just providing input?
Do we want to develop an action plan with time-line commitments or are we simply sharing updates on everybody’s activities?
Answers to these questions will determine the agenda, how long your meeting should be and how much time should be allocated to the various items.

3. Whom should I invite?
Consider the opportunity cost for someone attending your meeting vs. the benefit from his or her presence. Challenge yourself about whose attendance is truly essential and whose is optional? Also, does everyone need to be there for the entire meeting? Usually not.

Where it makes sense, let invitees know it is OK to attend only the part where they can add–or receive–value. Further in this spirit, make it absolutely acceptable for invitees to question the need for their presence before committing to attend. In so many organizations, if you decline an invitation, you are seen as devaluing the meeting…and often, by extension, the convener of the meeting.

4. What should I do prior to the meeting?
Always send out an agenda, in advance, even if it is just several short bullets in a quick e-mail. Solicit any items others would like included in the agenda. To save meeting time, distribute questions, issues, memos, articles, etc., for pre-reading and ask people to come prepared to contribute their ideas or recommendations. Remind specific individuals of any reports or presentations they have committed to make.

5. How should I run the meeting?
Start at or within five minutes of the agreed-upon time. This immediately acknowledges the value of the participants’ time and honors those who arrive on time.

It is a fact of organizational life, however, that some people arrive physically in the room at the appointed hour but are not immediately “present.” They are preoccupied, mulling over things that have happened earlier or worrying about issues they must deal with after the meeting. One sure sign is if their heads are still hunched over their blackberries.

To bring people’s conscious attention to this, try opening with something like, “Does anyone need to say or do anything in order to be fully present for this meeting?”

Keep your meeting moving along crisply, according to the agenda. Of course, the discussion may go off track or an item may need more time. If so, stop the conversation and bring this to the group’s attention. Obtain people’s agreement to deviate from the agenda.

Sometimes the group simply gets stuck, locked in a disagreement or struggling over a definition of terms. How do you recognize when it happens? The good indication–the group’s energy drops off. When this happens, interrupt the conversation and describe what you are observing. Say something like:
“I think we’re stuck” or “It feels like we’ve run out of steam”
“Does anyone else feel this way?”
“George and Sally, you’ve been arguing this same point for the last forty minutes. We need to move on.”

6. What is the best way to close my meeting?
Always wrap up with these two items:
“W3” – who will do what by when? This clarifies decisions made and invites people to take accountability for implementing them.

Then, shine the light briefly on “how” your meeting went, with a quick process debrief: “What did we do well today? What, if anything, can we do to be more effective next time?”

If you approach your meetings with these six questions in mind, everybody will appreciate it. Your hefty investment in meetings will yield greater returns. Your meetings will take less time.
And people who attend will have to find something else to gripe about…once they are exhausted from complaining about those infernal emails.


Ian Cook, presenter and consultant, works with managers who want to increase their effectiveness as a leader and build a stronger team.
To book Ian for a training seminar, team facilitation or keynote presentation, call toll-free at: 1-888-FULCRUM (385-2786) or e-mail: Contact Us

For more articles and book reviews of interest to managers please go to: www.888fulcrum.com
Fulcrum Associates Inc. hereby grants you permission to reprint articles/book reviews, provided that you:
publish the author's byline and contact information exactly as they appear at the end of the article/book review and

You inform us of your intended use of the piece. Contact us toll-free at 1-888-FULCRUM (385-2786) or E-mail: Contact Us

You are encouraged to pass along to others and/or reprint these articles/book reviews for use electronically or on paper, as long as the following credit lines are included: This article/book review and others are available from Fulcrum Associates Inc. at: www.888fulcrum.com