Stepping Forward Together: Creating Trust and Commitment in the Workplace. Mac Ph.D. McIntire

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      “So you’ve probably come across several good definitions of what a team is. Some definitions you’ve read might be really great. They’re philosophical, profound and make you think. But others are trite and silly; like the poster you see on the wall that says: ‘There is no I in team.’ Give me a break!

      “My definition of a team is so descriptive you can tell right away whether you have a team or not. My definition of a team is simply this: A team steps forward together.”

      I paused momentarily to see Paul’s reaction.

      “That’s it. A team steps forward together. No complex or convoluted descriptor. It’s that basic. That’s all you need in order to know whether or not you have a team.” I repeated.

      “If you want to know if you have a team, all you have to do is ask yourself some basic questions: Are the people within your organization stepping forward together? Are your executives stepping forward together as they run your plant? Are the various departments within your company stepping forward together in a coordinated and collaborative effort to achieve your production goals? Are your union employees stepping forward together with management’s support to produce high-quality products for your customers?”

      “Those are easy questions to answer,” Paul said, shaking his head. “They’re not”.

      “Then you don’t have a team,” I declared. “Members of a real team, a cohesive team, step forward together. They move in the same direction at the same time. When the company says ‘go right,’ everyone moves to the right. When told to ‘go left,’ a real team shifts to the left – all in unison. All in agreement.

      “When a real team has tasks to perform, everyone does his part without hesitation. No one says: ‘It’s not my job.’ Producing quality products and providing great service is everyone’s job. On a true team, there are no weak links; and there are no lone heroes. No one is left behind to take the blame; and no one steps forward alone to take the credit. A real team advances as a cohesive, singular entity. Members of a real team recognize themselves as part of a collective whole – not as individuals. And they act accordingly, by working in coordinated harmony.

      “If anyone in any work group is not stepping forward with the rest of the group, then you don’t have a team,” I stressed.

      Paul glanced out the airplane window, weighing his organization against my description of a true team. “That’s pretty straightforward. By that definition, it’s easy to spot teamwork – or the lack of it.”

      “That’s what makes it a good definition,” I replied, with the mischievous grin I’m known for flashing when I’ve successfully driven home a point.

      “The sales team I managed just before moving to Las Vegas was a real team,” Paul said, as if testing my theory against situations in his past. “They didn’t just step forward together; they ran. They were the best sales team in the company, and their results proved it. They worked hard together. They even played hard together.”

      A smile spread across Paul’s face as he remembered another defining characteristic of this star team. “The thing that really amazed me about that team is everyone made sure everyone else on the team reached his or her sales quota. That’s almost unheard of in our industry. They really did function as one.”

      Yet Paul had also seen the opposite of an effective team.

      “I’ve seen all the maneuvers, political and otherwise, in the corporate world: turf wars, empire building, people who take all the credit and others who place all the blame. I believe most people in most businesses aren’t stepping forward together.”

      “And of the non-team behaviors you just listed, are you experiencing any of those at your manufacturing plant right now?” I asked.

      “It’s one thing when your front-line employees don’t see eye to eye,” Paul began, “but even the managers at my plant don’t work as a team. Departments march off in different directions, pursuing individual tasks and neglecting the goals of the group. Managers bicker among themselves. Some even refuse to work with peers who don’t share their opinions. Some of my managers are just as bad as some of the employees; maybe worse.

      “But let’s face it,” Paul said, his skepticism bolstered by memories of his current work situation. “In every group there are always some employees who are strong and others who are weak. So I’m not sure it’s even possible to get every single person in an organization to step forward together as a team. Remember, I have over 200 people at my plant.”

      “That’s the problem, isn’t it,” I stated. “The more people you have in an organization the harder it is to get everyone to step forward together as a team. It’s easy to step forward together by yourself. For example, when you’re single you pretty much get to do whatever you want and go in any direction you want. But when you get married, life changes. Now two people have to work hard at becoming one. You have to coordinate your activities. You have to make sure you are not at odds with your spouse. Couples often struggle until they become unified in their views, goals, expectations, values, attitudes and beliefs. But then you have a child and the ‘team’ changes again. Driving three people toward a common goal is harder still. With each subsequent child added to the family come additional challenges to creating harmony in the home and unity in the family.

      “Getting two, or 200, or 2,000 people to step forward together can be difficult,” I agreed. “How would you like to be the President of the United States and try to get over two hundred million people to step forward together?”

      “That’s impossible!”

      “Ah, nothing is impossible,” I said, in my best Jedi Master voice. “Some things are just a little harder to do. You ought to consider yourself fortunate to be general manager over only 200 people.”

      “Go ahead and rub it in: I can’t get a measly 200 people on the same page,” Paul bemoaned. “It seems like the only time I see my workers stepping forward together is when they’re stepping toward to pick up their paycheck. All they want to do is put in their eight hours and do the bare minimum to keep their jobs. They’re not enthusiastic or committed. They’re only interested in themselves.”

      “Are you sure about that?” I questioned.

      “Well, that’s the way it seems to me,” he said solemnly.

      “You may be right,” I offered. “But my experience tells me your employees may be more capable and more motivated than you think. I’ve worked with hundreds of companies across the country and thousands of employees throughout the world; and I’d venture that you’d be surprised at the sleeping giants you have within your company.”

      “Yeah, so how do I wake them up?”

      “Ah! That’s the fun part. There’s nothing more exhilarating than turning employees who appear to be unmotivated and non-caring into enthusiastic, highly committed, self-managed team players. Now we’re getting to the good stuff. It’s definitely possible and I’ll tell you exactly how to do it. And the best part of all is that the process is exactly the same for getting commitment from employees, managers, your boss, your customers, and even from your spouse and children.”

      I looked down at Paul’s ring finger and noticed a gold band.

      “Are you married?” I asked.

      “Yes.”

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