I’ve worked in some great teams.
The thing that set them apart was how smart they were.
Or better yet – how smart they became.
You see great teams aren’t born smart, they grow smart.
They overcome the fears that hold back ordinary teams.
Their leaders aren’t afraid of making mistakes so neither are they.
They get smarter week by week, year by year.
Slowly at first then one day they suddenly realize they know stuff. They’re getting things done. They’re achieving results.
Here’s the rub – every team wants to get smarter.
Many don’t achieve it.
Why?
Why do teams fail to learn?
Intent is not enough. Values statements are not enough. Learning or Training strategies and budgets are not enough.
A team needs 2 things to learn.
First is Time.
Learning takes time. Children take around 12 years to get a standard education. Apprentices take 3-4 years to learn basics of a trade. Doctors maybe 10. Athletes 10,000 hours. Even driving a car needs 100 hours of practice.
That 2 day training course you did was useful but completely inadequate.
That means every meeting, every chart, every report, every discussion should not just be for information but an opportunity for learning.
Time only works if you overcome Fear.
That’s because fear or stress shuts down active learning.
If participants in that 2 day course go back into a state of fear they’re not going to retain anything because they won’t practice what they were taught.
Fear of the boss isn’t the core problem – fear of failure is.
Learning is slow and quiet but mistakes are noisy.
How do you react to the noise of mistakes?
Do you make it louder or calm them down?
“…their leaders aren’t afraid of making mistakes so neither are they.…”
When you over focus on mistakes you stop learning because you’re showing you’re afraid of mistakes.
Is your team afraid of you?
Is that because you’re afraid of making mistakes?
How do you show you’re not afraid of mistakes?
Do you stay calm or panic?
What’s your ratio of encouragement to correction?
Speaking up in a group is really stressful for some. How often do you invite a quieter team member to make a comment?
Real inclusiveness is about ensuring those with different views are comfortable to express them, and quiet contributors are given the opportunity to.
It also shows you’re not afraid.
Do you select and promote learners or followers?
Are you afraid of being challenged?
Do people speak up to you?
Deadlines are vital, but if everything is urgent and long term answers are ignored, you stop learning – because you’re afraid of waiting.
Remember fear is immediate but knowledge takes time.
That means every meeting, every chart, every report, every discussion should not just be for information but an opportunity to overcome fears.
What are you afraid of?
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“I might be wrong, but at least I’ve thought about it…”