Team Behaviors

                

Dear Doctor,   
Do you ever wonder if an employees' particular behavior is truly helpful?  Using the list below you can set expectations for your team and then your job of holding them accountable becomes much easier.  Go over the list with your team and give them examples to consider for each area you feel is most important.  Stay tuned for future blogs regarding employee confidentiality and an example of a "full value" contract.
Sincerely, David Milligan

  TEAM BEHAVIORS

Help the Team                                                           Hinder the Team

Be on time                                                                   Lack of accountability

Participate / volunteer                                                 Resist new ideas

Engage in open, honest communication                     Uncooperative. Refuse to communicate

Build on others’ ideas                                                 “Yes, but . . .” talk

Be optimistic / positive about the team                       Being negative and critical

Criticize ideas, not team members                              Attack personality, personally           

Provide leadership when needed                                Selectively interpret ideas, events, and actions

Follow-up when promised                                          Do other distracting work / activities

Pay attention                                                               Keep up side conversations / don’t listen

Take problems seriously                                             Avoid decision making

Be courteous, honest and trusting                              Engage in name calling, being rude, refusing to trust team members.

Use “we” expressions and thoughts                           Use “you” statements

Support each other                                                     Create sub-groups

Show commitment for making it work                      Express resignation or futility

Display a sense of humor                                           Act bored, refuse to pay attention

The Team

 

 This weekend I enjoyed a baseball game with my children. While I was sitting their enjoying the game it reminded me of the importance of a team. The hitter, takes a step forward and powers the ball out to outfield. This is the key to the one on second to run. The team moves around the bases and through communication brings everyone home to score the point.  If the communication stops or someone doesn't know the code, than the team breaks down. 

In the office it is the same idea. A team works together for a common goal in order to win. When communication breaks down or someone stops completing their job everyone around the office loses. It takes everyone to play the game correctly to help support and to reach the common goal. 

If your office has forgotten this, maybe it's time for a little friendly baseball game. When your back at the office have a meeting about what members learned or enjoyed and how these same tactics can be used in the office. 
                              To move forward in business means to have a strong team behind you.

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Team Responsabilities

This week we are staying with the theme of teams and your responsibility as a member of a team.

The team you create in your office is key to the success that you will have.  It is important to build a strong team who support and believe in the mission of the office. You want team members who are passionate about what they do and want to come to work everyday.  And every team member has a responsibility to the team.

Keep communication positive. It is easy to get into a negative communication pattern. Stop it before it starts. Take responsibility for what you say and do. Be receptive to feedback.  

Assume positive intentions from everyone.  If someone is short with you, don't make assumptions about the interaction.  If you are unsure about something that was said ask questions for clarification.

Keep communication lines open. When you present yourself as someone who is open for communication if a problem arises it can be resolved quicker.

Have a positive attitude. You can control your attitude everyday. Although, you can't control the angry patient you can chose how you handle and respond to the situation. By choosing your attitude you can help keep the team working towards their mission of helping patients.  

Google-Royalty free photo

Build a relationship with your team and make time. In every business we are pressed for time, however, spending time with your team is an important part to building a great working relationship. If you spend time alone, they may believe you are not approachable or trust you because they don't know you.

Step-up when you are needed. When you are on a team, although you need to have clear expectations and responsibilities you also need to be willing to step up when needed and help.

Know the mission and vision of your office and make decisions that promote the mission. If your office's mission is to provide a pain free environment then complete actions with patients that are pain free. If you mission is to increase patient referrals, then ask every patient every time for a referral. 

The team you create in your office is key to the success that you will have.  It is important to build a strong team who support and believe in the mission of the office. You want team members who are passionate about what they do and want to come to work everyday.  And every team member has a responsibility to the team.

Keep communication positive. It is easy to get into a negative communication pattern. Stop it before it starts. Take responsibility for what you say and do. Be receptive to feedback.  

Assume positive intentions from everyone.  If someone is short with you, don't make assumptions about the interaction.  If you are unsure about something that was said ask questions for clarification.

Keep communication lines open. When you present yourself as someone who is open for communication if a problem arises it can be resolved quicker.

Have a positive attitude. You can control your attitude everyday. Although, you can't control the angry patient you can chose how you handle and respond to the situation. By choosing your attitude you can help keep the team working towards their mission of helping patients.  

Build a relationship with your team and make time. In every business we are pressed for time, however, spending time with your team is an important part to building a great working relationship. If you spend time alone, they may believe you are not approachable or trust you because they don't know you.

Step-up when you are needed. When you are on a team, although you need to have clear expectations and responsibilities you also need to be willing to step up when needed and help.


Know the mission and vision of your office and make decisions that promote the mission. If your office's mission is to provide a pain free environment then complete actions with patients that are pain free. If you mission is to increase patient referrals, then ask every patient every time for a referral. 
The team you create in your office is key to the success that you will have.

It is important to build a strong team who support and believe in the mission of the office. You want team members who are passionate about what they do and want to come to work everyday.  And every team member has a responsibility to the team.

Value team members. You do not have to be friends with every team member however, you do need to work effectively and efficiently with them. 

Let Salt DPM help you receive typical results today for a better tomorrow. 

              

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Teamwork part 2 of 2

Part 2 of 2 

This week Salt DPM Features: Price Pritchett's book, "Teamwork, The team member handbook for teamwork."

By: Price Pritchet

 How does your team work? Are they strong, communicate and an extension of your right hand? Or are they argumentative and negative? 

Here are some highlights from the book:

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http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/team-sport.html

Help new teammates make entry.

            Although, new people may be entering your team all the time treating them like an outsider does not build a cohesive team. Spend time making the new person feel comfortable and help supprort them as they become comfortable with the team.

Play down yourself and build up others.

            A team becomes stronger when you work to build everyone up.  Noone is going to get anywhere following their ego. 

Spend time with your teammates.

Team's take time to build and you can't expect that you are going to become a close knit group with a few hours of time here and there. Spend quality time getting to know everyone on your team. No what their goals are and how they work.

 

http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/trust.html

           .

Help drive discipline into the group.

            Hold yourself accountable. Don't wait for the boss to tell you what to do but take initive to complete your job well anticipating and fixing problems when you need to. 

Make sure you make a difference.

           Times are tough and people have lot's of options in terms of business choices.  Showing up to work isn't enough. You have to committ to making a difference and doing your best everday.

Give attention to group process.

           When you are at work pay attention to what is going on and work to fix problems when things are not working. Know what is going on with your teams in order to support them when needed.

http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/team-sport.htm

 Help create a climate of trust.

         Talking about a teammate can be the quickest way to drive a problem into a team. Make sure you are not causing the problems. Be committed.  When there is a problem that is when people learn whether those around them will honor committments, make sure you are.

http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/trust.html

Strengthen the leader through good follower-ship.

            No leader is good enough to take a team to high performance if the team members are lousy followers.  What’s involved in follower-ship?  Initiative.  Know what to do without being told, and do it.  Think for yourself.  Good followers are people who lead themselves.  

Be a good sport.

A lesson that is learned when we are younger but we can forget as we get older. It is our responsability to let everyone shine on the team and provide opportunities for everyone to win.

Let Salt DPM help you receive typical results today for a better tomorrow. 

              

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Teamwork

 Team Member Handbook for Teamwork

        By: Lenora Milligan Salt DPM 

                        Part 1 of 2

    

High quality communication 

 It’s not enough for the right hand to know what the left is doing.  The right hand needs to know what the left intends to do.  People need a keen sense of what’s planned if they are to execute with precision.  There is no hope of orchestrating a coordinated team effort unless good communication precedes action.

Bring talent to the team.

            Teams need talent.  The more of it you bring to the group, the more you can contribute.  Build your skills and in a very real sense, you are building the team.  You can’t have a high-powered team with low-talent people.

Play your position

            Dig up all the details on your assignment.  Nail every bit of it down so you will remember it.  The, play your position.  It’s tough to achieve a coordinated team effort when people leave their stations…stray into someone else’s area…or just get sloppy and let thing slip through the cracks.  Sometimes you need to cover for teammates, of course, since everyone needs a little help now and then. 

Turn diversity to the team’s advantage.

            Don’t sideline the person that is different, whether that person happens to be you, or somebody else.  All too often people pull themselves out of play.  Maybe because they feel like they don’t fit in.  Or maybe because the look, think, or act different from the rest of the bunch.  Do your part to help the team identify, and benefit from, diversity.

Back up others who need help.

            The best way to put a safety net under the team’s performance is to back each other up.  Anybody can make a mistake, get overloaded, or just need a helping hand.  The question is will you be in a position to cover for you teammates?

Practice.

            It’s one thing to show up for work every day and do your job.  But it’s another thing to show up for practice.  To drill.  To rehearse.  To run through everything time after time, watching the people perform as a team pushing for better performance.

Be prepared to sacrifice for the team.

            The struggle of “me versus we’ is not stranger to team members.  You can expect occasional conflict between your selfish interests and what’s best for the team.  Personal sacrifice is part of the price you pay for membership in the group…for team support when you need it…and, most importantly, for the trust of your teammates.

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