15 Rules for Managing Management Teams

How does our own behaviour influence our organisations, our society and our family?  Can we expect any of them to be functional if our own behaviour is not?

In her amazing speech to the UN, when she was 12 years old, Severin Suzuki challenged the delegates by asking:

“At school, even in kindergarten, you teach us to behave in the world. You teach us:

* not to fight with others,
* to work things out,
* to respect others,
* to clean up our mess,
* not to hurt other creatures
* to share – not be greedy.

Then why do you go out and do the things you tell us not to do?”

Gandhi challenged us to “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

The “Golden Rule” common to all major religions demands:  "do to others what you would like to be done to you"

It follows that if we want our families, our organisations and our society to be functional we must start by cultivating our own functionality.

So what is functionality - how do we know how functional or dysfunctional we are?  I recognise in myself that my own functionality, moment to moment, is related to my sense of inner peace.

Do I feel a sense of inner conflict around an issue or relationship or do I feel peace?  Do I have an inner conversation going on that is different to the conversation I am sharing with others?

The challenge I find is to continuously seek to bring the inner and the outer into the closest possible alignment.

If this is a challenge for us as individuals - imagine how much greater that challenge gets when we seek to collaborate with others?  When we have one group taking a degree of responsibility for another group?  For example, in a family, or a business, or in government.

In these cases the challenge is not just to find our own inner alignment and peace, but to create alignment and peace with others. 

Just as whatever conflict we experience internally plays out in our lives, so any conflict within a couple or a team plays out in their family or organisation.

Let’s have a think about some simple guidelines that might help our teams to function more effectively and be the example we would like others to follow:

• TEAM stands for Together Everyone Achieves More

• Your job is to do your job AND help your teammates do theirs

• We are all responsible for motivating each other and creating a good atmosphere

 • Learn to say, "I don't know”

• It is OK to make mistakes - your teammates are there to help you

• Speak your mind, without criticizing and encourage others to do likewise

• Discourage sycophants - we need the truth not reassurance

 • Speak up. You are here because your opinion and ideas matter

• Be brief, clear and accurate - shorter is usually better

• Decide quickly, act promptly - nothing goes under the carpet - ever

• The best way for you to look good is for your teammates to look good

• Know what level to involve each other in decisions - inform, consult or approval and apply it rigourously

• We can never know enough, seek and share learning continuously

• We are all responsible for enforcing these rules