Building a Foundation of Trust, Part 4 of 5

Part 4 of 5

Trust is a valuable commodity to have in our personal and professional lives.  This is part 4 of 5 in the series.  You can begin the series here.

Basic Principle 4: Have a mindset to always improve

One of the main reasons why you want to always have the mindset to improve is that organizations need to break down barriers among different departments and groups. The growth of cross functional teams generates a foundation for efficient team performance.  The day of “…it’s not my job…” are over.  When the team grows, and performs then the individuals on the team are growing.  This growth should create new links within the whole team and not just one small unit.  The over goal is to make the entire team more efficient.

How do we do this?  The leader needs to set the tone or mindset of the team. Everyone in the organization needs to take a broader view.  Instead of only looking at just the smaller unit and what it does, the leader and the team need to understand how and why their work effects the broader organization. In addition, everyone needs to understand what is happening outside their company walls has an impact to what they are doing.  We all work in a global economy.  Leaders and team members need to be asking questions to make the whole organization better.  For example, “what can I do around here to make the process better?” “What can I do to be a better team member?” “What can I do to help those around me become better people and team members?”

Here are four examples to apply this principle:

1. Help the team view its work more cross-functional then isolated. They may know what works best for your team in your part of the process but what about those that do work before you get it?  Can they do something to improve performance when it comes to you?  In addition, what can your team do to improve the process before you hand it off to the next team or customer?
2. Get the team to focus on improvement opportunities. One of my teachers always told us to always seek a better method to improve yourself and those around you for the better of the whole. The process is the process until those that do it daily find a way to improve it, if they are looking to improve it. We all should have that mindset. If we didn’t, then the wheel will still be made of stick and stone.  The product and utilization of the wheel is fundamentally the same, but how it is made and materials that make it are vastly improved. Sometimes along the way, an improvement in the process can even save the company money and everyone wins.
3. Always look forward but be mindful of the past. Know where you have been but always seek to go further and beyond where you can see. Seek out what the latest and greatest trends, seek out the newest best practices. Learn to share that information with team members.
4. Expand team member’s assignments as skills improve. The goal is to get team members skillset as broad as needed so better cross utilization can happen faster and more efficiently. Once your team is functioning well, it will need new challenges to keep them sharp and focused and not get lulled into mediocrity. They all need to grow personally and professionally.
5. Make the cuts if they need to be made. There will come a time that financial cuts will need to be made. Businesses must make a profit or everyone within the organization loses. Take the initiative and do what needs to be done to save the whole. If it is clear to everyone on the team that the budget or production will fall short, don’t hide the fact that cuts must be made.  Respect will be earned here by stating the truth than hiding behind a title. Make the tough call and move forward.

Zig Ziglar once said that the mind is a great thing.  When it connects old information with new information, creativity increases. It is everyone’s responsibility to have the mindset to always improve.  It is good for the team, but more importantly, it is good for themselves to grow as an individual.