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For Love of Team™ is THE podcast where Leaders Simplify Teamwork, helping you: SURROUND yourself with others doing work they LOVE. Business mentor and strategist, Winston Faircloth believes that it is your love of TEAM, and not just your love of products and customers that sets you apart in the marketplace.
Welcome to season three of the four love of team podcast. This season, we are taking you behind the curtain as Winston Faircloth writes his new book, team love, 28 ways to demonstrate caring at work. Each week, we will share excerpts from a new chapter, sharing the key concepts and takeaways to help you support your team as a visionary leader. In this episode, host Winston Faircloth delves into chapter two of his new book. Now here's your host, Winston Faircloth.
Winston Faircloth:Chapter two, Define Clear Success. It's a bright, crisp fall morning, a little after sunrise. Thousands of runners, joggers, walkers have gathered near the starting line. Warming up, an announcement fills the air. Ladies and gentlemen, our leadership is excited to announce a new feature for our region's premier athletic event that will challenge and push the limits of your endurance.
Winston Faircloth:This will make our event the most unique race in the country. Instead of our race ending up in town center, we are going to eliminate the finish line altogether. Have fun, go as far as you can, and have a great time, everyone. Gasps and moans fill the air. Imagine the immediate reaction of those gathered to participate.
Winston Faircloth:Some catch the vision of chasing individual achievement and decide to give it a go. Others decide this is not what they signed up for and they go home. And another group may decide to self organize and set their own finish line. Well, once we craft a picture of our compelling why in pursuing change, the next most important thing we can do for our team is to clearly define what success looks like. Knowing those mile markers along the way builds a sense of momentum and achievement.
Winston Faircloth:A series of bullet points or simple sentences can begin to paint a picture of observable ways everyone can see progress within the project. These can answer whether a task is complete, when it's needed, and other measures of achievement. Written purposely, these can also provide great latitude on how progress and success can be obtained. Often, we think a project charter fills this need, outlining purpose and participants. Yet, without success statements, two people can see progress and successful achievement very differently.
Winston Faircloth:Instead of an indefinite finish line left to everyone's imagination, let's offer a compelling why paired with several observable what statements that outlines what success looks like. Freeing team members to bring their unique contributions to the effort, clearing a path to success, unlocking creativity and commitment within your team, ensuring alignment, accountability and achievement within reach of each team member. So for further action, let's take this step together. First, begin with your priority project with a compelling why that you've already defined. Now brainstorm three to five observable markers of project success.
Winston Faircloth:State these simply in the present tense. Make these within the control of the person responsible for its success. And these can layer, build one upon the other as a ladder of future success. When complete, pair these what statements with your compelling why for a maximum impact. Recommend that you save the how for later.
Winston Faircloth:Share the why and the what with the team member or members responsible for the project. And then check with them for comprehension, alignment and agreement. If needed, have them restate the why and the what in their own words. Reflect any wording changes that make the statements even more impactful. And make this your accountability and alignment document going forward.
Judith:Thanks, Winston. We invite you to share your feedback and biggest takeaways on our website at forloveofteam.com/blog and look for today's chapter episode. Thanks for listening. Remember that by loving our people who love our customers, your visionary leadership comes to life. We hope to see you next time on the four love of team podcast.