Whether you are looking to enhance the performances of your organizational, departmental or personal teams, the below four measurements are critical for success. These measurements are equally important for the team we're all on; it's called the "I" team which consists of me, myself and I. If you don't become aware and accepting of how you perform on any team, you can not expect the team to improve.

The Four Areas to Measure

1. How much do you produce and respond to challenges?
2. How do you communicate with others and show a positive attitude?
3. How do you respond to change and conflict?
4. How do you respond to rules and how accurate is your work?

A well-balanced, high-performance team empowers and develops all four areas within each individual because if each area does not excel, frustration, mistakes and poor performances will occur. Everyone has the potential to grow in each area if they are willing to learn new skills and are held accountable for applying them. All of these areas require changing behaviors that can be evolved with effective coaching, goal setting and training.

Once the individual and supervisor decide to do what it takes to change particular behaviors, an assessment of current strengths, weaknesses, areas of interests and confidence levels need to be determined. Training alone is not the solution; it only serves as a Band-Aid that just covers up the sore area, not the core problem. Individual feedback and accountability with rewards and consequences are necessary. Without action on the core issues, nothing will change and complacency will become the norm.

If you want different results, you will have to do something different which will probably take you out of your "comfortably safe and easy zone." Perhaps you may even need to leave the team you're on and find another one to join that will be better and healthier for you. This process is rarely easy, and it does take time. But oh, the rewards are amazing! Team members become confident and optimistic about the future and in their ability to overcome challenges and obstacles. They develop a "can do" attitude with "does do" performances that come to fruition in a more timely and effective manner.

As an individual on the "I" team, you can really begin enjoying the work you do and embracing the life you deserve to live because you are doing what it takes to get up to snuff to begin diggin' life.

To your team and your own success,
Nancy