7 steps to stop team finger-pointing

Posted by Dave
October 6, 2008

Another busy weekend and I didn’t get to the article I wanted to write for today.  However, this little gem just came through from Harvard Business Publishing.  The article, written by Marshall Goldsmith, uses the current economic crisis to launch a discussion on how to get teams focused on moving forward versus finger pointing.

I’ll just list the basic seven tips here, you can read the full article for the extended explanations.  In perfect Marshall Goldsmith fashion, the explanations are short, easy to understand, and packed with value.

  1. Encourage everyone on your team to remember four words - (here’s a hint, the four words are “judge less, help more”)
  2. Try to get team members to focus on a future that they can impact
  3. Try to get people to take responsibility for their own behavior
  4. Ask each person to reflect on the question, “What can I learn from this crisis?”
  5. Ask everyone on your team to reflect on the question, “What can we learn from this crisis?” (extra credit now – what one word is different from #4?)
  6. Encourage each team member to avoid speaking when angry or out of control
  7. Before speaking don’t just ask, “Am I correct?” – ask “Will this help?”

I would suggest that these seven steps are good anytime, not just in times of crisis.  What a more positive workplace we would all work in if everyone embraced the spirit of these steps all the time.

Positive Leadership

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