Hold each other accountable. Don't wait for the boss. It takes too long and generates politics.

Find your singularity of purpose. If you can't initially, raise it up a level.

What are you hoarding?

Time management should be more about what you will stop doing instead of doing what you currently do more efficiently.

Follow up, even if you don't observe the behaviors.

Why?

Did you do what you committed to doing in that meeting?

Step out of your comfort zone and into your learning zone, without overstepping.

Go directly to each other with issues - in person.

Give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Keep the overall team/organizational focus in mind when making decisions. Get rid of the ego.

Work on the most important things first.

Acknowledge your progress. Be aware of what's slowing you down.

Recognize that there may be more than one way to accomplish something. Be open.

Enough planning and talk. Start moving. Then adjust.

What should your team focus on that no other team can?

In a recent blog post I stated that the number 1 reason why senior leadership teams aren't more strategically focused is....

"There isn't enough time."

And, you'll know your team isn't strategically focused if you spend the majority of your time doing what I call the "Round Robin" - where you go around the conference room table and everyone gives an update about their area that almost no one else cares about.

As heard in one of my team coaching sessions last week from a participant...

"If two people agree, you don't need one of the opinions."

Have you ever wondered what is motivating to your people?

It's important to know, because as leaders, we need to tailor everything we do based on our team members' preferences and priorities.

I was in a team building workshop last week, and one of my participants asked, "...but how do we know what motivates our team members?"

I simply replied, "Just ask."

Here are some questions you might ask your team members and co-workers to better understand their needs and aspirations.

1. What two or three aspects of your work do you enjoy most?

Are you tired of showing up at meetings and not knowing why you are there to begin with?

That seems to be the norm in most organizations.

The problem is that when there isn't a clear purpose and agenda for a meeting, people waste time and  energy endlessly talking around each other - never closing on decisions and moving actions forward.

Do you know what the Number 1 excuse is for not having an agenda?

"We don't have enough time."

People are too busy, overwhelmed, and overloaded.

Healthy conflict. Dialogue. Debate. Too often teams avoid it.

Why?

Here are three reasons.

This is the fourth post in a 4-Part series. To get the scoop in why recognition is important, see Part 1. To understand some of the myths about recognition, see Part 2. To learn about the 4-level framework for a recognition program, see Part 3.

In Part 1 of this series we talked about the "case" for recognition. In Part 2, we have debunked some of the myths around recognition, the next steps are to put a framework in place for an effective recognition program.

In The Carrot Principle, the authors outline a four-level approach to recognition that is straight forward and easy to implement.

The Manager who approached me in Part 1 of this series had used his original question of 'Sal, why do I have to give people recognition for doing their job?' to set me up.

He was persistent and continued, "I don't give people recognition for just doing their jobs. That's what they get paid for."

The conversation went on, and he justified his position of not giving people recognition by saying that he had high standards. Hmmm. High standards, I thought. What does that have to do with it?