Episode 38: Building a Team through Team-Building

Welcome to another edition of “Around with Randall;” Your weekly podcast on making your nonprofit more effective for your community. And here is your host, the CEO and founder of Hallett Philanthropy, Randall Hallett. 

Appreciate you joining me on this edition of, “Around with Randall”, today's topic is the idea of teamwork and really building a team environment and why that's important. I'm spending more time with clients, in particular, chief development officers, strategizing about this very subject. How is it that as we come out of COVID, we're bringing people back into offices, to some degree and in some ways, having people work remotely, particularly people like gift officers, how does a leader create a team environment, do team building? What we're beginning to see is that there is an influx of job opportunities and I've had a number of gift officers and chief development officers that I know and have worked with and do work with who have had opportunities in the last two months at exponential levels than they had even into the fourth quarter of 2020. The job market's opening up and that's causing a lot of consternation in the idea of keeping people and for people who are trying to make a decision about what they want to do, staying where they are, or trying to create the right value proposition for them to potentially go somewhere else.

So, this idea of team building becomes very important. Let's start with the bigger picture of why this is important, and then we'll end, as we always do with the tactical about some things you can do to help build a team environment based on the rationale that we're going to discuss now. So, the first thing is to realize is that creating a team -- the right kind of team, with the right kind of attitude, with the right individuals, looking into the team in terms of value, does many different things. First and foremost, it builds morale or support. You might think, well, why is that important -- we have a job to do, well actually that leads to happiness. The studies tell us that happiness is really important in things like job retention or people who want to stay in a current job. 80% in a survey done of a thousand employees said that happiness is a determining factor in their wanting to stay. When we look at teachers, this idea of a team environment is that a Hanover study done in 2015, found that when teachers work in team environments, rather than isolated in classrooms, they are much happier and more likely to stay with that school district. The studies say that if we create the right environment, people are more likely to stay. 

Number two is that it shows that it shares the workload. It's not isolating, in terms of performance. Gallup did a tremendous study that talks about that when the right team goals are set and people share in those responsibilities, that there is a dramatic reduction in turnover. This increased retention. In one study said that 54% were more likely to stay when they were part of an effective team, that's from Vantage.com. Creating shared goals, not eliminating individual goals, but adding up individual goals into a team environment, displaces one person's stress in a way that's incredibly important. 

It also number three, improves efficiency. It increases productivity in our office by as much as 20% when the team environment is strong and positive. So, you get more out of the parts as a whole, than if you just isolate them and silo them just to do their work. There's also a higher quality of work that comes from a great team environment. People are less stressed and having the ability 61% indicated that they produce at a higher level when they have others to utilize in that process, sharing ideas, sharing tips of the trade, working together for a single direction. So not only do you have an increase in efficiency; you have a higher quality of work. The other thing that I find interesting is that team environments create better ideas. This is called the Medici Effect. It was written by Frank Johansson in a tremendous book. What it means is that the best ideas don't come from a siloing of one's mind. It comes from interaction in discussing alternatives. In fact, a study done by McKinley indicated that there's a 35% increase in ideas becoming effective or becoming implementational when you do it as a team. And so, there's all of this research that's saying, showing that when we have the right team environment, we have better production, we have happier employees, higher retention, higher quality, and better overall ideas that facilitate a higher level of work.

Now, the complicated part is how do you do that? How do we as leaders provide an environment that is conducive, supportive, proactionary on the team front effort perspective? Don't forget that it's really expensive to replace employees. We talked about this in a podcast about two months ago, and what we found was that it can cost as much as $150,000 for an employee in terms of productivity loss for an office or a company and that doesn't include the lost opportunity, which we know as nonprofit leaders comes if it's a gift officer that leaves. We lose all of those relationships. And if there are good gift officers that's even worse because they may be producing $1 million, $2 million, $3 million in revenue, and you've got to retrain and re bring someone in and rebuild those relationships if possible. So, we want to reduce expense, create the right environment to create productivity. 

So, here's the tactical. How do we do this? Well, the first is I think, as we hire more effectively, I'm a big believer in the tactical job level skills that are necessary and then being present when a candidate is looking for the job. I think sometimes we rush to those too often as the only maybe tests or integration opportunities that they will integrate into the office? We rushed to skill too quickly. There's a lot of tests out there and we've talked about tests from Myers-Briggs to the Berkeley tests in terms of emotional stability. Having candidates before they become employees, take some of those tests to see if they fit into the environment is important. One or two really off employees can mess up a whole team environment. So, when you're hiring, take that extra time, that extra step, and make sure they fit personality-wise, communication-wise, culturally, with your office in terms of what you're trying to accomplish.

The second is to lead the way, which means doing things that you ask others to do, but with some restrictions as well. I mentioned in a podcast just recently that I, in terms of work-life balance, am probably the worst. But I'm very clear with the people I work with, either as clients or when I was managing more people that I'm not wanting them to respond to an email or a text at 11 or 12 o'clock that's when, sometimes I find quiet time in my own house to catch up on my day. So, the first thing is setting boundaries for yourself and communicating those boundaries for employees so there's a work-life balance. If you're looking for more information on that, that's a podcast, just a few before this one, that go into details about ways that you can do that. 

Number two is to set goals that are both individual and then added up into team goals so that everybody can share in the responsibility. When we diffuse one person stress that I'm the only one that has to produce, or I feel like I'm all by myself. What happens at that moment is we reduce the level of anxiety one has, and we increase the ownership that the team has, so sharing goals of what everybody's doing is critically important. Posting those goals and by the way, the metrics that go along with them is a great way of building a team environment. If you're a leader and you have multiple gift officers, posting metrics on a monthly basis or regular basis should be a no-brainer. It should be something that comes naturally to what we're trying to accomplish -- what is everybody doing in this process? 

Number three is providing team rewards or group awards. Do you take your monthly meeting and have five or 10 minutes and pass out little $5 coffee cards, it doesn't have to be big, little things that really demonstrate you as a leader, appreciating what the team is doing or what individuals on the team who went above and beyond the call of duty? Here's something even more important. Do you give other people in the team time to recognize each other? There are studies out there that say that it actually means more when done on a regular basis when it comes from a teammate, in terms of that recognition than it does from a manager, supervisor or leader, it doesn't mean you should be one or the other what I'm advocating for here is both. Giving employees a chance to recognize each other, as well as you, as the leader, recognizing them for their work that they do. 

Make every meeting a team meeting. What is it that I'm thinking or speaking of here, the first is that we're going to have some rules in the team meeting? One, of which is that we're going to be present. If you've listened to any of my podcasts or know me well at all, you know that I'm not a Facebook or Twitter person and don't have accounts. I don't really follow but what I have found is that limits my willingness or wanting to enter into a world that in some ways I really don't understand, but that also makes me more present in the conversations. I'm here. How do you get your team to be here? Cell phones down, cell phones off, team rules can also mean we're going to listen to other people's opinions with respect. We're going to appreciate that they have a different perspective than we do because of age, because of cultural differences, because of experiential differences. We're going to respect those differences, creating a team meeting and having it constant is about the ability to be respectful of someone else's viewpoint of their thoughts, of their contributions, even if they're not implemented, they're incredibly important in the process of getting everybody to be involved. 

Set up team building activities is the fifth. It used to be, particularly when I was in college, you would go do trust falls and obstacle courses. I'm not sure that's really what I'm talking about.

What I'm talking about is creating a social environment that's outside of the office. Do you have a group “let's go get a cup of coffee” or it's five o'clock or six o'clock on a Saturday I'm buying appetizers and the first cocktail at the local establishment? How do you build social opportunities, in terms of getting out of the office to know each other on a personal level, can you go to a sporting event and sit together? Do you include family members in this conversation? A great example that I always turn to in this situation is at the University of Oklahoma. It started with Bob Stoops, who is the former football coach and now it’s moved into Lincoln Riley. On Thursdays, during the football season, because coaches work probably more hours than they should, they have mandatory family night. So, on Thursday night, during the season, all the family members come up, the kids play on the field, they have touch football, they have a take-out buffet, barbecue, whatever, and they allow the families to be a part of what the coaches are doing in their environment -- team-building!  So, what can you do that allows you to build a social environment for your team? 

Number five, opening communication lines. Both formally, so how often do you do evaluations reviews and informally, which actually I think are more important. I miss the opportunity since I got out of direct supervision in an academic medical center, just to walk down the hallway and stick my head in people's offices sit down, and say, how are you doing? What's going on? I'm more isolated. So now I try to do it more via Zoom. I start every conversation, every email, or at least attempt to, with asking about their personal life. I have a colleague who moved. How did it go? If you've got people with small kids, how's school going? How are the kids? Creating communication unofficially is really important. One additional thing you might consider is possibly even surveying your inner office about what they think about communication and what the team building team environment looks like. 

Lastly, I want to bring up the idea of office layout. I'm more of a traditional office person, but I'm also not the typical employee anymore. I'm getting older and they view their offices differently. It's more open… something to consider if financially feasible to create a more open office setting where people can communicate while still being effective and not bothering others in that process. 

In all of this, I would be remiss if I didn't say that being a good leader in a team environment is about listening more and talking less. If you apply any of those particular tactical aspects, whether it's the way in which you hire or whether it's in the way you set goals, or you do the rewards or you set up activities and opportunities for people to get to know each other. The leader should try to pull back a little bit, many times to allow the group to have that interaction. A lot of great things about team building in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, quality of work, but it's the tactical that makes the biggest difference in terms of your ability to bring those out of the people that are working together to make your organization even stronger in the community.

Just a couple of quick reminders as always, if you like this, if you think this is helpful, and you're watching via YouTube video or you're listening to the podcast, like it. Leave a review. Most importantly, share it with someone else if you think that this could be helpful to them. That would be terrific. If we can all find a better way of serving our non-profits and the needs of our community. That's a win. I look at this as my 21st-century classroom. Not a lot about Hallett Philanthropy, just about how you can be more effective. 

Also, don't forget the blogs on hallettphilanthropy.com posted two or three a week on different aspects of the world in which we see it. And possibly some thoughts for you to take back to think about. If you'd like to communicate with me and tell me an idea for a podcast. This podcast came from an anonymous email asking if I could talk about team building that's podcast@hallettphilanthropy.com. Or if you disagree with me, that's reeks@hallettphilanthropy.com. Either way it gets to me. I'm glad to respond and talk to you a little bit about your concerns or your thoughts on this podcast. 

We live in a world that's a little bit chaotic right now. What we're finding is that chaos leads to holes in our community and people's needs, and non-profits can serve an important role in filling those gaps as well. As a nonprofit professional, whether you're an executive assistant or you're the chief development officer or you're the CEO, it doesn't make any difference. What we do is important and what you do is important to make a difference in the lives of people in your community and it's never been more important. I don't think it's talked about or celebrated enough. And so let me commend you as the idea of team building, in that spirit to say, thank you for what you do. It makes a big difference. I hope you feel that every day. Don't forget my all-time favorite saying, “Some people make things happen. Some people watch things happen. Then there are those who wondered what happened?” We live in a world where there seem to be a lot of people wondering what happened and your work, our work, non-profit work, philanthropy overall is about people who want to make things happen for those people we're trying to help or just trying to get along. If you're doing that, then you're doing incredibly important things each and every day. Thank you for joining me here on “Around with Randall”. Can't wait to see you next time and don't forget, make it a great day!