Cultivating a Culture of Creativity, Collaboration, and Captainship
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Transcript: English(auto-generated)
00:06
Okay, so Amber is going to be talking about cultivating a culture of creativity, collaboration, and captainship. So, yeah, the audience is yours. You can take over.
00:21
Okay, awesome. Thank you so much. Well, everyone, thank you so much for having me today. Just a few facts about myself. I am from a place called Tulsa, Oklahoma. So, some of you might have heard of us. We have a large university here called the University
00:42
of Oklahoma, where we are popular in football. Some of you may have heard of us because we have a man named Chandler Bing that visited us once in Season 8 of Friends. And some of you may have heard of us because we are known for having a lot of country music. So, that's a little bit about me and where I am from. But see, a few years ago, I really was working a lot in
01:08
human resources and in corporate America, and I actually quit my job to become the only American, the only female, the only Christian, and the only blonde academy football coach, or
01:21
soccer coach, for the Adidas Game Day academies and Paris Saint-Germain, PSG academies, in Bangalore, India, to coach widely the first generation of athletes on both an elite and a grassroots level. And as I joined the team, I discovered that our team members were training
01:41
under a very command-obey dynamic. See, oftentimes our players would come to our sessions and they would stand in a line, kick a ball, wait for instruction. And they would come to our sessions and they would stand in a line, kick a ball, wait for direction. And they would come to our sessions and they would stand in a line, kick a ball, wait for
02:03
feedback. And while this may have been an efficient way to teach a skill, in a game scenario, it was a disaster. Oftentimes, our players within the course of the game would kick the ball perfectly, exactly the way that we taught them. And then, before the play was even over,
02:22
they would turn to the sideline to the coach for further direction and feedback. See, our players had mastered the task, but they didn't quite understand how it applied to the overall game scenario. We were under a huge transactional and command-obey dynamic. And while it might be
02:43
easy to hear this story and think of it just as a foreign academy in sports with kids and with children, how often do we go to work, receive a task, and wait for direction and wait for instruction? And it's oftentimes in these scenarios that we hear words like leadership
03:04
and teamwork and collaboration because we know that these are really good words. But if we're in the wrong position, then saying these words are not only ineffective, but they're actually detrimental to the overall communication within our team. And so today, I'm going to share a
03:23
story of how we transformed our academy from lines and laps and lectures to one of creativity and collaboration and true captainship. And the first thing that we had to do was stop. Seriously, stop. We had to stop commanding the how and start clearly communicating the what
03:49
and the why. We had to be crystal clear in what we were doing and why we were doing it and then provide opportunities for ownership within the how, within our processes and our methods
04:03
and our projects and our roles. See, if you want an answer, then you'll probably get an answer. But if we don't clarify what questions we are asking, if we don't clarify what solution we are seeking, then the answer that you receive might not be the solution that you're actually
04:24
seeking. We must first identify what we are doing and why we are doing it. In fact, a study by Creative Differences pointed out that leaders that clearly communicate their vision and their mission are 20 percent, 20 percent more likely to have project success. In the same regard, teams
04:47
that felt comfortable challenging status quo had a 16.7 percent likelihood of project success or less likely percent of project failure. And so, see, it's really important that we
05:03
are very intentional in identifying what we're doing and why we're doing it. And this isn't a massive, dramatic change. It's really a slight shift. See, whenever I was coaching football, we sought commanding players to stand in a line, kick a ball, wait for instruction. Instead, we
05:24
provided challenges. So from here, kick the ball to knock down those three cones. Because in order to do that, you're going to have to kick with power and precision. And in a game scenario, whenever you pass, whenever you kick, whenever you shoot, you're also going to have to kick with
05:41
power and precision. From challenges like these, I saw some of the most heated debates I'd ever seen amongst seven-year-olds trying to decide if the best way to kick the ball was with the input or with the laces. In reality, both ways were right. And so, we had expanded the toolbox
06:02
of resources that our players could use in a match. See, if we want great performance, if we want a creative performance within our teams, we must first create an environment, we must first create an environment for high performance by providing those opportunities for ownership
06:22
and that flexibility within that ownership, but also clearly communicating that what and that why. See, now in these heated debates of trying to decide if it was with the input or with the laces, it really brought about an important point that comes with opportunities
06:45
for ownership. See, with an opportunity for ownership comes a greater opportunity for conflict, but also comes a greater opportunity for conversations over complacency. That's good. I'm going to say it one more time. See, with an opportunity for ownership
07:02
also comes a greater opportunity for conflict, which also comes a greater opportunity for conversations over complacency. But we didn't want to just create an opportunity or create an environment that could have more conflict and not prepare our players to engage
07:21
in those conversations more productively. And so we had to really help our players to engage in that conflict in a healthy manner. And one way that we did that is engage in proactive conversations. Now, proactive conversations is a very simple conversation
07:41
that I have at the beginning of any project that I undertake with the team. Anytime that I'm working with a new client, anytime that I am coming into a new team. And it looks like this. See, at some point in this relationship, there's going to be conflict. At some point in this project,
08:02
there's going to be tension and there's going to be heat. And so while the emotions are low now, let us proactively discuss how we are going to handle that conflict. And it's a very short conversation, but it's really powerful. And it does two major things.
08:20
First, it sets a normalcy and it sets an expectation that tension and conflict is going to happen in a healthy collaborative team. So the first thing it does is it normalizes that. So oftentimes we avoid conflict because we don't want to admit that there is tension,
08:40
that there is heat. But here we are not only normalizing it, but we're saying that we expect it to happen. The second thing that it does is it sets a script and it sets an expectation of what you are going to do and what those action steps are going to be when conflict and when tensions can arise
09:01
within a collaborative team. And this is really another really powerful thing about this conversation is it helps us combat against one of the largest obstacles or one of the largest hurdles to great feedback and great collaboration within teams.
09:20
And that is the fundamental attribution error. Now the fundamental attribution error is really just a fancy way of saying that so oftentimes we judge other people by their actions while we judge ourselves by our intentions. Give you an example. I was working with one team and we had a team member
09:40
that would come to meetings that was very loud, very abrupt, was seen as abrasive and some people even called malicious. But whenever I talked to the man and asked him, what was your intention? What is your intention in meetings?
10:01
His intention was to be passionate, was to be persuasive, was to be exciting. And see in this scenario, there is a knowledge gap. And so by approaching the conversation by asking about intentions,
10:20
we're able to identify that knowledge gap and have more of a coaching approach to help lessen that gap so that we can again, operate more effectively as a team. Again, these are just small shifts, small pivots that we can make in our communication within teams to create an environment for more creativity
10:41
within those opportunities for ownership and then really hone in on our communication within our collaboration whenever we are with teams. I mean, imagine if I reprimanded every single one of my players that took a shot on goal and then missed.
11:01
See, I see their intention and I'm able to coach my players to help again, bring that intention and bring the outcome a little bit closer together. See, the fundamental attribution error is one of the largest hurdles to great performance feedback and great collaboration within teams.
11:20
But if we begin those conversations by asking about intentions, we can be more productive in those conversations. Now, one thing that I do within teams is whenever I'm coming into new teams is I can get a good snapshot of your team dynamics. And you can do this a few different ways.
11:41
If you are in a physical brick and mortar team, then you can have people stand on different sides of the room and say, okay, I'm more of a morning person, I'm more of an evening person. Many times in this season, we are on Zoom chats
12:01
and so I will ask team members, do you prefer email on, go to the, lean to the right side of your screen? Do you prefer phone calls and Zoom calls? Go to the left side. Do you prefer public praise? Do you prefer private praise? And you can ask questions to see
12:21
what type of dynamic your team has, what type of preferences your team has in communication style so that you can best cater your leadership and your communication to best fit the needs of your team. And so that's a really quick snapshot just depending on what questions you ask
12:42
to get a snapshot of your specific team dynamics. Another thing that I do whenever I work with teams is I have teams pull out a post-it card and I have them write a few of their biggest strengths, a few of the biggest assets that you can add to the team
13:00
on one side of the card and then on the other side of the card, write down strengths that you really wish somebody else in your team had. I'll give you an example. I am a big vision casting, big picture type of a person to a team.
13:20
I can present big ideas. I can lead the charge in vision casting the project as a whole. But I really hope that there's somebody on my team that is really good at the nitty gritty details. And so that's something that I write on the other side of my card. And so I hope that somebody has written
13:42
that they are detail oriented. And there's gonna be two major things that I can see from these cards. First, I'm going to see ways in which we will most likely complement each other. See, we really need each other on our team to be well-rounded and to be successful. But at the same time,
14:00
there's a huge opportunity for us to have a conflict. And so in our proactive conversations, we can be even more catered to say, hey, there's probably going to be a point in our project that I might miss some details. So I haven't done that yet. The emotions are low now. Let's proactively discuss
14:21
how we're gonna handle that situation whenever it comes about. So there's a few different activities that you can do within your team to get a clear snapshot of what those team dynamics are. I would really encourage you to do that in your remote teams right now,
14:40
as teams are going more virtual and going more remote, to just reassess the preferences on work dynamics and team dynamics within your team to really get a snapshot so that you can have a clear direction on how to lead and how to have those proactive conversations.
15:01
Now, no matter the team dynamic, it's been in my experience with working with teams all over the world, that so often in our communication and in our messaging, so oftentimes we spend a lot of time and energy
15:22
focusing on the message, on the actual message, but maybe not as much time on the method of communication. One of my favorite leadership authors is Dr. Mark Rutland, and he writes down that communication boils down to four major factors,
15:41
and that is the right message to the right audience in the right way at the right time. I'm reminded of a love letter that I found written to my great grandmother by a gentleman named Otis, and it was written in 1908, and it read this,
16:03
fall off the roof, fall down the cellar, but don't fall in love with another feller. See, what makes love letters so powerful? There's a few different things. See, love letters are so impactful
16:22
because of the intentionality spent writing the letters, maybe because of the nostalgia, that method of communication, but there's something even more important that we can learn in our messaging today, and that is that love letters are very powerful because there is a span of time
16:40
between each correspondence, and within each letter that is received, there is a span of time for emotion to build, for the words to sink in, for the recipient to ponder on each of the words that were sent, and this is a very, very desired effect in a love letter,
17:04
but it might not be the most desired effect in other messaging. For example, and it's with this idea in mind that I often think of text messages, I think of emails, and that there is also a span of time within each correspondence,
17:21
and so whenever we look at types of messaging, there is an emotional spectrum of very informational, informational emails, informational messaging that doesn't really warrant a response. It's just information that you need to know where emails, texts, memos, absolutely are great forms,
17:43
actually desired forms of communication. This does not need to be an email. This does not need to be a meeting, should be an email, and then there is a point right here in the middle that is more, a little bit more collaborative. It might take, you know, it's on a spectrum, so it might be a little bit more emotional
18:02
or a little bit more complex, and so in this scenario, you could use an email or a text, or it could be more desired to use a phone call or a Zoom meeting. Generally, what I encourage teams to do is to meet and decide on a kind of a standard
18:21
on the amount of emails it will take to solve a problem or to reach a solution before it's important to move from email and text and Slack towards something a little bit more quicker in your communication. A, because you're going to be more efficient in getting those results,
18:40
but also it is going to prevent, in some preventable messaging, having emotion built, and so generally with most teams that I've worked with, the average number is about six emails, so if it takes a little bit more than six emails, then it's important to go ahead
19:00
and move to a different platform, a little bit more quicker and more personal platform, and then over here, you have very emotional messaging, so this is gonna be very personal, already knowing that there's going to be a higher level of emotion, and in this scenario, it's very important to keep in mind the message
19:22
and then adjusting your method, so try and be as personal as possible on that, either with a Zoom meeting, with a phone call, once we are able to meet in person again, trying to have those in-person meetings as well. C, whenever we are collaborating, it's important that we recognize our team dynamics,
19:43
be very cognizant of our messaging, and then also be very aware of the types of the method of communication that we are using. C, it's within all of that, that it can be a really important way
20:02
that we can be effective in our collaboration and to build our ideas in the most effective way. C, again, if we are identifying our what and our why and then having that space within the how, within our processes and our methods
20:20
and our projects and our roles, then we will be able to be as effective as possible. C, collaboration and creativity both come down to effective problem solving, and right now in this season, we are faced with many challenges and our teams are able to come together
20:41
to really solve the three major types of problems that we, and challenges that we face within innovation, and that's within fixing existing problems, in which case we do more of a causal analysis. It's within improving upon our existing systems
21:02
and products, in which case there's a little bit more value engineering, and then there is a landscape for creating brand new services and products. And it's no matter the situation, whether it be fixing an existing problem, improving upon a current service or product
21:21
or building something entirely new, it is critical that we really be cognizant of our team dynamics and adjust our communication accordingly so that we can truly collaborate most effectively as a team. Now, these are all things that I do within corporate teams
21:42
and mostly within tech teams today within my company. What we did in India and what we did in soccer or in football was very similar. We had proactive conversations on how to engage as a team and how to move forward. But there was one more facet that we moved to.
22:02
We had creativity, collaboration and captainship. And captainship, especially in this remote time, boils down to relationships. See, relationships are so important, especially in this time. I work quite a bit within human resources
22:21
and within recruitment. And right now, two of the major facets that people are looking for, recruiters are looking for in new team members is adaptability to change and empathy. And see, empathy being the number two, just really speaks highly of the importance of being intentional in your relationships and being intentional in building those relationships
22:44
with your team. See, I work for a company called The Pathways Group, and we really believe that people and organizations, everybody gets somewhere, but few people get there on purpose. And so we try to help people to find the right path
23:01
to get to their desired destination. In the same regard, I believe that relationships and healthy relationships happen, but it takes a level of intentionality and purposeful steps to get to those desired relationships. And so it's important to be intentional
23:21
in reaching out to people. Right now, it's been very, with remote teams, people are getting really creative in ways that they are reaching out to people and really checking in on their team members. It could be with themed day Zoom chats, it could be with sending care packages. Honestly, it could be just picking up the phone
23:41
or sending a text and asking how someone's day is going. And these are small things that you can do to build your relational capital and to also build the strength of your team dynamics to move forward. See, captainship is so important within your team.
24:01
And it can be the thing that can lead your team and drive progress within your team. Last story. I'm reminded whenever I was in India, I had a young lad and his name was Achintya. And he was so excited for his first day of football.
24:20
And so he came running onto the field and he began yelling, pass, pass, pass. And I noticed that Achintya was yelling pass even whenever the other team had the ball. And he was yelling pass even whenever he was miles away from the action. And he was yelling pass even whenever he had the ball.
24:42
And so he was running with the ball going pass, pass, pass. And so I asked Achintya, why are you yelling pass? And he looked up at me and he said, Ms. Ambamam, I do not know what it means. I only know it as a football word. See, sometimes I hear teams sound a little bit like my friend Achintya.
25:01
Yelling leadership, creativity, collaboration. Cause we know that these are really good words. But if we haven't laid the foundation of providing opportunities for ownership so that we can be more creative. We haven't laid the foundation of having proactive conversations and being intentional in our team dynamics.
25:22
If we haven't laid a foundation of relationships so that we can lead people within our team then saying these words are not only ineffective but they're actually detrimental within our overall communication within the team. But if we take the time to be intentional in our relationships,
25:43
to be intentional in our team dynamics we'll be able to receive the ball, move forward and to score really big goals. Thank you so much for having me today. Thank you.