It’s a difficult moment: You’re dating that special someone…the relationship is getting serious (you think)…and you’re at their family’s reunion. Then it happens: It time for family photos.
Awkward! Are you in or out?
You stand close—but not too close. You coyly look up to the ceiling. You wait for the invitation: “Come on! You’re in. You’re a part of this crew!”
It’s humiliating if the offer doesn’t come; it’s heart-activating when it does.
Every day, millions of people at work experience a similar, awkward moment when they attend cross-functional meetings. That’s because a meeting invite doesn’t mean “you’re in.” Instead, in many organizations, it merely means a box can be checked. You’re simply someone from a function that needs to be represented so people can say “We included stakeholders” as they deliver change.
But make no mistake: You’re not in. And that’s more than awkward or humiliating: It’s dysfunctional.
In our new book, Do Big Things: The Simple Steps Teams Can Take to Mobilize Hearts and Minds, and Make an Epic Impact, we outline how successful teams energize themselves around a shared reality. It begins by understanding that the definition of “team” has changed. Only those who succeed understand the new definition of team.
P.S. Next time you’re in a meeting and someone’s sitting pensively on the periphery, activate potential: Extend your hand and tell them, “You’re in.”
Knuckles, TL
