Is this the team?
That is a question I ask the leader before working with their team. In other words, is the team you are leading the one:
- You know can succeed?
- You are sticking with?
- For which you will go all in and fight?
When the leader answers yes they inform team members of a critical message: You belong.
With this knowledge team members operate with confidence. And confident employees do a lot of things. Importantly, though, there is something they don’t have to do: attend every meeting. Armed with the certainty that they are “on the team” they know their boss and teammates will be candid and bring them into discussions when necessary.
Cultures that lack inclusion (you may be on the team) are short on candor and drive you-must-attend-every-meeting environments: Insecure employees need to be everywhere a decision may be made so they can protect their status.
Try this: Think of one teammate whom you absolutely want on the team. Let them know they belong. Then, with this teammate find another who belongs – and include them.
The larger the group of people who are certain they belong becomes, the smaller the decision-making groups can be.
