How To Quickly Tell If You Have The Best Cooperation Possible

It’s easy to notice when cooperation is failing, but can you describe precisely what it takes to create an environment where cooperation comes naturally?

I developed the Five Cooperation Foundations (Figure 3.1 from Chapter Three of Words That Work) as conversation starters for teams and companies that want to increase their cross-team results.

When a board chair of a technology company asked me if I could meet with a CEO and his executive team because they weren’t delivering their quarterly earnings results as expected for the third quarter in a row, he shared his concern that each member of the executive team seemed to be operating on their own, and that their strategy and implementation lacked cohesiveness. When I met with each of them, I asked them to score the Five Cooperation Foundations using the following scoring system:

• Green—it is a consistent strength;

• Yellow—there is room for improvement or greater consistency; and

• Red—it is a concern that needs dedicated attention.

Five Cooperation Foundations

1. I feel confident everyone has my back.

2. I observe that across teams, functions, and locations, we are all working to common goals.

3. I have experienced that asking for help is acceptable and encouraged.

4. I have been part of successes that are jointly celebrated.

5. I have seen mistakes objectively deconstructed for lessons learned, not to attribute blame.

As they individually shared their color coding and answered what it would take to make each foundation a strength, there was a common reaction from all eight executives: they realized they had never had the conversation about how they worked together or how they wanted cooperation to occur in their company. They had discovered for themselves the power of taking time out to intentionally declare expectations of how they would communicate and cooperate. I share the results of their evaluation in Chapter Three of my latest book, Words That Work.

For the first ten readers who reply or DM me their results of their Cooperation Foundation Assessment I will provide you with insights and ideas customized just for you.

a quick reminder…

Words That Work Communicate Your Purpose, Your Performance, and Your Profit. Now available at your favorite local bookstore to support your local small business. Or online at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, Target, Booktopia.au, Waterstones, Amazon.ca

Let me know if you want to order copies for your team or event and I can extend special offers and discounts to you.

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning:

http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

How Being Sensibly Selfish Will Actually Help You Support Everyone Else More

Wondering how you can help your team more? Support company initiatives? Be there for your family and friends? Contribute to other communities who are need your help?

First you have to be selfish. 

Many executives I talk to are still in limbo. Not quite fully back at the office, managing large teams through transitions, acquisitions, changing customer demands and I recommend to all of them to reset their selfish charter. 

I’ll admit it isn’t completely selfish. There is a sensible element to it, but one where you do put yourself first. 

Ask yourself…

- what you time, couple time, family time, friends time, alone time, silent time, self care time, do you need in your life right now. - 

This is what you can put in place that will boost your own energy levels so you can continue to support everyone else?

There is a chapter in my first book Thoughtfully Ruthless that covers in detail how to be Sensibly Selfish. 

Many of the executives I work with are responsible for billions of dollars of revenue and hundreds of employees. They have responsibilities to shareholders, board members, employees, their families and themselves. But that order needs to be reversed so the priority is YOU first. 

It’s time to press reboot on your commitments. 

…I’m writing this just before I am on my way out for dinner with three dear friends. The last two years I chose to drop some of these habits but now I’m ready to reintroduce my regular standing social engagements with people who make me laugh till my face hurts and always have my back.

a quick reminder…

Words That Work Communicate Your Purpose, Your Performance, and Your Profit. Now available at your favorite local bookstore to support your local small business. Or online at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, Target, Booktopia.au,  Waterstones, Amazon.ca

Let me know if you want to order copies for your team or event and I can extend special offers and discounts to you.

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

The Surprisingly Way To Recover From A Shock Or Stress

I’ve told this stress relief trick many times on stage and this weekend I got to put it in practice for real when my new five month old puppy got bitten by a dog who wouldn’t let go. (He is fine)

When a deer encounters an attack or is hunted right afterwards they physically shake their body from head to tail. That shaking helps them recover from the shock of the situation. My therapist told me this several years ago and recommended that humans too can learn from the physical reset by rigorously shaking your body if you have experienced something stressful. I’ll admit after my skeptical giggles at the time it did make me think and have used it many times as parental advice with my three daughters and even with some executives who have all told me it is helpful.

Taking our new puppy Winston for a walk this morning with one of my 11 year old daughters, I didn’t expect to need to use it. We are still teaching him how to pass other dogs and have been quick to explain to dog owners that we have a puppy in training who is still learning to interact with other dogs. On our quiet neighborhood street, after asking permission and being reassured the larger dog was friendly, we quickly discovered it was not! Some mutually cautious sniffs quickly turned into the dog biting Winston on the back of the neck and not letting go! The owners didn’t know what to do, froze, and couldn’t stop their dog clinging onto Winston’s neck who was yelping and couldn’t get away.

Without thinking, I went behind the dog and used my thumbs to prize open his jaw to let go of Winston. I’ve no idea how, but there was no blood, and it didn’t break through his skin. After a trip to the emergency vet, he was given the all clear.

I’m not sure I would have been quite so prepared if the husband of one of my clients hadn’t done something similar last month when his dog got attacked. Unfortunately, he was more seriously hurt but his story came into my head in that minuscule -what do I do now?- moment.

Then we did what the deers do and shook it off.

Now I understand where the phrase “shake it off” comes from. These past two years has given much for us to emotionally carry and while I’m no therapist, I do love passing on small stories that might encourage others to pause, think, or even explore hiring a therapist too.

Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. If you want to learn more, there is a whole chapter dedicated to Learning To Love Your Emotions in my latest book:

Words That Work Communicate Your Purpose, Your Performance, and Your Profit. Now available at your favorite local bookstore to support your local small business. Or online at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, Target, Booktopia.au, Waterstones, Amazon.ca

Let me know if you want to order copies for your team or event and I can extend special offers and discounts to you.

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/