Team Building that doesn’t talk about forming, storming and norming? Radical as it may be, I’ve concluded that Personal Mastery is key to Teaming. I’ll be focusing on many aspects of Personal Mastery in this blog and welcome your comments. The first topic is about personal accountability. It’s so easy to recall the worst team you’ve been on. What made it bad? Lack of focus, poor leadership, lack of communication, cliques, gossip, back stabbing? These are all common answers that people are quick to recollect. But then when I ask them, “What did you do to contribute to that being the worst team?” they’re often stumped. “Well, what do you mean? I didn’t have anything to do with it” followed by a repeat of all the things “out there” that made it a bad team–the leader, senior management not giving clear direction, etc.
But they start to see that every action they take either moves them away from being the worst team, or contributes to it staying the worst team, or even making it worse. Once the first person grasps this concept and shares how they contributed to their worst team experience, it opens the door for others to honestly self-reflect, too.
It takes courage to have this level of self-reflection and accountability. It is easy to think it’s out there. But being a victim of circumstances also takes away your control, gives away your power. Once you begin to develop self-awareness, you have more choice. When you have more choice, you have more opportunity to create the life you want to be living–at work or at home!
Go to the Personal Mastery link for more postings!
Way to Go! inc. 
A few examples of people’s insights:
– I realized I didn’t many any efforts to change the situation, even though I knew it was wrong.
– I joined in on the gossip.
– It was easier to go around my boss, so that’s what I did.
– I stopped trying.
– I didn’t want to risk sticking my neck out, so I just went along with what everyone else was doing.
I am the Member Relations Dir. for a non profit and I also own my own business. I am thrilled with your concept, and had a major aha moment reading it. I want to direct both my colleagues and my staff to your site. My question is, do you think people will “personalize” the content? And if someone does, what is a good response to those kinds of fears? I think the content will make some people squirm, in a good way and in a productive way. (I squirmed a little) You really nailed it Cynthia!
Thanks for your comments, and congrats on the a-ha moment. My hope is that when people read my blog, they will look at it as it applies to them, not just to the other people they know. In your case, you did both, which is terrific. Ghandi said “Be the change you want to see in the world.” And that’s what Personal Mastery is about. Want to change the world (your colleague, friend, partner, etc)? Begin by changing yourself.
By personalize, I mean think the comments are directed at them only? When I read this, I see that nobody can possibly be flawless. We all do fan the flames, stir the pot, enable, or turn a blind eye. We all dwell in the glass house.
Agree with what you say, and don’t know the answer to your question. People will read it how they read it. Since I don’t know who will be reading it, it would be unlikely they will think the comments were directed at them only 🙂 But you never know!!