GETTING TO KNOW YOUR TEAM

In the wise words attributed to Abraham Lincoln, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” The only way to check your paradigms is to compare them to reality. One of the ways to assess and strengthen the collective capabilities of the team is to get to know them better.

Pick a few questions and go through this activity once a year as a team or whenever a new member joins the team. It’s not a strategy to confirm your biases; it’s an exercise to challenge your paradigms. Declare your intent beforehand, and encourage your team to share as much or as little as they’re comfortable with.

Exercise Option A: Pair, share, and rotate. Everyone, including the manager, pair up and ask your partner one question from this list. After each person has answered at least one question, rotate to another partner and repeat. Continue rotating until each person talks to everyone else at least once. (If your team has an odd number, you may have a trio.)

Exercise Option B: Group share. As a group (or, if the team is too large, split into halves or thirds), go around in a circle and answer as many questions as appropriate. Determine beforehand whether the team wants to answer all or some of the questions, or limit the exercise by time.

1. 1. What’s something about your background that others at work may not know about you? For example: something about where you grew up, your family, culture, or beliefs.
2. 2. What’s important to you outside of work? For example: being physically active, community service, trying new restaurants, relaxing, or other hobbies.
3. 3. Tell us about a prior job that had a big influence on who you are today. What did you like or not like about it?
4. 4. Tell us about one of your goals. For example: a short-term goal related to your current role, a long-term career goal, or a personal goal.
5. 5. What makes your job most rewarding? Tell us about what motivates you at work.
6. 6. What’s one thing you want people to know about how you like to communicate? For example: email vs. in person, or short bursts vs. long discussions.
7. 7. What’s one thing you want people to know about how you process feedback? For example: scheduled vs. in the moment, or active dialogue vs. sitting back and listening.
8. 8. How do you like to be recognized? For example: in writing vs. in person, in public vs. in private? What do your preferences say about you?
9. 9. Do you consider yourself introverted or extroverted? What situations draw out your introverted/extroverted side?
10. 10. What types of personalities frustrate or fatigue you? How have you learned to collaborate more effectively with them?

Feel free to add your own questions that relate to your team’s culture, challenges, or expertise. Did you learn anything surprising about your team members… or about yourself? Were any of your existing paradigms challenged? How will adjusting them affect your leadership?