The 5Cs of winning teams

This post came out from The Straits Times (27 October 2012)
Title - The 5 Cs of winning teams

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Collaboration
2. Communication
3. Change
4. Creativity
5. Camaraderie

On Collaboration

• Collaboration is defined as the act of working with another or others on a joint project. Why is this notion so difficult to implement in the real world?
• Common reasons are misunderstood intentions, differences in working styles among team members, personality conflicts and, increasingly, problems arising between people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. 
• Using and promoting the use of psychometric instruments like Emergenetics and help you to understand your colleagues better. Team members can work better together when they realise the unique strengths and gifts that they bring to the table. Unity is strength, but diversity is power.

On Communication

• What makes a crucial conversation? It is one where emotions run strong, opposing opinions are present and the stakes are high. A key to effective communication is to adopt conscious rationality in the face of any crucial conversation. By asking yourself constantly "What do I want to achieve in this discussion?", you can shape your individual thoughts and dialogue processes. 
• Also, the ability to look at various perspectives through the eyes of different stakeholders can help achieve conversational success as well. 

On Change

• You are often reminded that the only constant is change. A team that remains contented may become complacent.
• In relation to the previous two "Cs", sometimes, a devil's advocate in the team may be beneficial in the long run. Such a role would help promote continual improvement to work processes, key performance indicators and even behaviours. 

On Creativity

• Throughout corporate history, the behemoths of businesses that failed to tap on new ideas have fallen by the wayside. You should re-look your definitions of creativity because it is a common myth that creativity exists only in certain job functions. 

On Camaraderie

• Collaboration and camaraderie, what is the difference? Camaraderie is what makes people human. The single greatest asset in any organisation is its people. The workplace relationships among these people are organisational treasures. 
• Employee happiness is a vital element in forecasting and increasing productivity and talent retention rates. If you are able to harness positive psychological capital, organisations and teams can improve the self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resilience of their employees. This in turn, improves job performance. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big