I’m enjoying working with the team leaders of a long standing client. I meet them every month for half a day to work with them in the development of their leadership style/approach. The structure of the programme ensures we are all working to a plan, reviewing progress and making adjustments as the situation demands. I’m pleased to say that progress is good.
One example of team cohesiveness came to my attention when I was visiting one of the most successful teams. The Team Leader and I went into the kitchen to get a brew. I find office kitchens interesting because they are a communal space where people gather and share certain equipment and resources.
As we chatted, my host boiled the kettle, poured hot water into our cups and immediately refilled the kettle, putting it back on to boil. He didn’t make a show of doing this, he just did it, very naturally.
More often than not, when I go into a kitchen with a host, we are presented with empty kettles, which we never fill (that would take too long) and which we are happy to leave empty.
Leaving a kettle empty versus filling it for the next user.
Does it really matter?
I believe its evidence of a certain type of culture. A culture where people think about others not just about themselves.
In my experience, teams who think about their colleagues are teams that get great results.
