Most teams are made up of a diversity of individuals, each with unique talents and perspectives. Though having this variety is usually a good thing, it can also create tension when those individuals don’t see eye to eye.

But in the past few months I’ve had two experiences that have reinforced my belief in the unifying power of forced collaboration. Yep, I said forced!

The first was a brainstorming session involving several highly opinionated members of our team. Put us in a room and we will disagree on everything from the weather report to the right way to wear navy blue. But here we were, gathered around a small table, facing a blank white board, obliged to emerge with nothing short of a genius solution. We really had no choice but to play nice.  
 
The second occurred outside of work, when I had the opportunity to serve on a jury. This time I was staring at 11 others, every one somehow more different from me than the next. Here we not only had to come to complete agreement, we also had to decide another person’s fate.

Challenging to say the least, right?

Well, maybe not. In the case of the trial, our jury was handed explicit instructions by the judge, which were essentially:

• Respect other people’s viewpoints and opinions. They are valuable and they may present perspectives you don’t see yourself.
• Listen to one another and do not have independent conversations. Discuss every element as a group. 
• Don’t bully anyone or allow yourself to be bullied.
• Keep an open mind, and remember you have the right to change it.
• Give every detail thoughtful and careful consideration. Don’t rush to conclusions.

When we finally did deliberate, it was just a few hours later that the 12 of us emerged confident and content with our verdict. How about that?

And that’s when I realized the obvious correlation between this experience and the way that a common goal at work can also bring a team together, foster mutual respect, and bring about results.

As with the trial judge, when our managers hold us responsible for working together as a team, amazing, sometimes hard to believe, results happen. And the way they happen is by requiring the same respect, resilience, cooperation, confidence, and determination that are expected of a jury. It is these experiences, even if they are forced, that strengthen us individually and as a team, which means it is vital to our growth that we be required to participate in exercises that challenge us in these ways.  

I highly recommend it!

(Don’t forget to reward your team’s successful collaboration. These Pocket Praise^® are right on the mark!) 

My co-worker, @kimhorn_ville , just told me about the Pink Glove Dance video today after she saw a report on ABC Worldnews. The video features staff from the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, dancing around the hospital wearing new pink hospital gloves.

They put the video together to encourage people to talk about breast cancer. They succeeded. The video has been viewed over 2 million times on YouTube and has received nearly 4,000 comments. 

What inspires me about the video is the collaboration and camaraderie that is apparent throughout the hospital. As you watch the video, you see nurses, doctors, lab technicians, janitors, cafeteria workers and administrative staff all boogeying down together. Even though many staff members experienced some stage fright, 200 employees cut a rug in the video.

Were the employees engaged in the making of the video? You betcha. They united together for a common mission and goal, and, if I do say so myself, they totally hit it out of the park.

The Pink Glove Dance is a sensation for two reasons. The first reason is the video’s central focus on breast cancer awareness, an important and emotional topic that has affected so many. Second, it shows a group of people working together for a greater purpose and enjoying themselves while they’re at it.

Your employees are no different. Employees desire meaning in their work, especially the up-and-coming Gen Y. They want to be a part of something larger than themselves which is why linking individual goals and projects to the company’s mission and values is critical.

When employees complete a project or make an important sale, managers should recognize the accomplishment and specifically state how it contributes to the organization’s mission and goals. Letting the employee know how their contribution matters can help employee engagement, motivation and retention – and you won’t even need a cameraman.

I have the key to a supply room in my office that is attached to a Baudville lanyard - Imagine Believe & Achieve.  Each time I see it in the drawer or pull it out to use it – it makes me stop and think about the power in these three words.   As I was mulling over possible content for this blog, I saw the lanyard.  As Cori knows, writing is not one of my strengths but, she always has some encouraging words that inspire me to push through the challenge.  I also know that I can count on her to correct my errors – did I forget to mention how great Teamwork is?  It is amazing what a little belief can do for me – both belief in myself and the belief that others have in me.

I recently prepared material for a recognition training class for Baudville’s management team.  Along the way, it was an amazing reminder of how much leadership and recognition are intertwined.  Simply put – Great leaders recognize.   Leaders have a tremendous amount of influence on their followers – probably more than they know.  They have the great honor and responsibility to mentor, guide, encourage and nurture their followers to levels of success and excellence that may be difficult to imagine. 

I found studies that show that if we predict and believe that something will occur (good or bad), a person’s behavior frequently changes to make that prediction more likely to happen.  Test it out for yourself, believe, recognize and speak positively into someone’s life on a consistent basis and watch the results.  The best outcome of all is how you feel when you see the positive impact that you can make on that individual and their success.  It’s truly a Win-Win.  It’s fun to watch our employees put on their Recognition Glasses, search for the positive in others and post notes from Baudville's exclusive peer to peer daily recognition.  We’ve definitely got some Positive Mojo going on here at Baudville.  Join in the fun. 

In closing, I must say, “Believe in yourself!”  It all starts with imagination and a vision for the future.  Let’s hold on firmly to the picture of achievement in our mind and watch it become a reality.   Imagine, Believe & Achieve - this is one of my favorite themes – it truly inspires me every time I see it.  Although I absolutely love our new products that are cool, hip and contemporary, this theme will remain on my top 10 list for years to come. 

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Cindy is the Human Resources Manager at Baudville and has over 14 years HR experience. In addition to her HR Generalist duties, she’s the center of positive mojo for the company and heads up many of our recognition initiatives, events and awards. In other words, she’s got it going on!

A lot is involved in planning a tradeshow, especially when your company is unveiling a new brand, releasing 250 new products, and expecting 8,000 attendees. Inevitably, with so many different elements required for a tradeshow to be successful, something is likely to go wrong. Thankfully, when you work with individuals who believe in your company mission, challenges are opportunities for teamwork to truly shine.

While setting up for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference and Exposition on Saturday, I grew increasingly concerned by the fact that my UPS 2-day Saturday shipment had not yet arrived.

My co-worker and I called numerous Baudville employees at home on Saturday evening. They all were willing to wreck their brains for an account number and even sacrifice grilled chicken to access an email account. Together, we discovered an error had been made in the shipping, and the boxes were not scheduled to arrive until Tuesday – the last day of the conference.

Several phone calls later, two more Baudville employees volunteered to make an extra trip to Baudville, pick up products needed for our display, check them on the plane, and hand deliver them to me in New Orleans.

Thanks to several different Baudville employees – each willing to sacrifice a small piece of their weekend – our tradeshow display was complete for Sunday night, the opening of the SHRM Exposition Hall.

And thank goodness it was.

As soon as the doors opened, our booth was overrun by attendees who could smell our gourmet cupcakes from down the aisle. Our carefully thought-out booth plan quickly went out the window. Instead, all Baudville employees on hand jumped in to help distribute bags and cupcakes fast enough to keep the crowd moving.

For the second time in the short weekend, I witnessed the teamwork of Baudville spring into action. Together, we gave out the 500 cupcakes from the Kupcake factory and over 600 "I’m with Stupendous" tote bags like experienced champs.

Many SHRM attendees will look back fondly on this year’s conference, and maybe they will remember the memorable General Session by Jack Welch, the career assistance they received, or the valuable networking with other HR professionals. I know I will remember SHRM09 for the teamwork that made Baudville’s presence a success.