“We must all learn to live together as brothers (and sisters) or perish together as fools.” 

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Superior teams have common elements. Whether the team is a trophy-hoisting professional sports franchise, a fast food restaurant that executes a speedy drive-through, a trauma-facing paramedic unit or a crackerjack sales group; top performing teams have hallmark and universal attributes. Conversely and unfortunately, so do bad teams.

Our interactive workshop Winning by Working Together explores these team dynamics in great detail. Listed below are a few of the fallacies commonly held by today’s team leaders, and the epiphanies they frequently experience from the seminar.

Fallacy #1: A team that isn’t working together is just a bad team.

Managerial Epiphany: A team that isn’t working together isn’t really a team at all. It’s just a group of people who happen to work in close proximity to each other. Great teams, regardless of type, do not just come together. They are envisioned, built intentionally and guided vibrantly toward a collective vision.

Fallacy #2: Teams that set goals will achieve peak performance.

Managerial Epiphany: Effective teams have strong, clear and collectively compelling goals. Groups may also have stated goals, but their members never emotionally commit to them, choosing instead to put their own interests first. It then becomes impossible to unite these varying factions and directions even if there is a stated team goal.

Fallacy #3: Retaining negative team members will result in performance stagnation.

Managerial Epiphany: Negative team members will descend a “lack of commitment spiral” that will gradually contaminate or repel positive team members and eventually destroy the entire team. Once a cancer has been identified in a team, it must either be cured or excised or the team will die.

Fallacy #4: Strong teams have strong, pyramidal, top-down leadership.

Managerial Epiphany: The very best teams are more circular in structure. Although they have steel-in-the-spine leaders who can and will dictate orders when needed, they more often opt for collaboration and input to increase team member buy-in and commitment.

Fallacy #5: Vocal team members are nuisance troublemakers.

Managerial Epiphany: It is much better to have a team full of people who care enough to voice their concerns than a team of apathetic participants who could care less. A wise man once said, “It is tough to steer a parked car.”

Building a team is an art; a sculpture of like-minded individuals all moving in the same direction. Once created, it is known for its ability to perform, to engage, to drive and to adapt. It becomes a joy to manage, however, because of its ability to also create…create something much sought after but seldom found…harmony.

Chris Brown - Senior Vice President, Frontline Performance Group

It happens all the time. We work with a salesperson hitting home runs on every swing when they turn to us and say, “Just stay right where you are, you’re my good luck charm!” or “I’m going to put a cardboard cutout of you right here because whenever you’re around, my  numbers go through the roof!”

Here’s the good news: the sales spikes are real and they do happen when we work with sales staff and their leadership teams. Here’s the eye opener: it can happen any time. In fact, it can happen every time. A frontline employee is “on a roll” when we work with them because when we are present, they use the skills and techniques we teach and model. The fact that a client has a good day when we are on-site is a testament to the power of the program. It works if you work it.

You have to consider the difference between correlation and causality in a case like this. Simply being there does not move the dial. It will not motivate your frontline over the long haul. Good intentions alone do not create results. It’s consistency in presenting every product to every customer every time that leads to results.

Consider the individual who lost over 200 pounds by eating at a certain fast food restaurant for a year. True, he ate at the restaurant almost exclusively. True, he lost the weight. End of the story? Not by a long shot. Did you know that he often walked to and from the restaurant up to 3 times a day? There was a correlation (read “co-relation”) between the food and the weight loss, but was fast food the cause?

What about this famous scenario: in the summer more ice cream trucks drive around the neighborhood. Is there something about the presence of rocket pops that brings on the summer heat? There’s about as much chance of that happening as having a lucky charm on the sales floor.

The product that you sell might not be complicated, but getting your sales team to serve your customers consistently can be. So the next time you hear something like, “It’s got to be the shoes!” look a little closer. Its got to be hard work. It’s got to be dedication. It’s got to be belief. And above all, it’s got to be consistent.

Tom Diaz - Senior Performance Manager, Frontline Performance Group

I recently reread Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People and was struck by the realization of how relevant his principles of influence are considering the book was first published in 1936.

My next three blogs will be devoted to principles outlined in this book. In each blog I will share an overview of one principle and provide simple and practical suggestions on how it can be applied to daily interactions with others.

Part One: Fundamental Techniques of Handling People

Principle 1: Don’t criticize, condemn or complain

In this chapter, Carnegie suggests “If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive.” To illustrate, he relates stories of several key figures in American history – stories of how they practiced this principle of seeking to understand, rather than condemn, the actions of another. The story that resonated with me most recounts President Lincoln’s scathing displeasure with General Meade’s disregard of his orders to attack General Lee’s army during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. Apparently, Lincoln was so furious with Meade’s chosen course of action and disregard of orders that he penned a biting letter to the General, expressing his extreme displeasure. Carnegie explains that we’ve come to know of this letter only because it was never sent – it was found among President Lincoln’s belongings after his death.

Perhaps Lincoln chose the higher road. Rather than criticize, he likely gave more thought to the circumstance, the mindset of the recipient of his wrath, and the possible unproductive reaction it would elicit. Then, tucking the letter away in his desk drawer, he came to a more amicable resolve. This particular story conjured up many memories of past issues I mishandled simply because I may have been hasty in my response.

Years ago, a mentor who knew all too well of my propensity to “jump” to act, made a simple gesture that has served me well – he framed a $5 bill and presented it to me along with my first copy of this book. The message: Before addressing less than desirable behavior, ask yourself “What would Lincoln do?”

Lynda Fleming - Director of Learning & Development, Frontline Performance Group

According to renowned retail expert and leading author Paco Underhill, sixty-three percent of people who read the packaging on a consumer item will eventually purchase that item. In a frontline sales setting, establishing a good rapport with the customer is the first step to achieving this desired end result – package inspection and purchase – which comes easy for many frontline representatives. Step two includes initiating the sale and presenting the product to the customer in an appropriate fashion, which takes poise and courage.

The following techniques will help your frontline team become more effective at establishing good rapport and presenting products to customers.

1. Actively Listen: It is critical that your frontline representatives understand why a customer is in the store and who they are there for.

2. Frame The Message: Taking key information into consideration, have your frontline representatives present the product with the following opening dialogue: “Based on what you told me I recommend…” followed with one or two feature and benefit statements.

3. Present The Product: After the message is verbally presented it is time for the customer to take control of the product. This is most effective if the frontline representative gestures to a physical aspect of the product and hands it to the customer. For example “many customers prefer the blackberry curve because of its weight and easy to read screen, please see the new features and color screen.” At that moment the product is handed to the customer.

4. Body Language: Eye contact, open posture and assumptive head nods will help ensure the customer says focused on your frontline representative.

Ken Stellon - Senior Vice President, Frontline Performance Group