Introducing the seven new rules of office teamwork

Introducing the seven new rules of office gruppeworkIntroducing the seven new rules of office teamworkHave you ever been on a team project where you didnt make much of a mark?Maybe you held back because you were new to the subject matter. Perhaps the group was overrun by domineering types. Maybe you found yourself in observation mode mora than participation mode.Whatever the case, if you think youre immune to being judged by meeting performance, think again. One study showed that84 percent of U.S. employees are matrixed to some extenttoday that is, they work on multiple teamsevery day.As smaller, quickly forming and disbanding teams are becoming more the norm, research shows teams arespending increasing hours together, notlage apart. Ill be presenting one of my favorite sessions on this topic,The New Rules of Teamwork, at The Society of Women Engineers Conference (WE18,) this month. Well tackle exactly how to size up a brand new team and make a memorable impression.Heres a quick tas te of some of the strategies Ill be sharing for being a standout teamerShow All the Way UpIn our distracted world, its easy to let your attention dip and slip in a meeting. Yet, people observe your engagement level and rightfully judge you for it. Whether youre stuck on mute when called on to speak in a tele-conference or consumed with distractions while you take meeting notes on your laptop in a live meeting, people notice. Even your biggest efforts can be sabotaged when you dont get the little things, like showing all the way up, right.Encourage Shared AirtimeResearch has shownthat teams are more effective when members share airtime and make equal contributions to discussions. Yet how do you take matters into your own hands and engage a group when participation is uneven? Turn-taking and structured idea generation are just a few ways to get the most of team members. Not only does the group stand to gain from diverse thinking, your behavior can model that everyone has an equal say. Avoid CollabotageGone are the days when a classic group brainstorm was the only way to tap peoples best thinking. Rather than enforcing collaboration as the sole method for teamwork, learn to encourage a team design that allows people a mix of formats. Include people with different work styles along with introverts and extroverts alike. Learn when to suggest people go off as pairs for example, brainstorm individually or come together as a whole.Rally People Around a CauseResearch shows that teams can achieve the extraordinary when they shift mindsets from task- or project-based work to cause- or missionbased work. A mission or cause is lofty and felt palpably and it inspires people to make a big impact. Adding passion and pride to a teams work drives better, more innovative outcomes but also fuels engagement.Train People How to See YouAt every turn on the job, youre training people how to perceive you. Teams represent an ongoing way to actively shape how youre seen - both strategic ally and on an everyday level. Everything from the language you choose to the kind of physicality you bring to meetings shapes how youre known.Challenge Directly Dont Be Talked OverHow many times have you looked back and thought, I wish I stood up for myself more back there We all have such occasions but by being prepared with a range of strategies to get back in the game, you can reassert yourself with ease. You can practice interrupting interruptions and becoming more of a direct, incisive communicator.Leverage the Magic RatioWhether you realize it or not, part of your team role with any group is team steward. In fact, this distinction is often what differentiates a leader from just a team member. Be a force that harnesses positive interactions among team members and take a leadership role in building the levels of openness and psychological safety felt by the team.This article first appeared on Be Leaderly.