"Never above you. Never below you. Always beside you"
According to a study conducted by Google, I learned the #1 most important ingredient within successful teams is psychological safety.
I view that as the way people feel when they are in a specific environment. Can they show up to that space and be their authentic self or do they need to adapt their personality to the cultural norms of that specific environment?
I believe asking engaging questions to team members is a great place to start! In the picture above, I had the amazing opportunity to create a team building workshop for about 50 kids! Although I was tasked with organizing activities the kids participated in, I learned so much from observing and asking questions! They shared what obstacles they faced when trying to organize each other without talking based on a category like their birthdays. They told me they had fun bonding with their teammates on a deeper level during the breakout groups. A few of them had lightbulb moments where they realized they weren't just on a basketball team, they were apart of a family (my heart was happy after hearing that)!
It's a competitive advantage to have a team view themselves as a family. They may not always agree on everything, but they will always have each other's backs.
Finding a balance of genuine curiosity and getting out of our own personal comfort zones to engage in somewhat vulnerable conversations, can lead to developing a psychologically safe environment. As you can see in the above picture, I always want to be viewed as a member of the team. I want to be viewed as knowledgeable and confident with the information I am communicating but most importantly, I want to connect and allow everyone to feel safe and comfortable.
I firmly believe the leader with the highest ranking title (Head Coach, Director, CEO, etc) needs to prioritize creating opportunities for their people to connect. A teams overall success is based on the leaders' ability, or lack thereof, to empower every team member...and that starts with asking powerful questions.
A favorite quote of mine that all teams can keep in mind:
"Never above you. Never below you. Always beside you"
Sending positive vibes,
Dan