To be a team leader...

What You Need to Know to Be a Team Leader
By Gary S. Topchik
Teams are all the rage in the workplace today, and every organization I know speaks of the importance of teams. But just because a group of people work together does not necessarily make them a team. There are essential elements that identify teams, and nurturing them will help you become a good team leader.
Beyond the Buzz WordLet's begin with a definition of what a team really is. Teams are groups of individuals who accomplish designated objectives by working interdependently, communicating effectively, and making decisions that impact their day to day work. So the first question to ask your self is, "How close does my team come to this definition?" If it doesn't measure up to the definition, then you are not really leading a team. You are probably managing a work group.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a work group. A work group can achieve great results with your close supervision. The idea, however, in today's changing organization and our competitive global marketplace, is to develop teams that can work autonomously without your close direction and support.
In a team, members share decision-making and often build consensus, with two-way communication between manager and members. There are joint work assignments and accountability on both the individual and team levels.
In a work group, the manager is the decision-maker, and there is a one-way, top-down pattern of communication. Each member has individual work assignments, and each person is held accountable and appraised by the manager.
Three Measures: Team or Work Group?
Whether you operate as a work group or a team depends on three factors.
The skill and motivational level of members. Skilled and motivated employees need to be able to make decisions on their own and communicate upwardly when they need to. This is a model for working as a team.
The nature of the work. Some work situations do not call for members to make decisions together, nor is there a need for much two way communication among team members and their manager. But if there is a need for both, you have a team.
The manager's belief that individuals can work autonomously and interdependently. This attitude is essential for today's workplace. When managers do not hold this belief, they will favor the work group over the team.
Five Keys to Team SpiritIn order to get a group of individuals to function as a team, five keys need to be present. Missing one of these keys can prevent a team from achieving full health.
Clearly defined goals, roles, and responsibilities. Every team member needs to know what he or she is supposed to accomplish and how it fits in with what other team members do.
Open and honest communication among all team members. Team members cannot hold back on any comments that will help the team grow and prosper.
A supportive and knowledgeable team manager/leader. The team leader has to have the technical knowledge of what the team is doing, as well as be able to motivate and inspire the team.
Decision-making authority for daily work. Members must be allowed to make decisions that impact their work products and services. When we give people ownership over what they are doing, they perform much better.
Rewards and recognition for accomplishing goals. Without rewards and recognition, teams will not sustain high levels of performance. Members need ongoing reminders that their efforts are valued and appreciated.
Your Next StepAt your next team meeting, talk about these five keys of team spirit and ask your team to rate themselves on each one. Their answers will let you know if they see themselves as a work group or a team, and where their strengths and weaknesses are. It will make for a great discussion.

My first experience...

My First Experience of Business and Life Communication in USA

I have presented the "DOVE" promotional campaign in the East Bay. Was it difficult? It was for me. Fortunately, by that time I have already learned a lot about problem of not speaking the proper English and not knowing the social environment and its unwritten rules.
For instance, (when I just moved to USA) I responded in a very rude manner to the girl who said a compliment to me.
- Hey, I like your pants! - she said
- My pants are not your business! - I replied.
The American girl was startled and shocked.
The reason why I was so rude to her was I transformed my origin Russian perspective and experience on the situation. In my country people don't say compliments to each other if they are not friends or acquaintances. However, in order to rub, some stranger could approach you, saying something like: “Oh, nice watch.” or “I like your diamond necklace.” It would mean: fork it out or else.
It is very important to know about person’s/parties’ culture and background if you are interacting with them: negotiating or just speaking in a business matter or your regular life.

Negotiation: Summaries

"Essentials of Negotiation" by R. Lewicki, B. Barry, D. Saunders

The Nature of Negotiation: Chapter 1
The negotiation is introduced as a typical life event of our society. Average American couple (Joe and Sue Carter) is brought as an example of the role model of everyday negotiation in regular social and personal life. Nature of negotiation depends from reason, situation, relationship, mutual adjustment, strategy, purpose, etc.: There are two main reasons: to get something or resolve the conflict. The chapter gives explanation how to manage the conflict what strategy to choose and what result to expect.

Strategy and Tactic of Distributive Bargaining: Chapter 2
The chapter introduced a general structure of distributive bargaining situations, strategy and tactics that is useful for those situations. This type of bargaining is competitive and conflict kind negotiation, so it is important to be prepared and start with proper set, target and resistance points. It is very important to have a reasonable resistance point and gather as much as possible info about other party positions, interests and (if it is possible) resistance points, which is not easy. The chapter gives reader clue about possibility and necessity to influence other party belief in order to succeed in the distributive negotiation.

Strategizing, Framing, and Planning: Chapter 4
The chapter discusses the key factor for negotiator to know how to plan a successful negotiation.
Negotiator should determine the goal (specific or general). Goal could be intangible or tangible. Goal can shape the frame and frame can shape the goal
Negotiator should choose the strategy: competition, collaboration, avoidance and accommodation
Negotiator should be aware of principle of framing, how it impacts the negotiation and what following consequences to expect.
Negotiator should know that negotiation is evolving and changing negotiators as well predictably.
Planning process of negotiation includes goals, strategy, frames and predictable stages. Knowing that and effectively perform at each level promises a successful achievement in negotiation.

Perception, Cognition, and Emotion: Chapter 5
The chapter analyzes role of perception, cognition and emotion in negotiation. The chapter presents perception process and four types of distortions: stereotyping, halo effects, selective perception and projection. Chapter explaines how faming influences negotiation. The chapter describe how to manage misperception and cognitive biases in negotiation, how mood and emotions affect negotiation. (from book)

Communication: Chapter 6
The chapter is showing what is communicated and how people communicate during negotiation using language, non-verbal communication and selection of a communication channel. The chapter advises how to improve communication in negotiation. (from book)

Finding and Using Negotiation Power: Chapter 7
The chapter discussed the nature of negotiation power and five major source of power:
1. Informational
2. Personal
3. Position-based
4. Relationship based
5. Contextual

Ethics in Negotiation: Chapter 8
The chapter identify ethical and unethical tactics.Deceptive negotiators ask themself
1. Will they really enhance my power and help me?
2. How this tactic affects our relationship in a future?
3. How this tactics would affect my reputation?

Leadership: Summaries

"Leadership Communication" by Barrett D.J.
Developing Leadership Communication Strategy: Chapter 1
The chapter teaches how to build communication strategy to succeed in approaching the communication goals and how to avoid barriers and skip the obstacles that may stop the idea from approaching the oriented audiences. Chapter explains how to create a communication goal, build a leadership communication plan, analyze audiences, and shows how to make well written and logical letters so it will help to achieve the goal.

Creating Leadership Documents: Chapter 2
The chapter teaches how to create leadership documents that express communication purposes. This chapter explains how to use skills of choosing a purpose, developing a strategy, analyzing an audience, and picking the most effective organizational structure for creating business documents. In addition, this chapter discusses how to make the documents clear to an audience by using a logical structure and effective organization and by making sure the documents conform in content and format to expectations in the typical professional setting.

Using Language to Achieve a Leadership Purpose: Chapter 3
At the beginning of the chapter there is a very short, clear and right to the point discription - four main objectives about what reader would learn from the chapter.
How to...:

1. Achieve a positive ethos through tone and style;

2. Communicate in a style that is clear and concise;

3. Use business language correctly;

4. Employ efficient editing techniques.

Developing and Delivering Leadership Presentation: Chapter 4

The chapter teach how to present topic, usinf three-P method.

1. Plan presentation: choosing strategy, analyzing audience, selecting delivery method, establishing logical structure.

2. Prepare presentation: developing introduction, body and conclusion; creating graphics; testing flow and logic; proofreading and practicing.

3. Present topic/idea: controling your nervousness; delivering w. PPT; handling Q and A's; conducting post-presentation assessment.

Using Graphics and Power Point for a Leadership Edge: Chapter 5

The chapter teaches readers how to use visual material for a leadership presentations and projects to support messages. It warns to be careful and concentrate on presentation not on the tools. Power Point is one of them, which provides a leadership edge and helps to project a positive ethos.

Developing Emotional Intelligence and Cultural Literacy to Strengthen Leadrship Communication: Chapter 6

The chapter teaches readers how to:

1. Appreciate the value of emotional intelligence

2. Take steps to increase personal self-awareness

3. Improve personal nonverbal skills

4. Improve listening skills

5. Mentor others and provide feedback

6. Realize the value of cultural literacy

7. Use a cultural framework to understand differences

Leading Productive Meetings: Chapter 7

The chapter presents how to :

1. Decide when meeting is the best forum

2. Complete essential meeting planning

3. Conduct the productive meeting

4. Manage meeting problems and conflicts

5. Ensure meetings lead to action

Building and Leading Hight-Performing Team: Chapter 8

This chapter is about how to:

1. Build an effective team

2. Establish the necessary team work process

3. Manage the people side of teams

4. Handle team issues and conflicts

5. Help virtual team succeed

Establishing Leadership through Strategic Internal Communication: Chapter 9

the chapter is about how to:

1. recognize the strategic role of employee communication

2. Assess internal communication effectiveness

3. Establish effective internal communication

4. Use missions and visions to strengthen internal communication

5. Design and implement effective change communication

Negotiation: Maps

Chapter 12:

Best Practices in Negotiation

Chapter 11:

International and Cross-Cultural Negotiation

Chapter 10:

Multiple Parties and Teams

Chapter 9:

Relationships in Negotiation

Chapter 8:
Ethics in Negotiation

Chapter 7:
Finding and Using the Negotiation Power

Chapter 6:
Communication

Chapter 5:
Perception, Cognition, Emotion

Chapter 4:
Strategizing, Framing, and Planning

Chapter 3:
Strategy and Tactics of Integrative Negotiation
Chapter 2:
Strategy and Tactics of Distributive Bargaining

Chapter 1:
The Nature of Negotiation

Leadership: Maps

Chapter 10:
Leadership throught Effective External Relations

Chapter 9:
Establishing Leadership through Strategic Internal Communication

Chapter 8:
Building and Leading High-Performing Team

Chapter 7:
Leading Productive Meetings

Chapter 6: Developing Emotional Intelligence and Cultural Literacy
to Strengthen Leadership Communication

Chapter 5:
Using Graphics and Power Point for a Leadership Edge

Chapter 4:
Developing and Delivering Leadership Presentation

Chapter 3:
Using Language to Achieve a Leadership Purpose

Chapter 2:
Creating Leadership Documents

Chapter 1:
Developing Leadership Communication Strategy

I was and I will...

I was born in USSR, a country, which doesn't exist anymore. Simply, people all over the world called it Russia. My dad was a military officer, so we moved around the continent a lot. We lived in Moldova, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Russia and Kazakhstan. So, it is difficult to tell what my home town is; however, I consider Kazakhstan as my home country. I finished high school there, built my career and gave birth to two amazing kids.
In high school along with academics I learned how to shoot a gun, figure skate and ride a motorcycle. I have gotten a few awards at the national and regional gun shooting championships in Kazakhstan. I was very curious, brave and hungry for life with all its consequences. I laughed and cried loudly and honestly without looking back.
I guess from constant moving from place to place with my parents, I got a passion for exploring new cultural environments, meeting new people, learning about various traditions and customs and being ready to express myself in different circumstances. I think this is why I chose to be a journalist.
After I graduated from main university of Kazakhstan, I began developing my interesting career. I worked for the big and small TV stations as for big and small newspapers. At age 24-25, I have gotten my own TV show for youth and teens, "Specter". There was music, politics, news, interesting people and controversial opinions. I loved it a lot.
My life situation changed unexpectedly and drastically; I was offered to direct public relations in Superior Court. Later this job brought me to a law enforcement field and “made” me a policeman. In police department I again managed the public relations sector. My job was about what Americans used to watch on the TV show called “Cops”, "Cold Case", "ID", etc. I was participating in criminal investigations, arrests, rides, surveillance events and brainstorm meetings. I was cameraman, announcer, editor, script writer, policeman, coy and car driver all at once because of the job circumstance. While working for police, I gained a gigantic life experience when good and bad, life and death, bravery and betrayal exists together. I appreciate that period of my career a lot. It has given me understanding of life meaning, I became more mature, tolerant and wise at that job. I can tell a lot of sad, scary and funny stories about my work of that period.
When I turned 30, I accepted a new job offer as a chief-editor of the regional government newspaper. It was a small piece of official mass media, but very snobby and conservative, kind of old communist style. I decided to refresh a form and content of the newspaper and make it closer to all readers. Through the Peace Corp I invited two volunteers from England and USA to share their publishing experience and teach me something new that I didn't know. They came. It was very unusual for a small city in Kazakhstan, and news got spread all over the country. My colleges from different mass media formation, TV, radio and newspapers, interviewed me and wrote about my brave revolutionary steps. Unfortunately, municipality wasn't very happy about that, so I didn't stay long at this position. However, I never regretted about what I did because I felt so good by telling people the truth. Besides, there was another consequence: distributing district manager from San Francisco Chronicle became my husband. This is how I end up in California.
Of course I went through terrible cultural shock. When I came, I had an idea that America is waiting for me and would be happy to have me as a professional and strong person and journalist. Alias, I was wrong. Americans struggle many obstacles to achieve their goals, the same way Russians do. When I figured that out, I faced a dilemma: to go to school and get an academic knowledge or begin working and assimilating into society and learning unwritten social rules and Americans’ habits. I was hesitating to make any choice, so I did the both. I took a few English and Math classes in a community college; I worked as well. Finally, I realized that I am not progressing any more and need to do something new to move forward and grow up as a person. I finished computer school and received QA Engineer certificate, but felt like I was not at the right place. There were a lot of people who would like to do this job, but didn’t get an offer because I was occupying the position. So I left the field because I didn’t want to live with that guilt.
My next idea was to become an ultrasound technician. I hope I made a right decision, to take the course at Lincoln University. It is my first semester and it is difficult to tell yet what my future is going to be. Ideally, I will finish the 2-year program and start working in medical field. After that I don’t want to stop studying and would like to proceed my goal of becoming a real professional. Ultrasound, I believe, has a big future (not only in medical field but in physical science in general), so there is never end for growing up and improving. I am committed to it.

By Diana Wagle