Team building, differently
You
act all day long at work, but is it the right performance?
A concept first introduced by Jung and commonly agreed in psychology circles, we humans operate a number of different personas. Who we are by day in our work environment is usually thought to be very different from our persona at home with family or out with friends. Although most of us aren't necessarily inventing a completely new character from one scenario to the next, our professional and personal success will still often rely on how we transition between the two.
To some degree at least, our role at work means we need to adopt a character – or a particular persona – to achieve success. We all play these roles, to varying degrees, based on what is being demanded of us and by whom.
Learning
your lines
In today's crowded commercial landscape, to be successful, your businesses need to tell a tale. It needs to be “loud and clear”, and every person in the business has an important part to play in telling that story. To be successful, everyone should be telling exactly the same story, in the same way, and working towards the business' common goals.
From
the founder or owner, who defines and refines the narrative, to the front line
staff member demonstrating the business's values at the front door (literally or
figuratively – a social media community manager, for example), the message
needs to be unified and authentic. It's how you build trust, which is the way you build
a relationship with your customer.
So, “acting” is not confined to the stage. The fundamental skills that actors learn enable them to convey scripted characters and personas, and it's no different in the workplace. A small-business owner or start-up entrepreneur who successfully trains their team to really embrace their roles – and so “act” more convincingly – can improve both personal and professional outcomes.
Embracing your collective “why“
Every
company, regardless of size, wants its employees more engaged. Team building
benefits individuals as well as the business, and even the smallest companies which
participate in team building are taking a step within the right direction.
The more everybody inside your team speaks a similar narrative, the greater authentic and believable your company story is. High achieving businesses know their story: theirs is a high sense of self-belief and a clear knowledge of their “why”. with both being conveyed boldly for their customers.
With confidence in your collective “why”, your team will be better equipped with a sense of personal leadership, rely upon themselves to convey the message, and connect authentically with clients, collaborators, and co-workers.
Storytelling
at work
Regardless
– or perhaps even in spite of – the widespread integration of video and other
communications technology during 2021, human to human connection is imperative
towards the success of any business. Communication skills will enhance your or your
team's performance at work, including:
- listening and understanding
- how you interact with others (internally and externally), and
- how you represent yourself through body language.
Communication
is about the whole story and acting plays most in communicating that
story.
If employees can collaborate more effectively with each other, they will work more efficiently and efficiency improves individual performance and impacts the team's overall success. Your individuals are your storytellers, so the story of the success will be ultimately enhanced through the success of your people.
