One of the most important questions I pose to teams is Do You Like Your Team or Do You Love Your Team?
In business it is important to distinguish between the two. Most people are in "Like Mode" when it comes to who they work with thinking they don't want to get sideways with anyone - this is the easier route.
For me, liking my team comes down to not wanting to "rock the boat" or truly "get in the mud". When you like a team member, you often feel like you wouldn't want to confront them about an important issue such as productivity, feedback, energy, focus, or time management. Furthermore, when you just like a team member, you are often not receptive to any critique or criticism that person may have, even if it is beneficial to you and/or the team in the long run. It's all status quo.
Likewise, Loving your team means that you are OK getting in the middle of situations because you know that honesty and clarity will only strengthen your team. Loving someone may not always be the easiest way, but it is the best way.
The reason why most people settle for Like instead of Love is because most people are so afraid of losing the perception of being "Liked" and don't see the upside of being Loved. They are apathetic and constantly come up with an excuse - “they will never change" or "it's just the way it is here".
The biggest mistake managers make is not hiring bad employees (you can spot them a mile away!), rather settling for team members you Like but will never Love and likewise settling for team members that will never allow you to love them.
We all want employees that would go to bat for you and the company, grind it out for the team, and would ask everyone around them the hard questions.
If you are looking to move your team from Like to Love, I would suggest opening up lines of communication, trust, and transparency. For me, I sit down with my team every week and hold a Tell Me The Truth Monday meeting. Everyone is encouraged to discuss their workload, whats going right, whats going wrong, and how we can all fix it. The only stipulation is that no one is allowed to put another teammate down, and if you have a criticism, you must be constructive and also come with a potential solution.
Being truthful and honest with each other - this is a recipe to move from Like to Love.
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Quote of the Day: "There's going to be a million of people who love Allen Iverson. There's going to be a billion of people who hate Allen Iverson. Concentrate on the ones that love you and keep steppin." - Allen Iverson
Song of the Day: "Hate Me" by Nas
*My latest book; "Living on Purpose: Stories about Faith, Fortune and Fitness that will lead you to an Extraordinary Life", is available for order - Click Here*
