Tapping into the Team’s Resources by Devon Domanski.
Dave and I were doing an interactive coaching workshop with a group of people that worked in a highly creative field, and wanted to dial into one another to catch up with everyone, share successes and carve out greater efficiencies. We did a lot of different exercises, activities, and reflections to help uncover the roots of their success, and set benchmarks for continued excellence.
And then something beautiful happened.
We asked the group: what skill would you love to share with others, and what skill would you like to learn? Their responses could be professionally, or personally driven. Some people were specific and focused on work, “I want to learn more about Mary’s approach to logistics” Others wanted to share something more personal, “I’d like to teach a photography session to inspire people to capture and share more of our work.” And others were more out of the box, “I’ve always wanted to learn to play the banjo.”
As people shared their thoughts, we captured the teachers, and the teachable topics. We helped them connect the dots so that everyone who wanted to teach something was linked up with the right audience, and the people seeking to learn various things could pursue something new, exciting, and/or useful. People were excited. And laughing. There was an abundance of positive vibrations in the room.
All of these things weren’t necessarily designed to happen in the work place, nor were they meant for EVERYONE to participate in. It was simply driven by people’s interest. Some provided resources on shared drives to review in one’s own time, others scheduled lunch and learns to bring people together, and some committed to linking up with each other before/after work to pursue a little FUN!
Ultimately, this discussion uncovered the untapped resources that were a collective skills bank; allowed people to pursue things that they were excited to teach/learn; empowered the team to go after the things they wanted to grow in both their work and personal lives – acknowledging the employer supported this balance was a big deal to the team (KEY TAKEAWAY FOR LEADERS!). And yes. We found someone who was able to teach our new friend the banjo… and someone who REALLY wanted to duet with her.
So when we’re reflecting on the things we want to give, and receive from others, tap into your surroundings.
The places, the people, and resources that are in close proximity around us can help us reach greater enjoyment, and feel more connected to one another. And help us feel like those things we ‘always wanted to do’ can happen when we just put it out there. How great and easy does that sound? I bet you’re asking your colleagues who can teach you the banjo right now…
How can you tap into the skills and passions of your team?