Transforming the ELT (Part 4 of 5): Through DYNAMICS

A Note from Our Founder

Do you see the hearts at the center of the dancing flames above? This is the candle on my alter, where I’ve gotten into the practice of setting my intentions each day — something I started doing after attending a spiritual retreat a couple of weekends ago.

While I gained much from the retreat, this act of taking the time to chart the course of my day has been one of the greatest gifts, and a reminder of the power we all have to choose where we direct our focus and energy.

My intention that particular morning was to bravely embrace moments where I find my voice to say what needs to be said to the right person(s) at the right time, directly and with love, and to open my heart to receive in kind, such that it extends the gateway for positive shifts and outcomes for all involved.

As I held my intention and gazed closely at the flickering flames, my eyes were suddenly met with these two hearts…an image and message I took with me throughout the day. The magic that was born from that simple intention was beyond measure. May we all find the stillness we need, if even for a moment, to set our intentions for how we want to live and lead. And may we give and receive the gift of such deep connection with ourselves and each other as we move forward with heart and purpose each and every day.

In your corner,

Gretchen

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Integrated Growth is Going on TOUR!

And we’d love to see you along the way!

Our founder, Gretchen, is going “on tour” between now and mid-June, and she’d love to see you in-person!

If you’re curious about what Integrated Growth’s unique brand of leadership and organizational support could do for your team, this is a great opportunity to schedule your very own ELT Acceleration Session.

Follow the arrows and create your own personalized detour.

Email Gretchen at [email protected] to inquire about availability!

MARCH ARTICLE: Transforming the ELT (Part 4 of 5): Through DYNAMICS

You know how they say you never forget your first love? I feel that way about the first team I ever truly loved being part of.

I remember the first day I walked into that office, a mix of excitement and nerves bubbling inside me. But as I looked around, I saw not just colleagues, but people who genuinely enjoyed being there. The laughter that echoed through the halls, the high-fives exchanged after a well-executed project, the impromptu brainstorming sessions over coffee – these were the moments that built our foundation. We weren’t just coworkers; we were a team in the truest sense.

That’s us in the image above; we had a great time working together because we all wanted to be there. Beyond that, we clearly loved hanging out together outside of work, too. Some of our best ideas weren’t born in boardrooms, but over dinner, during a hike, or in casual conversations after hours.

If you were to be a fly on the wall during our day-to-day operations, you might think our team was simply a lucky combination that occurred by happenstance. The truth, though, is that we built that team from the beginning, and we did it on purpose. We created it carefully, thoughtfully, and with communication, consideration, and shared goals in mind, all while being very clear about our expectations of each other. Every person we welcomed into our circle was chosen not just for their skills, but for their alignment with our culture as well. And the way we onboarded them? That was equally intentional. We ensured they understood both the work and the heart of our team.

The magic wasn’t just in our enjoyment of one another’s company; it was in seeing our progress, meeting our goals, and overcoming obstacles together. The way we celebrated victories, big or small, fueled our drive. It wasn’t just work; it was a shared mission, shared passion, and shared commitment to the work and to each other that made all the difference.

Read on to discover the power of strong team dynamics.

Team Norms: The Foundation of a Healthy Team Culture

When I ask clients if they have team norms, I often notice some heads nodding yes, others nodding no, and yet others looking at me with a bit of bewilderment in their eyes.

The truth of the matter is any group of individuals who come together have team norms. Think of your family, even!

The question is whether they are by default or deliberate, and whether they are functional or dysfunctional.

Here are a few simple questions to help your team define its team norms with intention:

1. How do we need to behave as a team to stay true to our mission and achieve our goals together?
2. What behaviors could get in the way that you want to avoid??
3. What do these agreed upon team norms look like in day-to-day interactions?

Once you’ve defined your team norms, it will be important to put them into practice immediately and bring them to life over time. Ask yourself (and your team) the questions below as you prepare to keep your team norms alive within your organization:

1. How will I keep myself accountable to them?
2. How will we keep team members accountable to them?
3. What tactics will we use to keep them front and center as a team?

For additional support with defining team norms based in your team’s values in order to support positive dynamics, take a look at our Values in Action worksheet.

Contact us to facilitate this process for your team, as the facilitation can be just as important, if not more, than the questions themselves.

EQ Framework: Emotional Intelligence Supporting Team Dynamics

Emotional Intelligence refers to:

• an ability to recognize emotions in yourself and others,
• understand the information and meanings that emotions offer,
• and use that information to reason, problem-solve, and act effectively in response to presenting emotions.

Above is a model that we have adapted from Dr. Daniel Goleman and many others' work around Emotional Intelligence. It is a simple 2x2 outlining 4 competencies of emotional intelligence. On one axis is your focus (inward or outward), the other axis is your expression (observe or act).

A large part of creating healthy team dynamics is possessing a high level of emotional intelligence to understand others and adjust to the individual needs of your team members.

Want to test your own level of emotional intelligence in order to best serve your team?

Take our free Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment

Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams from Isolated to ‘All In’

What would you do with an extra 40 seconds in your day? Yes, that's right — just 40 seconds.

Most might think there's not much one can actually do with that time, but according to the bestselling book, "Connectable", it can be the difference between an employee checking out or tuning in.

According to the book's findings, isolation and disconnection at work can result in employees who are:

• 7X more likely to DISENGAGE
• 5X more likely to MISS WORK
• 3X more likely to UNDER-PERFORM
• 3X more likely to QUIT

But all of these can be counteracted with CONNECTION — creating a sense of unity, acknowledgement, and teamwork that minimizes the feelings of loneliness and isolation and capitalizes on human connection to drive real results.

An article from McKenzie, too, shares that “team-focused transformations can lead to 30 percent efficiency gains”. So, the next time you have an extra minute (literally!), look someone in the eye, ask them a question and really listen to the answer, or just share a genuine smile and wait to receive one in return. These small actions add up and can make a huge impact on your team being a united force.

Find Connectable here.

Special Offer: 15% Off Insights Discovery ENDS April 1!

Insights Discovery is a powerful, practical model that helps individuals understand themselves better, leading to positive impacts in the workplace and beyond.

Based on four color energies, Insights Discovery helps individuals learn more about their preferred behaviors, the strengths they bring and the challenges they’re likely to face. It shows us how we prefer to act - or the space we’re most comfortable in - while giving us the awareness needed to draw on our less inclined behaviors to handle the demands of specific situations.

Key Outcomes:

• Enhances self-awareness for individuals, teams, and leaders, driving business success.
• Improves relationships and effectiveness through deeper understanding.
• Strengthens communication, collaboration, leadership, and decision-making.

Special Offer:

Book a workshop by April 1, 2025 (to be held any time in 2025) and get 15% off materials (for new Insights clients). Email Gretchen at [email protected] to claim this offer.

Special Offer: 25% Off Integrative Enneagram ENDS April 1!

Curious about the Enneagram? Wondering how it can be used to support your personal, professional, and team development?

The Integrative Enneagram is a powerful tool for revealing the underlying patterns that subconsciously drive and shape our personalities and how those personality traits imprint upon our leadership style. Bringing these motivating forces into consciousness allows us to transcend our habitual responses, cultivating the development of more fulfilling, healthier behaviors incorporating best practices from neuroscience, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence.

Special Offer:

Receive 25% off the Enneagram Professional Report and a 75-minute debrief if booked by April 1, 2025.

?($565; savings of $185)

OR

Receive 25% off the Enneagram Professional Report & a 1:1 Development Coaching Package including the 75-minute debrief PLUS 2 coaching sessions to dig deeper and establish a personalized development plan.

($1300; savings of $450)

Email Gretchen at [email protected] to for more details.

Featured Resources and Articles from the Integrated Growth Archives & Beyond

RESOURCES:

Radical Candor by Kim Scott

Connectable by Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen

Value-in-Action Worksheet

Tea Talk with Gretchen: The Value of Values

Tea Talk with Gretchen: How to Identify Organizational Values

ARTICLES:

Building Connection by Integrated Growth

The Power of Synergy by Integrated Growth

All about teams: A new approach to organizational transformation by McKinsey & Company

Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter as we continue our series on Transforming the ELT, focusing on the ‘E’ (Execute) of the PRIDE Model of Team and Organizational Performance.

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Integrated Growth has been developing leaders, mobilizing teams, and transforming organizations since 1998. Founded by Gretchen Reid, their team of highly skilled consultants and executive coaches are known for building award winning leadership development programs, facilitating strategic planning and team development initiatives, and providing executive coaching to help you achieve your greatest mission. We invite you to schedule a free consultation or visit www.integratedgrowth.com for more information.