A Sense of Vulnerability

I find one of the most important attributes when working with a lteam is to build a sense of vulnerability. What I specifically mean is that a team creates a working atmosphere where they can open up and ask for help when it's needed or to share a mistake when it happens.

For most teams, especially corporate, this tends to be completly counter intuitive. We are hard-wired to make decisions to avoid pain rather than gain pleasure. So to ask a group to, for example, ask for help or additional resources can be a challenging step.

Once a team is able to establish an environment where they know they won't be attacked or ridiculed a deeper and stronger relationship is established. This is key to establing stronger communication and information flow amongst team members.

People get over the hurdle of interpersonal discomfort and can directly speak without the person feeling he/she is being attacked. (Interpersonal discomfort is that feeling you have when you would rather not have to have the difficult conversation with someone in fear you might hurt or spoil the relationship).

By establishing a working environment where vulnerability is encouraged, people are more willing to give each other corrective/supportive feedback, confront each other's ideas and opinions, ask for resources or help and so on.

It takes time to build, but the investment is well worth it. I've seen it pay off time and again.

- On the road with my iPhone