You’ve probably heard the expression “There is no “I” in Team.” That refers to the fact that the word TEAM does not have an I in it, but more to the point, it stresses that we can work together better when we focus on we, the team, rather than just focusing on what I want.
As a twist on that familiar saying, I propose that there are THREE I’s in today’s pandemic-impacted teams: Intentional, Interested, and Informative.
As a result of conversations with my clients, Chat comments by virtual keynote audiences and discussions with in-person participants, I’ve noticed a trend in the way teams now work.
The “Triple I’s’ as I call it, sums up the three ways in which team members are now interacting differently than they did before the pandemic lockdown.
These three I’s can also serve us well going forward:
Intentional
Instead of waiting for informal interaction to happen organically around the proverbial water cooler, hybrid team members have had to be more intentional in creating opportunities to interact and connect with each other. That connection might be a scheduled Zoom call, a text or email to “check in” or an actual in-person meetup. These days it takes a little more thought and planning to make teams work.
Interested
The days of separating our work lives from our home lives are over. Because of the pandemic lockdown, we’ve gotten used to the balancing act of getting through a Zoom call despite a disruptive debacle in the background—and have become more forgiving of others in the same situation. The flexibility, empathy and grace that came out of that pandemic-induced ordeal will forever cause us to be more “interested” in who our team members are beyond their work role. It has now become more acceptable to ask how someone is doing as a person, not just as an employee.
Informative
Because of the remote and hybrid nature of many teams, it has become even more important to stay in regular communication and keep each other informed. I’m reminded of an employee I had years ago when I was a new supervisor who said, “If you don’t tell us what’s going on, we’re going to make something up!” And the tendency to fill the void with our own imaginations is even more likely now that we may not be seeing each other face to face daily.
How can you put the “Triple I” into action? What are some ways that you can be intentional about creating team connections, show interest holistically in other team members and focus on being informative to keep the lines of communication open?
