Description

This book is a fast read and an excellent Right-Minded Teamwork [RMT] primer. It is a terrific way to introduce RMT to teammates. These nine teamwork choices are universal, self-evident, and self-validating.

In this book, each of the 9 Right Choices is defined, and exercises are provided for applying each choice.

You want them in your team.

Right-Minded Teamwork: 9 Right

Here is a brief description of each choice:

1. Make the Right Choice (because all others rest on this one).

To begin, all teammates discuss and enthusiastically agree to take responsibility for creating and following their custom version of Right-Minded Teamwork.

2. Oneness or Separateness: Choose to behave as One.

Your team will not live these first two choices perfectly straight away, but making a wholehearted commitment to Oneness is a crucial first step. As your team practices choosing Oneness, be patient. Be persistent. Conduct continuous improvement workshops every three months to encourage Oneness through Right-Minded Teamwork.

3. Right-Minded communication ends separateness.

In a Right-Minded team, teammates’ communications are effective and kind. They do no harm. They strive to build oneness. Right-Minded communication flows naturally and effortlessly when teammates actively live the first two choices.

4. Meaningful vision is essential to make your team’s dream come true.

Your team’s vision provides the context for choosing Right-Minded behaviors and identifying and executing your team’s continuous improvement operating system.

5. Work Agreements bring teammates together as One.

A team that actively lives its Work Agreements is a team that has established an environment in which teammates forgive past mistakes in the present. These teams have the power to achieve their full potential in the future.

6. Right-Minded teams adopt a “critical few” attitude that ensures they complete important tasks first.

The full-plate syndrome does not tempt or distract Right-Minded Teammates. Instead, they rise above the battleground of busyness by spending their time doing the right things right. They know that trying to do everything is not job security. It is insecurity.

7. Mistakes happen; correct them, don’t punish teammates.

It is natural and safe for Right-Minded teammates to correct mistakes because they know that doing so is one of the most sensible and sane ways to learn. Right-Minded teammates do not fear blame; they look for solutions and focus on growth.

8. Conflict happens: Embrace a classroom mindset and avoid a battleground attitude.

When team conflict occurs, and it will, Right-Minded teammates rise above the psychological battleground, make Right-Minded choices, and find constructive solutions.

9. Positive recognition makes it easier to keep striving to achieve the vision.

Giving and receiving authentic recognition for a job well done feeds team spirit and fuels the Right-Minded Teamwork continuous improvement process.

How to Apply the 9 Right Choices in Your Team

There is no one right way to apply the 9 Right Choices, but here are two possible application scenarios.

The first option is to ask all teammates to read the book Right-Minded Teamwork: 9 Right Choices for Building a Team that Works as One and complete the survey at the end. Compile teammates’ scores and comments and distribute the results to all teammates. As a full team, identify the choices you want to apply in your team.

The second option is, in a team meeting, openly discuss the first two of the nine choices. By the end of the meeting, teammates will have chosen several attitudes and work behaviors to live by going forward. Capture those choices in team Work Agreements.

Leaders & Teammate Actions

Throughout this short 9 Right Choices book, within each choice, you will find a Leader & Teammate Actions section that offers suggested actions you can take. By the time you finish reading the last choice, trust your intuition as to the best way for you to apply these choices in your team. That may mean following the suggested steps in the book, or it may not. I am confident, by the time you read and understand these choices, you, the powerful Decision-Maker that you are, will make the best choice for your team.

It’s about the Dialogue

Regardless of your chosen approach, remember: It is about the dialogue. These choices are undoubtedly important. But they are secondary to your team’s dialogue about them. The goal is to produce a healthy, functional, and empowering team conversation that moves your teammates towards acting and behaving as one. The 9 Right Choices serve as catalysts for your teammate discussions and the eventual creation of team Work Agreements.

Benefits: Why Apply the 9 Right Choices?

When you apply these choices in your team, you will have consciously chosen your team’s “thought system,” thus defining your set of right attitudes and behaviors for achieving your team goals.

With this clarity, unified teamwork becomes effortless, and achieving team goals is inevitable.

Praise for Right-Minded Teamwork

A fast read that takes you straight to the root of team dysfunctions and gives you proven, step-by-step tools to improve team function and deliver results. I have paid thousands of dollars for team trainings and workshops that are better summarized here. I am glad to be reminded to choose Reason over Ego and stay in my right mind.
Robin Hensley, VP IT, UPS

The author of this guide is all-knowing and has clearly and in a pithy way documented the nine steps to bringing a team together: that togetherness and one-mindedness are key elements to an average team doing extraordinary things. Your work provides a roadmap to use in building a team that works. Again, thank you. I always enjoyed our time together and appreciate all you did for me and my teams.
Alan Kleier, Former GM/VP, Chevron

In Right-Minded Teamwork, Dan separates the fun and games of team bonding from the hard work (the muck and mire) of team building. He presents an in-depth model for real-world team building in a realistic, direct, and safe manner. This is a book that you will use and wear out. Right-Minded Teamwork is also a support system, providing a rich array of resources.
Patrick Carmichael, VP Best Practices Institute, Former Head Talent Management, Saudi Aramco

What’s great about the book is that in addition to the process outlined, the author provides supplemental resources and links to additional information to help you out.
Lauren Bailey, Maintenance Superintendent, Chevron

I successfully used the principles of Right-Minded Teamwork in a community mediation. I recommend Right-Minded Teamwork to any mediator engaged in dysfunctional behavior in community mediation.
Rick Murray, JD/Ph.D. Exec. Director, Dispute Resolution Center of the Northwest

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What is “Right” in Right-Minded Teamwork?

It is worth stating and restating: Right-Minded Teamwork has nothing to do with right-brain thinking or right-wing viewpoints.

RMT has everything to do with what you and your teammates collectively decide is “right.”

Your team’s choices – captured in your team Work Agreements – on what acceptable work behavior and efficient processes look like define your team’s Right-Minded Teamwork “thought system.” The “right” way of doing, being, and behaving is the way that is right for your team.

The “right” way [the Right Choice] is how your team decides you will do no harm and work as one.

So, how do you start the team’s discussion about what is right?

You begin by introducing Right-Minded Teamwork to your team (see below: get started with a FREE ebook) and applying the tools and exercises – especially Right Choice – that are presented in these books.

It’s Updated: Right-Minded Teamwork: 9 Right Choices

This book and seven others have been updated and will be republished in a few months. Please, enter your email here to be notified when they are available.

When you drop your name and address in this list, we have a FREE gift for you: Defining Teammate Roles & Responsibilities Excercise using only four questions. I used this exercise in hundreds of teams and they loved it and you will too.

Why Consider Right-Minded Teamwork?

There are many common “team-building” practices out there. Three common team-building avenues include: education, games, and social events. As far as real team building goes, none of these approaches is effective. Not one of them produces proven reliable results.

If you have participated in them, you know what I mean. (For more on why such exercises are not reliable team-building tools, read this article, “10 Worst Team Building Exercises.”)

Still, many well-meaning team leaders continue to use these ineffective tactics, trying to make them work. Usually, this is because they do not realize there is a better way.

Real-World Team-Building: The Better Way!

A real-world team-building approach is the better way. It is also the most reliable way to achieve and sustain high-performance teamwork because it directly addresses real issues in a non-confrontational and compassionate way.

NEWS: Right-Minded Teamwork is a real-world, team-building process. Applied intentionally, it has the power to transform your team, bringing you together to work as one, and allow you to achieve – or even exceed! – your team’s goals.

Learn More – Get Started for FREE

Reason, Ego & the Right-Minded Teamwork Myth: the Philosophy and Process for Creating a Right-Minded Teamwork Works together as One is a thorough and comprehensive introduction to this ultimate and real-world team-building method.

The ebook will always be FREE so why not download it now? Scan the content and read what grabs your attention, and I promise you will know if Right-Minded Teamwork is for you and your team.

If you say “yes” to RMT, everything you need to create and sustain Right-Minded Teamwork is in these eight books.

Download Reason, Ego & the RMT Myth Now.

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Dan Hogan, Certified Master Facilitator