In this presentation, the Learning Maverick explains why team members act selfishly rather than "teamishly." He suggests ways to use reinforcement of teamish behaviors.

1. WHY TEAMS AREN‟T “TEAMISH”
And What You Can Do about It
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

2. About this Booklet
• Although I present this in the form of a PowerPoint
presentation, this is really a booklet to be read and not
something to be projected on a wall in a group setting.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs
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3. About this Booklet
• Although I present this in the form of a PowerPoint
presentation, this is really a booklet to be read and not
something to be projected on a wall in a group setting.
• If you‟d like others to read this, please send them a link
via Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook, rather than distribute
hard copies. I‟m told that this will increase my ranking on
Google and thus my chances of becoming rich and
famous one day.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

4. About this Booklet
• Although I present this in the form of a PowerPoint
presentation, this is really a booklet to be read and not
something to be projected on a wall in a group setting.
• If you‟d like others to read this, please send them a link
via Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook, rather than distribute
hard copies. I‟m told that this will increase my ranking on
Google and thus my chances of becoming rich and
famous one day.
• If you‟d like to have a version of this booklet suitable to a
group setting, or a cooler, more interactive version
suitable for online self-study, just ask; you‟ll find my
contact info on the final slide.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

5. Homage to Peter Block
• The basic thrust of this article was inspired by Peter
Block‟s great book, Flawless Consulting. Read it,
especially if you are an internal consultant.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

6. Homage to Casey Stengel
• According to Casey Stengel, Hall of Fame manager of the
Yankees and the Mets…
• “Getting great players is the easy part; the hard part is
getting „em to play together.”
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

7. Your Objective
• You will find this short read very helpful if your objective is
to…
• Increase the ratio of “teamish” behavior to selfish
behavior among the members of your team.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

8. Teamish is…
• What are the behaviors you‟d see if teamwork among
members of your team was extraordinarily good?
• Come up with at least a few answers before advancing
to the next slide.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

9. Teamish is…
• Here are some words and phrases often used to describe
teamish behaviors:
• Pitches in without being asked.
• Shares information and resources.
• Asks others: “How can I help?”
• Asks others: “How are things going for you?”
• Recognizes the efforts and accomplishments of others.
• Seeks the opinions and insights of others.
• Expresses concerns openly.
• Seeks first to understand, then to be understood.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

10. Selfish is…
• What are the behaviors you‟d see if teamwork among
members of your team was extraordinarily bad—if your
players were consistently selfish?
• Come up with at least a few words or phrases before
advancing to the next slide.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

11. Selfish is…
• Here are some words and phrases often used to describe
a selfish worker:
• Hoards rather than shares information and resources.
• Takes actions without considering their impact on
others.
• Demonstrates indifference to the efforts and
accomplishments of others.
• Turns a deaf ear to the opinions and insights of others.
• Nurses grievances privately.
• Always attempts to get their way.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

12. The Root Cause is…
• Now imagine that we could rate a team by percentile
according to its Teamishness/Selfishness (henceforth T/S)
ratio.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

13. The Root Cause is…
• Now imagine that we could rate a team by percentile
according to its Teamishness/Selfishness (henceforth T/S)
ratio.
• Now ask yourself what would be the probable causes of a
low T/S ranking?
• Think of at least several possible answers before
advancing.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

14. Selfish People?
• If you answered “selfish people,” you are right in a way,
but your answer just raises another question; “Why are
your selfish teammates acting selfishly much of the time?”
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

15. Selfish People?
• If you answered “selfish people,” you are right in a way,
but your answer just raises another question; “Why are
your selfish teammates acting selfishly much of the time?”
• This isn‟t a trick question; try to think of at least one
answer before advancing.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

16. The Joys of Selfishness
• Now ask yourself the question, “What are the rewards of
acting selfishly?”
• Think of at least one or two answers before advancing.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

17. The Joys of Selfishness
• Here are some of the answers you may have thought of…
• Praise
• Recognition
• Status
• Flexibility
• Money
• Fame
• Ease
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

18. Crazy?
• Now ask yourself, “What idiot would reward selfishness
with praise, money, status, etc?”
• Try to think of at least one answer before turning the
page.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

19. Crazy?
• This one has a correct answer: The idiot who rewards the
selfishness of your team members is…you! (Assuming, of
course, that you are the team‟s leader.)
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

20. Crazy?
• This one has a correct answer: The idiot who rewards the
selfishness of your team members is…you! (Assuming, of
course, that you are the team‟s leader.)
• You may talk a good game about teamwork, but when it
comes to doling out the goodies, you are probably
delivering them on the basis of individual achievement
and not on the basis of contribution to the team’s welfare.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

21. Crazy?
• This one has a correct answer: The idiot who rewards the
selfishness of your team members is…you! (Assuming, of
course, that you are the team‟s leader.)
• You may talk a good game about teamwork, but when it
comes to doling out the goodies, you are probably
delivering them on the basis of individual achievement
and not on the basis of contribution to the team’s welfare.
• As Pogo once said…”We has met the enemy, and they is
us.”
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

22. Money
• As many researchers have found, money isn‟t the
greatest motivator, but it‟s the most tangible payback for
performance and behavior, so I‟ll start with it.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

23. Money Questions
• Ask yourself these two critical questions:
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

24. Money
• Ask yourself these two critical questions:
• Have I based my decisions about raises, bonuses and
promotions more on an individual‟s achievements, or
more on their teamishness?
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

25. Money
• Ask yourself these two critical questions:
• Have I based my decisions about raises, bonuses and
promotions more on an individual‟s achievements, or
more on their teamishness?
• Does the individual clearly understand that their raises,
bonuses and promotions have been based more on
their contribution to the team‟s success rather than on
their individual achievements?
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

26. Money
• Ask yourself these two critical questions:
• Have I based my decisions about raises, bonuses and
promotions more on an individual‟s achievements, or
more on their teamishness?
• Does the individual clearly understand that their raises,
bonuses and promotions have been based more on
their contribution to the team‟s success rather than on
their individual achievements?
• If you answered no to these questions, you probably need
to increase your reinforcement of teamish behavior.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

27. Fame, Glory, Praise, Recognition
• Social rewards such as praise and recognition often play
a greater role in shaping someone‟s decisions than does
money or the prospect of promotion. Chances are good
that you supply these rewards, too, based more on
individual achievement than on contribution to the team‟s
effort.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

28. Fame, Glory, Praise, Recognition
• Social rewards such as praise and recognition often play
a greater role in shaping someone‟s decisions than does
money or the prospect of promotion. Chances are good
that you supply these rewards, too, based more on
individual achievement than on contribution to the team‟s
effort.
• Examine your conscience concerning social rewards, and
consider adjusting the balance of reinforcement of selfish
and teamish behaviors.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

29. Get Granular
• All of us are mostly blissfully unaware of the messages
we are sending to others via our “non-verbals”—things
like our facial expressions, body language, eye contact,
intonation, etc.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

30. Get Granular
• All of us are mostly blissfully unaware of the messages
we are sending to others via our “non-verbals”—things
like our facial expressions, body language, eye contact,
intonation, etc.
• Your employees are paying much more attention than you
think to your non-verbals and may look for your true
meaning in them rather than in your words.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

31. Get Granular
• All of us are mostly blissfully unaware of the messages
we are sending to others via our “non-verbals”—things
like our facial expressions, body language, eye contact,
intonation, etc.
• Your employees are paying much more attention than you
think to your non-verbals and may look for your true
meaning in them rather than in your words.
• Become more aware of your non-verbals, and do your
best to ensure that they reinforce teamish behavior.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

32. Teammate-to-Teammate
• You aren‟t the only supplier of rewards to your team
members. Particularly when it comes to social
recognition, teammate-to-teammate interaction can
greatly influence behavior.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

33. Mate-to-Mate Reinforcement
• The behaviors your team members are reinforcing in one
another may be teamish or selfish.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

34. Mate-to-Mate Reinforcement
• The behaviors your team members are reinforcing in one
another may be teamish or selfish.
• Why would one team member reinforce selfishness in a
fellow team member?
• Try to think of an explanation before advancing.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

35. M2M Reinforcement Explained
• There are at least two possible explanations for
teammates reinforcing one another‟s selfishness:
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

36. M2M Reinforcement Explained
• There are at least two possible explanations for
teammates reinforcing one another‟s selfishness:
• They‟ve seen it done so often by others—including
you—that it doesn‟t occur to them not to reinforce
selfishness.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

37. M2M Reinforcement Explained
• There are at least two possible explanations for
teammates reinforcing one another‟s selfishness:
• They‟ve seen it done so often by others—including
you—that it doesn‟t occur to them not to reinforce
selfishness.
• They are demonstrating “You scratch my back and I‟ll
scratch mine.” (This is a sort of “conspiracy of
selfishness.”)
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

38. M2M Reinforcement Explained
• There are at least two possible explanations for
teammates reinforcing one another‟s selfishness:
• They‟ve seen it done so often by others—including
you—that it doesn‟t occur to them not to reinforce
selfishness.
• They are demonstrating “You scratch my back and I‟ll
scratch mine.” (This is a sort of “conspiracy of
selfishness.”)
• What can you do if mate-to-mate reinforcement is
reinforcing the wrong behaviors?
• Try to think of an answer before advancing.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

39. Reinforce Your Reinforcers
• If mate-to-mate reinforcement is reinforcing the wrong
behaviors, your role is to “reinforce the reinforcers” for
reinforcing the right behaviors.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

40. Reinforce Your Reinforcers
• If mate-to-mate reinforcement is reinforcing the wrong
behaviors, your role is to “reinforce the reinforcers” for
reinforcing the right behaviors.
• How much of this do you need to do? Simple…do it until
you see the change in behavior that you are driving for.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

41. Punish Your Reinforcers?
• Would it ever be appropriate for you to punish your
teammates for reinforcing the wrong things in one
another?
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

42. Punish Your Reinforcers?
• Would it ever be appropriate for you to punish your
teammates for reinforcing the wrong things in one
another?
• No, unless something really heinous is going on, which is
highly unlikely.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

43. Your Boss is Part of the Problem
• Chances are that your boss is also a part of your problem.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

44. Your Boss is Part of the Problem
• Chances are that your boss is also a part of your problem.
• If the boss provides feedback to your team members that
reinforces selfishness, it‟s your job to change your boss.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

45. Your Boss is Part of the Problem
• Chances are that your boss is also a part of your problem.
• If the boss provides feedback to your team members that
reinforces selfishness, it‟s your job to change your boss.
• “And how the heck am I going to manage that?” you ask.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

46. Your Boss is Part of the Problem
• Chances are that your boss is also a part of your problem.
• If the boss provides feedback to your team members that
reinforces selfishness, it‟s your job to change your boss.
• “And how the heck am I going to manage that?” you ask.
• The answer is that you have much more potential
influence over your boss than you might think. Just say,
“Thank you for letting Jack know his importance to the
team effort,” and keep at it and, eventually, the boss will
have acquired a new habit.
• It‟s not that simple, of course, but I‟ll leave a full
treatment of the topic of reinforcement for another time.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

47. Who‟ll Reinforce Your New Behaviors?
• Okay, let‟s take a look at the things we‟ve added to your
to-do list today. You now know that you must:
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

48. Who‟ll Reinforce Your New Behaviors?
• Okay, let‟s take a look at the things we‟ve added to your
to-do list today. You now know that you must:
• Reduce your reinforcement of selfish behavior.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

49. Who‟ll Reinforce Your New Behaviors?
• Okay, let‟s take a look at the things we‟ve added to your
to-do list today. You now know that you must:
• Reduce your reinforcement of selfish behavior.
• Increase your reinforcement of teamish behavior.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

50. Who‟ll Reinforce Your New Behaviors?
• Okay, let‟s take a look at the things we‟ve added to your
to-do list today. You now know that you must:
• Reduce your reinforcement of selfish behavior.
• Increase your reinforcement of teamish behavior.
• Reinforce your team members‟ reinforcement of
teamishness in one another.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

51. Who‟ll Reinforce Your New Behaviors?
• Okay, let‟s take a look at the things we‟ve added to your
to-do list today. You now know that you must:
• Reduce your reinforcement of selfish behavior.
• Increase your reinforcement of teamish behavior.
• Reinforce your team members‟ reinforcement of
teamishness in one another.
• Reinforce your boss‟ reinforcement of teamish behavior
by your team members.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

52. Who‟ll Reinforce Your New Behaviors?
• Okay, let‟s take a look at the things we‟ve added to your
to-do list today. You now know that you must:
• Reduce your reinforcement of selfish behavior.
• Increase your reinforcement of teamish behavior.
• Reinforce your team members‟ reinforcement of
teamishness in one another.
• Reinforce your boss‟ reinforcement of teamish behavior
by your team members.
• I‟m asking a lot of you, I know. I also expect you to fail.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

53. Who‟ll Reinforce Your New Behaviors?
• Okay, let‟s take a look at the things we‟ve added to your
to-do list today. You now know that you must:
• Reduce your reinforcement of selfish behavior.
• Increase your reinforcement of teamish behavior.
• Reinforce your team members‟ reinforcement of
teamishness in one another.
• Reinforce your boss‟ reinforcement of teamish behavior
by your team members.
• I‟m asking a lot of you, I know. I also expect you to fail.
• Unless…
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

54. Engineer Your Own Reinforcement
• You‟re not any different than your team members or your
boss. The odds that you can acquire new behaviors are
unfavorable, unless a new stream of reinforcement begins
to flow in your direction.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

55. Engineer Your Own Reinforcement
• You‟re not any different than your team members or your
boss. The odds that you can acquire new behaviors are
unfavorable, unless a new stream of reinforcement begins
to flow in your direction.
• Some of that reinforcement might flow from your team
members and some might flow from your boss, but don‟t
count on it. Instead, devise ways to give yourself
reinforcement for doing the right things.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

56. Engineer Your Own Reinforcement
• You‟re not any different than your team members or your
boss. The odds that you can acquire new behaviors are
unfavorable, unless a new stream of reinforcement begins
to flow in your direction.
• Some of that reinforcement might flow from your team
members and some might flow from your boss, but don‟t
count on it. Instead, devise ways to give yourself
reinforcement for doing the right things.
• How are you going to do that?
• Try to come up with at least one idea before advancing.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

57. Be Your Own Scorekeeper
• How are you going to reinforce yourself?
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

58. Be Your Own Scorekeeper
• How are you going to reinforce yourself?
• If you keep a journal, use your daily entries to explore
your reinforcing efforts of late. Even just making
shorthand notes on your calendar is a form of
journaling.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

59. Be Your Own Scorekeeper
• How are you going to reinforce yourself?
• If you keep a journal, use your daily entries to explore
your reinforcing efforts of late. Even just making
shorthand notes on your calendar is a form of
journaling.
• You also might find it helpful to keep a reinforcement
log. (This has a multitude of benefits outside the scope
of today‟s topic.)
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

60. Be Your Own Scorekeeper
• How are you going to reinforce yourself?
• If you keep a journal, use your daily entries to explore
your reinforcing efforts of late. Even just making
shorthand notes on your calendar is a form of
journaling.
• You also might find it helpful to keep a reinforcement
log. (This has a multitude of benefits outside the scope
of today‟s topic.)
• Another approach is to keep up a list of your “Personal
Best” days, and keep trying to better your best.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

61. Be Your Own Scorekeeper
• How are you going to reinforce yourself?
• If you keep a journal, use your daily entries to explore
your reinforcing efforts of late. Even just making
shorthand notes on your calendar is a form of
journaling.
• You also might find it helpful to keep a reinforcement
log. (This has a multitude of benefits outside the scope
of today‟s topic.)
• Another approach is to keep up a list of your “Personal
Best” days, and keep trying to better your best.
• Do enough of the above, and you‟ll soon see changes in
your team‟s T/S ratio.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

62. Mum‟s the Word
• Please don‟t announce your determination to transform
your team. This could inflate your team members‟ anxiety
and/or set them up to judge your every action to see if you
are really walking your talk.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

63. Party Poopers
• Don‟t be surprised if some of your players resist your shift
in focus to teamishness.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

64. Party Poopers
• Don‟t be surprised if some of your players resist your shift
in focus to teamishness.
• These are typically those who have received a lot of
reinforcement—until now—for having achieved much as
an individual contributor. They may resent any movement
of your spotlight away from their spot on the stage and
may “act out” their resentment until they are convinced
that they can‟t move you backwards.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

65. Party Poopers
• Don‟t be surprised if some of your players resist your shift
in focus to teamishness.
• These are typically those who have received a lot of
reinforcement—until now—for having achieved much as
an individual contributor. They may resent any movement
of your spotlight away from their spot on the stage and
may “act out” their resentment until they are convinced
that they can‟t move you backwards.
• Be brave and hang in there!
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

66. And in Conclusion
• It may take some time, but you can definitely increase
your team‟s ranking on the percentile scale as far as
teamish behavior goes.
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

67. And in Conclusion
• It may take some time, but you can definitely increase
your team‟s ranking on the percentile scale as far as
teamish behavior goes.
• Is it worth the trouble?
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

68. And in Conclusion
• It may take some time, but you can definitely increase
your team‟s ranking on the percentile scale as far as
teamish behavior goes.
• Is it worth the trouble?
• I think it is. You‟ll be amazed at how much easier your job
will become and how much more fun it will be once you
“get the players to play as a team.”
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

69. And in Conclusion
• It may take some time, but you can definitely increase
your team‟s ranking on the percentile scale as far as
teamish behavior goes.
• Is it worth the trouble?
• I think it is. You‟ll be amazed at how much easier your job
will become and how much more fun it will be once you
“get the players to play as a team.”
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs

70. Thanks!
• Thanks for reading this little treatise. I‟ve always liked
visiting (your town) and spending a little time with you,
(your name.)
• If you‟d like to provide feedback or tell a bit about your
own experiences, I‟d be delighted to hear from you. You
can reach me through several channels:
• 720/951-5440
• dennisafahey@maverickld.com
• Learningmaverick.com (WordPress)
• @dennisafahey (Twitter)
© 2012 Maverick Learning Designs