Uz8THWPXwhl-unsplash

This is part 6 of 8 in the significant seven teaming questions. Previous parts can be found on my website (timshaw.co.za under Shaw to Shore articles).

Once you have the team’s attention the aim is holding the focus on what’s most important.

Life’s a battle and it’s never going to be easy because of the many diverse distractions combined with an ability to hold your nerve, to hone in, and to keep going when it appears that things may be going south.

Naysayers and team protagonists can be extremely damaging to morale and focus. Successful people and team leaders keep their eye on the ball and will always be asking what’s really important, what is at stake and what should their priorities be.

You will often need to juggle a number of balls simultaneously which is why priorities are important. Work hard you will, but if you drop the glass ball amongst the rubber ones it could really hurt you.

Can you tell when the team starts to lose its focus?  What indicators do you look for and how do you use your critical thinking skills to make mid-course corrections when they become necessary?

Did you know that the American Management Association in researching great leaders in various businesses and professions could only find one common principle which applied to all of them – persistence? Impossible without focus.

Staying focussed on the course is one of the greatest leadership qualities, yet it won’t happen without a battle. Your team can’t change the past and what’s happened but starting now they can create a brand-new beginning by focussing on the future. It will give them hope.

For peak concentration and focus have your team snack on pistachios, they have proven to produce more gamma waves. Eat your heart out and feel the buzz!

I am the author of Leading Self and Others (how to make a difference where you are with what you’ve got) and Teaming with ideas (life lessons in teams – from business, sport and parkrun). You can contact me here.