I had a pretty good week even though it was a rollercoaster ride.
The highlight for me was getting to work on a project with a co-worker that I don't usually work alongside. The one time we have worked together there was some serious friction. This time, things were different and I've been assessing why it was different.
She joined the staff only 8 months ago and her role has shifted a few times keeping her and the rest of us a little off-balance. The last project she and I worked on I was under the impression that she was my superior. I kept trying to follow her but she wouldn't lead. She got really frustrated with me and I with her. I couldn't seem to figure out how to solve our conflict even though I tried several times. She ended up talking behind my back a bit but I just let it go.
I couldn't figure out why things went so badly.
Now, looking back, I realize that she is not a leader and I kept treating her like she is. She has no clue how to lead and she desperately needed direction. Every time I tried to assert some, even a little bit, she would argue and become irritated. I would back down because....well, I believed she was my superior.
This time I treated her as I would a teammate and things went great. I was firm with her about making our meetings and doing her part. She responded well and we worked great together. As soon as she got focused in we started clicking. Now she will get to present the project to the President and she is open to me coaching her on her presentation. She has mentioned more than once that this has been the best partnership she has experienced since joining our staff. She is amazed out how differently we worked together this time around.
It's incredible what establishing clear roles does to make a team work well together. Without that clarity we were both frustrated and the partnershp dissolved. Knowing who had what authority allowed us to click and a little synergy actually happened!
I love team!