Self mastery is knowing your own motivation. These are the things that inspire you to do your best. If you know your motivation it will be easy for you to reach your goals, all you need to do is to focus on your motivation and everything else will follow. Motivation should come from your own self. You don't expect someone to motivate you. It is important that you are able to motivate, coach and know yourself first before you can effectively lead other people.

Self mastery is knowing your skills and talents. You know the things that you can do to accomplish a task. You know your strategy to achieve your goals because you know what you can do.

Self mastery is also knowing your communication and leadership style. If you know your own style, you can easily adapt to different personality. You know what to do in situations wherein people interaction is needed.

Hence, it is vital that we assess ourselves first and learn how to analyse our own strengths and challenges before we aspire to become a leader of others. It is like making ourselves our own guinea pig. Try some of these suggestions in using this theory in your leadership training. These are the same activities that I have used when I conducted the Leadership thru Self Mastery training for my team. You can expect an impressive result in the motivation and performance of your team members.

Perform these activities with your team:

Activity 1

Self Evaluation and Action Planning

1. Let them identify their strengths and challenges
2. Let them identify action plans that will enable them to further hone their strengths and address their challenges
3. Ask them what are the results that they are expecting based on their action plans?

Activity 2

Who is your Idol?

Ask them to answer these questions:

1. Among the famous leaders who do you look up to? What are his/her characteristics that you would like to have?
2. What are the characteristics that you both have?
3. What are the challenges that you both have?
4. What is your “IDOL” doing to address these challenges?
5. Describe a situation that you encountered in the past and how your “Idol” handled it. If you were the Leader, would you have handled it differently? How and Why?

Activity 3

Self Mastery vs. Leadership

Self-Mastery

• Ask them to analyse their current performance (i.e. quarterly performance, comparison of 2 months performance)
• Ask them to identify their current strengths and challenges
• What are their action plans?
• What are the results that they expect?
• Ask them to coach their self. (Using 3rd party - example: Hi! (say your name) I have identified that your strengths are….)

Leadership

• Choose a Partner
• Ask them to analyse their partner's performance (i.e. quarterly performance, comparison of 2 months performance)
• Let them identify their partner's strengths and challenges
• What are their action plans for their partner?
• What are the results that they expect?
• Ask them to coach your partner

Notice that most people who can easily coach their “self” can effectively coach other people. They are able to come up with good and attainable action plans for their partner because they know which action plans work for them and they can easily identify action plans that will just result to failure. Hence, the results of the action plans are impressive, realistic and fast.

This is a good preparation for aspiring leaders to first be a self-leader.

Model Break Down:

Major Steps:

1. Socialization:

   This step focuses on developing ties with students before the goal is announced, creating personal ties with one another. This step also helps people acknowledge who is better to work with and create relationships that may be beneficial in the future.

   • Compressor:

     Confirm relationships with other students, and develop closer ties with those who connect better than other students

2. Create and Assess:

   This step is about creating a team, where all members have been introduced and know a little bit about each other. This is a short process, due to the step before, where social ties were formed already. This step also brings together the group and clearly defines what the goal is. By combining everyone's individual thoughts, the group can move forward together.

3. Compressor:

   Review the goal individually, taking notes of what to do, so that you can share with the group. Looking over the goal, brainstorm ways of sharing the workload in correspondence with everyone's strengths.

   • Throttle:

     If the group created does not seem to feel comfortable, then go back and try to deepen relationships with each other to make a stronger team. Also, if the assessments made by the group members do not seem to agree, try and meet to develop a more common solution.

4. Divide and Develop:

   Now the team must focus on breaking the work evenly amongst itself so that the work may be done in time, and in respect to everyone's strengths. Not only is it divided, but also the team will schedule a set time table for when work must be completed and when to meet to check everyone's progress. Each member is encouraged to make sure they all do their parts so that the project may come together in later stages and meet the set deadlines in their schedule.

5. Compressor:

   After receiving the individual assignment, each member should review their part. As each team member nears completion of their part, keep in mind to review your work before showing it to the group.

6. Throttle:

   If the individual assignments do not seem to work, simply try to reassign the tasks, or change them. If team members begin to fall behind in their work the task may be too much for one person to bear, so simply try and split it. It is possible to underestimate a task in the earlier stage and not realize it until actual work is being put in.

7. Merge:

   In this step, the team meets to combine the individual parts of the project so that they have a rough copy of what they wanted as their final project. This step is done when all the deadlines for each person has been met.

8. Compressor:

   Even though everything is now in place, do not forget it is still a rough draft and must be proof read and corrected by everyone

9. Throttle:

   If the individual part is not completed to the satisfaction of the other members, then the member responsible must continue on their part until it is ready

10. Conquer:

    This is the last step in the model. Simply put, this step is after the project has been double checked and accepted as finished by all team members and can now be handed in.

11. Throttle:

    If something is still not right with the project then the team must go back and continue to work on it until it is corrected

Meeting Components of Critical Thought:

Clarity:

Our thesis statement is properly stated in the beginning and labeled. Our model is clearly labeled and color coded, to make it organized and easy for the reader to find the corresponding definitions.

Accuracy:

The information and components of the model were based off of the Drexler, Sibbet and Forrester Model, and also the Tuckerman Model. These models are cited at the end of the report.

Precision:

Each step in the model is clearly described in the flowchart. The whole process is based off of our team's personal experience. As you go through a step the compressors help explain the steps that can push you forward and if there is trouble in one step you can go back and reflect on what may have been wrong using the throttle steps.

Relevance:

This project focused on a group working through a Triple E project. Triple E calls for a limited amount of time for a lot of work to be produced.

Depth:

The research was sufficient because it was based off the creation of our own group. It is thoughtful and convincing because it was formed by the group and thus tailored to our own group. This model also differs from the Tuckman model because our model's first step is applied anytime before the team making process is applied. We also include steps that go back to previous steps in case of any trouble with the group.

Breadth:

Points on social interaction, teamwork, and other topics were explored. Each member contributed their ideas and views towards the final product. We kept the final process because it embodies each member's ideas than the others before.

Logic:

Our model is a completely autonomous process. The model is a complete embodiment of our ideas and expresses our thesis and point of view the way we feel is best.

Do you inspire others to get where you are and beyond? Or do you hoard information, in the hopes that if you know more your job is secure? Are you seeking more knowledge about how to deal with people and not getting anywhere? For the last few years I have used many different styles of leadership and management, here are the top five that have worked for me, they apply to both leadership and management and hopefully help you get more out of your team and co-workers alike:

1. Take Time to Listen

   Our days are filled with extreme work loads, headaches at home, and the hassles of everyday life-we all have bad days. If you see that one of you team members is having “issues” and it is reflecting in their work and disturbing others around them, take them aside (preferably in a private office or break room), ask them what the problem is and listen to what they say. Nine times out of ten it is not as bad as what they think it is, it could be as simple as having trouble with day care or as complicated as coming up with money to pay off bills. By simply listening to them and offering to help them find a solution will pay you back in dividends ten fold. Now they see you care about their personal well being and when you ask them to do something you can expect quicker results and more productivity from them.
   

2. Give Your Team a Vision

   Let your team know what is expected of them, show them the big picture as a team how they contribute to your organization, then show them individually, if they know what they are doing has a purpose, a goal, or an objective to meet they will work harder to help you accomplish it.
   

3. Learn What Tools You Have

   None of us are perfect and mistakes can happen, build a team concept of working smarter not harder. Many companies do not use all their tools to their full extent. For example a company may deal with a lot of different excel spreadsheets, but do not know that access can make them easier to maintain, build better reports, graphs, and have one area for a large amount of data just to name a few. Learn what tools you have available to you. As you learn them pass on what you learn to your team or co-workers. This will make the work place more fun and they will want to come to work.
   

4. Deal With Conflict Quickly

   As soon as you know there is a problem deal with it. Don't wait and put it off, the sooner the conflict is resolved the better for the team or others working around them. Not everyone is going to get a long, solving the problem may be as easy as moving the person to another team or work area, the idea is deal with conflict immediately and to take appropriate action, if your team sees that you have low tolerance for conflict but work fairly to resolve them they will trust you and let you know before a conflict does a rise.
   

5. Recognize Individuals or Team

   We all want to be acknowledged for the work we do, a simple thank you, gift card to Starbucks or healthy bonus (we all want more money don't we?) or a certificate, anything that says job well done. Make a big deal out of it; others will work harder in hopes of getting the same recognition. If you reward big, you get big results.

I wish you great success and a life of fulfillment.

Distribution of a meeting agenda prior to the meeting gives people a chance to prepare for the upcoming meeting. Some of the worst meeting results come from those meetings where attendees don't know what the meeting is about. By providing a copy of the agenda beforehand people can prepare for topics to be covered in the meeting. While in the meeting it is helpful to provide a hard copy of the agenda or display it visually for all to see. This allows the Chair of the meeting to move through topics while showing attendees the progress of the meeting.

Time Limit

It is important to set a time limit for the meeting. This should be noted on the agenda which is distributed prior to the meeting. One of the main reasons that meetings are unpopular is because they run for so long, and often with little being accomplished. For example, a thirty minute meeting will have its time divided across the topics on the agenda, with more time given to topics which require it. As the Chair of the meeting, it is up to you to decide the time limit and allocation of time to topics on the agenda. This allows all attendees to know beforehand how much time will be spent on each topic. It is important to stay to the time schedule of the meeting.

Staying on Track

Keeping the meeting on topic is not always easy and for this reason many meetings will stray from the meeting's objective. It is the responsibility of the meeting Chair to keep the meeting on track. A good start to accomplishing this is the distribution of the agenda beforehand. Most office meeting rooms will have a clock on the wall. If a clock is not available use your wristwatch which should be place in front of you on the meeting table.

As the meeting moves from one topic to the next it is helpful to specifically introduce the purpose of the next topic. This creates focus in communication and avoids non value added discussions. If more time is required for a topic, it should be noted and recorded in the minutes or follow up items for relevant parties to meet outside the meeting on the topic. Facilitating discussions is helpful to keep personalities in check and keeping the meeting on track and on schedule.

Meeting Follow Up/Next Steps

This is as important as the agenda as it sets the stage for the next meeting. Specific action items should be recorded with assigned names to them. If a topic on the agenda runs over its allotted time, it should be recorded in the Next Steps minutes for the relevant people to meet on their own to continue discussion of the topic. Any action item in the minutes should also have a deadline which is often the date of the next meeting. The date of the next meeting may not be decided yet in which case the minutes will say that the next meeting will be announced.

Effective meetings can be a worthwhile forum for needed communication and action.

They're missing the secret I've found in the soup.

Stone Soup does have a wonderful heart-warming story of how some travelers start a big pot of soup during a famine such as what happens during war. All the visitors have is water, fire, and the magical stone that gets all the attention. They stir and stir, then start whiffing at the "smell" of boiling stone soup. Yum! They exclaim. If only there were some cabbage, and someone shows up with a little cabbage, hoping to share the stone soup. Yum! If only there were salt pork. Someone shows up with the salt pork and the story goes on with a normal delicious soup recipe (minus the stone). Everyone enjoys an abundant meal and the townsfolk offer to buy the stone. The answer is no, and the travelers leave the town.

It is really quite a brilliant story. Everyone puts in a little and everyone gets a lot.

What did the original visitor bring to the soup, though? Yes, they brought work by gathering the firewood. They brought water from the town well, which is more work. They brought a stone, but what is the stone, really? What metaphor is the author trying to convey to us all? That is the true secret of this story.

The stone is dull. It's unremarkable in every way. So, why does it get all the attention and why wouldn't the original owner sell it? (S)He had convinced the townsfolk that it had magic, and it would be an easy thing to take them for a ride, then skip town before they realized what reality was.

Here's the secret to the stone.

Intention

I can hear your thoughts now: What? Intention? That's Law of Attraction stuff! I can't use that in my business!That's just all wishful thinking and lots of hoping. You can't take wishes to the bank.

Now, you're ready to hear how to apply the secret.

To gather people to you who will create the vision you intend , you must first have the vision and believe it will happen so you can share it with those who gather. Let me put it more succinctly: See the end, then start.

You won't need to demand your employees work together. They will automatically come forward with the next piece of the puzzle to make what you're seeing real. You can smell that soup and wouldn't it be grand if you only had some carrots? You can see your business as brilliantly successful and in demand if only you had some _____. Let your employees fill in the blank! Your business will grow by leaps and bounds the more you let your experts show you what to do next in order to fulfill your vision.

Conflict is in itself inevitable in group relationships. People have different thought processes and opinions. They have different likes and dislikes, different philosophies and different religious beliefs. People have different ideas about the right and wrong way to do things or about right and wrong in general. All of these collective aspects of the individual personality can cause conflict when groups of people come together.

Conflict according to Mayer (1989) can be a source of, joy or pain, a burden, a blessing or curse, a gift or a torment, depending on how it is handled.

There are quite a few factors that can affect the productive behavior of a group. Common pitfalls according to Capezio (1996 p. 71) are a lack of principles for effective teamwork, having ineffective meetings, inability to give effective feedback, not having a climate for mutual respect. Capezio states that often teams are put together without considering what will determine their success.

Two teams have formed and are meeting to discuss and plan an assignment. Team A has decided to meet at a night club so that they can have drinks while discussing the assignment and charter. Team members Abby and Bob arrived early and have already had a number of beers and are now a little bit tipsy. Connie and David arrive and are a little disgusted to see that Abby and Bob are a little buzzed and wonder if they will be up to having the meeting.,

They state they are fine. David is a little perturbed as he wanted to meet at the library since he needs to get a good grade to keep his scholarship and wanted to get down to the business of studying. Evan and Francesca arrive late but the team goes forward with their plan for the assignment. David takes the lead and gets down to business, he suggests that they state their strengths and weaknesses and assign tasks. They simply put on their charter that they want to assist each other in getting the best grade possible but do not lay out a plan of action. Their first draft is due in two weeks. Francesca says she is good at research so she has volunteered to do the research for the team. David wants to write the paper and does not want the help of the group. He says he always gets good grades especially in writing so he will do the paper. He wants the topic to be on Computers in the workplace.

Francesca thinks, “Boring!” He then tells Abby and Bob that they can do the research for the paper completely ignoring the fact that Francesca has already volunteered to do it and then assigns the outline for the draft to Connie. David has taken on a leadership position within the group. Abby and Bob are ordering more drinks and are not really paying attention to what is going on in the meeting. Francesca has nothing to do but doesn't say anything. They have not taken notes and have not written down phone numbers or email addresses.

David says he will get copies of the charter and the log to all of them when they meet in class but that he should have the research no later than Wednesday of the upcoming week. When the group shows up for class, David makes sure to give the copies of the team charter and team log to the team members and asks Abby and Bob how the research is coming. Bob just smiles and says, “It's coming.” By Wednesday David checks his computer and has seen no research. He emails Abby and Bob and copies the rest of the team. He sends the message in capital letters so it appears that he is yelling.

Abby doesn't appreciate the tone of the email so she just quickly emails David that she is working on it! Bob totally ignores the message. It is now the Saturday before the draft is due and David has not received anything. Connie says she cannot do the outline because she has not seen any of the research. David quickly looks up some information and emails it to Connie. Connie stays up late reading the research and does the outline and emails it to David. It is not what David was looking for so he completely changes the outline and writes the paper. He is mad that Abby and Bob have not participated and sends the paper over to without their names on it

Teams need to discuss before hand situations that have previously caused conflict within the group and set down guidelines and develop principles within their charter to prevent escalation from occurring and establishing an atmosphere that promotes mutual respect within the group.

In situations where teams may need to address issues of conflict, teams need to focus criticism on the behavior and not on the individual. They should acknowledge the concern and seek to resolve those issues for the benefit and success of the group. They should communicate with respectful language and avoid name calling, or pointing a finger of accusation at another member. They must consider the common goals set within the charter governing how the team should behave as a whole and come to a mutual agreement that would conform to the set guidelines of the charter.

When teams agree to a standard set of principles that will govern the way they behave as a group and abide by those guidelines they may be able to prevent escalated behavior before it ever happens. By acknowledging problems that have occurred in the past and seeking to implement ways to prevent and to resolve issues is the first step in a successful team relationship.

Second, it is necessary for you to build a training program for your team. Let all the members of your team know the culture of your company, and learn the working skills. In this way, you can let them know your special skills, also, they can show their skills, too. You should know that if you want a knife sharp, grind it in a right way. What's more, the rich culture of the company and skill training offers a way to keep the good team members in your company.

Third, it is important to develop a good and strict style of work in your team, and each member should understand that they come into the company to work, not to play as at home.

Fourth, apply humane management, and be strict with any work of your team , but the relationship between the team leader and the members should be harmonious. The team leader should think in the position of the members, and think about how to coordinate the work among members to let them in good mood, and how to establish good relationships between and among members of this team.

This is a main characteristic of successful team. The team leader must be trustworthy, dynamic and have clear strong leadership to the assigned task. Team members must not be perplexed and to build strong team, team leader should have dominating role to lead team.

In an organization, many teams handle projects and each team works according to goal set by an organization. Each team has varied goals, point of reference and attitudes in an organization.Team building is a challenge for manager. Success of an organization depends on how team is working and stepping towards objective.