Step Two – Implementing the Wheel

Once independent relationships have been developed between co-workers (see Step One – Connecting the Spokes), these micro-collaborations can start to be connected to each other, so much so that a full wheel of communication is formed around the manager.

Team members are now communicating through a one-to-one relationship, interacting with their co-workers from a place of respect or ‘like’, and so connecting the spokes of the wheel to create a circular environment that can begin to roll forward.

People begin to be ‘in it for the team’, pushing to reach deadlines in advance so as to accommodate the schedule of a team mate. Once someone has rearranged their own schedule for the sake of the team, the glue holding the collaborative wheel together begins to set, with this commitment and dedication becoming the norm within the team.

The role of the manager now begins to change significantly. He or she is now leading in a completely different manner than before. Rather than controlling the information that is passing along the spokes, the manager is now encouraging the circulation of information, sharing the united goals so everyone within the team is aware of the desired outcome. This union within the team begins to create a We, with peers working together to achieved and carry common goals and objectives forward.

This momentum begins to push the collaborative wheel forward. Team members are now not only committed to each of their independent relationships, but also to the good of the team and their team’s goals, objectives and aspirations.

The next part of Changing Leadership Styles, Step Three – Pumped up Tires, will be explained in the next post.