Speaker #0Hello and welcome to the fourth series of Everything Happens for a Reason, the podcast dedicated to entrepreneurship within the creative industries. My name is Lili Bonnet. And I've been supporting creativity in the broader sense for over 25 years. As a manager, agent, business coach, I help creatives and organizations to grow. My purpose is to breathe more creativity into management and more management into creativity. In this podcast, on the 15th of every month, I welcome a guest with whom I explore the business management, strategic, communication, operational aspects of their job. Whether directly or indirectly, they all share a deep creativity that strongly drives them. And I'm super keen to shed light on these personalities, their visions, their dreams. If you enjoy this podcast for the topics it covers, you will certainly appreciate its sound quality as well. This is thanks to Philippe Drevet, a musician, who also happens to be my husband. He's in charge of the podcast Sound Identity. He composed the original music and produces each episode. Everything happens for a reason. And enjoy the ride In a previous... episode entitled Creative Management online since October 15th, which is season three, episode eight. I talked about that concept because I've been developing it more and more in my coaching approach, whether individual or collective. I invite you to discover or listen to it again. So today I would like to take a closer look at one aspect of creative management. Team building. So what is team building? Well, literally, building a team, it helps to strengthen and consolidate the bonds within a team. Like coaching, the concept comes from the sports world in the United States. Because in a team sport, the most important word is precisely team. When I started working in retail at Levi's in London in the late 90s, I talk about this in the very first episode of the podcast, which I re-aired in August and which you can easily find. It's called How and Why I Launched My Own Business. Anyway, so back to London. As I was saying, my career began in London, where I learned the English side and style of management. And how lucky was I I also learned to be a team player, i.e. an active member, a player within a team. And I remember being told that it only takes one negative element to have a negative impact on the rest of the team. Conversely, it takes more than one person to influence the group positively. It is... therefore essential to cultivate an environment that is conducive to the fulfillment of each individual for the good of all and of the organization. In French, the word we use is seminars. Given its religious connotation, I very rarely use this term. And anyway, if you follow me, you know that I'm a fan of Franglish. Or more precisely, I like to use the world. The world in the language that I feel is the most appropriate to express what I want to say. But we're getting sidetracked here. So what I like about the expression team building is precisely its very active aspect. We build together. Everyone takes part. Everyone gets involved. I find that there's more engagement in the workshops I run. than in a so-called top-down method, which places the trainer in a position of authority, superior to the learner, who is considered ignorant. Team building can take many different forms. It all depends on the number of participants, on the corporate culture, and obviously on the objectives that are set. And it also depends on the person who organizes. And leads the day, or days, as it can even take two or three days. If you call on me, you can be sure that I won't take you to an escape game or laser game, for example. Firstly, well, because it's not my cup of tea. And above all, because you don't need me to organize that kind of activity. It reminds me of a seminar, yes, I'm using that term in this particular case, where our network director insisted on organizing a beach rugby match. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the beach and I love Biarritz, but I'm not so keen on rugby, especially with an ankle that's been weakened by multiple sprains. So I stayed on the sidelines. Without even being able to keep score, since I don't actually know the rules. All this to say that activities, whether it's a yoga class, cooking dinner together, or just a good, you know, brisk walk, well, must be agreed upon and enjoyed by everyone. Of course, we don't live in a perfect world, and there may be opposition or fears or apprehensions. And my role will also be to help. Get everyone on board. I was just talking about the rugby match. I shouldn't have stayed on the sidelines. It would have been important to give me a role, you know, even without actually participating in the match. Obviously, you can't force it, but it's important that everyone has a role, a place, finds their place. And team building helps people find their place. I have a good example with clients. Of course, I'm not going to get into too many details as I value confidentiality. It's part of my ethics. But there was one person in the group who was in total opposition to the rest of the group. And I spent the beginning of the day giving him a voice, which he had, you know, very little within that organization at the time. to allow him to free himself. And this created a bond with the whole team. He actually turned out to be the most enthusiastic at the end of the day, which I wouldn't have expected. But what made him oppose and misunderstand the rest of the group? It was clearly a lack of communication. This, in fact, refers back to the creative management introduction. episode that I mentioned earlier, in which I talk thoroughly about soft skills. What we call the four C's are creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. For me, it's really important that these are the underlying theme of everything that I do, and especially when organizing, conceiving, and facilitating a workshop. Communication is first and foremost about listening. And to listen actively and understand the other person, you need a lot of empathy. Empathy is about trying to put yourself in the other person's shoes, but it's also, as my husband would say, realizing that the other person is not so different from you. This resonates with the four agreements. In French, the book is called Les Quatre Accords Toltecs by Don Miguel Ruiz. One of the four agreements is don't make any assumptions. The other one is don't take anything personally. Because really often, when there is conflict, it is due to misunderstanding. a lack of knowledge about the other person, and a breakdown in communication. Rule number one to a healthy communication is to clarify how we feel. What do I feel? And this is also the first rule to constructive feedback, by the way. It's to speak in the first person. I feel this. When you do this, this is how I feel. And not in a reproachful tone. Of course, this is part of self-development or self-help, as bookstores would say. But it has a professional value. We naturally start with a better self-knowledge, but it's in order to impact our interpersonal relationships in a positive way, hence the collective. So what are the benefits for the organization? Well, if we communicate clearly, both internally and externally, and provided the purpose of the organization is clearly stated and embraced by everyone within the team, then we align with the company values and goals, whatever they may be. The main thing is to move in the same direction. And then the results are noticeable right away. This can be financial results. For instance, there is an increase in performance because people are more fulfilled. They feel more at home. Everything is clear and there is a real impact on turnover. It can also influence engagement. It has been proven that team building reduces absenteeism and sick leave. So overall, well, it's extremely positive. I was talking about beach rugby, which is a counter example, in my opinion. And I also wanted to share a wonderful memory of a team building session. It was with Wool and the Gang. The workshop was organized by Bipol, now called Atelier Saint-Lazare, part of Grand Bureau. And we were invited by Lisa Sabrier. co-founder of the brand, to Grand Montana in Switzerland, near her home. We worked hard and enjoyed the mountains just as much. It was a perfect balance between work and leisure and within a great deal of generosity on all parts. So for me, it's a very good example of effective team building, which helped to strengthen the cohesion of a team that was already really strong and very close-knit. pun intended, and to work towards a common vision and common goals. Whether it's to integrate one or more newcomers within the team, to review the past year and set objectives for the coming month, to address specific issues for which you need perspective and insight, or to brainstorm about a product launch, a new commercial direction strategy, well, there are many opportunities. and the effect will always be beneficial. My added value obviously lies in facilitating the day itself and organizing the event, because I love organizing. And that starts with the preparation. Together, we agree on the main objectives of the team building exercise. And in most cases, I will structure the day in three stages. First stage is the analysis of the preparatory questions that I send out in advance and which I invite each participant to answer. This saves us time on the day and improves everyone's involvement throughout the whole process. Stage two is the actual content, the training tailored to your needs. And stage three is very active group workshops. sometimes solo exercises as well or by pair. And we always finish and end up with an action plan because to me this is crucial. This is part of management. It's always about action plan. Who has to do what, how and when. The key words throughout the day will be friendliness, trust, respect. Freedom of speech, active listening, collaboration, co-creation, synergy, agility, dynamism, and of course, creativity. I mentioned sports in my introduction and I can't help thinking of Ted Lasso. I actually recently discovered this series, thanks to some friends. It's a gem of humor and good spirits. Without wanting to give too much away, no spoiler alert, it's the story of an American football coach who leaves his native Kansas to coach an English football team without knowing anything about this completely different sport. Over the course of the three seasons, we follow the evolution of the AFC Richmond team from defeat to victory. And above all, we see the transformation of each character, always for the best. With one constant pillar, Ted Lasso's deep conviction. He believes in it. In fact, it's one of the keywords of the series. Believe. He believes deeply in his values and in the merits of the team, the collective, and therefore in team building. So much so that by the end of the first season, we actually feel we are part of the team. It's powerful, it's moving, and it feels so good. Obviously, well, it doesn't happen overnight. Nothing happens overnight. But it's so rewarding to observe every tiny change, the individualism transforming into a collective, and the strength, the power of the group. In sports, and particularly in football, sometimes there are divas. And seeing one of the characters with a strong ego becoming a better person, person and serving the collective is so fascinating. Every time I lead and host a training session or workshop, I am extremely touched by the shifts that take place and by the feedback that I receive afterwards. That is exactly my purpose, to inspire. So to wrap this up, I would say that team building consists of. Strengthening team cohesion, uniting around common values and objectives, co-creating, collaborating to define and implement a strategy, and giving new life and momentum to your organization. It is, therefore, a powerful lever of performance while creating bonds and having fun. In short, it's creative management. Thank you for listening. I do hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to share, to spread the love, grant it with five stars on Apple Podcasts, and post your comments on your favorite platform or on Instagram. Stay tuned for the next episode, a new guest on the 15th of each month, a bonus or a solo once in a while. And until then, keep in mind that everything happens for a reason.
