Qualities of a Team Player - COMPETENT

We are continuing to learn and grow in 2014 by developing teamwork skills utilizing the lessons contained in John C. Maxwell’s book titled The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. This book carries the subtitle “Becoming the kind of person every team wants”. Developing a better team always begins with the individuals. To improve the team, improve the individuals on the team.

Quality #5: Competent - if you cannot, your team will not.

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." - Vince Lombardi

"People forget how fast you did a job - but they remember how well you did it." - Howard W. Newton

"Building the team is as important as producing the product." - Bob Taylor

Highly competent people have some things in common:

1. They are committed to excellence.
   1. "Success bases our worth on a comparison with others. Excellence gauges our value by measuring us against our own potential. Success grants is rewards to the few but is the dream of multitudes. Excellence is available to all living beings but is accepted by the few." - Dale Carnegie
2. They never settle for average.
   1. It's hard to develop competence if you are trying to do everything. Pick an area in which to specialize.
   2. What is the one thing that brings together your skills, interests, and opportunities? Whatever it is, seize it.
3. They pay attention to detail.
   1. "Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do little jobs well, the big ones tend to take care of themselves." - Dale Carnegie
   2. It means doing the last 10% of whatever job you are doing.
4. They perform with consistency.
   1. "...inspiration is easy. Implementation is the hard part." - Bob Taylor

To improve your competence:

• Focus yourself professionally
• Sweat the small stuff
• Give more attention to implementation

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Qualities of a Team Player - COMMUNICATIVE

We are continuing to learn and grow in 2014 by developing teamwork skills utilizing the lessons contained in John C. Maxwell’s book titled The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. This book carries the subtitle “Becoming the kind of person every team wants”. Developing a better team always begins with the individuals. To improve the team, improve the individuals on the team.

(c) Renjith Krishnan

Quality #4: Communicative - a team is many voices with a single heart.

"Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people." - William Butler Yeats

To state it bluntly, you cannot have teamwork unless you have communicative players. Without communication, you don't have a team; you have a collection of individuals.

If you evaluate a good team, you will find that its players have some common characteristics. Communicative players:

1. Do not isolate themselves from others.
   1. The more teammates know about each other and about the team's goals and methods, the more they will understand.
2. Make it easy for teammates to communicate with them.
   1. If you look at good leaders and impact players on a team, you will find that they not only stay connected with their teammates but they also make sure their teammates are able to make contact with them easily.
   2. Open communication fosters trust.
   3. If you can include others, do. Certainly you need to be discreet with sensitive information, but remember this: people are up on things they are in on.
3. Follow the twenty-four hour rule.
   1. If you have any kind of difficulty or conflict with a teammate, do not let more than twenty-four hours go by without addressing it.
   2. "Friendship is a slow-ripening fruit." - Aristotle.
4. Give attention to potentially difficult relationships.
   1. Relationships need attention to thrive.
5. Follow up important communication in writing.
   1. The more difficult communication becomes, the more important it is to work to keep it clear and simple.
   2. That often means putting communication in writing.

To improve your communication:

• Be candid.
• Be quick.
• Be inclusive.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Qualities of a Team Player - COMMITTED

We are continuing to learn and grow in 2014 by developing teamwork skills utilizing the lessons contained in John C. Maxwell’s book titled The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. This book carries the subtitle “Becoming the kind of person every team wants”. Developing a better team always begins with the individuals. To improve the team, improve the individuals on the team.

Quality #3: Committed - there are no halfhearted champions.

"Ordinary people with commitment can make an extraordinary impact on their world." - John C. Maxwell

It is not an emotion; it is a character quality that enables us to reach our goals.

"Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it." - George Halas, former owner of NFL Chicago Bears.

There are some things every team player needs to know about being committed:

1. Commitment usually is discovered in the midst of adversity.
   1. As NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi said, "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender."
   2. Committed people do not surrender.
2. Commitment does not depend on gifts or abilities.
   1. Commitment and talent are unconnected - unless you connect them.
3. Commitment comes as the result of choice, not conditions.
   1. When it comes right down to it, commitment is always a matter of choice.
   2. Far too many people think that conditions determine choices. More often, choices determine conditions. when you choose commitment, you give yourself a chance for success.
4. Commitment lasts when it is based on values.
   1. Anytime you make choices based on solid life values, then you are in a better position to sustain your level of commitment because you do not have to continually reevaluate its importance.
   2. It is like settling the issue before it is tested. A commitment to something you believe in is a commitment that is easier to keep.

To improve your level of commitment:

• Tie your commitments to your values.
• Take a risk.
• Evaluate your teammates' commitment.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Ladder Inspections and Safety

There are a reported 136,118 ladder-related injuries in the United States annually! During 2008, work-related falls from ladders resulted in approximately 119 fatalities and an estimated 17,540 serious injuries.

Not all these incidents are due to defective ladders however that can certainly be one of the factors. It is important that ladders are inspected regularly. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires it in several instances:

OSHA 1910.25(d)(1)(x) - Ladders shall be inspected frequently and those which have developed defects shall be withdrawn from service for repair or destruction and tagged or marked as "Dangerous, Do Not Use".

OSHA 1910.26(c)(2)(vi) - Ladders are to be inspected:

(c)(2)(vi)(a) If ladders tip over or
(c)(2)(vi)(d) If ladders are exposed to oil and grease

OSHA 1910.27(f) - Fixed Ladders - All ladders shall be maintained in a safe condition. All ladders shall be inspected regularly, with the intervals between inspections being determined by use and exposure.

These required frequent inspections must be documented. Perhaps the easiest way is to have stickers or tags directly on the ladder itself and to have a ladder log to ensure they are all inspected as required.

Unfortunately frequently is a very subjective word. Truly each ladder must be evaluated on its use and exposure to damaging influences. You will want to inspect a ladder utilized daily that is in a high exposure area much more often than the office step stool used every now and then.

There are also rules for use of all ladders:

• Maintain ladders free of oil, grease, and other slipping hazards.
• Do not load ladders beyond their maximum intended load nor beyond their manufacturer's rated capacity.
• Use ladders only for their designed purpose.
• Do not use ladders on slippery surfaces unless secured or provided with slip-resistant feet to prevent accidental movement. Do not use slip-resistant feet as a substitute for exercising care when placing, lashing, or holding a ladder upon slippery surfaces.
• Secure ladders placed in areas such as passageways, doorways, or driveways, or where they can be displaced by workplace activities or traffic to prevent accidental movement. Or use a barricade to keep traffic or activity away from the ladder.
• Keep areas clear around the top and bottom of ladders.
• Do not move, shift, or extend ladders while in use.
• Use ladders equipped with non-conductive side rails if the worker or ladder could contact exposed energized electrical equipment.
• Face the ladder when moving up or down.
• Use at least one hand to grasp the ladder when climbing.
• Do not carry objects or loads that could cause loss of balance and falling.

Although ladders are part of our everyday life at both work and home, it is important we do not take them for granted. Ensure you inspect and utilize ladders appropriately.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Qualities of a Team Player - COLLABORATIVE

We are continuing to learn and grow in 2014 by developing teamwork skills utilizing the lessons contained in John C. Maxwell’s book titled The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. This book carries the subtitle “Becoming the kind of person every team wants”. Developing a better team always begins with the individuals. To improve the team, improve the individuals on the team.

Quality #2: Collaborative - working together precedes winning together.

"All your strength is in union, all your danger is in discord." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

(c) jscreationzs

Cooperation is working together. Collaboration is working together aggressively. Collaborative teammates do more than just work with one another. Each person brings something to the table that adds value to the relationship and synergy to the team. The sum of truly collaborative teamwork is always greater than its parts.

Becoming a collaborative team player requires a change in focus in four areas:

1. Perception: see teammates as collaborators, not competitors
   1. Usually when you collaborate with others, you win, they win, and the team wins.
2. Attitude: be supportive, not suspicious, of teammates
   1. To collaborative team members, completing one another is more important that competing with one another.
   2. It's a matter of attitude...If you trust people, you will treat them better. And if you treat them better, you and they will be more likely to create collaborative relationships.
3. Focus: concentrate on the team, not yourself
   1. As a person on a team, you will usually ask one of two questions when anything happens: "What's in it for me?" or "What does this do for the team?" Where you focus your attention says a lot about whether you compete with others or complete them.
   2. "True progress in any field is a relay race and not a single event." - Cavett Roberts
4. Results: create victories through multiplication
   1. Collaboration has a multiplying effect on everything you do because it releases and harnesses not only your skills but also those of everyone on the team.

To become a collaborative team player:

• Think WIN-WIN-WIN.
• Complement others.
• Take yourself out of the picture.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Qualities of a Team Player - ADAPTABLE

In 2013, we reviewed enhanced our leadership skills with lessons from Wally Adamchik's book, titled Construction Leadership from A to Z which explores "26 Words to Lead By."

For 2014, we will continue to learn and grow by developing teamwork skills utilizing the lessons contained in John C. Maxwell’s book titled The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. This book carries the subtitle “Becoming the kind of person every team wants”. Developing a better team always begins with the individuals. To improve the team, improve the individuals on the team.

Quality #1: Adaptable - if you will not change for the team, the team may change you.

Teamwork and personal rigidity just do not mix.

"The individual who will succeed and flourish will also be masters of change; adept at reorienting their own and others' activities in untried directions to bring about higher levels of achievement." - Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Team players who exhibit adaptability have certain characteristics.

Adaptable People Are:

1. Teachable
   1. Adaptable people always place a high priority on breaking new ground.
   2. Unteachable people have a difficult time with change, and as a result they never adapt well.
2. Emotionally Secure
   1. Secure people are not made nervous by change itself. They evaluate a new situation or a change in their responsibilities based on its merit.
3. Creative
   1. Creativity is another quality you find in adaptable people. When difficult times come, they find a way.
   2. Creativity fosters adaptability.
4. Service Minded
   1. "Doing nothing for others is the undoing of one's self." - Horace Mann.
   2. If your goal is to serve the team, adapting to accomplish that goal is not difficult.

The first key to being a team player is being will to adapt yourself to the team - not an expectation that the team will adapt to you!

To become more adaptable:

• Get into the habit of learning.
• Reevaluate your role.
• Think outside the lines. Not why it cannot be done by how it can be done.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Insights on Improvement for the New Year

The following is from an article by John C. Maxwell. I encourage you to read it with the intent to learn and improve as a result of the various insights.

(c) Stuart Miles

Are you excited about your plans for the new year? Most of us have an idea about areas where we would like to improve. And at the beginning of the year, those ideas sometimes turn into resolutions or goals. I am a big believer in making goals, but I believe it is important to go into them with a realistic perspective on improvement.

Whether you want to improve your health or grow your business, or you have any other long-term improvement goal, keep these insights in mind:

IMPROVEMENT INSIGHTS

1. Do not be afraid to admit you were wrong.
   • We cannot change if we are unwilling to recognize that there might be something wrong with how we have been doing things. Admitting you were wrong proves you are wiser today than you were yesterday. One of the things I always do when I review the past year is identify where I was not productive.
2. You will never change your life until you change something that you do daily.
   • Improvement is based on two things: the decisions we make; and the disciplines we practice. Acting on our decisions daily is what makes a goal a reality. So identify daily disciplines you intend to practice in 2014.
3. You cannot manage what you cannot measure.
   • Be specific in creating your goals. For example, do not say, "I am going to read more this year." Instead, break it down into measurable increments: "I am going to read two chapters per day in whatever book I am reading" or "I am going to read two books a month".
4. Set realistic expectations for your improvement.
   • Want to lose weight? Be realistic in how many pounds you can reasonably lose in a month. There is no greater recipe for failure than setting a "goal" that is little more than a "pipe dream".
5. Continual Change is essential for continual improvement.
   • One of the great paradoxes of success is that the things which got you there are seldom the things which keep you there. Be prepared to make course corrections and continue to stretch and grow throughout the year. To do that, plan a review of your plan every few months.
6. Motivation gets you started. Habit keeps you going.
   • We tend to overestimate what we can do in a month. We underestimate what we can do in a year. That is why so many New Year's resolutions are broken in the first few months. Focus on establishing habits and you will be able to continue when the motivation fades.
7. Focus.
   • William Jones said, "If you would be rich, you will be rich; if you would be good, you will be good; if you would be learned, you will be learned. But wish for one thing exclusively, and do not at the same time wish for a hundred other incompatible things just as strongly." What is the one area in which you most desire to grow and succeed in the coming year?
8. Spend 80% of your time working on your strengths.
   • This refers to your skill set, not your character. There are two weak areas in character that must be addressed because they will hurt you: self-discipline and attitude. But in your skills, focus on developing and growing in your areas of strength. Growing in a weak are might bring you up to average in that area, but growth in a strength area has the potential to make you exceptional! What is your greatest strength? And how can you improve it?

Review your past year and set goals as you enter this new year. But remember, SUCCESS DEVELOPS DAILY, NOT IN A DAY.

One way to stay on track is to regularly ask yourself this question: "Is what I am doing today getting me closer to my goal tomorrow?" Develop good habits and the discipline to keep them, and evaluate every day, and you will stay on course toward achieving your long-term goals.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc