Angus McLeod - Me, Myself, My Team--revised edition: How to be an effective team player using NLP

When I first made the move from academia into industry, I reinvented myself as a go-getting, success-at-any-cost manager. I was bright and self-assured and got things done. People who got in the way of my vision (of the corporate goals) were manoeuvred out. I was operating from a set of ideas and beliefs that, although apparently successful, ignored the benefits that come from real teamwork, or the two plus two equals five phenomenon. What changed me was the catalyst of pain. I rose fast and was cut down twice, in each case my patterns and competencies being outmatched by more politically agile people. With hindsight, it would have been smarter not to fail but instead to make the essential changes in thinking performance for myself. The two essential traits necessary for that to happen are openness (to challenge and new ideas) and flexible thinking it is not necessary to fail in order to learn!

Each of us is already gifted with phenomenal ability. And some of that ability is invariably trapped in set ideas and beliefs that limit our perception and the chance to perform superbly. The keys to releasing our abilities are those two traits: openness (to challenge and new ideas) and flexible thinking. This book is designed to develop openness and flexibility by offering you and your colleagues a set of tools that may be used to create your own change and success both as an individual and as a Team achiever. The first part of this book investigates the similarities/differences that we have in relation to other people. Then we explore those further to consider the similarities and differences that you have with your Team as a means of introducing some of the flexible-thinking skills that will be used throughout the book. It may be useful to read quickly through Chapter Three (whether you have a current Team or not) and complete the working examples. The book is designed as a working manual and reference work, which refers both backwards and forwards to other work and working examples.

Much of the thinking behind the book comes from current practice and ideas in coaching, learning science, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and coaching. My premise is that individuals operate internally as Teams. For example, I am a leader in directing and compelling myself to take business risks, but there is another part of me (my internal follower) that is fearful of doing this! And there may be Team communication going on in my head: Go for it! and Thats too risky!

This approach opens up new perceptions and learning for both the person and the Team in which he works. I would further argue that, unless each person has a properly functioning and efficient Internal Team, his performance in real Teams is questionable. My aim in sharing this book is to address the Internal Team and extend that thinking into the real (External) Team. The process is one that encourages both flexible thinking and also unique and individual solutions for each reader. My belief is that readers are more compelled to work through their own solutions than to borrow a standard system from management theory. The best answers will be your own. It is part of this thinking that I bring to my work as a coach in business, catalysing individuals to fly. With luck, the receiving Teams will also embrace this work, and the beating of individual wings will be in harmony, allowing the Team to soar beyond the limitations of other Teams. In my experience, any change in one person leads to change within the Team. Even if only one person is flying, others will quietly practise and adapt themselves for flight! Enough of metaphor! The premise I make is that culture is the result of similar behaviours, but it grows by the dynamics of similarity/difference.

The skills in this book enable you to have more choice about where you have similarity or difference with your Team (or a desired Team that you aspire to work within). When you change your behaviours they create change around you. Where others match this in the Team, you have a changed culture. Matching behaviours constitute Team culture. Your effort can therefore help the success of your organisation and is measurable by you. You can do this by noticing the changes that happen around you and whether or not these changes are in harmony with your own choice of behaviours.

We begin, then, by looking at the similarities and differences that we have when compared with others.