6 Mindsets to Help Your Team Reboot

By Jason V. Barger

Did you know that 7.6 million people quit their jobs in April and May 2021? Reports of loneliness at work are as high as ever. Divorce rates are up 34% from last year. To say people have been a little stressed would be an understatement.

Let’s dig a little deeper into what the research is also telling us. Nine out of every 10 employees say they want to work for a more meaningful culture. People want to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. They want to feel appreciated, valued, and cared for. In the midst of so much angst, division, and uncertainty in the world that seems out of our control, we need to be reminded about what is within our control.

Teams and companies need a reboot.

Most teams and companies are still figuring out how to help support their people and engage with them remotely, in hybrid settings, and in in-person gatherings. With all that people have been navigating – differing modes of communication, the expansion of remote workers, global health, issues of racism, social injustice, and equity, political and economic uncertainty – they are also expected to maximize the experience, product, or service they deliver to the marketplace.

Here are six mindsets to reboot your team.

1. Clarity. Is your mission clear? Is your vision clear? Are your values for how your team is committed to travel clear? Is your strategy for the next priorities clear? Take this time as an opportunity to reboot and make sure these are all aligned with clarity. The outcome is that everything on the path forward becomes clearer. Your team may not have all the answers, but they’ll have energy and clear direction on how to take the next step.

2. Inclusivity. Leaders in the world play an enormous role in widening the circle so that more diverse backgrounds, ideas, perspectives, and experiences have a seat at the table. Teams and organizations will lead the way forward in society by modeling how to have civil, respectful dialogue and educate people on the strengths of diversity, equity, and inclusion. When our teams are inclusive and welcoming, it breathes life and energy into all. We’re stronger together.

3. Agility. Possibility  + Adaptability is the name of the game in a changing world. Leaders have to practice an occasional reboot that allows the mind to find new ways of doing things and the courage to adapt to opportunities that emerge. If leaders return to a “this is the way we’ve always done it” mindset, they will sit back and watch their people leave the room.

4. Grit. Resolve + Toughness is critical to help people navigate their way through obstacles, challenges, negativity, finger pointing, and division. Leaders help their people reboot to stay focused on the present moment and the actions that are needed to take the next step. Toughness isn’t about being physically stronger than others; it is about being vulnerable with your people and still having the resolve to find solutions together.

5. Rest. Teams and organizations have an unhealthy association with the concept of rest. Americans last year left 768 million days of vacation on the table with their employers. That equates to nearly $66 billion of lost benefits. We’ve forgotten that the research actually shows that deliberate rest is essential to elite performance. When we allow our bodies, minds, and hearts to deliberately rest, we breathe more efficiently and are better at everything else.

6. Ownership. Accountability + Action are mindsets and oxygen that the best leaders and team cultures on the planet breathe. They connect the things they say they will do with positive accountability and action. Accountability isn’t a negative word; it’s a positive mantra that all take ownership of. In a world where people are quick to gossip, point fingers, and be critics about what isn’t working, the best leaders reboot themselves and their people and shift conversations from blame to a focus on solutions.

The best cultures proactively help their people navigate obstacles together. With the six mindsets above, they intentionally choose to inhale positivity and exhale negativity, blame, gossip, and division. The ecosystem of their culture is grown, developed, cultivated, and led with intentionality, one breath at a time.

The process for developing high-performing and engaged teams never stops. The best leaders, teams, and organizations are committed to rebooting how they hire, onboard, do performance evaluations, develop emerging leaders, and recognize excellence. The best leaders invest in their teams together.

If you’re experiencing a lack of energy, passion, or hope for the road ahead, it may be the air you’re breathing. It may be time for a reboot.

Jason V. Barger is the author of “Thermostat Cultures,” “ReMember,” “Step Back from the Baggage Claim,” and “Breathing Oxygen.” He hosts the podcast The Thermostat. For more information, visit [JasonVBarger.com.](https://jasonvbarger.com/)

 

• work
• work culture
• work teams