The Benign Neglect of Teams (& What to do About it) with Bennett Bratt

Our teams arguably offer our biggest lever for social change. And yet, teams are vastly ignored. In our conversation this week, Bennett Bratt, a team coach with over thirty years experience supporting teams, shares his personal mission—reversing the benign neglect of teams. If you find yourself struggling with frustration in your teams or a nagging sense that your team could be better—especially if you lead a team in your workplace or community—I hope you’ll listen in. Our Guest: Bennet Bratt Bennett Bratt is the founder and CEO of Team Elements, a coaching and consulting firm that focuses on helping leaders and teams get to their most insightful conversations as quickly as possible through ownership and participation. With over 30 years of experience, Bennett has helped teams across industries achieve extraordinary results through authentic, impactful conversations. He’s also the author of The Team Discovered: Dialogic Team Coaching, where he shares his approach to team coaching and how this service can help people thrive. Katherine’s Key Takeaway: You and your team are worth the time. For those of us who feel under immense pressure to get shit done, I appreciate Bennett’s reminder to look for the littlest moments of connection. He says: “I think the hardest thing that teams need to do at the beginning is to believe that they're worth taking the time. You're worth taking five minutes at the beginning of a meeting to check in and just see how each other are doing. You’re worth taking ten minutes at the end of a meeting to say—How did this go? When did we do well, and when did it feel off? It's worth taking one day next month to answer a few simple questions. What clarity do we need? How are we meeting the needs of the people outside of this team who rely on us? Do we know each other well enough to actually trust each other to a degree where we can collaborate well? Do we like the vibe here? What could we change? When we take the time to actually ask each other really good, solid, curious questions and listen well, it’s amazing what can get unpacked. Every moment is an opportunity for us to be with somebody, see and hear them, have compassion, put aside judgment, and try to create abundance rather than scarcity.” I invite you to consider this idea that you and your team are worth taking a few extra minutes to connect with each other. Then ask yourself these questions: Is there someone on your team who you need to check in with? Is there someone who you might send a quick text to—letting them know you’re thinking of them, that you hope they feel better, that you’re grateful for their support? How might you add ten minutes of connection to an upcoming meeting to get to know each other better and show each other care? Go send that text, make that call, write that email. It only takes a few minutes, but this time is key for building the relationships we need in order to thrive and be truly effective. We talked about much more than this in our conversation (of course!). So if your team has been benignly neglected and could use some extra care, I hope you will listen in. You’re worth it! Largely inspired by meeting Bennett Bratt months ago, I’ve decided to add team coaching to my toolkit. Team coaching is a process whereby a coach supports a team to transform conflict, strengthen their relationships, make good decisions, stay accountable, achieve their goals, and develop skills they need to continue working effectively together into the future. Instead of just working with a single leader, a team coach supports the entire team to succeed. Click here to learn more: Team Coaching. As part of my training, I'm looking for two more teams who would like to receive a few free team coaching sessions. This is a fantastic opportunity to receive some free support (and counter the benign neglect of your team)! Do you know a team that’s excited about improving how they work together? I'd be grateful if you would share this with friends or colleagues who might benefit. I’d start with a conversation with the team leader and, together, design an engagement that supports the team’s needs. Thank you for considering and passing this along! Show Links: Team Elements Bennett Bratt, LinkedIn Things I Can : Can't Control.jpg