How to Build a Relationship with the Team Part II

Ruth looked at her watch and saw it was 08h50 and nearly time for their weekly team meeting. As John wasn’t here this week, she would be running the meeting herself. Ruth enjoyed bringing the team together on a regular basis to discuss progress and to hear everyone’s feedback. Ruth saw Emily and asked her if she could arrange for the coffee to be ready in the meeting room by 09h00. Ten minutes later Emily, Peter, Sam, and Ruth were sitting is a small conference room. “Let’s discuss Ron’s questionnaire this morning,” Ruth said. “I am not sure whether the questionnaire will help Ron learn something about me,” Emily said, looking at Peter as if she was trying to get his support. But Peter was very busy writing a text message. “Peter, stop playing with your cell phone, please. I guess you could say something. What is your opinion?” she said impatiently. Peter smiled and said: “Ironically, I have a dilemma – to please Ron or provoke his anger. Which should I choose?” Ruth wished John, her boss, was there but he was still on holiday. Each time when he was away, she had to deal with a complicated situation. Suddenly Sam interrupted her thoughts: “I love Ron’s idea. Let’s answer the questions and give him an idea of how good we are.” Ruth was thinking how she could frame the discussion neutrally when suddenly she heard Emily’s impulsive voice: “I don’t want to draw a wonderful picture of myself. I think Ron should want to build a trustful relationship and invite me to a face-to-face meeting.” Ruth realized it was time to put forward a suggestion: “OK, I think we have a choice, we can invite Ron to join us now, if he’s available and ask him some questions about the process or accept Ron’s initial idea. Every cloud has a silver lining. Personally I would rather invite Ron, what do you think?” The team members looked at her with approval. Fortunately, Ron had time and could join the meeting some minutes later. He listened to the team members’ opinions and thought: “on the one hand, face-to-face meetings are very costly from a time perspective. On the other hand, face-to-face meetings provide human contact and interaction. What should I do?” Ruth looked at her watch again. It was 09h45 and the team had no decision yet. “You’ve provided me with some food for thought. I test fast, fail fast, and adjust fast,” Ron said. “I am deeply grateful to each and every one of you and I’d like to invite you to a face-to-face meeting.” Ruth looked at him with empathy: “I love Tom Peters’ quotes too: The magic formula that successful businesses have discovered is to treat customers like guests and employees like people. Ron, thank you. Welcome to the team! I guess our meeting is over.” Emily, Peter, and Sam left the conference room, Ruth and Ron stayed behind, “they say that mutual understanding will result in a more productive and positive working relationship,” Ruth said. Ron gave her a big smile, he knew she was right.