ROBs: Why they can Make or Break a Team

Earlier this quarter, I worked with key leaders to draft up a rhythm of business that we would commit to for the quarter and then actively communicated it out to the team. While this may seem like a rather banal matter of business, it has had significant impact on our team culture, our ability to execute our goals, and overall team morale. 

 

As we planned the upcoming quarter, we vacillated over what to do about August (notoriously difficult to schedule because of so many over-lapping vacations). How could we make an effective plan without losing momentum on key projects? Interestingly, recent employee surveys had shown that people wanted more time freed up for them to prioritize upskilling and learning; this was one of our team culture initiatives for the quarter.

 

Ultimately, we decided to cancel all standing meetings the last two weeks of August, draw up a optional learning curriculum for employees, and give them time to prioritize learning. Employees also had the extra time to catch up on outlying work and restore themselves before jumping in to a busy September. 

 

By planning ahead and communicating this out to the team, we were able to maintain momentum on our goals while prioritizing team well-being.