The Empty Cup of the Team Environment

By Kelly S Ward

THE VALUE OF A TEAM LIES IN WHAT IT HAS NOT YET ACCOMPLISHED

The work we do together, the team work, ought to have such import — meaning and purpose — that we are driven to design, monitor, maintain and modify the team environment with deep intentionality.

Team Environment

The collective mindset and its expression in action, physical and cerebral, of two or more people gathered together under specific intent to transcend the limits of individual effort.

In my favorite Zen fable, the overflowing cup, a Japanese Zen master was visited by a university professor. The professor stated he was there to learn about Zen. As the conversation began, it was apparent that the professor was more interested in impressing the Zen master with his knowledge than learning the master’s knowledge. As the professor was concluding, the master suggested they have tea. The master poured the professor’s cup full and continued to pour as tea rushed over the rim of the cup. The alarmed professor said, “The cup is overflowing, no more will go in.”

“Like the cup,” the master said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

Today’s prompt is “The Empty Cup of the Team Environment.” Take a moment to reflect on any recent or upcoming interaction — professional or personal. It can be the meeting you just emerged from, the weekly team meeting this afternoon, a serious conversation you will have with a family member or life partner, etc.

• What are you seeing of yourself?
• Were you or are you filled with the “knowledge” of how the interaction will go down?
• Do you “know” the other person or people such that you have drawn a conclusion?
• Do you already have the solutions or answers to the questions you have yet to ask? Is your cup full? Are your team member’s cups full?

Now as you think about this same meeting, empty your cup. What does it take to create this state within you? Our hypothesis today is that if we think of the team environment as an empty cup in which the components of team transcendence can flow into and thrive, then the likelihood of reaching a desired performance state is increased.

As you contemplate your empty cup and that of your team and its environment, keep the following in mind.

TEAMS, LIKE HUMANS, ARE HIGHLY DYNAMIC AND GOAL ORIENTED

The systems that make up the human form are complex and uniquely balanced within each of us. The complexity of our system is driven by the extreme interdependence and balance or imbalance between the physical, chemical, energetic and consciousness systems which comprise the human.

Humans are complex, interdependent, unique and constantly working toward balance. In short form — highly dynamic and extremely goal oriented. And this is just the single entity — one person — add others and suddenly you have upped the ante exponentially and created an entirely new organism. Teams, like each of us, are complex, interdependent, unique and constantly working toward balance. They are highly dynamic and extremely goal oriented.

For those of us who have responsibility for assembling, moderating or “leading” teams, allowing time to consider the inherently complex and dynamic nature of individuals and, by extension, teams, will provide an opportunity to influence the team environment toward optimization. Furthermore, the awareness and intentionality of and toward this dynamism will serve to create, as a key team character strength, adaptability.

LEARNING FOR TEAMS — FROM PHILOSOPHY, SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY

The fields of philosophy, science, and theology have been considering and studying the intricacies of our brains and minds for thousands of years. Here are several key takeaways:

• Humans are at their best when they are living with meaning and purpose
• Creativity and collaboration are inborn traits
• Our sensory systems can be finely tuned with practice
• The brain, mind (consciousness) and body connection is a tri-directional channel flowing information and influences

These are important understandings when we are designing, monitoring, maintaining and modifying the team environment. Meaning and purpose must be encompassed and discernible within the team goals. Further, team members have a responsibility to seek and verify their personal alignment with the meaning, purpose and goals of the team.

The optimized team environment creates and maintains psychological safety that leads team members to fully express their creativity, openly communicate, apply their skills, and recognize their interdependence, which breeds collaboration. The responsibility of each team member is to be fully present. In this state, all of our senses are engaged and with practice we can trust and act on the information we are receiving. We all have the “gut” feeling from time to time, which comes from sensing the subliminal. Learn to listen to it and act. Similarly, when all members of the team are undistracted and focused on the immediate, the team environment is being sensed, monitored and maintained by all team members.

Lastly, understanding the interdependent relationship among the brain, mind and body can drive the personal readiness practice of individual members of the team. Hydration can impact cognition, light influences mood, meditation can activate our parasympathetic nervous system, spirituality can increase our sense of connectedness and interdependence, physical movement or time in nature can stimulate neural synapses leading to creative spurts, and the list goes on and on. The point is that building a knowledge base of triggers and practices helps each individual show up ready and helps the team develop adaptability and optimal performance.

FILL YOUR TEAM’S TOOLBOX, YOU’LL NEED MORE THAN ONE TOOL FOR THIS JOB

Equal inputs don’t create the same outcomes for different people or in the same person under different conditions. The breathwork session that worked for you last Tuesday at 9am may not have the same impact tomorrow at 4pm. Transcranial stimulation may work to focus five members of your team and the other three are left wondering why everyone else is so excited and on point. On a more granular level, think about simple conversation and how each one of us can listen to the same words but hear a different story. Once we bring any method into our unique system it is subject to a highly complex and dynamic processing facility.

There are truly remarkable discoveries in neuroscience and biology that are leading to the development of devices and methods that promise a repeatable outcome across a broad spectrum of individuals. With many of the applications being aimed at optimization this is creating an exciting opportunity for highly replicable results. However, it is important to keep in mind that there are no silver bullets and that what works for one may not work for another.

Same is true for the team in developing, maintaining and modifying the team environment. What worked for one team may not work for another team. What worked last week may not work this week. Our tool box needs to be chock full of devices and techniques. As you might expect, your fellow humans are providing a seemingly endless supply. Take the time to find your tried and true, those that work most of the time. Breathing and movement might be your primary and 80% go to techniques. Every once in a while you need a boost so you strap on a transcranial stimulator or skydive or mainline espresso or spend an hour in a sensory deprivation pod. Developing a personal readiness practice will help you discern how to incorporate optimization devices and techniques into your daily personal and professional life.

BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED — THE EMPTY CUP OF TEAM ENVIRONMENT

Emptying your cup is a difficult task made easier through a personal readiness practice. When we take this step and the team members embrace their responsibilities to show up ready, teams can transcend the previously accepted limits. All of what was described above cannot happen in a team environment that resembles the full cup. It can only happen in the context of an empty cup.

One of the extrapolations of the Zen fable we started with is that the value of a cup is in its emptiness. Likewise, the value of a team lies in what it has not yet become or accomplished. Empty your cup and elevate your team’s performance.

JOIN THE TRANSCENDEAM MOVEMENT

Transcendeam is focused on rising above society’s entrenched beliefs about how individuals work together so the world can benefit from extreme team performance, known to us as Team Transcendence.

Transcendeam is a community in which we encourage the expression of half-formed thoughts. We liken it to an improv skit in which the performers incrementally add to the storyline. As the story takes twists and turns, along largely unpredictable paths, the plot and characters are revealed to a rapt audience. There is excitement in the novelty of such a performance and it holds our attention and incites our participation. We aspire to create an equivalent environment for our community as we seed thought and discussion with a prompt, as we explore these half-formed thoughts, and we welcome all who are inspired to build on these prompts. What team environment experiences come to mind as you read this blog? Share with us and join the conversation at the Transcendeam Community.