Soup: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture

Chapter 35. A Team of Pot Stirrers

"Well," Peter said, "once you create a clear line of communication, you meet with each member of your team like we did here. In your case you also want each manager to meet with their teams."

During this meeting you and your managers want to reinforce the bigger vision you have created for the organization. Then you want to ask each person to create a personal vision and identify how he or she, with that vision, can contribute to the bigger vision of Soup, Inc. Then you must also ask them how you can help them achieve their personal visions and help them contribute to the bigger vision."

Peter continued, "By taking these steps, instead of just one pot stirrer with one spoon, you create a team of pot stirrers all stirring the pot with a shared vision and purpose. This generates a tremendous amount of empowerment momentum in the organization. Each person comes to work knowing how he or she can contribute to the team and organization. This energizes the team members and causes them to share positive energy with everyone they work with. Leaders may set and share the vision, but it is the positive energy of your people that will make this vision a reality. So you need to make developing a team of pot stirrers your priority. And once you have your team all making great soup, then you have to make sure you keep communicating with them, keep encouraging, keep inspiring, and keep developing their talent. It's not just enough to ask them how you can help them ...