Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, September 10, 1995                   TAG: 9509080132
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: F-3   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IF A TEAM IS TO WORK WELL, A COACH NEEDS INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENT

A: Lynda Calkins, who as director of athletics at Hollins College builds new teams every season, suggests focusing on the individual to ensure a solid team. Contrary to the belief that "there's no `I' in teamwork," Calkins thinks "there's got to be individual commitment" to build a strong team. Individual commitment comes from attention given to the individual.

In sports, the "coach needs to provide opportunities for individual players to buy in to the team concept." In the workplace, it's the supervisor's role. "By looking at the individual, we can build a healthy team, but it requires a lot of listening and teaching team members how to have a voice."

Make sure, says Calkins, that you "provide opportunities for growth. When you ask a person to take on more, give something to the person. Empower the person." by giving him or her authority over decisions.

Calkins thinks empowered players, seen both as "individuals and as contributors, create a synergy which brings renewed energy, spirit, and a willingness to give."

Improving team performance requires evaluations. "First listen, to pick up the pulse and beat of the individual, and then guide the person to self-evaluate," Calkins said. Instead of "I didn't like the way you approached that turn," ask "what did you think about that turn?" Calkins finds that, with this approach, the "critique comes from the person. The coach then provides mechanisms for improvement. It has to be an "ongoing process"

Coaches guiding individual players "to self-evaluation and improvement, allow members to work for opportunities instead of under restrictions."

Q: Facing deadlines with late-night sessions, I find my energy declining, my thinking less clear, and projects less than I'd hoped for. I need better late-night thinking.

A: As you move into busy periods, The Rodale Center for Executive Development in Emmaus, Pa., suggests eating high energy power foods for all meals while using coffee carefully. While caffeine may jump-start the day, it causes an insulin reaction that lets energy flag later.

The center's suggestions for late-night sessions include "a brisk 10-minute walk to power up fast. A walk can leave you energized for as much as 2 hours."

Take a shower. The center says the falling water - whether hot, warm, or cold - gives you a kick.

The center finds that "while concentrating, many people tend to breathe in a shallow manner. Less oxygen intake means less energy." Take frequent breaks and breathe deeply.

Take an occasional break and listen, for five minutes, to your favorite upbeat music. Music can distract from on-going work, so use it only for an energizing break.

Finally, The center suggests brief periods of meditation. "Remain in you chair and let your body go limp. Close your eyes and mentally repeat a word with little personal meaning." Fifteen minutes of meditation can re-energize.

Consider yourself in training while handling intensive work sessions. Watch your food intake and take frequent energy breaks. Your efforts will be rewarded.

Q: I've taken a new position with more responsibilities. I'm afraid my memory is slipping - the busier I am, the more I forget names and appointments.

A: Underlying word-association techniques for name recall is the simple process of attending to a person's name, focusing on the individual, and devoting time to making an effort to remember.

English author Samuel Johnson wrote, "The art of memory is the art of attention." Increased demands on our time cause us to become inattentive; it then appears our memories are failing. The subsequent panic over "losing my mind" causes us to become even more stressed and, therefore, unable to access information.

Begin working in the here and now. Pay close attention to the name when you're introduced to someone. Pay attention to the details of the person's face. Listen carefully as meeting dates are set and write all information in a planner or organizer. The act of conscious listening, reinforced by writing, places information firmly in your mind.

If several weeks of active, hard listening don't improve your memory, see your physician to rule out other possibilities. For most people, memory improves when attention improves.