Right-Minded Teamwork: 9 Right Choices for Building a Team That Works as One

By Dan Hogan

If you’ve been wondering how in the world you can lead your teammates to actual collaboration and true team effectiveness, you’re in the right place.

Right-Minded Teamwork (RMT) is a proven methodology to achieve better teamwork. This book explores RMT’s “9 Right Choices” and the thought system that successful RMT team leaders and facilitators use to create and sustain teams that work as one.

Is This Book for You?

This fast read is an excellent Right-Minded Teamwork primer. In this book, RMT’s 9 Right Choices are defined, and practical leader and teammate exercises are provided for applying each one.

This book teaches team facilitators, team leaders, and teammates how to incorporate these 9 Right Choices to build unified teamwork that makes achieving team goals inevitable.

Right-Minded Teamwork’s 9 Right Choices

At a glance, RMT’s 9 Right Choices look like this:

1. Make the Right-Minded Choice: Choose Reason
2. Oneness or Separateness? Choose to Behave as One
3. Right-Minded Communication: An End to Separateness
4. Meaningful Vision: Make Your Dream Come True
5. Work Agreements: Bring People Together as One
6. Critical Few: Complete Important Tasks First
7. Mistakes Happen: Correct Them; Don’t Punish People
8. Conflict Happens: Go to the Classroom, Not the Battleground
9. Recognition: Make It Easy to Keep Going

These nine teamwork choices are universal, self-evident, and self-validating. With these choices in your mind, you no longer have to wonder what you should do in any team situation. The answer will always be, “Do no harm, and work as one.”

How to Apply the 9 Right Choices in Your Team

There is no single right way to apply the 9 Right Choices. But there are two possible scenarios that lend themselves well to team application.

The first option is to ask all teammates to read this book and complete the survey at the end. You will then compile teammates’ scores and comments and distribute the overall results to all teammates. As a full team, you will discuss the results and identify which Choices to apply in your team.

The second option is to openly discuss, in a team meeting, just the first two of the 9 Right Choices. By the end of the meeting, teammates will have chosen several of their own “right” attitudes and work behaviors that they want to live by going forward. These team-wide “right choices” are captured in team Work Agreements that everyone agrees to follow.

No matter which approach you choose, remember it is really about the dialogue. These 9 Choices are undoubtedly important, but they are secondary to your team’s discussion of them. Regardless of your preferred approach, every application should include a healthy, functional, and empowering dialogue that moves your teammates towards acting and behaving as one unified team.

Praise for Right-Minded Teamwork’s 9 Right Choices

A fast read that takes you straight to the root of team dysfunctions and gives you proven, step-by-step tools to improve team function and deliver results. I have paid thousands of dollars for team trainings and workshops that are better summarized here. I am glad to be reminded to choose Reason over Ego and stay in my right mind.
Robin Hensley, VP IT, UPS

The author of this guide is all-knowing and has clearly and in a pithy way documented the nine steps to bringing a team together. Togetherness and one-mindedness are key elements to an average team doing extraordinary things. [This book] provides a roadmap to use in building a team that works.
Alan Kleier, Former GM/VP, Chevron

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dan Hogan
• Release date: Feb 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781939585219

Dan Hogan

Dan Hogan is a Certified Master Facilitator with over 35 years of in-the-field team-building facilitation experience. Dan worked with over 500 teams, often for several years, in the United States and other countries.Not only did Dan’s efforts deliver consistent, powerful results, his work also positively impacted the practice of behavioral change management.Over the course of his career, Dan refined his ideas, eventually creating his own proprietary tools, processes, and strategies. Of all his models and creations, Dan’s biggest accomplishment has been the development of his Right-Minded Teamwork model, which perfectly assembles all his tools and processes into a single, streamlined approach.At its core, Right-Minded Teamwork (RMT) is a continuous improvement loop for small and large groups; it has been proven to work with teams of all sizes. No matter what team challenges or interpersonal issues are happening, RMT has the power to correct them.He served on the International Institute for Facilitation Board and is currently an Assessor for the international Certified Master Facilitator credential. Dan is now retired from active facilitation and teaches other facilitators and team leaders in these practical Right-Minded Teamwork principles.

Book preview

Right-Minded Teamwork

9 Right Choices for Building a Team That Works as One

Third Edition

Do No Harm. Work As One. ™

Copyright 2022 Dan Hogan

Certified Master Facilitator

Published by Dan Hogan

RightMindedTeamwork.com

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

Table of Contents

Foreword

A Message from Reason

Introduction

What is Right-Minded Teamwork?

What Is Right in Right-Minded Teamwork?

Overview: Nine Right-Minded Choices

Reason, Ego, & the Right-Minded Teamwork Myth

The Myth

Moral of the Story

Choice #1 Make the Right-Minded Choice: Choose Reason

Choice #2 Oneness or Separateness? Choose to Behave as One

Choice #3 Right-Minded Communication: Choose to End Separateness

Choice #4 Meaningful Vision: Make Your Team’s Dream Come True

Choice #5 Work Agreements: Bring People Together as One

Choice #6 Critical Few: Complete Important Tasks First

Choice #7 Mistakes Happen: Correct Them; Don’t Punish People

Choice #8 Conflict Happens: Go to the Classroom, Not the Battleground

Choice #9 Recognition: Make It Easy to Keep Going

Your New Beginning: You Can Work as One

Resources

30 Right-Minded Teamwork Attitudes

RMT’s 9 Right Choices Survey

Glossary of Right-Minded Teamwork Terms & Resources

100% Customer Satisfaction

7 Mindful Training Lessons

10 Characteristics of Right-Minded Teammates

12 Steps Workshop Design Process

A Course in Miracles

Accept, Forgive, Adjust

Ally or Adversary Teammate

Avoidance Behavior

Battleground: Where People Are Punished for Mistakes

Certified Master Facilitator (CMF)

Classroom: Where People Learn from Mistakes

Communication Work Agreement

Create, Promote, Allow

Critical Few: Complete Important Tasks First

Decision-Maker: The Real You

Decision-Maker: Trust Your Intuition

Decision-Making Work Agreement

Desire & Willingness: Preconditions for Accountability

Ego & Ego Attack

Interlocking Accountability

Moment of Reason

Onboarding New Teammates

Oneness vs. Separateness

Preventions & Interventions

Psychological Goals

Reason

Reason, Ego & the Right-Minded Teamwork Myth

Recognition: Make It Easy to Keep Going

Right-Choice Model

Right-Minded Teamwork’s 5-Element Framework

Right-Minded Teamwork’s 5-Element Implementation Plan

Right-Minded Teamwork Attitudes & Behaviors

Right-Mindedness vs. Wrong-Mindedness

RMT Motto: Do No Harm. Work As One.

RMT Facilitator

Team Management System: An RMT Enterprise-Wide Process

Team Operating System & Performance Factor Assessment

Thought System

Train Your Mind

Uncovering Root Cause

Unified Circle of Right-Minded Thinking

Work Agreements

About the Author

Books by Dan Hogan

Acknowledgments & Appreciations

To the thousands of teammates, team leaders, and

team-building facilitators with whom

I've worked over the last forty years,

Thank You

for being my teacher.

Collectively, we created this awesome, team-building program.

Right-Minded Teamwork is a business-oriented,

psychological approach to team building where

acceptance, forgiveness, and adjustment

are teammate characteristics,

and customer satisfaction

is the team’s result.

In addition, there are several special people I want to joyfully acknowledge and thank for their contributions.

First and foremost, I want to convey my deep and heartfelt gratitude to our editor, Erin Leigh. Thanks to her superb editing and vital guidance, Right-Minded Teamwork is now much easier to understand and successfully integrate in your team. Thank you, Erin. The RMT book series would not have happened without you. (To contact Erin, email [e-mail].)

Next, a giant thank you to Ebook Launch. Dane Low, our book cover designer, created exceptional cover designs for the Right-Minded Teamwork book series. Thank you for elevating Right-Minded Teamwork. (To reach Dane visit EbookLaunch.com.)

Another sincere thank you goes out to Cathi Bosco, our graphic artist, who renovated and modernized many of our Right-Minded Teamwork process models, graphics, and illustrations (reach her at CathiBosco.com). And I also want to thank the Media A-Team, who created the original and current versions of the Right Choice Model (find them at Mediaateam.com).

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Jackie D’Elia, our website and UX designer, who successfully modernized the RightMindedTeamwork.com website into an easy-to-use platform. Her work allows us to share the RMT books, models, and other resources and materials with the world. Thank you, Jackie. (Contact Jackie at JackieDElia.com.)

Praise for Right-Minded Teamwork

A fast read that takes you straight to the root of team dysfunctions and gives you proven, step-by-step tools to improve team function and deliver results. I have paid thousands of dollars for team trainings and workshops that are better summarized here. I am glad to be reminded to choose Reason over Ego and stay in my right mind.

Robin Hensley, VP IT, UPS

The author of this guide is all-knowing and has clearly and in a pithy way documented the nine steps to bringing a team together: that togetherness and one-mindedness are key elements to an average team doing extraordinary things. Your work provides a roadmap to use in building a team that works. Again, thank you. I always enjoyed our time together and appreciated all you did for me and my teams.

Alan Kleier, Former GM/VP, Chevron

In Right-Minded Teamwork, Dan separates the fun and games of team bonding from the hard work (the muck and mire) of team building. He presents an in-depth model for real-world team building in a realistic, direct, and safe manner. This is a book that you will use and wear out. Right-Minded Teamwork is also a support system, providing a rich array of resources.

Patrick Carmichael, VP Best Practices Institute, Former Head Talent Management Saudi Aramco

What’s great about the book is that in addition to the process outlined, the author provides supplemental resources and links to additional information to help you out.

Lauren Bailey, Maintenance Superintendent, Chevron

… I successfully used the principles of Right-Minded Teamwork in community mediation. I recommend Right-Minded Teamwork to any mediator engaged in dysfunctional behavior in community mediation.

Rick Murray, JD/Ph.D. Exec. Director Dispute Resolution Center of the Northwest

Back to Table of Contents

Foreword

A Message from Reason

Dear Reader,

My name is Reason. We haven't been officially introduced, but I've been your constant supporter for many, many years.

Though you may think of me as an I, I am not really a separate entity. I live inside of you. I also live inside everyone else, too. For that reason, it is more accurate to say, We are Reason, collectively.

The Right-Minded Teamwork Myth is a short story that will help you understand what I mean by that.

Here’s a little preview:

Once, there was only Reason. Everyone had everything they needed, and everyone was happy with what they had.

But out of nowhere, a tiny, mad idea crept into our collective minds. For just an instant, we began to wonder,

Is there more to be gained than what we have achieved by working together as one unified team?

This moment was the birth of separation.

Fortunately, most of us just kindly laughed off the silly question. But some listened. They began to think separate thoughts. Some had the thought that if they could work alone and take more for themselves, it would make them even happier.

Instead of following Reason's advice, they chose to follow Ego (the obvious instigator of such a thought).

Because of their choice to break from Reason, teamwork faltered. Choosing to focus only on themselves impacted everyone.

As you will see in the coming pages, there is more to this story. But even before you read it, allow this excerpt to prepare you. Open your mind to see the true value, importance, and power of choice – your choices and the choices of your teammates.

In every situation, every one of us makes a choice to follow either Reason or Ego. The hope, of course, for the sake of your team’s success, is that you and your teammates will choose Reason. When you do, you will do no harm, and you will always work as one.

The