Team Inertia – The Office of the Week
On the 6th of September 2007, the relative calm and serenity at Team Inertia Technologies (TI) Web Studio was shattered by besieging Radio Indigo Personnel. Claiming we were their chosen “Office Of The Week”, and as such, that we were entitled to Big Breakfast at their expense – they then left – only to return with a lavish feast of sandwiches, patties and of course, coffee, all courtesy Cremeux, Panjim’s most-loved patisserie (Chef Vincent, You Da Man!)!
So much food, so little time! But being the supreme professionals that we are, we soon regrouped our composure and like any IT process here at TI ensured that the food got the attention it deserved and more! Howzzat for Delivering Outrageous Value!!
While conversation flowed, eased no doubt, by the copious amounts of coffee, that life-blood of the IT industry, being dished out we soon realized that these Radio Indigo guys weren’t too bad. In fact, anybody who introduces themselves with food can’t be all that bad, can they? A little funny, more than a little crazy perhaps, but definitely not ALL
that bad… With breakfast winding down, we soon heard the RJ of the Hour, Jolene announcing all over the airwaves to all and sundry, that Team Inertia Technologies IS “The Office of the Week”!
Now don’t get us wrong, we completely agree with their conclusions, in fact we wouldn’t have blinked if they had to declare us “The Office of The Year” (only extreme modesty prevents us from claiming any further…). Jolene does her usual song n question routine and while Vernon rallies back with some intellectually stimulating answers, Shaan and Sujjo nod their heads very soberly in agreement (off the air, of course), and the rest of us take full advantage of the fact that there are now 3 people less at the food… 
So after the initial shock of the sudden announcement, the miraculous appearance of food (isn’t there a line in the Good Book extolling those who “feed the hungry” ???), the 45
seconds of fame and all that, all that’s left is for Mark & Sherwin to click a couple of group photographs and bid a teary-eyed goodbye to us as they make they way back to their HQ and do whatever it is they do back there.
All in all it was a win-win situation for both parties, Team Inertia and Radio Indigo. They got to meet us and know first-hand what an amazing group of individuals we are, blessed with talents of no mediocre caliber not that we’d EVER boast about it of course, (being so humble and all remember?) thereby enriching their own lives, because “greatness, no matter how brief, changes a person” – Gene Hackman (The Replacements). What about us, you ask, how did we benefit? well, we got fed didn’t we? 
But seriously, an awesome day, begun in so fine a manner and shared with awesome individuals, with some SERIOUSLY awesome food, what else can a “humble” man ask for?
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Managers and Team Leaders: Are you struggling to get your people to work together more productively?
Are you frustrated with the quarreling, turf wars, and endless delays in decision making in your workplace?
Are you a manager or team leader—executive, manager, front line supervisor, technical manager, or project manager, etc. — who realizes that excellence is a journey, not a destination, but are:
| Frustrated and emotionally drained with the constant challenge of transforming your workplace and repairing and improving damaged relationships with coworkers, customers, suppliers, and bosses? |
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| Struggling to get some managers and workers to change their old tactics and dysfunctional behavior? |
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| Discouraged because you have technically sharp people who want to do good work, but tend rub each other the wrong way and have difficulty communicating and cooperating to achieve mutual goals? |
Going to work really shouldn’t be a pain in the rear. An enjoyable and productive workplace is one where people communicate effectively, cooperate in achieving common goals, and commit to doing what’s necessary to get results. People enjoy working where they are challenged to use and improve their skills, and where they are recognized and rewarded for doing good work. It seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?
So why do organizations struggle with creating and achieving excellence in their workplace?
Because most organizations are so caught up in the daily grind that they overlook their opportunities to transform their workplaces into centers of excellence. They get caught up in getting through the crisis of the day instead of addressing the real causes of their problems or preventing problems in the future. Although they have good intentions, they don’t know how to put out the fires and get their people to work together more productively.
Consequently, people get frustrated. Instead of working together as a team, they promote their own agendas, protect their own turf, and resist change. In some cases, cynicism sets in and drags the rest of the organization down.
Promoting excellence in your workplace starts with transforming your mindset and the mindset of your people.
To achieve and maintain excellence, you must change how you think about your work processes, your people, and the results you want to achieve. You must transform your workplace on three levels: personal, interpersonal, and systemic. You must change how people think about themselves, how they interact with each other, and how your work systems support or impede the achievement of excellence.
