To misquote Tolstoy, “Happy teams are all alike; every unhappy team is unhappy in its own way.”

When you look at your own organization, what do you see?

The way people work together contributes enormously to job performance, engagement and satisfaction.  It affects the organization’s culture and the ability to produce outcomes that make a difference as to whether you can successfully accomplish your mission.  In short, productive teamwork – among staff, executives, board members and volunteers – is an essential component of your Employer Brand.

Patrick Lencioni writes about the five dysfunctions of a team and how to overcome them.  They are:

• Absence of trust
• Fear of conflict
• Lack of commitment
• Avoidance of accountability
• Inattention to results

It is worth paying serious attention to all of these potential derailers so your organization can function smoothly. And by doing so, if you identify any of these dysfunctions, you’ll understand what you’re working with so you can find an effective way to intervene and defuse them.

Dealing with team dysfunctionality is fundamental, but I prefer to focus on how you can really foster extraordinary performances from both the teams that come together for temporary projects and from those that work together year in and year out.  How do you unleash the magic that comes from a high performing team?

Here are some simple tips to ensure that your teams will:

• Be inspired and inspire others
• Develop insights that drive change and innovation
• Show intelligence beyond what each member is capable of alone
• Create impact – in how they work together and what results they deliver.

Rule 1

In the forming stage of the team, ask everyone to share two things:  What has really worked well in teams on which they have worked before?  And, what really annoys them when working on a team?

Discuss the stories gathered from positive experiences to find the common themes or underlying values, and, if team members agree,  summarize and record them as benchmarks or norms against which the team will hold itself accountable.  Example: The reflection, “I appreciated when people said what was on their minds.” becomes the norm, “Let’s commit to openly communicating and have no hidden agendas.”

Have team members flip an annoyance into a ground rule. Record those, too, including an agreement to be called on for any display of the negative or unproductive behaviors.  An example:  The reflection, “I am impatient with lengthy discussions and pointless process.” becomes the very direct but useful ground rule, “Don’t waste my time.”

Rule 2

In the storming stage of the team, when there is likely to be some conflict or pull between team members’ differences of opinion, priorities or workstyles, remember that there are two opposing drivers – the need for autonomy and the need for relatedness – and to allow both to be expressed.  The most effective groups recognize which challenges are better met by individuals and which by group effort, and they allocate tasks appropriately.  Conflict is not a priori a bad thing; if handled skillfully, it can lead to greater creativity and depth of thinking.  Channeled constructively, it should be actively encouraged.

Rule 3

In the norming stage of the team, members start to focus on goals and results and begin to trust each other and create a harmonious spirit.  This is greatly enhanced if the team appoints a facilitator for each meeting to remind them of the focus, to keep them to time and to topic, and to hold them accountable to their promises to each other.  As long as this is done with a light touch, some humor, and permission of the team, it will help keep them on track.

Rule 4

In the performing stage of the team, the magic occurs.  There is a fluidity between individual and group tasks, an agreement on what is important and why, and a common understanding of what behaviors are helpful and which ones aren’t.  There is enough trust for people to call each other on infringements, and there is a lot of acknowledgement of team members who have contributed in small or big ways to the success of the team.  Obstacles are overcome, failures are seen as opportunities to learn, and successes are celebrated.

Follow these suggestions, and your teams will improve their Performance, Collaboration, and Execution.  This is a critical element in improving your Employer Brand.

 

Fredia Woolf, Principal of Woolf Consulting, is a leadership coach and change management consultant.  Fredia works with clients to build their capacity to manage career and organizational transitions, and to accelerate positive results.  She dreams about organizations with wise leaders and engaged people having a positive impact on the world – and in the meantime, blogs about careers, leadership challenges and workplace survival strategies.

She can be reached at fwoolf@woolfconsulting.com.

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Last updated on December 17th, 2009 at 09:10 am