TEAMS

A Definition:

• A Small Number of People with A Small Number of People with Complementary Skills… Complementary Skills…

• Who are Committed to a Common Who are Committed to a Common Purpose…Purpose…

• By an Agreed-upon Process By an Agreed-upon Process expressed through Performance expressed through Performance

Goals…Goals…• For which They hold Themselves For which They hold Themselves

Mutually ResponsibleMutually Responsible

Teams are Not Groups

Group PerformanceGroup Performance is a Function of what the is a Function of what the Group’s Members do as IndividualsGroup’s Members do as IndividualsIt is the Collective Result of Individual It is the Collective Result of Individual

Performances – Sharing Information or Choosing Performances – Sharing Information or Choosing from Predetermined Options, for examplefrom Predetermined Options, for example

Group Members aren’t Responsible for Results Group Members aren’t Responsible for Results other than their ownother than their own

Why a Team?

Teams may promise Greater Performance, but Teams may promise Greater Performance, but also bring more Riskalso bring more RiskWill the “Sum of Individual Bests” suffice (a Group) Will the “Sum of Individual Bests” suffice (a Group)

or does the Challenge/Opportunity require or does the Challenge/Opportunity require Substantial Incremental Performance (a Team)? Substantial Incremental Performance (a Team)?

Team Opportunity exists anywhere Hierarchy or Team Opportunity exists anywhere Hierarchy or Organizational Boundaries inhibit Skills and Organizational Boundaries inhibit Skills and Perspectives needed for Optimal ResultsPerspectives needed for Optimal Results

What Makes a Team?

Teams require Teams require bothboth Individual and Mutual Individual and Mutual AccountabilityAccountability

Teams generate Products (not decisions or Teams generate Products (not decisions or solutions) through Group Discussion and solutions) through Group Discussion and Debate: Debate: Teams Innovate, Groups InventTeams Innovate, Groups Invent

Teams perform at Levels higher than the Teams perform at Levels higher than the Individual Bests of their Members: Individual Bests of their Members: A Team is A Team is More than the Sum of its PartsMore than the Sum of its Parts

Characteristics of Great Teams

• Share a Strategic Purpose: They Share a Strategic Purpose: They Know What They’re About Know What They’re About

Have invested Time and Effort in Have invested Time and Effort in Exploring and Agreeing on the Team’s Exploring and Agreeing on the Team’s Purpose: Individual and Collective Purpose: Individual and Collective Commitment to Team’s PurposeCommitment to Team’s Purpose

Characteristics of Great Teams

• Translated Their Strategy into Specific Translated Their Strategy into Specific Performance Tasks and GoalsPerformance Tasks and Goals

Have “Rules of the Road” that Guide Have “Rules of the Road” that Guide Debate and Decision-MakingDebate and Decision-Making

Know “How to Do” (Tactics) what it is Know “How to Do” (Tactics) what it is They’ve Decided to Do (Strategy)They’ve Decided to Do (Strategy)

Characteristics of Great Teams

• Understand Difference between “Real Understand Difference between “Real Work” and the “Work’s Purpose” Work” and the “Work’s Purpose”

If the Purpose for a Business is to “Add If the Purpose for a Business is to “Add Value,” then Something more than Value,” then Something more than Simply “Summing its Parts” has to get Simply “Summing its Parts” has to get done… done…

Characteristics of Great Teams

• Understand Mutual Accountability Understand Mutual Accountability RejectsRejects “The Boss holds “The Boss holds MEME accountable” accountable”AcceptsAccepts “We hold “We hold OURSELVESOURSELVES accountable” accountable”

Team Accountability is all about Team Accountability is all about COMMITMENT and TRUSTCOMMITMENT and TRUST

Approaches Shared by Successful Teams

• Establish Sense of UrgencyEstablish Sense of Urgency• Set Demanding Performance Standards and Set Demanding Performance Standards and

High Expectations: No CompromisingHigh Expectations: No Compromising• Members selected for Specific Skills and Members selected for Specific Skills and

Value of Potential ContributionsValue of Potential Contributions• Set Clear Rules of Behavior: No BlamingSet Clear Rules of Behavior: No Blaming• Start and Stay Positive and RealisticStart and Stay Positive and Realistic

"Stop whimpering and spin the wheel of "Stop whimpering and spin the wheel of blame, Lipton!" blame, Lipton!"

Cartoon by Scott Arthur MasearCartoon by Scott Arthur Masear

Approaches Shared by Successful Teams

• Enjoy Early SuccessesEnjoy Early Successes• Refresh frequently with New ChallengesRefresh frequently with New Challenges• Spend some Unstructured Time TogetherSpend some Unstructured Time Together• Give and Enjoy Positive Feedback, Give and Enjoy Positive Feedback,

Recognition and RewardsRecognition and Rewards

Summary: How to Tell the Difference

WORKING GROUPWORKING GROUP TEAMTEAM

Strong, Focused Strong, Focused LeadershipLeadership Shared LeadershipShared Leadership

Individual AccountabilityIndividual Accountability Mutual AccountabilityMutual Accountability

Shares Organization Shares Organization MissionMission

Separate Team Mission in Separate Team Mission in support of Organization support of Organization

Group Decides but “Real Group Decides but “Real Work” Delegated to Others Work” Delegated to Others

Team Decides Team Decides andand Performs Together “Real Performs Together “Real

Work” Work”