Suzanne Willis Zoglio, Ph.D.(Published January 15, 2002)
Fostering
teamwork is a top priority for many leaders. The benefits are clear:
increased productivity, improved customer service, more flexible
systems, employee empowerment. But is the vision clear? To effectively
implement teams, leaders need a clear picture of the seven elements
high-performance teams have in common.
1. COMMITMENT
Commitment to the purpose and values of an organization provides a
clear sense of direction. Team members understand how their work fits
into corporate objectives and they agree that their team's goals are
achievable and aligned with corporate mission and values. Commitment is
the foundation for synergy in groups. Individuals are willing to put
aside personal needs for the benefit of the work team or the company.
When there is a meeting of the minds on the big picture this shared
purpose provides a backdrop against which all team decisions can be
viewed. Goals are developed with corporate priorities in mind. Team
ground rules are set with consideration for both company and individual
values. When conflict arises, the team uses alignment with purpose,
values, and goals as important criteria for acceptable solutions.
To enhance team commitment leaders might consider inviting each
work team to develop team mission, vision, and values statements that
are in alignment with those of the corporation but reflect the
individuality of each team. These statements should be visible and
"walked" every day. Once a shared purpose is agreed upon, each team can
develop goals and measures, focus on continuous improvement, and
celebrate team success at important milestones. The time spent up front
getting all team members on the same track will greatly reduce the
number of derailments or emergency rerouting later.
2. CONTRIBUTION
The power of an effective team is in direct proportion to the
skills members possess and the initiative members expend. Work teams
need people who have strong technical and interpersonal skills and are
willing to learn. Teams also need self-leaders who take responsibility
for getting things done. But if a few team members shoulder most of the
burden, the team runs the risk of member burnout, or worse -- member
turn-off.
To enhance balanced participation on a work team, leaders should
consider three factors that affect the level of individual contribution:
inclusion, confidence, and empowerment. The more individuals feel like
part of a team, the more they contribute; and, the more members
contribute, the more they feel like part of the team. To enhance
feelings of inclusion, leaders need to keep work team members informed,
solicit their input, and support an atmosphere of collegiality. If
employees are not offering suggestions at meetings, invite them to do
so. If team members miss meetings, let them know they were missed.
When ideas -- even wild ideas -- are offered, show appreciation for the
initiative.
Confidence in self and team affects the amount of energy a team
member invests in an endeavor. If it appears that the investment of
hard work is likely to end in success employees are more likely to
contribute. If, on the other hand, success seems unlikely, investment
of energy will wane. To breed confidence on a work team, leaders can
highlight the talent, experience, and accomplishments represented on the
team, as well as keep past team successes visible. The confidence of
team members can be bolstered by providing feedback, coaching,
assessment and professional development opportunities.
Another
way to balance contribution on a work team is to enhance employee
empowerment. When workers are involved in decisions, given the right
training, and respected for their experience, they feel enabled and
invest more. It is also important to have team members evaluate how
well they support the contribution of others.
3. COMMUNICATION
For a work group to reach its full potential, members must be able
to say what they think , ask for help, share new or unpopular ideas,
and risk making mistakes. This can only happen in an atmosphere where
team members show concern, trust one another, and focus on solutions,
not problems. Communication --when it is friendly, open, and positive
--plays a vital role in creating such cohesiveness.
Friendly communications are more likely when individuals know and
respect one another. Team members show caring by asking about each
other's lives outside of work, respecting individual differences,
joking, and generally making all feel welcome.
Open communication is equally important to a team's success. To
assess work performance, members must provide honest feedback, accept
constructive criticism, and address issues head-on. To do so requires a
trust level supported by direct, honest communication.
Positive communication impacts the energy of a work team. When
members talk about what they like, need, or want, it is quite different
from wailing about what annoys or frustrates them. The former
energizes; the latter demoralizes.
To enhance team communication, leaders can provide skill training
in listening, responding, and the use of language as well as in meeting
management, feedback and consensus building.
4. COOPERATION
Most challenges in the workplace today require much more than good
solo performance. In increasingly complex organizations, success
depends upon the degree of interdependence recognized within the team.
Leaders can facilitate cooperation by highlighting the impact of
individual members on team productivity and clarifying valued team
member behaviors. The following
F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors
(follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may serve
as a guide for helping teams identify behaviors that support synergy
within the work team.
Follow-through
One of the most common phrases heard in groups that work well
together is "You can count on it." Members trust that when a colleague
agrees to return a telephone call, read a report, talk to a customer,
attend a meeting, or change a behavior, the job will be done. There
will be follow-through. Team members are keenly aware that as part of a
team, everything that they do --or don't do---impacts someone else.
Accuracy
Another common phrase heard in effective work groups is "We do it
right the first time." Accuracy, clearly a reflection of personal
pride, also demonstrates a commitment to uphold the standards of the
team, thus generating team pride.
Creativity
Innovation flourishes on a team when individuals feel supported by
colleagues. Although taking the lead in a new order of things is risky
business, such risk is greatly reduced in a cooperative environment
where members forgive mistakes, respect individual differences, and
shift their thinking from a point of view to a viewing point.
Timeliness
When work team members are truly cooperating they respect the time
of others by turning team priorities into personal priorities, arriving
for meetings on time, sharing information promptly, clustering
questions for people, communicating succinctly, and asking "Is this a
good time?" before initiating interactions.
Spirit
Being on a work team is a bit like being part of a family. You
can't have your way all of the time, and - to add value - you must
develop a generous spirit. Leaders can help work teams by addressing
these "rules" of team spirit: value the individual; develop team trust;
communicate openly; manage differences; share successes; welcome new
members.
5.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
It is inevitable that teams of bright, diverse thinkers will
experience conflict from time to time. The problem is not that
differences exist, but in how they are managed. If people believe that
conflict never occurs in "good" groups, they may sweep conflict under
the rug. Of course, no rug is large enough to cover misperception, ill
feelings, old hurts, and misunderstandings for very long. Soon the
differences reappear. They take on the form of tension, hidden agendas,
and stubborn positions. On the other hand, if leaders help work teams
to manage conflict effectively, the team will be able to maintain trust
and tap the collective power of the team. Work teams manage conflict
better when members learn to shift their paradigms (mindsets) about
conflict in general, about other parties involved, and about their own
ability to manage conflict. Three techniques that help members shift
obstructing paradigms are reframing, shifting shoes, and affirmations.
Reframing is looking at the glass half-full, instead of
half-empty. Instead of thinking "If I address this issue, it'll slow
down the meeting," consider this thought: "If we negotiate this
difference, trust and creativity will all increase."
Shifting Shoes is a technique used to practice empathy by mentally
"walking in the shoes" of another person. You answer questions such as
"How would I feel if I were that person being criticized in front of
the group?" "What would motivate me to say what that person just said?"
Affirmations are positive statements about something you want to
be true. For example, instead of saying to yourself right before a
negotiating session, " I know I'm going to blow up", force yourself to
say, "I am calm, comfortable, and prepared." If team members can learn
to shift any negative mental tapes to more positive ones, they will be
able to shift obstructing paradigms and manage conflict more
effectively.
6.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Tom Peters, in Thriving On Chaos, writes "The surviving companies
will, above all, be flexible responders that create market initiatives.
This has to happen through people." It is no longer a luxury to have
work teams that can perform effectively within a turbulent environment.
It is a necessity. Teams must not only respond to change, but actually
initiate it. To assist teams in the management of change, leaders should
acknowledge any perceived danger in the change and then help teams to
see any inherent opportunities. They can provide the security necessary
for teams to take risks and the tools for them to innovate; they can
also reduce resistance to change by providing vision and information,
and by modeling a positive attitude themselves.
7. CONNECTIONS
A cohesive work team can only add value if it pays attention to
the ongoing development of three important connections: to the larger
work organization, to team members, and to other work teams.
When a work team is connected to the organization, members discuss
team performance in relationship to corporate priorities, customer
feedback, and quality measures. They consider team needs in light of
what's good for the whole organization and what will best serve joint
objectives. Leaders can encourage such connection by keeping
communication lines open. Management priorities, successes, and
headaches should flow one way; team needs, successes, and questions
should flow in the other direction.
When a work team has developed strong connections among its own
members, peer support manifests itself in many ways. Colleagues
volunteer to help without being asked, cover for each other in a pinch,
congratulate each other publicly, share resources, offer suggestions for
improvement, and find ways to celebrate together. A few ideas for
developing and maintaining such connections are: allow time before and
after meetings for brief socialization, schedule team lunches, create
occasional team projects outside of work, circulate member profiles,
take training together, and provide feedback to one another on
development.
Teams that connect well with other work groups typically think of
those groups as "internal customers". They treat requests from these
colleagues with the same respect shown to external customers. They ask
for feedback on how they can better serve them. They engage in win/win
negotiating to resolve differences, and they share resources such as
training materials, videos, books, equipment, or even improvement ideas.
To build stronger connections with other groups, work teams might
consider: scheduling monthly cross-departmental meetings, inviting
representatives to their own team meeting, "lending" personnel during
flu season, and combining efforts on a corporate or community project.
To compete effectively, leaders must fashion a network of skilled
employees who support each other in the achievement of corporate goals
and the delivery of seamless service.
Suzanne Willis Zoglio, Ph.D., is the author of
Teams At Work: 7 Keys to Success, The Participative Leader, and
Create A Life That Tickles Your Soul.
