| A strong team is a diverse group of people; united by | | | | weaknesses, thus setting the tone for the rest of the |
| trust; united by a challenge that calls for their very best. | | | | team.. |
| How does your team measure up to that definition? | | | | One idea to help spark this openness that leads to |
| There are certainly other, more thorough definitions of | | | | trust is to ask team members to reveal a big mistake |
| "team" floating around, but in my experience, this simple | | | | they've made in their personal or work lives in the |
| statement captures it. | | | | recent past. |
| Of the four traits, which one is most evident in your | | | | A strong team also needs a challenge to coalesce |
| team? And, perhaps more importantly, in which of | | | | around. |
| those four facets does your team most definitely | | | | I first found this basic principle articulated in the book |
| need help? | | | | The Wisdom of Teams, by Jon Katzenbach and |
| Let's begin with at look at the issue of diversity. | | | | Douglas Smith. In the prologue they make this |
| Insecure or arrogant team leaders often make the | | | | summarizing statement that is reiterated again and |
| gaffe of creating teams of people just like them. Yes, | | | | again: "A demanding performance challenge tends to |
| it's much easier to collaborate with people who are like | | | | create a team. The hunger for performance is more |
| us; but they often have the same flaws we do! Task | | | | important to team success than team-building |
| focused individuals will forget about, and be weak in, | | | | exercises, special incentives, or team leaders with ideal |
| relationships, while the very relational ones among us | | | | profiles. In fact, teams often form around such |
| might get preoccupied by visiting and never get to the | | | | challenges without any help or support from |
| task at hand! | | | | management. Conversely, potential teams without such |
| Team diversity is of course more than merely a | | | | challenges usually fail to become teams." |
| personality style issue. But in the meantime, mull on this: | | | | If your workgroup is performing at a low level, perhaps |
| In what ways does your team need more diversity? | | | | it's because there is no challenge that requires them to |
| Patrick Lencioni, in his exceptional book The Five | | | | pull together and give their best. Or, perhaps there is a |
| Dysfunctions of a Team, points out that the | | | | challenge but it's not clear- they don't know who the |
| foundational problem or dysfunction of many teams is | | | | "enemy" is. Or, there is a distinct challenge but it's so |
| a lack of trust. The cause? An unwillingness of team | | | | small that it's not compelling. Business as usual will |
| members to be vulnerable. He says "Team members | | | | achieve it, and they're bored. |
| who are not genuinely open with one another about | | | | The bottom line is this- if the team leader can't |
| their mistakes and flaws make it impossible to build a | | | | articulate what the team's challenge is, then most likely |
| foundation for trust." | | | | the group has no such challenge; and it will never |
| Team leaders need to take a risk and show their | | | | function as a team until the challenge is made. |