A favorite cliché proclaims that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." In the case of building and maintaining high functioning teams, we are always hopeful that the cliché holds true. Unfortunately, the opposite can be true. The whole can be less than the sum of its parts; in fact, the "sum" can be negative.
We care about teams because management literature, real world experience and common sense tell us we have much to gain by working in a team environment. In general, teams produce a higher quality of deliverables than individuals. The brainstorming and collaborative planning and execution involved in team activities often allows team members to identify issues and opportunities sooner than silos of individuals whose efforts must, at some point, converge. Employees working in well-functioning teams tend to demonstrate higher morale and job satisfaction than employees working alone. Finally, teams are the training ground for future leaders in your organization.
You do, however, have to watch for some "gotchas." Poorly managed teams can suffer from paralysis and finger pointing, impeding or even halting team progress. Of even greater concern is "when good teams go bad," resulting in setbacks to both efforts and morale. Symptoms that teams are becoming counterproductive include evidence of siege mentality ("everyone is attacking us"), camp mentality ("we have enemies") and team-for-team's sake ("nothing matters except the team").
Ensuring we receive maximum benefits from teamwork begins by understanding what a team is. What a team isn't is merely a group of people charged with some task, function, or project. In Harvard Business School Press's The Wisdom of Teams, a team is defined as follows:
"… a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable."
Several key concepts emerge in this definition.
Small number of people. Large teams can become unwieldy. You can always supplement your team with spot expertise to keep the size manageable. Remember that some team members will be full-time (be involved in all aspects of team operation), some will be part-time (be involved in only some subset of team activities), and probably all will have other responsibilities. Also, you will have a strong supporting cast for your team, which includes a sponsor (responsible for defining the team's mission), an organizer (responsible for defining the team's resources) and other business units (associated with implementation and standard business processes, such as procurement).
Complementary skills. Three clones do no constitute a team. You need a mix of technical skills, subject matter expertise and soft skills. If you cannot find the right mix of needed skills, at least be aware of what you are missing so that you can compensate in other ways. You will also need leadership skills on the team. Whether you appoint a leader or one emerges, leadership is an essential skill. In this context, skills also include "attitude." You need a mix of creative people and pragmatists, as well as at least one Devil's Advocate, to ensure the proper balance of initiative, innovation, and achievability.
Common purpose and performance goals. The team must know what it is expected to deliver and when.
Common approach. Formal team methodologies, particularly in terms of project management tools and practices, are only one piece of this. More important is a shared culture and an emphasis on collaboration. Finally, roles within the team must be well-defined, so that each person understands what is expected of him or her. If the team members can participate in defining these roles, all the better.
Mutual accountability. If one team member fails, they all fail. If the team fails to meet its objectives, the team fails, even if the individual level of effort by the team members is high.
Keep in mind that, in the non-business context, a team is generally defined in terms of sports, with the key concept being competition. While some competition within and between teams can be healthy, it needs to be monitored and managed.
Team Culture
Now that we have a common vocabulary about what constitutes a team, we need to think about your organization's "culture of teams." Are your teams ad hoc and spontaneous (de facto) or structured and formal (de jure)? Do your teams tend to function as the cavalry (riding to the rescue to save the operational staff) or the infantry (responsible for moving forward tasks and projects day to day)? Do your teams recommend, act or both? Are they truly empowered - whether recommending or acting - or are they implementation tools? Even worse, does your organization create teams in order to bury controversial initiatives or shore up individual agendas?
In most organizations with successful team functionality, team are de jure, infantry and empowered. Whether they recommend or act, unless the team is appropriately constituted (with members and co-workers fully aware of their charter and deliverables), fully integrated with your operation and allowed to exercise their mandate, you risk creating an environment that dooms your team to failure.
Identifying and, most importantly, communicating your organization's team processes is another important component in preparing your teams for success. Are your processes formal or informal? What is the chain of command and escalation path for the teams? What kinds of approvals does your team - even if empowered - require? What are the measures of success for your teams?
Meeting Expectations
Now that we understand what your teams are and something about the landscape in which they operate, we need to determine how well they are functioning. How do you define team success in your organization? Teams need to be provided with deliverables and/or objectives. The deliverables/objectives need to be specific and associated with deadlines. If you can, incorporate metrics. Don't forget to determine a way to assess the "feel-good factor" (how team members and observers think the team is doing).
If you suspect that a team is not being successful - or as successful as it can be - how do you remediate? The first step is to assess their performance, as discussed above. If you find that improvement is required or desired, focus your efforts on the specific areas to be improved or enhanced. Just as importantly, spend some time identifying the areas that are functioning well, so that those aren't "broken" in the remediation process.
To develop an appropriately balanced approach to improving your team, use the framework established by "The Wisdom of Teams" definition and your own "culture of teams." One of the most common missteps we make in managing team performance is to focus on identifying a single scapegoat for team failures. There is no question that "one bad apple can spoil the barrel." However, identifying one poorly-performing team member is often a "quick fix" that fails to address the real causes of poor performance.
Look first at the team structure and landscape. Do you have too many people on your team? Has their mission been appropriately crafted and communicated? Do you have all of the right skills in the team? Do they understand how they need to operate and that they are mutually accountable? Are their roles within the team and within the organization well-defined? Remember, there are just as many things that can be wrong in creating, managing and leading teams as there are in participating in a team.
Perfecting Good Performance
Let's not forget our high-functioning team. Even a well-oiled machine needs maintenance. Here are a few techniques for maintaining a high performing team. First, periodically review team performance based on your established measures of success. Second, don't save communication for a crisis. One reason your team is probably performing well is that you set them on the right path in terms of their mission, scope and deliverables. Continuing that communication will keep them on track. Take time to analyze why they are successful, and be proactive in ensuring that the key success factors don't change or that change is managed. Finally, have a "BC/DR plan" for the break-up of a high-performing team.
Crafting New Teams
When recruiting team members, look at fit as well as skills. Many people who possess outstanding technical skills lack the soft skills necessary to work interdependently. When you can't find the perfect fit, know when to "settle" for the "good" versus waiting for the "perfect." Once you have identified your team members, clearly identify who plays each role within the team.
As your team develops, pay close attention to a few key management issues. First and foremost, hold the supporting cast accountable, including yourself. Engage in team building activities. Remember, often people will do for friends what they won't do for strangers. Make sure your team knows that outsiders are okay. When you have to bring in subject matter experts or consultants to supplement your team, make sure your team knows why the outsider is being brought in. Finally, foster a culture of "jumping up and down." This means clearly communicating that it is the responsibility of each and every team member, regardless of role, to "yell and scream" if progress is stalled, if obstacles have arisen or if the project is in jeopardy.
Whether you are a team member, team leader, team sponsor or simply the beneficiary of team efforts, it is important to understand that teams need to be built, nurtured and maintained to achieve the benefits and avoid the pitfalls - and that the associated skills can be learned. One final thought: Be prepared to be tough on yourself and to take personal responsibility for the success of your team(s).
For more information on ensuring team performance, try some of the resources listed below.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, Patrick Lencioni
The New Why Teams Don't Work: What Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right, Harvey A. Robbins and Michael Finley
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey, Kenneth Blanchard, William Oncken, Jr., and Hal Burrows
The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization, Jon R. Katzenberg and Douglas K. Smith
About our author . . .
Joy Heath Rush is the Director of Applications at Sidley Austin LLP, a firm with 1,600 lawyers practicing in 15 offices worldwide. In this capacity, she is responsible for the "user experience," which includes desktop application integration, application and Web development, software distribution and PC imaging, PC and application deployment, desktop hardware and software asset management, training, and support firmwide. Joy is currently serving as the Peer Group Liaison to the Board of Directors of ILTA, previously serving as Board Secretary and Microsoft Special Interest Group Chair. She can be reached at jheath@sidley.com.