Building super teams

Imagine you are leading an organisation. Some of the people are super positive; some are neutral; some are negative. How do you want to work with the different kinds of people?

In the old days organisations often told you to concentrate on turning-around the negative people. But that did not work. Nowadays you put your energy into the engine, not the trailer.

Here are three steps you can take with the different kinds of people.

1) The positive people.

“Reward the behaviour you want repeated,” is the motto in all organisations. So you encourage the positive people. They are the engine, but they also need support. Frequently they volunteer for tasks, do great work but also get exhausted. You need them:

a) To be superb models for other people in the organisation.

b) To play to their strengths and deliver successful projects.

c) To share success stories which highlight the strategies for building the future successful organisation.

Spend time with the positive people, find out their passions and clarify their ‘A’ talents. Then encourage them to make their best contribution to the organisation. Try completing the following sentence.

2) The positive-neutral people.

Such people can become the backbone of the organisation. They often respond well if you enable them:

a) To know the goals – the ‘What’ and the ‘Why’.

b) To know the game plan – the ‘How’, ‘Who’ and ‘When’.

c) To be given a sense of ‘ownership’ in implementing their part of their strategy.

d) To be given the support they need to do the job.

e) To get a share of the rewards.

You will follow these steps in your own way. One leader said:

“I toured every country in the EMEA region and did 2 hour sessions in which I literally met every person. Meeting groups of around 20 people, I talked about last year’s achievements, before outlining the goals for the next year.

“I used a flip chart and a few slides, but the tone was mainly conversational. Looking at the challenges ahead, I invited people to ask their questions and answered these as honestly as possible.

“Finally I reiterated the organisation’s strategy and outlined what we could all do to get some quick successes. People seemed to appreciate the sessions.”

Sounds hard work? Perhaps, but it can be harder if you do not connect with people. Given the right kind of support, they will do superb work and go that extra mile. Try completing the following sentence.

3) The negative people.

They must make a decision: Do they want to be part of the organisation or not? You can outline:

a) The results to achieve.

b) The rules – the ‘Dos and Don’ts’ for reaching the goals.

c) The rewards.

Be positive but be firm. As adults, people can make choices – and each choice has consequences.

Give people the opportunity to consider ‘The Deal’. They can choose whether they want to opt-in and make a positive contribution. This must then be followed-up by deeds rather than words. If they do not change, then act to protect the other people and maintain a positive culture.

Try completing the following sentence.

Great organisations are made-up of people who choose to be there every day. They are volunteers, not victims. So build on the positive people and do whatever is necessary to guide the organisation to success.

“Are you serious?" That is the question I ask teams after they have presented their story, strategy and road to success. Their first reaction is: “Of course.”

That is great. But we must then focus on the implications of translating their aims into action. After clarifying the pluses and minuses involved in reaching the goals, I ask them:

“On a scale 0—10, rate to what extent you are really serious.”

Those that answer 8+ are more likely to achieve their picture of success.

Imagine you are a leader. Your team has clarified its specific goals and strategies. Before pushing the button, however, ensure that people understand the implications.

Here are three suggestions for taking this step.

1) You can clarify the pluses and minuses involved in reaching the goals.

Invite your team to tackle the exercise called Are we really serious?

Looking at what is involved in reaching the goals, ask them to clarify the pluses and minuses for different stakeholders. They can focus on the implications for the company, customers, colleagues and any other groups. There will be both upsides and downsides.

“The biggest minus for some managers was making tough decisions about people who did not fit the future culture,” said one leader.

“The strategy depended on employing people who took responsibility. This meant it was important: a) To act as positive models ourselves; b) To encourage the positive people; c) To give clear messages to those who didn’t.

"Some managers found this difficult, but it was necessary if we were to reach our goals.”

2) You can ask the team: “Are we really serious?”

Peak performers consider the implications of reaching their goals. They then do three things.

First, they consider how to build on the pluses.

Second, they consider how to minimise the minuses.

Third, they make a decision. Do they accept the whole package? Do they really want to go for the goals?

If the answer is ‘Yes,’ they move into action and get an early success. Invite your team to take similar steps. In your own way, say something like:

“Are we really serious? Bearing in mind the pluses and minuses involved in reaching the goals, rate the extent to which you believe we are serious. Do this on a scale 0 – 10. Please be completely honest.”

Consider the final scores and discuss these with the team. If the ratings are 8+ – and remain so after exploring any outstanding key issues – your team is probably committed. If the ratings are less, you have several options:

* You can consider revisiting the original goals.

* You can again consider how to build on the pluses and minimise the minuses.

* You can consider getting a team that is prepared to go for the goals.

Whichever route you take, make sure the final ‘seriousness rating’ is at least 8+. This is necessary to stand a fighting chance of success.

3) You can show you are serious by doing whatever is necessary to achieve success.

Now move into action. There are several steps you can take to show people you are serious. Some of these you will have already covered, but they will probably include some of the following.

“The ‘zero tolerance’ part hit home for me,” said one leader.

“Previously I thought I was serious. But now I realise this was 7/10 – and I hoped the rest would fall into place.

"Thankfully, many times the teams were successful. Looking back, however, the times we failed were when we didn’t think through the implications.”

Great teams are ‘committed to the commitment’. This only happens, however, if they dare to consider all the consequences.

Providing your team has gone through this process – and score 8+ on the seriousness scale – you stand a good chance of success.

Imagine you are leading a team. Great teams get the right balance of decision makers, drivers and deliverers.

Decision makers set the strategy. Drivers act as the gears: they ‘live the message’ and translate the ideas into action. Deliverers produce the goods.

People may move between all three roles at times but, by and large, it is important to get the right balance in your team. Let’s explore what this means in practice.

1) Decision makers.

Decision makers set the compass. They clarify what mountain the team is climbing, why they are climbing it and when they will reach the summit. They communicate this story in a compelling way and ensure everybody knows their part in achieving the goals.

Great teams frequently have two or three people at the centre who take responsibility for setting the overall direction. Depending on the topics to be covered, however, they then involve wider groups. Leaders do this to ensure people have a real sense of ownership regarding their part of their strategy.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at your team at work, explore the following themes. First, write the names of the good decision makers you already have in the team. Second, if appropriate, describe the decision makers you may need to add to the team.

How to make this happen? Sometimes you may choose to go out and hire the right people. Other times you may already have people who are potentially good decision makers. If so, it could be worthwhile providing them with practical tools they can use to make even better decisions. Try completing the following exercise.

2) Drivers.

Drivers are the gears of the team. They act as positive models and often lead ‘teams within the team’. Such a driver approaches the leader and says something like the following.

“As far as I understand it, the strategy of the overall team is: To ________.”

“My part and my team’s part in making the strategy happen is: To ________.”

“Is that correct? Right, I will go and make it happen.”

Leaders must make sure that all their direct reports embody these qualities. Otherwise they will leap frog them and micro-manage the deliverers.

Great football clubs, for example, recruit drivers to form the spine of the team. Spurring-on their teammates, they ensure the strategy is translated into action. How does this work in your team?

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe the good drivers you already have in the team. Second, describe the drivers you may need to add to the team. Again, you may need to hire or develop such people. Try completing the following exercise.

3) Deliverers.

Deliverers are often experts and do great work. Some deliverers do go on to become drivers. But this calls for them taking a different kind of responsibility. They must be prepared to act as positive models and make tough decisions.

Some deliverers therefore prefer to remain brilliant niche providers. This is okay: providing they have a positive attitude, do good work and contribute to helping the team reach its goals.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe the good deliverers you already have in the team. Second, describe the deliverers you may need to add to the team. Try completing the following exercise.

Super teams get the right balance of decision makers, drivers and deliverers. So, if you wish, tackle the exercise at the end of this piece that brings everything together.

Clarify what you can do to get the right people in the right places. This will give your team the greatest chance of success.

Imagine you lead a successful team. Your bosses admire what the team has achieved, but they wonder if it is too dependent on your personality. This is now going to be put to the test. Last week the Chief Executive called to say:

“I would like you to consider taking over part of your boss’s role for the next 6 months. They will be running a global project and must release some of their responsibilities. Many of these play to your strengths. Are you interested?"

"If so, it means spending at least 50% of your time on the role. That has implications. You will need: a) To nominate somebody to deputise for you in your present role; b) To get your team to be more self-managing. Is this something you are interested in doing?”

Assuming you take the role, it will require everybody in the team taking more responsibility. Let’s explore how to make this happen.

1) You can ensure the team wants to become more self-managing.

Start by choosing somebody to act as your ‘deputy’. Agree with them on: a) The team’s goals; b) The role they want to play in guiding the team to reaching these goals; c) The support they want from you. You are then ready to talk with the rest of the team.

Before tackling the actual contracting process, however, ensure that people really do want to become more self-managing. Certainly they will answer ‘”Yes,” but underline the work involved.

As ever, the old coaching rule applies: ‘People must have the will before they learn the skill.’ Gather people together and go through the following stages.

* Explain the reasons for the session.

You may say, for example, that you have accepted part of your boss’s role. This will mean spending less time with the team. Some of your duties will be taken over by your deputy.

Your authority will continue to be: _______. Your deputy’s authority will be: _______. But you will be asking everybody to take on more responsibility and become a self-managing team.

Later in the session you will make contracts about the broad roles people will play. You are sure, however, that the team will continue to deliver success.

* Re-communicate the team’s agreed picture of success.

Revisit the team’s goals for the next six months. Invite people to ask questions and add suggestions to the goals. Then ask them:

“On a scale 0 – 10, to what extent do you feel confident you can deliver the goals? What can be done to improve the ratings?”

Compile their suggestions for improving the chances of success.

* Ensure they want to become more self-managing.

Explain that the next steps will be:

a) To outline the overall roles that people must play in reaching the goals.

b) To involve them in crafting the these responsibilities.

c) To meet with each person to make clear contracts about their parts in achieving the goals.

Bearing in mind the work involved, ask if they want to become more self-managing. They will probably answer “Yes.” If not, you may need to bring other people into the team.

2) You can make clear contracts about people’s roles in building a self-managing team.

Start by explaining people’s overall responsibilities in such a team. Looking ahead to the next 6 months, explain:

a) The leader’s role (including that of the deputy).

b) The team members’ role.

Invite people to do the following exercise. Ask each of them to write Post-it Notes under the respective headings. (See below.)

Give people 15 minutes to write the ideas. Then invite each one in turn to place their Post-its under the relevant headings – plus give their explanations for the suggestions.

Discuss the suggestions that emerge. You will have the final say on people’s roles, but it is good to get everybody’s ideas. The process also ‘educates’ them about the team principles. Finalise the ideas and then communicate the respective responsibilities. Together with your deputy, meet with each person and make clear contracts about their individual contributions.

3) You can ensure people translate the contracts in action and become a more self-managing team.

Great teams have the right spirit and systems to achieve success. Your team has the right spirit – people want to become more self-managing. They can then follow their agreed ‘systems’ to reach their goals.

For example, people can hold a monthly meeting to stay on-track. The deputy can start such a session by updating people on the whole team’s progress towards achieving the picture of success. Each person can then give a brief update on:

* The specific things they have delivered in the past month towards achieving the goals.

* The specific things they plan to deliver in the next month.

* The challenges they face, their strategies for tackling these challenges and the support they need to achieve success.

The presentations should be made in headline terms – rather than a detailed ‘to do’ list. People can then turn to how:

a) They can continue to pursue the key strategies.

b) They find creative solutions to challenges.

c) They can keep satisfying their sponsors – their bosses – and deliver success.

Each meeting should conclude by agreeing on the ‘press release’. Adopting this discipline forces people to clarify what they have achieved in the meeting and the strategies for the way ahead. The team members can brainstorm and then agree on:

“The 3 key messages we want to give other people regarding the outcomes of the meeting are:

1) ____________ 2) _______________ 3) _______________”

You are still accountable for the team’s results: so do whatever is necessary to ensure that people deliver. At the same time, continue to coach your deputy and, when appropriate, the whole team. Gather people and ask them to present:

a) The things we are doing well – and how we can continue to follow these principles.

b) The things we can do better – and how.

You can then pass-on tools and knowledge to help them succeed. Good leaders are often like good educators – they enable their people to become more self-managing.

This releases the leader to be more strategic. They can focus on shaping tomorrow’s business, whilst their people manage today’s business. It also enables everybody – both as people and professionals. Try completing the following sentences.