Building super teams

Good leaders focus on managing by outcomes, rather than by tasks. They achieve this by doing three things

* They show people the picture of success. They describe the ‘what, why, how, who and when’.

* They invite people to make clear contracts about their contributions towards achieving the picture of success.

* They manage by outcomes and focus on people’s actual contributions towards achieving the picture of success.

Good leaders recognise that they cannot actually ‘manage people’. Such an approach would be patronising, because people manage themselves.

They can provide people with an inspiring framework, however, and the support they need to do the job. Leaders can then manage people’s contributions towards achieving the team’s goals.

Let’s explore how to make this happen.

1) You can communicate the picture of success.

Imagine you are leading a team. You will communicate a compelling story, strategy and road map towards achieving success. You will outline:

* The ‘What’: the results to achieve.

* The ‘Why’: the benefits – for the company, colleagues and customers.

* The ‘How’: the key strategies for achieving success.

* The ‘Who’: the roles that different people can play in achieving the goals.

* The ‘When’: the specific things that will show the team has reached its goals.

People can then choose whether or not they want to contribute towards making the story happen.

“Coming from a retail background, I spent the first six months making sure the company had the right systems,” said one leader, who took over a knowledge-driven business.

“What I failed to do was to communicate an inspiring story. So I got my act together and provided a clear vision.

"Being a tough taskmaster, I believe the employees are paid to take responsibility and do a good job. But it helps if they have the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful goal.”

There are many ways to communicate a team's story, strategy and road to success. So you may, for example, use many of the following slides.

These break the overall goals down into the areas of Profits, Products – including customer satisfaction – and People. But you may use your own template for describing the desired outcomes.

2) You can invite people to make clear contracts about their contributions towards achieving the picture of success.

This is the crucial part. Super teams are made up of volunteers, not victims. So give people the opportunity to decide if they want to contribute towards achieving the goals. Invite them to complete the format at the end of this section. It invites people:

* To focus on the picture of success.

* To focus on their strengths.

* To focus on their best contribution towards achieving the picture of success.

People must be able to show what they will deliver in outcome terms. This can be challenging. Many people are used to writing lists of tasks. They describe what they are going to do, rather than what they are going to deliver.

Spend a lot of time with each person agreeing on ‘what’ must be delivered. Make crystal-clear contracts about the real results to achieve.

Why? Because from then on virtually every ‘performance conversation’ will start by concentrating on this ‘what’ – the agreed outcomes – rather than get into ‘supervising’ the tasks.

After such a contracting session, for example, here is how one team leader might describe their contribution under the 3 Ps.

My Contribution To the Picture of Success

Profitability

* To ensure my team achieves its financial targets – a profit of £500k.

* To develop 3 new customers and do work with them that delivers a profit of £100k.

* To reduce our overheads by £100k.

Product Quality

* To deliver a rating of 90%+ customers being extremely satisfied with our work.

* To develop 2 new products and pilot these successfully with customers – then launch these products by the end of the year.

* To simplify 2 of our complex products to ensure these are more user-friendly for customers – then get a further £100k’s worth of orders for these before the end of the year.

People

* To deliver an internal morale rating of 90%+ of our team members saying they enjoy coming to work each day.

* To educate, equip and enable 2 of my team members to win promotion and move on to other roles in the company.

* To recruit 4 new positive team members who take responsibility, build on their strengths and get some early successes that contribute towards achieving the team’s goals.

————-

This approach sounds demanding. It is. But it expects people to take an active role in thinking through:

* What they are going to deliver – the real results to achieve.

* Why they are going to deliver it – the benefits.

* How they are going to deliver it – the strategies and support required.

* When they are going to deliver it – the milestones along the way.

People find this difficult at first, but then it becomes second nature. They get into the habit of focusing on the specific goals, strategies, support and specific measures. Here is the framework they can complete.

After agreeing on the outcomes, make sure people are given the necessary support required to do the job. Otherwise you are asking them to climb a mountain without the right equipment.

Set-up people for success. Then encourage, educate and enable them to do superb work.

3) You can manage by outcomes and focus on people’s actual contributions towards achieving the picture of success.

One approach is to meet with each person every month. They are to prepare ahead of time and complete the following framework. You can then work through it together during the session.

Create an encouraging environment where people can share their successes and challenges. During the conversation, however, keep returning to the agreed ‘what’. You can say:

“Let’s go back to the real results to achieve. How can we do our best to deliver those results? What are the steps we need to take to make this happen?”

Why take this approach? People can get into a pattern of talking about details, making excuses or whatever. They may also confuse activity with results.

Certainly sometimes it is vital to revisit the aims to ensure these are still desirable and possible. But then it is good to go back to the ‘what’. Whether it concerns profits, product quality or people, the mantra is:

“Let’s go back to agreed outcomes. How can we do our best to deliver those results?”

Sounds tough? Perhaps, but it is also a good way of leading a team. People learn:

* To clarify realistic goals.

* To make clear contracts about the goals, including the required support.

* To take responsibility, be creative and deliver the goals.

You will, of course, have your own way of making this happen. Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe how you can manage by outcomes and the potential benefits.

Taking this step can build an even more self-managing and successful team. Try completing the following sentences.

During the 1980s it became common to talk about 'the customer's journey'. This mapped the route that people took when doing business with an organisation. When using an airline, for example, the first stages might be:

* Finding the telephone number.

* Ringing the airline.

* Waiting to be answered.

* Enquiring about the flights.

* Booking a seat.

* Fixing payment.

* Waiting for the ticket to arrive by post.

* And so on.

Many of these stages were designed to make life easier for the company, rather than the customer.

The process was extremely tortuous until Jan Carlzon, President of Scandinavian Airlines Systems, took the lead by becoming more customer-focused. He aimed to put the customer first, rather than last.

SAS plotted the journey from the customer’s point of view. They focused particularly on the ‘moments of truth’.

These were the key moments when the customer interacted with the company. For example, when making a booking, standing in line at the check-in or waiting for the luggage to arrive on the carousel.

Carlzon believed that most airlines offered a similar ‘product’ – they transferred people from A to Z in a metal tube. So what could make the difference?

He believed it was how the company behaved during these moments of truth. If the staff performed brilliantly, the customers were more likely to be impressed and give their future business to SAS.

Carlzon’s research found that customers wanted several things from an airline. First, they wanted it to be safe, clean and reliable. Second, they wanted the journey to be simplified, rather than an obstacle race. Third, they wanted the airline to pull-out all the stops if things went wrong.

SAS embarked on a process where they asked the following things:

How can we keep improving our core product and service? How can we continue to make it safe, reliable and attractive?

How can we make it easy for the customer to do business with us? How can we simplify the customer’s journey? How can we get the ‘processes’ right? How can we then provide the ‘personal touch’ at each moment of truth?

How can we recover from mistakes? How can we behave brilliantly if things go wrong? How can we turn a complaining customer into a customer for life?

SAS introduced massive improvements and led the field for many years. Eventually they were overtaken, however, by other airlines who bettered the ideas.

Some also say Carlzon became enamoured by a larger vision and neglected the basics. He eventually left SAS and went on to develop a highly successful career in several other businesses. Whatever happened, Carlzon must be given credit for putting customer service high on the business agenda.

Imagine you have been charged with improving customer service in your organisation. One place to start is by improving the customer’s journey. Let’s explore how to make this happen.

1) You can clarify the customer’s journey.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Begin by plotting the customer’s journey when they do business with your organisation. Pay special attention to the ‘moments of truth’.

There are, of course, many different kinds of ‘customer journeys'. These depend on whether customers do business via phone, on the internet or visiting an outlet. But let’s focus on the journey made by most of your customers.

Imagine that you work for a bank. What is the first contact a customer has when, for example, ringing your business?

Some banks get it right. The phone is answered by a human being who acts as a ‘one-stop shop’. They are pleasant and, after a quick security check, help you to get information, make a transaction or solve a problem. Other banks answer with a recorded message along the lines of:

“We value your custom. In order to answer your call more quickly, enter your 6 figure branch code; please enter your 8 figure account number; please enter your date of birth; from your security number, please enter the last digit; from your security number, please enter the first digit. Thank you. You will be answered as soon as a staff member becomes available.”

Cue scratchy music, punctuated every 30 seconds with, “We value your custom. Please wait for a staff member or phone back later.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, choose a specific type of journey made by a specific type of customer. Plot the journey made by this customer.

2) You can improve each moment of truth during the customer’s journey.

SAS began by making it easier for customers to:

a) Buy a ticket which could be picked up at the airport.

b) Be picked up at their home by limousine and transported to the airport.

c) Be fast-tracked through check-in.

These are common factors today, but they were revolutionary in the early 80s.

How can you improve each moment of truth? Let’s start with the obvious question: Can any of these stages be removed?

Amazon has made purchasing a book easier by providing ‘one-click’ ordering. Is there anything you can do to simplify life for the customer? Looking at the remaining stages, ask:

“How can we make it easy for the customer to do business with us? How can we put the right processes in place? How can we, when appropriate, add the personal touch? How can we improve these moments of truth?”

Invite people to complete the following exercise.

Involve your customers, pilot the procedures and implement the ideas. One key point: make sure your employees are given a sense of ‘ownership’ in how the principles are implemented.

‘What’ you want the customer to experience is not up for debate – neither are the key principles that must be followed.

‘How’ these results can be delivered is where you involve the staff. They must also be given the support to do the job.

Run many simulations before you go live – otherwise there will be chaos. Get feedback from the customers, build on what works and fix any problems. Then move onto the next stage.

3) You can continue to improve the customer’s journey.

“Today’s luxury becomes tomorrow’s expectation,” we are told.

Customers will continue to be demanding. Gone are the days when companies designed products with ‘built-in obsolescence’, forcing people to continually purchase new goods.

So how can you keep improving? Many companies offer similar services – so there is limited scope for competing on ‘product’ and ‘price’.

So the key is leveraging their ‘people assets’ – encouraging, educating and enabling their staff to give great service. Beware of going in for business process re-engineering. Frequently this just involves polishing parts of the existing processes.

Start instead with a blank piece of paper and ask:

“If we were to start the business today, what would we do? Who would be our target group? What products would we offer? How would we make it easy for the customers to do business with us? How would we provide stunning service?”

Then make these things happen. Start with a pilot. But then implement the ideas across the whole business.

Sound tough? Perhaps, but the alternative is to slowly go out of business. Great organisations are committed to continually improving the customer’s journey.

“My in box is full and there are so only many jobs I can tackle,” said one person. “My days should be spent driving strategy, but they get consumed by catching-up on tasks. I only have so much energy, so it is important to channel this into the activities that will make a real difference.”

“Be selective to be effective,” is the motto. Sounds easy in theory, but it can be harder in practice. Here are three suggestions for making this happen. 

1) Drive it.

Imagine you are leading the team that you participate in at work. You are clear on: a) The team’s picture of success; b) The key strategies for achieving these goals. So everybody is clear on the following.

After identifying the top three strategies, you will find there are many projects, tasks and actions to be implemented. Looking at this list, clarify the ones that you personally want to drive. One Managing Director said he would lead three things.

1) The sales drive to increase profits by 10%.

The company were temporarily lacking a Sales Director. So he planned to head the sales initiative. This also played to his strengths, as he had a successful background in sales.

2) The launch of the new digital arm.

Whilst working in conjunction with the Digital Director, he wanted to make sure it got the backing across the business. They would make clear contracts about their respective responsibilities.

3) The values programme that would be implemented across the company.

The MD knew that ‘values could not be delegated’. So he planned to be at every Values In Action session to be held across the company. He would also head the team writing success stories that highlighted how some people were already living the values.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe the strategies that you personally would like to drive. Second, describe the specific things you can do to drive these successfully. Try completing the following sentences.

2) Delegate it.

Move on to the things you want to delegate. But this comes with a health warning. Delegate these to people who will deliver the goods. Otherwise you will get worried, micromanage people and become a cop. How to delegate? Here is one approach.

* Describe again the key strategies for achieving success.

* Describe which strategies – or the elements of which strategies – you will take responsibility for delivering.

* Invite people to describe which strategies – or the elements of which strategies – they would like to take responsibility for delivering.

Several points are worth bearing in mind when taking this step. It is important for people: a) To play to their strengths; b) To make clear contracts about the results they will deliver; c) To get the support required to do the job. So your final ‘Delegation Sheet’ may look something like the following.

The Strategies – The
Deliverables and The Delegation

The key strategies and the specific results that
must be delivered under each of these are:

1) To

The specific results that must be delivered are:

a)

Person ____ will deliver this by:

b)

Person ____ will deliver this by:

c)

Person ____ will deliver this by:

2) To

The specific results that must be delivered are:

a)

Person ____ will deliver this by:

b)

Person ____ will deliver this by:

c)

Person ____ will deliver this by:

3) To

The specific results that must be delivered are:

a)

Person ____ will deliver this by:

b)

Person ____ will deliver this by:

c)

Person ____ will deliver this by:

Contracting is crucial. People should know that you will manage by outcomes, rather than by tasks. You will be interested in what they are delivering, rather than what they are doing. People also need to proactively keep you informed about their progress towards achieving the goals.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe the specific things that you want to delegate and how you can do this successfully. Try completing the following sentences.

   3) Ditch it.    

“I find it easy to ditch things in theory,” said one person, “but it is more difficult in practice. I start out with good intentions, but then get guilty about neglecting certain activities. So I often end up doing these things anyway.”

This highlights a key point. It is vital: a) To clarify the consequences of ditching certain things. There will be pluses, but there may also be potential minuses. b) To anticipate and manage any difficulties that may arise. You will then feel more able to focus on the tasks that really matter.

Organisations often take on more tasks as they try to grow in an increasingly complex market. They tend to stick with old processes and products – even old meetings – whilst also trying to adapt to the new. People find themselves overloaded. They spend masses of energy trying to survive, rather than thrive in the new world.

Good organisations go back to basics. They say:

“Imagine we were starting this business today. What would be the three key things we would do to give ourselves the greatest chance of success? Bearing these things in mind, what do we need: a) To keep doing; b) To start doing; c) To stop doing?”

They then focus on implementing these strategies successfully.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe the specific things you personally – or your team – can ditch. Second, describe how you can manage the consequences successfully. Try completing the following sentences.

The work place is becoming overloaded as people are inundated with information, emails and requests. At the same time, they are urged to work smarter, not harder. Priority management is vital. There are consequences to this approach, but there are more minuses in trying to fill the day with 12 hours of fire fighting.

Peak performers focus on the key strategies that will give them the greatest chance of success. This calls for continually choosing to drive, delegate or ditch the things that are on your ‘To Do’ list.

Imagine you are a team leader. Your team has been given a deadline by which they must deliver a specific goal. How can you tell whether your team has the desire and discipline required to reach its destination?

One approach is to start from the end and work backwards through these steps. You can then check the team’s motivation to do the hard work. Let’s explore this process.

1) You can start by describing the destination.

Start by describing what the team must deliver. You may want to say, for example:

“Here is the team’s story, strategy and road to success. The benefits of achieving the goal will be: a) ___ b) ___ c) ___. There will be some minuses involved, such as having to be fully committed.

“Great teams are made up of people who choose to be there. They each make a positive decision to opt into achieving the goal. So it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to work towards the destination.

“It is important to be honest when taking this step. It is great if you say: ‘Yes, I want to contribute to achieving the goal.’ But do not say ‘Yes,’ when you mean ‘No’ or ‘Maybe’. We would prefer to give you more information so you can then make an informed decision. So here is the overall story, strategy and road to success.”

How can you do this in your own way? The key is to provide an inspiring vision, but also explain the pluses and minuses involved in reaching the goal. Try completing the following sentence.

2) You can explore the disciplines required for reaching the destination.

Great teams get the right balance between consistency and creativity. Everybody must do certain things in a consistent way. But there must also be areas in which they can express their creativity. Consistency means they will always reach a certain standard. But creativity adds that touch of magic needed to achieve success.

Every team member must therefore be committed to following the disciplines required to reaching the destination. How to make this happen? There are two approaches:

a) You can outline the Dos and Don’ts for reaching the goal. You can then invite people to decide whether they want to commit to following these disciplines.

b) You can invite the team to compile the Dos and Don’ts. Providing you are happy with these principles, you can invite people to commit to following these disciplines.

Whichever route you take, you can use the following exercise. You can ensure the team agrees on the Dos and Don’ts for reaching the destination.

3) You can ensure the team has the required desire to reach the destination.  

Now move onto the final part. Summarise what has been discussed, then invite people to rate their motivation. You may want to say something like:

“A mountaineering team follows crystal-clear rules to stay alive and reach the summit. We are not mountaineers, but it is time to deliver. So let’s check if each of us really has the desire required to reach the goal. Be absolutely sure before signing-up.

“I am serious. This is about much more than simply writing rules on a flip chart. It is about living them every day. Imagine that one of the Dos is:

‘Do give 100% attention during meetings. Don’t do emails in meetings whilst others are talking.’

"If somebody starts doing emails, then I will immediately stop the meeting. I will also expect you to follow the rules with each other.

“So I will ask you to rate your desire to follow these disciplines to reach the destination. Do this on a scale 0—10. Again, please be honest. If you would prefer to do other work, that is okay. I will be having one-to-one follow-up meetings with each person.

“If you do want to work with this team, we will make clear contracts about your best contribution. If you do want to move on, we will try to work out a ‘win-win’. So, rate your motivation to work in the team to reach the goals.”

How can you take this step in your own way? Try completing the following sentence.

Conclude by outlining the next steps on the journey and follow-up quickly by holding the one-to-one sessions with each person. Start the next team meeting by giving an update, especially if some people have decided to move-on. Then do everything possible to ensure the team reaches its goals.