I invite you to take a moment to reflect on the current dynamics of your team and to consider this scenario.
For those of you who know me well, you know that I am a sports fan and find inspiration from the lessons athletes learn and the characteristics they need to develop to be successful. I also believe those lessons learned in competitive sports align with how we can make the biggest impact in organizations.
Let’s imagine a football team for a moment. To be successful, the team needs to have a common goal they are all working toward, such as winning the Superbowl. The range of skill sets is very diverse because there are many roles that need to be played through the different positions. Typically, the players cannot easily fill in for each other. Imagine a quarterback trying to play backup for a defensive back. That probably won’t end well! There are many interdependencies that require the team to work together closely and to stay focused on the team’s purpose.
Now let’s imagine a track and field team. The individual athletes may participate in a meet anywhere from 15 seconds up to approximately 20 minutes depending on the number of events they are participating in. While it would be wonderful to see them encouraging their team members on in other events, they are not required to work together as a team unless they are competing in a relay race. The sum of efforts makes up the team score at the end of the meet, but there are very few interdependencies required between team members. Based on these factors, the track and field team are functioning like a working group rather than a team.
As you picture these two teams, which one feels relevant to your team right now?
Consider both staff level teams as well as executive teams. What is the gap between how you are currently performing and the impact you could make as a high-performing team?
While it is true that some departments may have some working groups at certain levels in organizations and they can still be productive, it is critical that our middle management and executive teams are functioning as high-performing teams.
A few points of reflection:
- Does your team have a common goal and purpose you are working towards, or are you laser focused on individual goals and metrics you can accomplish on your own?
- Are you using meetings strictly for report outs, or are you utilizing the time to collaborate and make effective decisions for the organization?
- Are you willing to make sacrifices for the greater good of the team?
- Are you truly committed to each other?
- Do you have exceptional trust and rapport across the entire team, and are you willing to respectfully challenge each other?
Now that you’ve reflected on whether you are functioning as a team or as a working group, also consider when your team last participated in an intentional team development experience to perform more cohesively as a unit. Can you remember specifically when you last made this a priority?
If you have new team members, or you recognize that your employees are feeling a lack of connection to the team, now is the time to prioritize working with an external consultant to help your team get reengaged, reconnected, and reenergized.
By having a neutral party facilitate these discussions, it will lead to greater transparency because facilitators are unbiased, objective and foster an inclusive environment. This helps everyone’s voice to be heard and builds alignment and commitment toward the outcomes.
Whether you are looking to improve communication, team dynamics, navigate change more effectively, improve conflict management skills, or increase alignment, having formal team development sessions can make a tremendous impact on the results your team delivers.
Let’s partner together to build unstoppable teams in your organization and to accelerate the impact your organization is making.
Angela Bonner is a Chief Talent Strategist & Executive Coach at Evolutio LLC. Angela partners with Leaders ranging from the first-time manager to the senior executive to elevate their leadership impact and accelerate the growth of their organizations through development of high-performing teams.
Angela’s Contact Info:
(262) 225-3268
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