Leader's Beacon | The Leadership Experts

Edgar Schein, a titan of the field of organizational development, says in his recent book, Helping, that there are four questions on the minds of new members of any team. While these concerns operate at a subconscious level, nevertheless, any team member must become comfortable with the answers before he or she can relax and start to really contribute to team goals. These personal issues are:

Members work out at least some initial answers during the very first stage of team development, the so-called “forming” stage, where people start to get to know the other members and test out where they stand, to what degree they will be accepted into the team, where they fit in the group’s power structure (sometimes called the “pecking order”), and whether or not this will be a positive experience.

The wise leader understands this reality and does all she can to enable team members to get these questions answered for themselves so they can quickly proceed to establish the solid foundation of trust which team high performance always requires.

This is why when I facilitate a team building process I always allocate significant time for the team to collaborate on their goals & priorities, core values, and how they agree to work together. I show them how to use the Teamwork Palette tool to foster conversations and decisions that reflect a consensus about how they will “be” as a team. While this is going on, individual members begin to discover their own place–how they will “be”–in the group.

The result: they find acceptable answers for themselves to Edgar Schein’s four questions.

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A boss of mine early on in my career had a tough, almost bulldog, style. He was a pragmatic, no nonsense guy. He didn’t have a wide vocabulary and didn’t spend a lot of time talking about concepts. He was super loyal to the company and even more so to the branch of which he was a part. In short, he was the antithesis of yours truly.

I never understood why he hired me, with my Masters degree in HR Management and by parallel interest in the bigger picture and broader developments in the field.

So, one day I dropped my self into a chair in his office and asked him.

“Ray, I’ve always been curious about something. Why did you decide to hire me? We think so differently. You see things in more black and white terms. You act decisively and you are not at all intimidated by conflict. I see everything in shades of grey. I’m tentative and want more time to analyze an opportunity before moving on it. And I approach conflict reluctantly, at best.”

He looked at me with a wry smile and said, “There’s your answer, Ian. I don’t want another me. I need the different perspective you bring.” As a penny dropped in my brain, I could feel the greening of Ian happening in real time. His was not a revolutionary strategy by any means, but it was new to me. I also learned that this relatively rough hewn man carried a lot of wisdom inside him.

There is a great line in the wonderful new book, Being the Boss. “You want someone who fits in–whose basic values and interest mirror the team’s–but not someone who simply blends in.” Ray and I were in accord and shared the same values regarding our function (HR), how you deliver the service professionally, and how HR contributes to the success of the business. In that sense, I “fitted in” to his unit team.

But I did not blend in like a clone of Ray would. And, although I recall that he was frequently impatient with my different perspective and approach to the work, he genuinely valued what I brought to the team and to him personally. You know, we were stronger because of it.

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Have you ever watched a highly functioning department accomplish a goal or objective?   The secret ingredient I have noticed is that “natural leadership” is encouraged from every team member or participant.

Within groups, each participant brings a unique combination of skills, talent or style to the discussion.  Great groups take advantage of this uniqueness.

Consider the quiet, shy clerk who is newly hired and brought into a department project.  They bring a fresh viewpoint and, when encouraged to participate, can ask questions or “what if”s that others might not even think of.  Sometimes there is a “social butterfly” of the group who has a talent to draw out ideas and comments from the introspective members of the team.

So how can we tap into employees’ natural leadership?

1) Identify skills and talents of each employee

Have a one-on-one chat with each employee and ask them what their favorite project / role was, or to describe the most memorable job they ever completed.  Then ask them why it was such a positive experience. These conversations will give you clues as to the type of skills they employed and what they will “gravitate” to in terms of motivation.

2) Utilize skill assessment tools to identify or confirm employee capabilities

I use the DISC assessment model, which incorporates both behavioral styles and values based guidelines to tap into employees’ unique skills.  This model can be used to aid in select employees during the hiring process, to reposition employees into new or better-suited roles and to reward employees with career management planning tools.

3) Acknowledge the unique strengths of talents of each team member

Sset up team building opportunities where team members can be publicly acknowledged for their contributions, skills and talents.  This builds trust and confidence in a group or department.  Where there are personality clashes, facilitators are often helpful to move past negative opinions and set up positive objectives.

4) Create a forum for inclusive discussion

Find ways to creatively explore options.  The 6 Thinking Hats is a great exercise to consider an issue from all angles.  Assign different individuals to each bring one of the 6 approaches to an issue, so they are all encouraged to participate.

5) Appeal to individuals privately to put their best game forward

Sometimes groups will experience a stalemate or blockage.  When emotions are elevated or stakes are high, some employees will “dig in” or shut down.   A quiet, private conversation appealing to them to use their natural leadership can often ease the difficulty.   Extremely shy employees may also respond to this approach.

6) Celebrate successes, both big and small

Your department will enjoy positive recognition and be motivated to continue their journey toward even bigger success!

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Years ago when I was taking courses from University Associates around how to facilitate groups, a wise instructor, Larry Porter, said these three words: trust the process. I have never forgotten them. They have been my anchor at critical times when in a team building session the conversation seems about to get out of hand. This raises the level of anxiety not only within the team but also in the facilitator.

The “worst case” fear (and isn’t that the one that we always bring to the fore whenever we worry?), of course, is that harsh words will be said, relationships will be damaged, and the team will suffer irreparable harm. What Larry taught us was to guard against acting too quickly simply to reduce our own anxiety. Continue Reading

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All teams must pay attention to their work:  the task, the goal, the things to be done, the agenda items to be crammed into their meetings, the hurried decisions to be made by the group, the deadlines to be met, and so on. Continue Reading

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You plan to drive your car from Boston to Denver. It’s a long trip so, before departing, you take your vehicle into your local service center for a tune-up. You have them check your tires and battery, top up the oil and brake fluid and take it for a spin on the highway listening for any rattles that should not be rattling. Continue Reading

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If the title of this article makes you scratch your head, consider for a few minutes the concept that a strong team with a high degree of trust requires its members to challenge one another.

Ian Thomas, a professional speaker from South Africa was using the illustration of a pride of lions and the lessons we could learn in terms of our workplace teams. Continue Reading

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During a recent teambuilding and communication workshop I delivered one of my clients stated, “50% of all our obstacles to success center around team dynamics.” In other words you can have the best plans, strategies and initiatives, however if everyone is not team oriented, working well together and getting along, it will be difficult at best to get the results you want. Here are 7 ways to build stronger teams: Continue Reading

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Our tumultuous economic climate is forcing many business owners to make many tough choices.  But the bottom-line to remaining competitive is to stay committed to investing in your most important asset:  your employees.

Studies show that only 30 percent of employees are actually engaged at work. Of course, no two employees come to work for the exact same reasons – while one may be driven to become your organization’s next CEO, the other might like that their role enables them to strike their ideal work-life balance. Continue Reading

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Professor Alex Haslam of the University of Exeter, in a recent presentation put on by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, took the following position in answer to the question, “What makes a great leader?” Continue Reading

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One of the best books written on teams and teamwork is The Wisdom of Teams by Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith. They make the distinction between a “team” and what they call a “working group.”

The latter is the most common form in workplaces today:

• a VP with a group of managers, each in charge of a functional area of the department
• an accounting manager with a group of employees spread over the various jobs within the department. Continue Reading

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In my new book Leading at Light Speed I talk about the concept of leading through others to relieve pressure in the workplace. What do I mean?

Think of flying on an airplane with an open seating plan such as Southwest. You’ve come across an aisle seat. The middle and window seats are open next to you. As people stream down the aisle looking for a place to sit, what do you do?

If your orientation is toward other people, you make eye contact, inviting them to take the seat next to you. Continue Reading

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You can use the following anonymous survey to assess team communication.

Use the following scale to answer each question: A score of 1 means you do not agree with the statement; 4 means you agree with it; a 2 or 3 means your opinion falls somewhere in the middle.

Your survey results are confidential. Keep the survey anonymous, don’t write your name on it. Continue Reading

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There is no question about it. A team can be a powerful vehicle for accomplishing a major project, guiding a unit to superior performance, or bringing together diverse perspectives to solve a pressing problem.

Have you ever been a member of a smooth functioning, high performing team? Those of you who have, no doubt, harbor fond memories of how energizing it is and how great that rush of pride feels when you achieve great things together. Continue Reading

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Is your upcoming meeting a strategic planning session? A sales or project launch? A departmental communications day? Or, perhaps, teambuilding for an intact management or project team? Whichever it is, it undoubtedly involves a significant investment. Continue Reading

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Do you remember the last time you attended the initial meeting of a new task force or project team at work? No one could agree on the goals. A couple of people complained about all their other work demands. Someone was pushing a personal agenda to become the team “leader.” After a couple of hours of struggle, with the “team’s” wheels totally spinning, you began to ask yourself why you were here.

In high performance organizations with project-oriented environments, ad hoc teams are becoming the norm. Examples are companies like Levi Strauss, ABB, and 3M.

Temporary teams differ from permanent teams. Most importantly, they have high demands placed on them to produce results quickly and then disband. Their mandate and authority (e.g. can they make final decisions? can they implement them?) are often unclear. And if the team is also cross-functional, it will have complex goals affecting many parts of the organization and beyond.

“What skills, knowledge and
experence do [members] bring?”

And then there are the team members! They come with varying degrees of commitment, different agendae, functional backgrounds, perspectives, and loyalties. But they all wonder whether their efforts here will be rewarded at performance review time.

The ad hoc team faces a unique challenge. It must sort out its human dynamics issues early, get everyone aligned on a common mandate, and build the genuine commitment of all members to that goal quickly! These teams seldom have enough time to devote to the project. They need to get on with the task—asap! Yet, again and again experience has shown that when team members do not address the human dynamics part right at the beginning, team performance suffers seriously later on.

“How will the team
make decisions?”

So, what should your project or ad hoc team do to maximize its performance? Its first meeting is crucial. Plan to invest just one day, up front, on its “process” issues. This initial session should be facilitated by a skilled person who is not a team member. As a guide, here is what my one-day “kickstart” program typically covers:

Purpose/mission

Why was the team created? What goals and deliverables (e.g. design a process to reduce wastage by 18%) are expected of it? Ensure that all members understand and accept these objectives and their related time-lines.

Champion(s)

To which manager, board or steering committee does the team report? What support has this champion promised? What information/updates do they expect from the team? How will the team liaise with the champion?

Team Members

What skills, knowledge, and experience do they bring? Identify and discuss each person’s hopes, desired benefits, expectations, concerns, and initial degree of commitment to the team. Make it OK not to be committed at the outset.

Operating Guidelines

Determine how leadership will operate within the team. Is there one leader? What is his/her role? How will the team make decisions? How often will they meet? How will they communicate amongst one another? What is expected of each member? Can someone miss a meeting? What happens if someone fails to meet a commitment?

Next steps

Now it is time to turn the group to its task. Here members start developing a plan of action and assign responsibilities. The day should end with this underway.
The above fills a very productive day. A facilitator will fast track the team to performance by:

1. providing structure and leadership
2. training members on group dynamics
3. helping them through the start-up energy-draining issues around power
4. ensuring that they stay focused

A good facilitator will leave the team with tools and techniques to address interpersonal issues whenever they obstruct team performance downline.

What about your temporary teams? Can they afford a slow acceleration to maximum performance?

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