How can consulting firms balance individual achievement with teamwork?

By applying this well-known African proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." or the "Ubuntu" concept

This can be achieved when you start valuing both collaboration and individual collaboration. You need to cultivate this culture in the organisation. You have to align individuals with the team goals A team's success is built upon the collective hard work of each individual and their unique contributions. In addition, giving people responsibility for particular jobs or projects gives them the chance to demonstrate their abilities. Maintaining this balance and making sure that both teamwork and individual achievement are recognised and promoted within the company require effective communication, frequent feedback, and a supportive work environment.

Excellent commentary, Kelly. Core values and winning culture are set as a by-product of a “shadow of the leader” phenomenon, especially in transformations and turnarounds led by external interim management. Often the period in which external management is in place sets the high water mark for culture and performance and sometimes it’s a let down for the employees and other stakeholders when a less experienced executive or team backfills the turnaround team.

Individuals need to understand how their contributions align with the team's objectives and overall company goals. Communication must be clear and transparent, such as knowing and understanding the objectives and the expected outcomes. A person should feel as if their strengths are being leveraged, and that their success is tied to the team's success. However, the individual should be recognized for their contribution–this type of feedback is important for growth and motivation. Teams may need development training to improve their communication, collaboration, and leadership skills to manage and thrive in an environment that’s constantly changing,

Actually I start with clear, cascading goals, then involve individuals in goal setting, then I try fostering open communication, and at last recognize and reward achievements to reinforce positive behaviors and motivate sustained effort.

"experiencing" and "practicing" are the most efficient ways of learning in a corporate firm. We can talk about 2 types of mindset: fixed and growth. If we all want to create a learning environment than we need to support new ideas and to implement them. That growth mindset should be shown up at leaders and change champions at first. Teams want to live the change, don't want to hear about change. If a team has an opportunity to try new ideas; and if they have a feedback mechanism within the team than they are about to learn something new.

One thing I have found helpful is to emphasize collaboration on ideas, strategies and solutions together as a team. Regardless of individual achievement, ensure everyone's input is important, encouraging a continuous learning and growth mindset.

Promoting a learning culture within the consulting firm is paramount to nurturing individual achievement and teamwork. Such a culture encourages consultants to freely exchange their knowledge, skills, and experiences while actively seeking peer feedback and coaching. Embracing a growth mindset, where challenges and failures are perceived as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than threats to one's reputation, is central to this ethos. By championing a learning culture, consulting firms elevate individual and team performance and foster greater engagement and retention among their consultants, ultimately propelling the organization toward sustained success and innovation.

Invest in training and development programs that not only enhance individual skills but also promote collaboration and teamwork. This could include workshops on communication, conflict resolution, and leadership. Promote knowledge sharing through internal platforms, mentoring programs, and collaborative learning activities. This will empower team members and prevent silos of information.

The leaders should provide headroom for teams to fail. Yes, gearing up team for success but allowing small mistakes to happen. However, it is equally important to coach the team to imbibe the learnings from the falls.

One thing I have noticed is the length of time it takes to build trust and the short amount of time to destroy that trust. Once trust is built and team members begin to experience “belonging” the psychological safety grows and enables greater productivity. I have experienced being a part of a team where the psychological safety led to our setting stretch goals; tracking our progress; holding one another accountable and achieving success. I’ve also been a part of a team where trust was broken, psychological safety dropped significantly and we no longer achieved our best.

Psychological safety and trust hinge on each team member's level of comfort with risk. If it is a diverse team, this can be culturally dependent. Some cultures provide cover for those who think outside the box and are willing to take calculated risks. They feel empowered because there is a sense of tenure created by the business environment of their home countries. Others take a cautious approach, especially if there is a possibility of losing face in front of colleagues or clients. Identifying these preferences and offering intentional support to bridge cultural gaps helps that trust.

Building psychological trust is a critical element of well performing teams. Fear of speaking out against the popular opinion of a team has resulted in many failures, including the loss of life in the case of NASA. It's up to the leader to create this sense of psychological safety by recognizing that their ideas represent one perspective and that decisions are better when issues are examined from multiple perspectives. In his book "The Diary of a CEO" Steven Bartlett highlights the importance of looking at issues from a multitude of angles. Before decisions are made, he asks his team, how will the project fail. If a beach ball represents an idea, there is no one color that represents the entirety of the idea. All colors are needed.

Establish trust and psychological safety within the team by encouraging open communication, respect for diverse perspectives, and constructive feedback. When team members feel safe to express themselves and take calculated risks, they're more likely to collaborate effectively and innovate.

When team members trust each other and feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to collaborate effectively, share ideas openly, and take risks without fear of judgment or reprisal. This creates an environment where individuals feel empowered to contribute their unique skills and perspectives while also supporting their colleagues' success. If you are able to develop a sense of belonging and mutual respect within the team, you will empower the team members to work towards common goals with confidence and cohesion. As a result, consultants can achieve both personal excellence and collective success!

One thing I have found useful is to bring the fun in the consulting workplace. There are a number of ways of doing this without disrupting the work intensity and while respecting the individual tastes and preferences of individuals. Having workplace pot lucks allows all to share in the diverse culinary tastes and engage with colleagues. In the digital age we have used virtual coffee sessions and virtual team building activities to support individual independent working needs and integration. I have also seen the power of celebrations in the consulting workplace They are fun filled and can include moments of dance or displaying individual talent either during breaks or at the end of the working day. A social get together usually follows.

Collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members can help balance individual and team goals. By working together, team members can support each other in achieving their individual goals while also contributing to the team's goals.

Don't underestimate the power of social bonds and a bit of fun! Encourage team members to engage in social activities, both inside and outside of work. Building camaraderie and rapport fosters a sense of belonging and strengthens teamwork.

I've seen some firms organizing a monthly "Team Bonding Day" where team members participate in team-building activities like heritage walks, group painting & art, escape rooms or mystery rooms, outdoor adventures, or even friendly sports competitions. Such events not only provide an opportunity for consultants to unwind and enjoy themselves but also strengthen bonds between team members. By laughing together, sharing experiences, and overcoming challenges outside of work-related tasks, consultants develop deeper connections and trust with one another. This camaraderie translates into improved collaboration and communication during project work, ultimately enhancing both individual performance and team effectiveness.

In short encouraging the formation of informal groups based on shared interests and backgrounds and based on the informal organization and sub cultures can fosters peer connections and strengthens a sense of community. Some examples I've performed and have seen its results are creating some common areas such as games, snacks, and coffee areas, buying tickets for escape rooms, planning for volunteering days abd providing PS4 sports tournaments and board game nights.

El éxito de un equipo es tan grande como el de cada uno de sus miembros es labore del líder reconocer las aportaciones individuales y siempre reconocer en público a cada uno y en caso de ver áreas de oportunidad hacerlo en privado, el líder debe de ser el primero en reconocer los aportes de cada persona y nunca robar créditos sobre el trabajo de otros. The success of a team is as great as that of each of its members. It is the leader's job to recognize individual contributions and always recognize each person in public and if there are areas of opportunity, do so in private. The leader must be the one. first to recognize the contributions of each person and never steal credits for the work of others.

Consulting involves expertise and the fact is that one person is not supposed to know everything while as a group of people together they are. This is the principle context of balance. The goal is naturally accomplished if everyone performs their part and the same is mutually acknowledged. One important thing that must be kept in mind while creating a team is to discuss the areas of expertise. Experts are champions in a particular area while good in others. That shouldn't be the reason for an expert to interfere. A mutual trust that the other champion is the best in what he or she does immediately creates a balance and teams keep winning. Individuals are already established with the win.

Consider how to acknowledge individual performance in a team context and make sure everyone benefits from all individual efforts.

Implement a performance evaluation system that considers both individual performance and contributions to team success. This encourages employees to excel individually while also emphasizing the importance of teamwork. Recognize and reward both individual achievements and contributions to the team. This could include bonuses, promotions, or simply acknowledging someone's efforts in team meetings.

Consulting firms can strike a balance between recognizing individual achievements and fostering teamwork by incentivizing teams that excel collectively. While rewarding individuals for their outstanding work is important, offering comparable incentives to teams that collaborate effectively and achieve exceptional results together can foster team growth, create interdependencies, and empower everyone to learn and succeed.

Mostly consulting engagements are a team effort and each individual contributes in their designated role and capacity. Any benefit to the firm, due to good work on the engagement mostly goes through contributed involvement. However, individual recognition can only happen when its a 1-man team effort or appreciating team member regularly on specific instances which completely relate to the individual and not a contributed effort. A way to differentiate and identify such contributions is to stay aware of how each team member works and keep a track of their individual contributions, by personal experience and not based on what others say.

Consulting assignments necessitate camaraderie like a relay race, but often turning into tug of war among the contributors. The project managers must allow a healthy and constructive criticism; equally aligned to nurture the team as one organism, than one organisation.

Once you have a strategic alignment, cultural integration play an equally critical role. Most of the large-scale engagements have teams working it, hence collaboration within the team is important. Acknowledging individual contribution while still valuing teamwork can be considered.

In consulting, balancing individual prowess with teamwork is pivotal. Key strategies include defining superordinate goals that necessitate collective effort, fostering a culture that prizes both team and individual successes, and adapting the “up or out” ethos to champion collaboration. Leadership can incentivize teamwork through team-based evaluations and rewards, ensuring promotions consider collaborative achievements. Additionally, implementing an “overachievement pool” can motivate consultants to unite for exceptional results, knowing it expands individual advancement opportunities. This holistic approach ensures firms thrive on collective expertise while honoring individual contributions.

Start by understanding the team's purpose, vision, and expectations, and how they relate to your own personal and professional development. Next, align your goals by communicating with your team members and leaders, asking for feedback, and clarifying your roles and responsibilities.