Performing Teams: They stick with us for life
Performing. ?The stage of team development that leaders strive to achieve, yet is often so elusive. ?A unicorn of sorts. ?But throughout your career I hope you will be fortunate enough to be a part of a few teams that reach this stage. ?The stage where the team transitions from mere cooperation to a cohesive, high-performing unit. The stage where those initial challenges of forming, storming, and norming have been surmounted, giving way to a harmonious and productive environment. ? But, how will you know when your team reaches this elusive phase. ?Here a few key indicators:
● Exceptional Performance: The team consistently surpasses expectations, delivering outstanding results and achieving ambitious goals.
● Strong Cohesion and Trust: Members are deeply bonded, sharing a common vision and fostering an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. ?
● Effective Communication: Open, honest, and constructive communication channels are established, enabling seamless information exchange and collaboration.
● Proactive Problem-Solving: The team proactively identifies and addresses challenges, demonstrating adaptability and resilience.
● Flexibility and Adaptability: Members are willing to embrace change, take on new roles, cover for members who are temporarily away, and adapt to evolving circumstances. ?
● Autonomy and Accountability: Team members are empowered to work independently and collaboratively, taking ownership of their tasks and responsibilities, and holding each other accountable. ?
● Innovation and Creativity: A culture of innovation thrives, encouraging creative thinking and the generation of novel ideas. ?
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As a leader of a performing team, it is natural to want to avoid any change that would impact the team’s effectiveness. ?But even though the team is highly functional, the leader's role remains pivotal. But as a leader, you can pivot a bit during this stage and focus on:
● Recognizing and Rewarding: Acknowledge and celebrate the team's achievements, reinforcing positive behaviors and boosting morale. ?
● Provide Ongoing Support: Offer guidance and support, particularly when facing new obstacles. ?
● Foster Continuous Improvement: Encourage ongoing learning and development, promoting a culture of excellence and innovation. ?
● Prepare for Upcoming Changes: Anticipate potential changes and help the team adapt seamlessly, ensuring sustained success.
By recognizing the hallmarks of a performing team and providing ongoing support, leaders can cultivate the high-performing teams that drive organizational success and create amazing team cohesion.
I often think back to my days with Intel’s Digital Home Group and the development of the first system-on-chips (SoCs) that combined an x86 processor, a 3D GPU, and a video decoding and display processing pipeline allowing developers to blend cable television, Internet video streaming, and advanced 3D graphics into one user experience. ?Nowadays, these capabilities are the norm, but back then it felt magical. ?I remember our launch event at the Intel Developer Forum and Eric Kim’s “We Love TV” keynote. ?We were changing the world of television. ?Every few years, when I am back in Chandler, Arizona, I reach out to old teammates from those days to see if they want to grab a beer and somehow we end up having a DHG mini-reunion. ?The camaraderie and trust is still there. ?We will always have each other’s backs. ?It was an experience that really sticks with you for life.
Lance - Thanks for this very crisp set of posts on the Tuckman model. And yes, Digital Home Group - very very cherished memories of building revolutionary products with high performing agile teams!
Innovator, designer, technologist, revenue driver
4 个月Lance Koenders I absolutely love this. During the 18 month peak performance of my 3 year tenure at Vonage, we launched 5 new OEM devices and achieved 17k retail doors, capturing 95% market share of VoIP. This experience, among many great teams over several decades, remains a benchmark. I strive to replicate this level of performance any where I go, ideally with a more sustainable work-life balance. In Patrick Lencioni's seminal team performance work, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, there is one dysfunction that leads to all others: an absence of trust. Most often this stems from leaders being unwilling to be vulnerable and a genuine openness about the one fact that we all must face: we are all fallible, imperfect human beings. One of my favorite leadership lessons from Satya Nadella is to lead with empathy. It not only makes working with other imperfect humans easier, it is the foundation of innovation as we must understand our customers unmet and often unarticulated needs in order to achieve innovative products. Keep posting, Lance!
Chief Customer Experience Officer - Verizon Consumer
4 个月I love this one Lance Koenders. No matter where I’ve gone within Verizon, I’ve always kept in close contact with the team members that really made it all happen for Verizon and its customers. And from time to time, when I reach out to these former teammates to talk about the old times, I’ll occasionally ask them if they’d like to do it all over again, just in a totally different and exciting space. Maybe that sounds familiar to you ??
Technology | Innovation | Business Development | Marketing
4 个月Great teams rally around a clear mission. When you add passion to the mission you have a team that can generate outstanding results and develop life-long friendships. Work hard, play hard, win!
Co-founder at GrabScanGo - Managed Lobby Markets for Hotels
4 个月Enjoyed working with you, Lance! We did some great things AND had a lot of fun doing them!