Improving the Team Experience

One of my first roles as a psychologist, involved helping a large manufacturing organization adapt to multi-functional product development teams. Although each and every team member wanted a successful outcome — and each individual was chosen for their unique abilities — getting there was not an easy process. Among the many issues that came to our attention; deep differences in the vision of the end-product, communication, scheduling, time spent in team meetings and leadership support.

Teams can be exhausting, an issue that most of us can identify with. From our high school and college experiences, where we are saddled with people refusing to pull their own weight — to workplace teams mired in stagnation and differing points of view.

(I happened to see this last week. Unfortunately, this visual resonates.)

However, even knowing all of this, I remain confident that we (and organizations) benefit from collaborative experiences. But, there is one glaring problem: our real-life experiences often fall very short of the mark.  In many cases, teams just don't work. We feel frustrated and let down. We doubt their efficacy. Often, we'd rather go it alone, even when we believe that teams can be advantageous. (Which they are. Think of all the negative outcomes we can avoid with diversity of opinion.)

Over time, I've come to one conclusion.

The truth is we can't blame teams — or the team members that we might encounter.

We have to pay close attention to the strategies utilized to support the entire team process.

Here are a few I've collected over the years. (Please add your own strategies in comments.):

• Choose the right team leader . No matter the task or scope of the project— identify a team leader who has the skills (and is willing) to provide clarity. They must identify needed roles, set direction, facilitate conflict, engage team members with the work, deal with performance issues, fend off obstacles and collect feedback. Yes, it's a huge undertaking, so this can be rotated among team members as the focus evolves. Not everyone is well suited. However, some individuals are naturals at clearing paths and making progress. Keep your eye out for them.
• Assemble with care. Teams need not be a specific size. They simply need to have the ability to effectively complete the task at hand. Team members shouldn't be collected to appease politics or ego. The team should be brought together to accomplish something important and specific. Adding layers of team members for no apparent reason, can be a recipe for failure.
• Obsess about role definition. I cannot say this enough — be completely focused about what each team member will doing. Make sure roles are crystal clear. If constraints emerge for any individual (time, travel, etc.), roles should be redefined to pick up the slack. Ultimately, if you don't know your team (skill-wise, etc.) and what they are doing, things will not go well.
• Start off on the right foot. Be sure to have an "all hands" face-to-face meeting to begin your team relationship. These meetings are important for a number of reasons. One important issue, is for potential team members to get a feel for the group and assess if they will be able to function effectively with the specific mix of people and skills. Ultimately, not all teams are the right for all contributors. Adjustments sometimes need to be made. This is fine.
• Set guidelines for participation. No one individual should have the power to commandeer the team process — even your most talented contributor. Encouraging broad (and honest) participation in a group is vital. First on the list — controlling the mine fields that may deter full participation. "Loud talkers" and "Interrupters" who squelch the input of other team members, must be addressed. Set the guidelines for participation early.
• Prepare for the inevitable challenges. Expect differences in opinion, and encourage honest and open discussion. However if an issue arises that halts progress, don't table it of or "explore a solution" — someone should to take ownership and gather options so a decision can be made.
• Embrace the "other side of the road". Multi-functional teams have another unique challenge; dealing with a very different perspective of the same product, service or process. Remember that these differences make for "rich" solutions. However, if progress comes to a halt, shift things entirely to the viewpoint of your customer. This may help move things along.
• Don't let conflict fester. Allowing a "great divide" to take hold of a team can severely limit effectiveness. Deal with conflict as it develops, and watch for signs that the quality of communication is affected. This will eventually impact outcomes. With personality conflicts, encourage tolerance in communication style, etc.
• Monitor progress and use agile techniques where appropriate. We've all been a part of  "black hole" projects, where work is being completed, but you have no idea where things really stand. Utilize a tracking program, which monitors meaningful progress metrics. You could try applying agile techniques to non-technical work — the approach has clear advantages. (See more about that here in a previous post.)
• Embrace "exits". Work life is dynamic. In some cases, an individual is no longer the right fit for a specific team — whether they would like to self-select out or are approached to leave. A team needs to remain internally strong to remain productive. There shouldn't be stigma attached to bowing out.

How do you create a healthy team experience within your organization? What tools do you utilize? Please share your experiences.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist. She is Senior Consultant at Allied Talent.  Their new tool, The Alliance Diagnostic examines how organizational culture supports entrepreneurial thinking and career growth.