In the Venn Diagram of “Plan-Team-Financing,” “Team” is the Big Balloon

Five Team Ideas to *Kapow* Blow Your Mind

By Walter Simson

I’ve said it before: middle market transformations require a plan, a team and financing.

Today, let’s talk team. And the surprise there is that a team will respond positively in direct proportion to these five principles:

The critical precondition relies less on the team, and more on the leader:

1. Candor is the precondition for a good team. For example:

·????? We’ve had a hit to sales;

·????? Cash is coming in slower than expected;

·????? We’re still awaiting the financing.

·????? The expenses are doing something strange.

Tell the company what's going on. If you can’t trust employees with financial, operating and trend data, then don’t expect them to sign up for uncertain and difficult tasks. On the other hand, when that trust is there, most companies find leaders at all levels who are willing to help.

What does a team do, you ask?

I’ve worked with groups that collect data, analyze expense trends, surface market opportunities. These are people who will bring answers when you say, “I wonder if we are doing x, y or z right.”

For example, a stamping shop found errors creeping into its high-quality spec parts. A team was dispatched to sift through possible ?sources of error. (Answer: There were thermal isobars in the metal storage area that made final assembly unacceptable. The team climate controlled the warehouse.)

You will note that one of the functions of a team is to find mistakes. There is no shame in it: we all make boo-boos. Looking for slip-ups ?in your operation? Send out your internal experts.

2. A Team Nominates Itself. When the senior vice president of widget packaging needs a go-to expert, she usually chooses her close deputy. But sometimes fresh energy, varied expertise, strength in numbers and a willingness to pitch in are huge advantages. The team doesn’t have all the benefits of the VP’s experience, you say?

That is correct. Neither do they have all the preconceived notions. And when you ask for volunteers, the ones who step up to problems solve have already raised the ante. They want to be in the game.

3. Limit the Hierarchy It’s a strange thing, but when the senior accountant assigned to the Klingon Omega Quadrant has something unique to tell the emperor about his Death Star, well, the emperor can’t help but be impressed. Which is comic book speak for, "if your team has expertise, don’t treat them according to their title. Treat them according to their willingness to help solve problems."

4. Firm structure, Firm Results. Your team will need structure. That means, for me, a project-planning playbook. (Others argue for Agile and other forms of organization. They are simply not my preferred poison.) I preach that the team needs a charter; a list of team members and roles; defined personnel, systems or other resources; several hypotheses to be proved; an update schedule to share emerging conclusions, and often a business case or other means of showcasing the recommendations.

Decide the structure ahead of time and make sure that the company head is giving the team leaders the authority to complete to job in the time allocated. As a practical matter, it can mean that members of the team can offload their day-to-day work while their new, temporary teamwork is complete.

5. Emphasize Accountability. Years ago, I worked with a manufacturing company where the general ledger clerk, a middle-aged woman who customarily wore a pencil in her hair, led a team that discovered a huge problem: mis-priced equipment. The presses had previously been charged out at rates that did not even recover the company’s costs of manufacture. The skillful coordination of shop floor, customer service, accounting and sales staffs was unbelievable. The accountant set up the work plan, scheduled the meetings, and ensured everybody was comfortable with the emerging conclusions. She was literally X-raying the company to make million-dollar changes. How did she do this?

She wholeheartedly believed what we said: if you follow the project-planning structure, individuals can create lasting change in a company—and by extension, enjoy the business experience of a lifetime. They make a difference in the lives of their companies and their communities.

?