Teamwork Presentation.

[arontius]

.....Went to an interesting seminar at the Shipyard, a whirlwind overview of 'The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team' based on a book authored by a Mr. Patrick Lencioni. While I'm not sure I agreed with the entire approach, I'm a big fan of team building and working as a group rather than a bunch of individuals. So I had some take-aways for future thought. Here are some of the notes I took from the discussion for future reference.

.....The Five Dysfunctions of a Team are:
1. Absence of Trust.
2. Fear of Conflict.
3. Lack of Commitment.
4. Avoidance of Accountability.
5. Inattention to Results.

.....The Role of a Good Leader in combating these are:
1. Go First to build trust.
2. Mine for Conflict in your Team.
3. Force Clarity and Closure.
4. Confront Difficult Issues.
5. Focus on Collective Outcomes.

.....Section 1:
Trust is...
* A willingness to admit weaknesses and mistakes.
* Asking for help.
* Accepting questions and input about areas of responsibility.
* Giving one another the benefit of the doubt before arriving at conclusion.
* Taking risks.
* Focusing time and energy on important issues, not politics.
* Looking forward to meetings as opportunities to work with a team.

.....Section 2:
On Conflict:
* Imperative to meet conflict "head on". Any avoidance causes team deterioration.
* Acknowledging conflict is healthy and the first step to working as a team.
* Team members need to know that conflict is necessary and coach each other to keep conlfict going until resolved.
* During a meeting where conflict occurs, team leads need to remind others that this conflict is healthy and necessary.

.....Section 3:
On Commitment:
* Clarity and buy-in are two functions that must happen every time.
* Consensus - all ideas must be heard and considered before this can be effective.
* Certainty - unity behind decisions yet little assurance about clarity and buy-in - used when consensus not possible.
* Important - conflict underlies the willingness to commit without perfect information.
* Create a definition for Commitment that works for your group.
* Commitment is clarity around directions and priorities.
* Commitment is the alignment of the entire team around common objectives.
* Commitment is the developing an ability to learn from mistakes.
* Commitment is the taking advantage of opportunities before competitors do.
* Commitment is the moving forward without hesitation.
* Commitment is changing direction without hesitation or guilt.

.....Section 4:
On Accountability:
* Peer Pressure is the most effective and efficient means of keeping high standards.
* Accountability can be defined as a willingness to call their peers on performance or behaviors that might hurt the team.
* Ways to assist: publish goals and standards for all to see; frequent progress reports; team rewards.
* Team members hold each person accountable so that the team:
.....Ensures that poor performers feel pressure to improve.
.....Questions each other without hesitation to confirm goals and path.
.....Holds high standards for all persons to reach their goal(s).
.....Reach goal(s) through total team effort.

.....Section 5:
On Results:
* This is the ultimate dysfunction: ego and individual growth and status.
* The established goals and standards must be the focus. It is not the individual, department, or group BUT the team that succeeds.
* Focusing on results causes a team to...
.....Have all persons achievement oriented.
.....Totally eliminate egos and status seekers.
.....Celebrate successes and rethink failures for the good of the team.
.....Keep distractions to a minimum with ideal elimination of distractions.
* Results focus on...
.....Achievement oriented employees.
.....Avoiding distractions.
.....Keeping the TEAM together with the "I".
.....Minimizing individual behaviors.

.....Hmmm, still not sure if the entirety of this could fit something like the SCA. Maybe parts of it though. The SCA tends to attract the more eccentric and creatively individual types. This model is seriously geared towards the professional workplace where the primary and overriding goal is the advancement of the Company's mission.

.....Something to think about though.

.....Aaron / Arontius.

Comments

[pernell-camber.livejournal.com]

"The SCA tends to attract the more eccentric and creatively individual types."

I am in awe of your tactful description!

[callistabee.livejournal.com]

I only really scanned this, but even in the SCA, there are opportunities to create temporary and even long term work teams. I think you will find the that principles are the same no matter how eccentric the participants. You might have to work harder at finding the common ground, but building concensus, creating trust, handling conflict directly are the cornerstones of good leadership in any setting. Nice post!