If I were to ask you how many teams you are a member of, would you say more than one? Do you play on a sports team? Do you volunteer on a community team? Are you a participant in a bunch of teams at work?
Teams are the way most organizations manage their projects today, as hierarchies and multi-levels of management are becoming dinosaurs. In many companies I work, I see leaders joining or being assigned to different types of teams simultaneously. Although each team has a critical purpose in meeting a particular business or community need, it can sometimes be challenging for leaders to actively participate and juggle their many different roles. The result is “team jockeying” which can be very overwhelming, as people are being asked to continuously switch gears, form new team norms and achieve high performance in a short period of time. How can one lead effectively if they are constantly swinging between two or more competing teams?
We talked about this very issue in a Building A High Performing Team workshop this past week. Clearly the leaders were burning out with their involvement in so many different teams, especially when the teams were somewhat dysfunctional. This is what they shared:
- People aren’t listening to one another
- Roles are uncertain
- No one is taking responsibility and there is a lot of blaming
- There is a sense of apathy
- The project keeps getting delayed
[Tweet “High performing teams are made up up accountable leaders.”]
In high performing teams there is effective and transparent communication as well as team members who listen to one another strategically. Each person has a clear understanding of their responsibilities and takes ownership for their mistakes. Team members care about one another and are committed to the goal and deadline.
THE YARN EXPERIMENT
One way to understand why a team might not be performing as well as it could is to first look at how each person depends on one another to get their job done well. We formed a circle and I handed a ball of yarn to one individual. I asked them to toss the ball to someone who they depended on to accomplish their job. Before throwing the yarn, they had to explain why they chose that person. Each participant received the ball, held onto a piece of the yarn and then threw it to someone else until everyone had an opportunity to share. A magnificent web began to emerge, divulging a huge interconnection of pieces of yarn. When we finished we all looked at the visual and smiled, realizing how much we depend on one another to achieve our goals.
GET ACQUAINTED
We then talked about ways to cultivate stronger relationships on our teams.
[Tweet “When we take interest in what matters to others, we are leading.”]
Here are some ways to open up the doors to connecting:
- Learn about each other’s backgrounds
- Find out what brings them excitement or joy
- Ask where they see their careers going and what new skills they want to attain
USE A METAPHOR TO EXPLORE DYSFUNCTION
It is always easier to talk about a challenge using a metaphor. After learning about the four phases of team development: forming, storming, norming and performing, we looked at each of their team commitments through the eyes of a zoo.
What was going on in the zoo?
Was there a zookeeper?
Were the animals being fed and nourished?
Were the animals bickering or snarling at one another?
What needed to change to create an extraordinary zoo?
How do you balance all the teams you are part of? How have you prevented team overload?
I’ve worked on some teams that felt more like zoos!
There truly is an interconnectedness in organizations today that people may not realize when only looking at the work in front of them. I’ve worked with teams that always felt in competition with other teams in their division and truly, that sense of competition started at the top – because there was a sense of competition between top leaders and the stress rolled right down to the front lines. Nobody was able to do their best work until the leadership realized that they were holding the org back with their “friendly competition” instead of propelling it forward.
Truly, they could have used a workshop like this one. Also, I’m with you… metaphor allows people to share their experiences with much more openness and takes the pressure off each individual too.
Thanks, Terri!
~ Alli
It is so true that team competition begins with leadership and if the leaders are vying for recognition or just getting their projects in the front, the team concept will be dysfunctional.
Leading a team involves critical skills that some managers just don’t know about. That is why training can be so helpful in developing the managers to understand team growth, team dynamics and developing a strong sense of trust.
Thanks All!
Terri,
An interesting look at team overload. Teams may evolve to be smaller and more collaborative in nature. Focus will drive the work to be done. I think for leaders, it will be important to disband teams after the mission is accomplished and focus more on how the work is done versus just forming a team to send a message of inclusiveness.
I guess my point is leaders need to understand the team dynamics and organize more effectively to achieve key objectives rather than just form a team to be team-oriented.
Great exercises you highlighted to show how work is done and the web relationships we need to develop.
Thanks!
Jon
Great point Jon that it is essential for leaders to understand how to facilitate team connectedness so that the goals and responsibilities are crystal clear.
In the age of teams rather than hierarchies, we do need to be re-evaluating whether a team formation is truly necessary to carry out a project. If not, dump the need for a team and just look at creating work groups with individuals coming together at times.
Thanks Jon!
Terri
Love this, Terri!
What a great exercise with the yarn! It’s visual so people can really begin to understand their interdependence upon one another…and also a great way to affirm how team members impact their job.
Thank you so much for sharing!
It’s a great exercise for team building and seeing how much we help one another get our jobs done.
I find that visuals can often make a greatest impact on leaders.
Thanks LaRae!
Terri, I love the idea of the yarn game. I’m going to try that. I think any way you can use metaphors instigates great conversation. It’s an easy-to-use exercise leaders can do themselves. Great stuff!
Thanks Karin and definitely give the yarn exercise a whirl. It never stops to amaze me how much the participants grow with the visual of a web connecting them all together.