The overall success of an organisation frequently hinges on the efficiency of its executives and the teams they assemble.
The Basics
To excel, you must understand how to operate and communicate effectively within a team. The mechanics of high-performing teams are rooted in the traits of effective executives. Recognising and applying these is crucial for fostering a culture of achievement and productivity. This article explores seven habits commonly found amongst highly effective teams, drawing upon social psychology research, including the Ringelmann effect, and current workplace practices.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Habit 1: Clear and Accountable Business Communication
Effective executives shoulder the responsibility for communicating clearly. As stated by Peter Drucker in his 2004 Harvard Business Review article 'What Makes an Effective Executive', Chester Barnard’s 1938 work 'The Functions of the Executive' contends that organisations are held together by the flow of accurate business communication rather than ownership or leadership (Drucker, 2004).
Therefore, effective teams prioritise unambiguous, open, and honest communication. Clearly defined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for communication can be established to ensure that each team member's voice is heard and valued. For instance, the healthcare sector has found that training staff to communicate openly and express their concerns is a key safety factor. Other sectors, such as commercial aviation, have also discovered that the use of standardised tools and behaviours significantly enhances teamwork and reduces risk (Leonard, Graham, & Bonacum, 2004). By promoting transparency, these norms can foster trust and synergy, contributing to the overall effectiveness of the team.
Idea: Ignite spontaneous "water cooler" chats
While structured meetings are crucial, often, the most innovative ideas spring from impromptu conversations. Consider introducing digital spaces (think virtual coffee breaks) or physical spaces (like an engaging breakout area) to mimic these spontaneous exchanges.
Habit 2: Clearly Defined Roles & Responsibilities
Successful teams have well-defined roles and responsibilities for each member. This level of clarity avoids task overlap, reduces confusion, and boosts individual accountability (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993). Clear delineation of roles and responsibilities also helps to counter the Ringelmann effect, a phenomenon where individuals exert less effort in a group setting (Ingham, Levinger, Graves, & Peckham, 1974).
Idea: "Role Storming"
Regularly, allow team members to switch roles for a day. This unconventional method can foster empathy, increase understanding of different responsibilities, and potentially unlock hidden talents or interests within the team.
Habit 3: Shared Vision and Goals
If highly effective executives tend to think about what would be best for the organisation (Drucker, 2004), then highly effective teams rally around a shared vision and collective goals within a supportive organisational context (Hackman, cited by Stark, 2002). This mutual understanding creates a sense of purpose and direction, which stimulates motivation and collaboration. Regular goal-setting sessions and progress updates ensure that team members remain focused and aligned, enhancing overall team effectiveness.
Idea: Create a Vision Board.
Instead of a traditional written mission statement, create a dynamic, visual representation of the team's vision. This could include images, quotes, and symbols that represent the team's goals. This visual stimulus can help to embed the vision more deeply and creatively.
Habit 4: Trust and Respect
Trust and respect form the bedrock of high-performing teams. Team members value each other's abilities and contributions, cultivating a supportive and inclusive work environment (Edmondson, 1999). This culture of respect encourages open communication, facilitates conflict resolution, and strengthens overall team cohesion.
Idea: Use Improvisation techniques
Trust exercises don't have to be boring. Incorporate activities inspired by Improv Theatre that require deep listening, quick thinking, and a willingness to support the team narrative over individual glory.
Here's an example of how you might incorporate Improv Theatre techniques into a team-building activity to foster trust and respect:
Activity Title: "Yes, and..."
Objective: To develop active listening skills, encourage collaborative storytelling, and build trust among team members.
Materials: A comfortable open space or online and a bit of imagination.
Procedure:
1. Begin by explaining the principle of "Yes, and..." in improvisational theatre. It is a rule where participants agree with what their partner has said ("Yes") and then expand on that line of thinking ("and...").
2. Divide your team into pairs. One partner starts by setting a scene or a scenario, such as "We're on a spaceship heading to Mars," or "We're presenting at a major conference, and the power has just gone out."
3. The other partner must respond with, "Yes, and..." then build on the original scenario. They might say, "Yes, and we've just discovered a new alien species on Mars," or "Yes, and luckily, we've brought a backup generator."
4. The dialogue continues to alternate between the partners for a set time (e.g., two minutes), each response beginning with "Yes, and..."
5. After the exercise, bring the group together and debrief. Discuss how it felt to actively accept and build on each other's ideas.
Habit 5: Emphasis on Collaboration
Successful teams place collaboration above competition. A team "must be a real team, rather than a team in name only" (Hackman, cited by Stark, 2002). Teams must comprehend that their strength lies in their collective effort and utilise collaborative tools and methodologies to enhance teamwork. This culture of collaboration fosters innovation and problem-solving, contributing substantially to team success.
Idea: Foster Impromptu Collaboration
Set up structures that allow team members to work with different colleagues on various projects. These unexpected pairings can lead to unique combinations of skills and perspectives, sparking innovation.
Habit 6: Adaptability
Effective executives, teams, and organisations are characterised by their adaptability and flexibility. Open to change, they are capable of adjusting their strategies and processes in response to new information or changing circumstances (Reeves & Deimler, 2012). This adaptability enables them to deftly navigate challenges and capitalise on new opportunities.
Idea: Host a "Change Festival"
Encourage the team to embrace change by making it something to celebrate. This could involve presentations on past successful adaptations, workshops on change management techniques, or even an awards ceremony for the "Most Adaptable Team Member".
Habit 7: Continuous Learning & Improvement
While it is challenging to agree on a standard definition for 'team learning' (Decuyper et al., 2010), a culture of continuous learning and improvement is a hallmark of high-performing teams and organisations. After all, the organisation cannot learn unless the team learns (Senge 1990, cited by Decuyper et al., 2010). Therefore, highly effective executives, teams, and organisations reflect on their successes and failures, learn from their experiences, and use these insights to improve their processes and strategies. This commitment to continuous improvement propels long-term team success.
Idea: Establish a "Failure Wall"
My personal favourite. Rather than hiding failures, make them visible. A failure wall (physical or virtual) is where team members can share their mistakes, what they learned, and how they grew. This can help to normalise failure as a part of the learning process, reducing fear and promoting risk-taking for innovation.
Remember, the most effective teams are not those that follow the rule book to the letter, but those that are ready to rewrite it. The unexpected and exciting elements come from a team's willingness to be daring, different, and deviate from the norm. After all, a team is not just a group of individuals; it's a dynamic, living entity capable of extraordinary things.
Potential Barriers for Teams
Ineffective Communication
Effective communication often depends heavily on the specific circumstances or the personalities involved (Leonard, 2004). According to Maor et al. of McKinsey, companies must establish support mechanisms to help team members participate in exchanges and discussions, communicate candid feedback, and consistently integrate this feedback into their daily practices, thereby enhancing their capacity to cope with challenges (Maor et al., 2022). Finally, team members must have access to the information and resources necessary for their collective work (Hackman, cited by Stark, 2002).
Lack of Clarity
The absence of clarity regarding team membership or structure (as members cannot take collective accountability for the team's outcome if they are uncertain about their fellow members), coupled with instability in membership which prevents establishing team dynamics (Hackman, cited by Stark, 2002), can hinder team effectiveness.
Vision & Goals
The absence of a clear, challenging, and significant mission for the team can be detrimental. Organisational leaders may refrain from definitively outlining a team's objectives, or allocate only a minor part of the overall task that needs completion due to concerns about the team's potential performance. These decisions are counterproductive, as assigning vague or relatively insignificant tasks can actually undermine team performance. Team empowerment does not typically stem from extensive, seemingly democratic discussions about the team's objectives. It is instead derived from setting a team direction that is clear, demanding (without any assurance of success), and extremely impactful for the organisation or its clients (Hackman, cited by Stark, 2002).
Trust
Optimal team effectiveness can be hindered by overly large teams and a lack of diversity among members. Keeping team sizes to around six can reduce performance issues, and promoting diversity, as opposed to homogeneity, fuels creativity and excellence, even if it results in task-related conflicts. Therefore, team composition should focus on maintaining a manageable size and encouraging diverse perspectives (Hackman, cited by Stark, 2002).
Collaboration
The reward system must recognise and reinforce team, instead of individual excellence (Hackman, cited by Stark, 2002).
Conclusion
In essence, highly effective teams embody habits that foster clear communication, define roles, align around shared goals, engender trust, promote collaboration, demonstrate adaptability, and commit to continuous improvement. By nurturing these habits, teams can augment their productivity, establish a positive work environment, and guide their organisation towards success. For team leaders and members striving for higher performance and effectiveness, understanding and cultivating these habits can offer invaluable insights.
References
Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. (1991). Organizational vision and visionary organizations. California Management Review, 34(1), 30–52.
Decuyper, S., Dochy, F., & Van den Bossche , P. (2010, March 12). Grasping the dynamic complexity of Team Learning: An Integrative Model for effective team learning in organisations. Educational Research Review.
Drucker, P. F. (2004). What makes an effective executive. Harvard Business Review.
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Ingham, A. G., Levinger, G., Graves, J., & Peckham, V. (1974). The Ringelmann Effect: Studies of group size and group performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 10(4), 371–384.
Katzenbach, J. R., & Smith, D. K. (1993). Wisdom of teams: Creating the High Performance Organization. Harvard University Press.
Leonard, Graham, & Bonacum, (2004). The human factor: The critical importance of effective teamwork and communication in providing safe care. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 13(suppl_1), i85–i90.
Maor, D., Park, M., & Weddle, B. (2022, October 12). Raising the resilience of your organization. McKinsey & Company.
Reeves, M., & Deimler, M. (2012, January 2). Adaptability: The New Competitive Advantage - Wiley Online Library. Wiley Online Library.
Senz, K. (2022, March 24). Rituals at work: Teams that play together stay together. HBS Working Knowledge.
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