***
“The more decisions a leader makes, the further he or she is from leading a high-performance team. … Make too many command decisions, and you’ll doom yourself and your team to mediocrity,” Mark Miller in, “The Secret of Teams.”
Everyone serious about success is serious about teams. Great teams lift organizations. Lousy teams drain everyone.
Mark Miller explains three pillars of successful teams.
First, success begins with selection. Every member must possess, “Attitude and aptitude for the job.”
Always begin with attitude, not skills. I’ve made the mistake of becoming enamored with skills and abilities.
Bad attitudes ruin teams.
People with bad attitudes:
- Expect perfection from the beginning. They respond to imperfection by complaining or quitting. They can’t grow and improve.
- Hate it when others do well.
- Complain about others while excusing themselves. They blame.
- Explain why things can’t be done. They’re “can’t do” rather than “can do” people. Favorite words include, “We can’t do that because …”
- Gossip. Rather than supporting, they tear down.
Additionally, attitude without aptitude results in frustration and failure. If they can’t perform, can they learn?
Second, success requires constant training. “Become a training machine,” Mark Miller.
Training topics include:
- Teamwork. Teach people how to work together if you expect them to work together.
- Decision making.
- Problem solving.
- Leadership.
- Management.
Third, successful teams develop and enjoy esprit de corps. Mark says it’s the “secret sauce” of high performance teams; the essential ingredient. “This is the heart stuff.”
“Your team will never perform at the highest possible level if the members of the team don’t exhibit genuine care and concern for one another.” Mark Miller
Surprising benefit:
Great teams mean you’re not alone.
***
What are the essential ingredients for high performance teams?
What prevents teams from performing?
***
I found, The Secret of Teams, well written and insightful. It’s must reading.
Tags: Book Notes, Leadership, Organizational Development, organizational success
February 20, 2013 at 6:37 am |
Great perspective on leadership. Too many leaders today think making decisions is the core ingredient.
February 20, 2013 at 6:40 am |
The esprit de corps or community aspect of teams is often overlooked. When hard times/problems come the community of the group will strengthen it and help the team members understand each other better. I love Mark Miller! Thanks for sharing.
February 20, 2013 at 6:41 am |
I found, The Secret of Teams, well written and insightful. It’s must reading.
February 20, 2013 at 6:43 am |
Excellent article, this article challenged me to think about where I fit in. I think we must all examine ourselves to achieve at the level we desire.
February 20, 2013 at 6:47 am |
My favorite part: successful teams develop and enjoy esprit de corps. Mark says it’s the “secret sauce” of high performance teams; the essential ingredient. “This is the heart stuff.” Team members who do not sincerely care about each other eventually self-destruct. No one wants to be on a team where everyone is “faking the funk”, pretending and talking about each other behind their backs.
February 20, 2013 at 11:22 am |
I think we often use the term “team” improperly. It really needs to be used for those task groups that attack more than a task; it’s for those groups that, as you so aptly state, sincerely care about each other.
February 20, 2013 at 6:49 am |
Clear and concise communication is also a must!
February 20, 2013 at 6:49 am |
A leader puts the gas in the tank the employee take the gas out take the engine apart and adds a turbo. Put the manager gas back in. Did the leader give order no he just filled the tank… The employee plowed the way after.
February 20, 2013 at 6:55 am |
Well I think it is common knowledge the more ideas thrown at a problem the more likely one of them will help.
Great post and think you covered about everything I was thinking.
Do think getting people involved gives them a chance to feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves.
Pretty cool if what Thoreau says is true…most people live lives of quiet desperation.
So feeling a part of at work is great.
SP Out!
February 20, 2013 at 6:55 am |
Trust is a hard word to display and believe in; if your team talks badly about each other! This eventually will destroy the Team!
February 20, 2013 at 6:55 am |
Great post. I will definitely use this with my basketball team. Thanks for sharing.
February 20, 2013 at 6:56 am |
Excellent post.. Thanks Sir for sharing this.. Tweeted..
February 20, 2013 at 6:57 am |
Thought provoking article! Great advice to put attitude ahead of skills when hiring potential team members.
February 20, 2013 at 6:57 am |
Dan, I find the opening quote about decision making to be instructive. In my own experience I had to learn to “let go” as the leader and to empower others. As I have grown I have learned to lead by example, provide direction to others, and give them the freedom to fail or succeed. I’ve found that most people thrive when given the opportunity to make decisions on their own. Thanks.
February 20, 2013 at 6:57 am |
Building that esprit de corps is the hardest yet can be the most powerful on a team. I work hard to maintain this as our organization gets larger.
February 20, 2013 at 6:58 am |
Reposting! Thank you for writing this.
February 20, 2013 at 7:00 am |
Wonderful overview! Esprit de corps is hard to develop but once you have it your team moves so much faster!
February 20, 2013 at 7:02 am |
True leadership means allowing others to share in leadership. I feel great joy when I see members of my leadership team soar to new heights.
February 20, 2013 at 7:04 am |
Great teams are made up of people with a willingness AND ability to be teammates. Professional capabilities to performa job well are tablestakes. Willingness and ability to be a team player, to take care of each other, are the difference makers.
Lastly, I find that an individual who is “switched on to learning” tends to make for a better leader of change than one who is not.
February 20, 2013 at 11:29 am |
Joe, you beat me to the punch. As an HR professional with lots of recruiting experience – and experience with those employees who didn’t work out – I promote something different from “Always begin with attitude, not skills. I’ve made the mistake of becoming enamored with skills and abilities.” As you say, professional capabilities to perform a job well are tablestakes. Without them, no-one should get past the résumé screening or the screening interview. ONLY THEN can you reject candidates if you can’t find the willingness and ability to be a team player.
And looking for that willingness as well as the demonstrated, proven track record for being a team player is absolutely key from the leadership.
February 20, 2013 at 7:06 am |
I would absolutely agree with all of these point with one minor exception: “selection” may sometimes need to be switched to “recruitment”. Selection implies that there is a vast number of people that are just drooling over the opportunity to join a team, and in some cases it’s just not the case. When you flip it to recruitment, that implies that first there is some vision casting, a clear explanation of the objectives, then people get to choose whether they would like to be a candidate. I don’t believe in forcing someone on a team because there can be too much resentment and bad attitudes. But when people have been given an opportunity to buy in to the mission at hand, and make the choice themselves, especially because there will likely be some sacrifice involved on their part, you develop the environment for a much better outcome for them and the team.
February 20, 2013 at 7:14 am |
I find this article to be interesting in reference to teams. At its purist form, people have evolved around the concept of team since time immemorial. I have discovered processes and theories practiced by me daily; however, I did not have a name for them until now. This article states that success within a team relies on attitude, training, and morale. In my opinion, I believe this to be true. Please think back to the beginning of time, the creation of civilizations, democracy, and the family unit. One will discover that without suitable attitudes, training, and morale; the concept of team would be nonexistent. People have practiced good and bad teamwork throughout the ages. People understand the concept of team; however, some recently discovered ‘TEAM’ has a name.
February 20, 2013 at 7:17 am |
Thanks for self-lessly sharing great posts Dan.
I cannot agree more about Attitudes. If you realize you have people with bad attitude, don’t think it is too late to weed out. They are constantly demotivating the performers thus paralyzing the objective.
High-Performance teams need to feel involved. Need to feel their opinion matters.
February 20, 2013 at 7:18 am |
Timely post! Having recently managed a team that under went significant change – attitude emerged as the key ingredient. Energy invested in accepting change trumped the nay sayer crowd – leaders emerged from unexpected places.
February 20, 2013 at 7:18 am |
Attitude is key
February 20, 2013 at 7:20 am |
Our team of 8 leaves today for a training retreat, to work with a consultant to place our work plans in alignment with strategic priorities, and to deepen community. Today’s post is particularly fitting.
February 20, 2013 at 7:20 am |
For over 40 years I have been teaching about, coaching, and advocating for education about teamwork, beginning as a classroom teacher using Johnson and Johnson’s book Joining Together. Though there are those for whom effective team membership is a gift and thus it seems easy to others, the skills, attitudes and knowledge required for high quality team membership and leadership are many and complex
Can’t wait to read Mark’s book
Gail
February 20, 2013 at 7:25 am |
Being a part of a team I know I always gave lots more to learn.
February 20, 2013 at 7:26 am |
Excellent article. Thanks for sharing.
February 20, 2013 at 7:28 am |
This is most useful. I think number one is a challenge when you take over the team. The people are already there. But you must evaluate as you work with the team and work to identify and possibly remove those with the bad attitude for the good of the rest of the team. Without removing the bad attitude, you could never get to # 3.
February 20, 2013 at 7:31 am |
Leaders of high performing teams are consistent. My attitude drives everything. When leaders say, “my boss says we have to do this” o one owns the message. It creates an us vs them mentality. High performing teams own the message.
February 20, 2013 at 7:32 am |
Great post. Other key ingredients: clear goals, regular measurement against them, strong communications where teams exhibit bee-like “hive” awareness, willingness for everyone to pick each other up, desire not to let each other down. While attitude is key, aptitude will get you there much faster. And I couldn’t agree more that caring is the key secret ingredient.
February 20, 2013 at 7:35 am |
The key to me is an accepted practice of “assured reciprocity.” It is a phenomenon that occurs explicitly in team sports- teammates pass the ball to other teammates with the assurance that their teammates will reciprocate when the situation dictates it. In music, it is the assurance the players have that if they hold down the basic rhythm of the song, that they will be allowed a few measures to solo IF it serves the “song.” This is what fuels the “esprit de corps” and goes a long way towards satisfying that primal need to express one’s individual message, while galvanizing the team’s ability and willingness to produce.
February 20, 2013 at 7:36 am |
Some wonderful insights. It took me years to realize that my success as a leader ultimately depends upon my success as a team leader, sharing the deliberation and decision-making process. But it comes with a price: strong teams can end up feeling as though EVERY decision is a group effort and the question then becomes, at what point does a team leader make the final call?
February 20, 2013 at 7:41 am |
I’ve always believed attitude determines one’s altitude! Thanks for the great blog today and everyday! Keep them coming!
February 20, 2013 at 7:42 am |
In my experience, Mark is spot on with all three statements. I learned early on that to have a successful organization that I needed to hire for attitude – it is nearly impossible to change it once it is ingrained in a person. You can teach skills and improve on them as pointed out in the second statement. Building trust within the team is also vital to a successful organization. I’ll check out the book whether or not I receive one of free copies.
February 20, 2013 at 7:42 am |
Trust is an essential ingredient to high performing teams and the lack or absence of trust prevents teams from performing at higher levels. Its trust or bust!
February 20, 2013 at 1:19 pm |
Absolutely! Trust will allow team members to take risks that ordinarily would seem out of the question and excel in new ways. On the other hand, the lack of trust keeps mediocrity in place. Are there more secrets to learn??
February 20, 2013 at 7:44 am |
One of my goals in 2013 is to give my team members more functional control over their departments; I really want them to see themselves as something like a mini-CEO. This means greater responsibility and greater accountability, but if I’ve done my job well in preparing them to take that step, then our team will be firing on all cylinders this year.
February 20, 2013 at 7:46 am |
Clear vision and purpose are essential to high performance teams
February 20, 2013 at 7:49 am |
Every manager, “boss”, and supervisor should read this. It is inspiring. I’m even thinking about sending a copy of this to some of my “former” bosses who talked the talk of team work, but had absolutely no clue that their own attitude destroyed any sense of team work and morale. In the end, the process of creating an atmosphere of accomplishment was destroyed. It is so simple as you have written in this wonderful article. I am inspired and can’t wait to read your full book. Like having lousy parents, you know you don’t want to be like them when you have children. So as a leader, I never want to be like the ones I have encountered in the past. In the end the sense of “team” was always lost to the desire for power and one-up-manship and position and politics of bad management.
Can’t wait to read your book. Thanks for your truths.
February 20, 2013 at 7:50 am |
I’m excited to see someone describe esprit de corps as the “secret sauce.” It is part of my organization’s vision statement (Our vision is to pursue justice, with integrity and esprit de corps, through innovative leadership in public safety and investigation). Our “product” is high quality investigation of major crimes. Without a vision of singular purpose and commitment to personal and collective successes, we’d fail.
My recruiting philosophy has five criteria. The first two are integrity and passion. These qualities feed into the “secret sauce.” It is so ironic to hear many management consultants assert that we can’t manage behavior and attitude, but can only focus on performance in results in public employment. We’ve found that shifting focus in individual performance plans to “what I will be” rather than “what I will do” yields superior performance and inspiring attitudes.
February 20, 2013 at 7:52 am |
There’s a a distinct challenge difference between building your own team from scratch (now isn’t that nice?) and inherting other people’s teams or team members. This is the true test of a leader’s abilities. It’s great when you realize you’ve “arrived” and have achieved synergy…assuming you’ve got the stamina to see it through.
February 20, 2013 at 7:52 am |
“Team” is the most abused word in the business lexicon today. The assumption that because everyone is wearing the same team jersey makes them a team is simply wrong. Great teams start out with great coaches (leaders, managers, supervisors) who select “players” who will gel with the others on their team and then continuously coach (teach) them to get better.
February 20, 2013 at 7:53 am |
Hi Dan;
I like the article and as I read it, I thought back on teams I’ve worked with and teams I’ve worked on and which ones possessed the qualities treated in this post. A few thoughts/ observations came up for me (and I appreciate the triggers
)
Selection & attitude:
From my perspective, there *is* an “I” in team. It goes something like this, “What value do *I* believe I bring here? What value is the team expecting from me? What am I expecting from the team—what’s here for me?” If I don’t know the answers to these questions, or don’t care about them, I am not engaged. During selection, it’s probably beneficial for leadership to review these questions for self, and for each member.
And I so agree about attitude prioritized at least equal to skills. I once had a team lead tell me I was an “uplift to the whole group.” That is not a skill, it is a quality. When all skills are equal, attitude is the tie-breaker.
Training:
Hell, yes. I would mention that a training event is an EXCELLENT way to bring together an otherwise virtual team, or a team with remote members, for face:face. I have found that bringing a team with remote or virtual members together even just once has a profound effect on overall team norming rate and helps them gel.
Esprit de corps:
Again, hell, yes. This one is tough unless the leader is genuinely engaged and inspired with the team and team direction. If not, it takes a very self-aware leader with great social and emotional intelligence experience to move a team in this direction. There is no going through the motions here. The fastest way for a leader to inspire esprit de corps in a team is to, well, inspire. The best way to truly inspire is to have inspiring qualities. The best way to have truly inspiring qualities, is to have brought one’s self to a level of inner being and alignment that others sense is real, and inspiring.
Of course, real world is not always ideal, and most leaders and teams are somewhere on a scale between listless, near ineffectiveness, and energized, engaged, productivity.
Best to you,
Mark
February 20, 2013 at 7:56 am |
High performance teams must have trust. Without it performance, at least high performance is impossible. Mark’s right on target. I really believe in the “Attitude & Aptitude for the job” concept. You just need to be sure your attitude does create a false sense of aptitude when you don’t really know or understand what you’re doing.
February 20, 2013 at 7:58 am |
Dan,
Great article! The one element I have always found in a high performing team is a true personal commitment to the shared goal. When everyone is on the same page as to what needs to happen and have committed to giving their best effort to achieve it amazing things happen.
Have a great day!
February 20, 2013 at 8:05 am |
I think this post is right on! I’ve either been a team member or a team leader for the last 26 years and believe teams make better decisions than just one person. Very true about attitude over skill – I would say character over competence…skill can be taught, attitude and character come from within! The biggest challenge I’ve found in regard to a high-performance team, is the time it takes to build one and how quickly it can be lost with the addition or subtraction of even one person.
February 20, 2013 at 8:08 am |
As an assistant coach at Division 3 college basketball, I’ve found that at least with our teams we’re able to achieve what we do because of the care the guys have for each other. They play for the love of the game, but most importantly for each other. Without that, there’s nothing.
February 20, 2013 at 8:23 am |
Funny you should mention this, Brad. A week or so ago I watched Kevin Ollie, coach of the UCONN men’s basketball team, in a post-game interview. Practically every answer to a question about UCONN’s surprising win over Syracuse had the word “love” in it. He made it clear that his take on the win at hand was that it was mostly a product of the teammates loving and trusting each other. The team behind him seemed to reflect this in their faces and attitude, and to a man, they all seemed to get uplifted by hearing it. Brought a smile to my face.
February 20, 2013 at 8:10 am |
Great reminders for helping my team perform at their best. Thanks.
February 20, 2013 at 8:29 am |
This is so appropriate. We had a staff meeting that went haywire the other day. These insights are helpful.
February 20, 2013 at 8:37 am |
Thanks for a great post. It encouraged me that I’m not being indecisive because I believe in the empowerment of my team/family/friends and strive to enable them to make good decisions.
February 20, 2013 at 8:46 am |
i love working with teams and success shared is of greater enjoy than individual success
February 20, 2013 at 8:48 am |
Thanks for such great post, these dynamics are not only essential for high performance teams, it is also essential for high performance nation.
I am interested how such things can be spread on national level
February 20, 2013 at 8:49 am |
So enlightening!!! A positive attitude can take you many places!
February 20, 2013 at 8:54 am |
Brings our focus back to tipping the hiring process to factor higher on Attitude (character) than we have in the past, and constantly Train capable learning individuals for Skills. It’s a balance. The Happy Hockey player who consistently ends up under the Zamboni won’t produce much.
February 20, 2013 at 8:57 am |
in the Church, and in the congregations where I’ve worked, those famous words are: We’ve never done it that way before…. aaargh. And you are so right about the complainers setting the tone for the team, it just stalls everything. Thanks for your blog, I am learning so much about myself as a leader, hopefully it makes a difference.
February 20, 2013 at 9:04 am |
Great post and reminder on what it takes to form, develop and maintain a well oiled machine.
February 20, 2013 at 9:05 am |
Interesting perspective…thanks for the exposure to another helpful resource!
February 20, 2013 at 9:05 am |
I’m with you Mark, but I struggle with #3. I am the pastor of a smaller church where all staff members (except myself) are part-time, bi-vocational team members. Creating opportunities for team-building and relationship-building is a challenge.
February 20, 2013 at 9:09 am |
It’s amazing how often and how long we can chose to work as individuals and not as a team, even though we KNOW that we’ll be happier and more productive working together. Great reminder.
February 20, 2013 at 9:14 am |
I like the idea behind a positive attitude being an important ingredient for successful teams to be effective. I always thought aptitude was key but one can learn & grow if they have the right attitude.
February 20, 2013 at 9:14 am |
I just completed my team’s annual review and found that attitude really is the key factor in my team. I am fortunate to have have a good attitude and great attitudes. Skill set is secondary. Awesome post and perfect timing for me!!
February 20, 2013 at 9:18 am |
I think this is absolutely key, and communication is also an essential ingredient at all times.
February 20, 2013 at 9:21 am |
Hello Dan – I do my best to heed the idea that “Bad attitudes ruin teams.” This goes along with “fire fast, and hire slow.” One person can truly poison the well and damage the esprit de corps. Even in our recruiting process we let candidates know the attitude and culture our team has and that poor atittudes will not be tolerated.
February 20, 2013 at 9:24 am |
I didn’t see it explicitly above but I think two of the most essential ingredients for high performance teams are open communication and a high level of trust among team members.
February 20, 2013 at 9:25 am |
Great post! Communication is critical for success!
February 20, 2013 at 9:27 am |
Successful teams have members who have demonstrated the ability to work together cooperatively for the team success.
February 20, 2013 at 9:30 am |
I believe that while selection should primarily focus on attitude it is the aptitude that can make or break the team. All too often however aptitude is left off the table when making the decision about team membership. It is entirely possible to pull together a team with positive attitudes and a great esprit de corps that isn’t capable of advancing the work. All too often I find that leaders are over-inclusive of the team members – failing to make aptitude a top 2 priority for inclusion. The most common reason? People who aren’t included feel left out and it is easier for leaders to just include everyone rather than have the conversation with someone about why their skill set/aptitude isn’t ideally suited for the team’s objective.
February 20, 2013 at 9:34 am |
This was a very good reminder to myself to reassess my role in the team, how am I contributing, how can I improve?
February 20, 2013 at 9:36 am |
I’ve been following Leadership Freak for quite some time and often share the gems with my Boy Scout Troop, This particular blog is particularly timely as we’ve just elected new Junior Leaders and they are moaning and groaning about why they have to attend training in order to receive credit for their time of service. Thanks for supporting the development of a new generation of leaders.
February 20, 2013 at 9:39 am |
“Great Teams mean you are not alone”
this phrase is all about Teams!
Powerful!
February 20, 2013 at 9:41 am |
I’m interested in tips on the most effective way to get team members to commit to making the decision on their own. We experience an array of exceptions that vary one from another something with huge differences and other times it’s smaller. I have a team member who consistenly seeks me to make the decision and I do the classic, “what would you recommend?”, “is this similiar to the x from the other day, could the same logic be applied?” Side note that she has worked here for several years. This is not a new trainee. What do you do to help your team member be independent decision makers?
February 20, 2013 at 9:46 am |
Hire good people, train them right, give them the responsibility and authority to do their work and then give them the freedom to do their work.
February 20, 2013 at 9:49 am |
Successful teams have to be committed to their purpose and goals. They have to reflect genuine caring and a positive attitude about making effective change. Great post.
February 20, 2013 at 9:51 am |
Challenged by the need to continually teach teamwork.
February 20, 2013 at 9:52 am |
It’s crucial for teams to care for each other and have each others best interest at heart. When that’s the case and a decision is made, everyone realizes the decision is best for the team and not made in the interest of the person making the decision.
February 20, 2013 at 9:56 am |
You are a Leader only if you have followers, making you(a team). Leaders ‘are not’ the foremost athority on everything, in other words, “you DO NOT possess all the answers”. Utilise the strengths, knowledge, and experience ‘The Team’ brings to the table. Don’t be afraid to share credit where credit is due. It builds team cohesivness while identifying future leaders. As a Leader, how can you expect to ‘move up’, if you’ve cultivated no one to take your place???
February 20, 2013 at 10:02 am |
One definition of team is animals yoked together, i.e. a team of oxen. Too often work teams are just people yoked together. Thank you for your encouraging words that work teams can care about each other while accomplishing more!
February 20, 2013 at 10:03 am |
My leaders don’t welcome input. How can I change that?
February 20, 2013 at 10:06 am |
Thanks for yet another useful and insightful post! Love the attitude before aptitude, I’ve definitely learned that one the hard way. Aside from what’s in this post, some things that prevent teams from performing are: bureaucracy, lack of transparency, lack of accountability, and stress.
February 20, 2013 at 10:06 am |
Dear Dan,
While I was reading the post,one work immediately struck me- Esprit de corps. And subsequently I found the word. My research on morale shows that “Esprit de corps” is the unconditional employees willingness to make more effort in pursuit to achieve organizational goal. It means effort in the team should be unconditional. There is only one condition, achieving the goal. One important factor for high performance is “engagement”. Engaged employees are powerful force to achieve even impossible goals. They have capability to achieve bigger goal. And engaged employees when properly rewarded ensure sustainability of the organizations.
I also believe that esprit de corps, engagement and performance come when employees believe in the shared mission and vision. They should believe that organizational growth is directly connected with individual and team growth. And this can be ensure by Management practices. Organizational practice provide platform to move forward with greater momentum.
Management must ensure the proper and conducive environment where policy, philosophy and practices align. Without it everything might derail.
February 20, 2013 at 10:11 am |
Simple and straightforward.
Teams do work and teams are everywhere. How do we get the organizational support to make them really effective? How do we optimize rather than compete to improve overall results.
And each team has its own culture.
February 20, 2013 at 10:12 am |
It reminds me of the phrase, “What got you here won’t get you there”, and that we have to always look for ways to keep our learning at the front of our leadership journey. It’s the rough parts that make us grow, as a blade is only sharpened after rubbing across a rough stone.
February 20, 2013 at 10:13 am |
Letting employees make the decisions gives you buy-in. When they have made the decisions, they believe in them and work to make them successful.
February 20, 2013 at 4:41 pm |
Did you know that a study found that making your own decision increased buy-in by 5:1?
February 20, 2013 at 10:14 am |
Great Post Dan! Empowering the team, encouraging involvement and in the end buy-in is crucial for success. Attitudes is the key ingredient to the ‘secret sauce’ success.
February 20, 2013 at 10:15 am |
Like your insights short and concise. I’ve enjoyed the previous post too. Great stuff.
February 20, 2013 at 10:26 am |
I like the reminder that constant training is required. It’s so easy to assume we all know what we’re doing.
February 20, 2013 at 10:28 am |
Dear Dan,
While appreciating the contents of your blog and the 3 pillars for high team performance as stated by Mark Miller, I feel that moulding the team with adequate training is the most important to meet the common goal with conviction and focused efforts.
Constant encouragement and motivation are the two essential ingredients to keep the team united and committed to succeed. The leader also needs to act tough with those who become obstacles and may have to weed out the extreme cases.
Creating a healthy competition and cohesive environment for each team member to excel in individual and collective roles are the essence of high performing team performance.
February 20, 2013 at 11:53 am |
The above comments are from me. There was some error while posting. Please consider it for a lucky pick-ups!
February 20, 2013 at 10:30 am |
I am committed to the priority of developing teams as I pastor a church and lead community organizations. Thanks for the help in this post and blog!
February 20, 2013 at 10:30 am |
I do agree with the three pillars, definitely, would have to add that you still need a solid foundation for those pillars to stand on. That foundation is respect and unconditional positive regard. It has to be embedded throughout the organization or you develop cracks in the teams over the long term.
Perhaps respect is implied in the third pillar of esprit, not sure. It seems that a leader/organization could hire people with the right attitude and implement ongoing learning and on the surface value esprit. At the same time, an element of the organization (or trait of the leader) may not truly respect those hired, not respect the work, and.or not respect the customer. Gaps in any of those three create fault lines (on more levels than can be seen.) This often occurs when self-interests take precedence and supersedes respect. Short term you may have some success, long term, probably not.
Probably also implied in esprit is that the team have fun and spontaneity. Perhaps consider planned, mandatory spontaneity!
BTW, Dan, when I saw that you had a giveaway going, my first thought was wow, Dan is going to have a lot of responses today, maybe 100…course that was a while back, you are higher profile now and already up to 76..77.
I am going to start the pool and say you will have 197 responses.
February 20, 2013 at 10:36 am |
Thanks Doc. RE: 197. I’m too competative. Everything’s a challenge so now I have to beat that number! Thanks a lot!
I just realized that if I reply to all the comments… I’ll easily surpass the number. But, I think I won’t pollute the stats.
February 20, 2013 at 10:38 am |
I always enjoy your articles, and this one is no exception!
February 20, 2013 at 10:40 am |
I found this to be a great post and I will deefinitely internalize the materila and teach it myself..lol. Of course giving credit to the author.
February 20, 2013 at 10:43 am |
When you’re a part of a team and share insights as to why something isn’t working only to be thought of as a complainer – it is very frustrating. I’ve found a lot of helpful information from your blogs and have shared a number of your suggested readings with managers in my organization. Thanks – it’s difficult to go online and know which books are truly helpful.
February 20, 2013 at 10:46 am |
Many managers cringe when they read “heart stuff” but if you’ve been in the trenches for any length of time and been paying attention then you KNOW it’s true. As Henry Mintzberg mentioned in one of your interviews a while back – it’s all about “connecting”!
February 20, 2013 at 10:48 am |
A leader provides the vision for the team and keeps them focused on the end point. He or she must then listen to the ideas of the people he or she leads and facilitate the actions and behaviors that the team needs to stay the course.
February 20, 2013 at 10:54 am |
Great thoughts! My favorite point is that success begins with selection. i cant remember where I saw the figures, but an HR poll pointed out that the majority of hiring mistakes were made because a company needed to quicklu fill a position. By rushing through or skipping a thorough hiring process, you devalue your team!
February 20, 2013 at 10:55 am |
Leaders need to delegate more and encourage others to think. We often don’t know were we fit in because life dictates various directions to go, which can confuse many.
February 20, 2013 at 11:01 am |
I couldn’t agree more with the point about esprit de corps; I’ve had the good fortune to be part of one team that had it in spades, and it was the best place I’ve ever worked. My question is, how do you foster that quality when it’s lacking? I’m sure there’s a whole blog post (or book!) to be written just on that, but would love to hear what’s worked for others here.
February 20, 2013 at 11:37 am |
Hear others. Really hear them. Recognize them for what they bring to the group as individuals. What makes them a unique asset to the team. It’s amazing how individuals will respond positively within a team when they are recognized.
February 20, 2013 at 11:06 am |
Great reminder that the team is involved in decision making. If the team members don’t ‘buy-in’ then they won’t work to get the job/project done. Everyone needs to feel validated and respected – their input needs to be heard and included, there may be ‘tweaking’ and modifications made; however, if it is their idea; they are most likely to ensure that it succeeds and goes well…this benefits everyone!
February 20, 2013 at 11:17 am |
Cooperation and team building are the cornerstones of relationships at work these days. Having a good relationship with your team members is important,epecially if members don’t work in the same location.
February 20, 2013 at 11:23 am |
This is the kind of book EVERY team needs to read regardless of their size. It has the principles that can benefit nonprofit and for profit teams alike. You know it has to be good when the highlights stir you for more.
February 20, 2013 at 11:29 am |
I am building a team of women who are committed to helping others lead – so I’m absorbing positive, powerful principles about leadership to share with my team. This sounds like the kind of information I need. Thanks for being so gracious in sharing leadership truth.
February 20, 2013 at 11:34 am |
Just from reding your blog daily I have come a long way to re-think my teamwork and leadership. Thank you.
February 20, 2013 at 11:42 am |
Marcia’s question (see above) is, “How do you foster that quality (love and attitude) when it’s lacking?” I responded the following:
Hear others. Really hear them. Recognize them for what they bring to the group as individuals. What makes them a unique asset to the team. It’s amazing how individuals will respond positively within a team when they are recognized.
As another responder indicated, there is an “I” in “Team”, and if that “I” is ignored, you rarely get that valuable commitment to the project / business / client.
We are re-hashing a lot of principles brought up by Patrick Lencioni in his business fables, and Marcus Buckinham in his strength-finding series “First”, “Now” and “Go”.
Dan, what a great incentive this book is! I am loving reading all these comments, most of which are thoughtful, though some (I think) are thrown in for the possible freebie only.
February 20, 2013 at 11:49 am |
It’s interesting that this is today’s topic is high functioning teams — I just made a comment to someone about a team that planted its seeds a while back and I thought was “over” because the project was done. I had worked with the production/communications team of a documentary (MY RUN) that featured an inspirational story of a runner who went a long distance on behalf of a cause. Ultimately, my named ended up in the credits. A friend was watching it on Netflix, saw my name in the credits, and mentioned it on Facebook. The very first thing that came to mind was how much I loved being a part of that team. As far as what made them great? There was so much encouragement; there were specific instructions, and there was a true energy, partially because the push was time sensitive but the fact that a few years later the project is still “alive” and still makes me say “wow what a great team” is testimony to the fact that the team had the things Mark discusses here.
February 20, 2013 at 12:09 pm |
Very cool how the ripples continued far beyond the initial event Paula! The energy you put in continues to come back to you.
February 20, 2013 at 11:54 am |
“Great teams mean you’re not alone.” This is one of the most eloquent and all encompassing definitions of balance in the workplace, and a quality check of the team and leadership. I think team members as well as team leaders can respond to this, and the measure by a simple self-reflection. If you feel alone (not solitary), that means its time to take action, however small. Communication is key to all success.
February 20, 2013 at 12:10 pm |
I fully agree in the importance of teamwork. Too often someone wants to be the “star” and make all the shots, but when a team pulls together, not only with attitude, but with gifts that compliment each other then the whole really can be greater than the sum of its parts.
February 20, 2013 at 12:14 pm |
The first sentence stopped my mind cold for a second, made me put the article down and say Wow! Thanks for a great article.
February 20, 2013 at 12:27 pm |
You have made many valuable points. “Can’t” is a 4 letter word that kills a brainstorming session quicker than just about anything. It’s also an even bigger killer if it happens to be the leader – or perceived leader. The “Can-do’s” have to join together to rise above those who “can’t” seem to see the light of possibilities. In my experience it wasn’t their idea, so they “can’t” give control to someone else.
February 20, 2013 at 12:47 pm |
Working on developing a session on “Teams” for the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Toronto. This is a great article and looks like I better get the book. The dichotomy of teams is the all essential to the ALA legal administrator.
February 20, 2013 at 1:31 pm |
I totally agree with all of this. To me, its all about relationships — and I know there are both negative and positive relationships. We have to get the negatives to become more positive (one way or another).
February 20, 2013 at 1:34 pm |
A couple of additions to the training topics list:
communication, accountability and customer service. Keep in mind that customer service skills apply equally to external and internal customers (your co-workers!).
February 20, 2013 at 2:12 pm |
Great post! Wish it covered more the how-to side of a problem, not only how-not-to. But that’s probably what the book is about))
February 20, 2013 at 2:18 pm |
I just became aware of your book and look forward to reading it. In my role as a manager over the years I believe that team work is the best way to work for both institutional and personal success. My mantra over the years has been: fit, fit, fit. The person you are hiring can have a list of degrees and experience but if the “fit” isn’t right, the team will not be working at it’s full potential.
February 20, 2013 at 2:35 pm |
Take The Middle East as an example you can have a good team but a failure leader, when the boss is not a leader, first thing they do when things don’t go their way, they label their employees with bad attitudes, not willing to communicate or listen is the worst thing in a team, in my opinion there is more than 3 pillars , respect is very important, value each other as human with different back ground and morals, honesty, responsibilities that are wrapped with equal authorities to do the work is very lost in many companies
February 20, 2013 at 2:51 pm |
Specifically to the workplace:
Leaders who know how to hire.
That is the starting point of everything in an organization.
February 20, 2013 at 3:31 pm |
I fully recognize these pillars of high performance teams. Look for example at software development teams that are using agile methods: Learning is essential to continuously improve their way of working! Which is why they do a retrospective every 2-4 weeks.
February 20, 2013 at 4:03 pm |
Really like the “secret sauce” portion. I feel this is what makes many teams fail. I have found that most successful teams I have been on involve genuine care for other team members and the task at had. Good article.
February 20, 2013 at 4:13 pm |
In my work as a team building facilitator, I find the key ingredient to be TRUST. Teams made up of individuals who don’t trust one another may find success in the short term, but cannot sustain success…or reach their fullest potential.
February 20, 2013 at 4:47 pm |
Jim Collins in “Good to Great” expresses the need to get the right people on the bus in the right seat. This will give you a great team with great attitude. You can teach how and what. You can’t teach “heart”.
February 20, 2013 at 5:06 pm |
Excellent article – in today’s team-driven world having a team with good attitudes will trump the team that has skills but doesn’t care for one another every time. Having these pillars as a foundation makes the team unshakable! Thanks as always for your insights!
February 20, 2013 at 7:12 pm |
Thank-you for this post. I am an advisor to a student council group. The esprit de corps is essential. High school students need support in learning to function in teams. Any suggestions for resources geared to students?
February 20, 2013 at 7:14 pm |
This article is so perfect for my current job, I had to look behind me to check if there isn’t a camera recording! I have been a teacher/administrator in education and football coach for 30 years. I love my job and want to do it another 15 or 20 as I am envigorated by young people and their energy. I also love competition, both in the classroom and playing field. The current head coach I work for has all the qualities of bad attitude that you wrote about. He blames all our failures on our student/athletes. He came from an upper income area where parents do most of the child rearing. Our students are lower socio economic of mixed races. So conversely, he blames all our (he says “their losses) losses on the kids.
We also have teachers doing the same because they are from the district and our cultural identity has changed drastically. They blame low test scores on their students. They will constantly whine and blame until other boo birds listen and give them justification. Our principal told me, and I agree, if he could get rid of about 10 hometown teachers, our atitude AND test scores would dramatically improve. I will soon go to the new superintendent and explain to him what is happening because if I don’t, our kids will not be able to achieve as they so deserve. Maybe writing this reply will give me the first step to setting an appointment with him. He needs to know, and if he thinks i am “tattle telling” then it is probably best I don’t remain in this district.
Love your column-this daily memo is an inspiration and as satisfying as cool water.
Coach Bear
February 20, 2013 at 7:16 pm |
Bob Scantlin says
I have found that telling a highly skilled versatile team what to is counter productive. If they ask for help , then help.
February 20, 2013 at 8:08 pm |
I own two other books by Mark Miller, and have heard him speak twice, once in Atlanta and one time in South Carolina. He really knows his stuff, and I recommend all of it. Great post!
February 20, 2013 at 9:20 pm |
The thoughts and insights here are truthful and well thought out. Furthermore, it sparks me to think about my own leadership style and the teams I lead. Need to make some mind shifts!
February 20, 2013 at 10:06 pm |
Great post regarding team building. I have a certain person on my team right now that fits the mold of a “bad attitude” employee. He is not shy about trying to spread his sorrowness to his teammates. It is a very exhausting effort to keep the poison from spreading. It really prevents esprit de corps from forming solidly.
Any tips on turning this person around?
February 21, 2013 at 12:15 am |
Shall attempt to purchase and read the book , this said when the “team” is a multicultural set up then definitely it is that much more complex and there are some core values of team members due to which attitude by itself also does not help really. The beliefs of certain team members are so hard that it requires something like a “root canal ” treatment – drill them down and shake them up to get their concepts straight in life.
February 21, 2013 at 1:26 am |
Dan Rockwell + Mark Miller = Must Read. THANKS!
February 21, 2013 at 2:38 am |
Great post. After reading this post I went ahead and purchased the book and 2 others from Mark Miller for my team to read/study them. Thanks, Dan.
February 21, 2013 at 5:00 am |
It sounds like it’s a straight to the point book, that I’ll have pleasure to read.
February 21, 2013 at 7:19 am |
Mark hit the nail on the head. One thing we try to do is to create cross-functional teams as well as diversity (think DiSC profiles) within those teams to avoid silos and to ensure solutions are reached with the broadest available inputs.
February 21, 2013 at 8:42 am |
Great teams need camaraderie and vision outside of the task at hand.
February 21, 2013 at 9:02 am |
It is so difficult for leaders to give up control. Fear of mistakes often holds us back. Our own inability to communicate effectively removes authority from our team members. Most leaders got where they are by making decisions, so to stop this behavior requires continued self-evaluation and learning. None of this is easy but the benefits are worth the effort.
February 21, 2013 at 9:22 am |
Perfect Timing!…. What I will be curious to read is what to do when there is a faction of the team that is dead….. Needs clearing out….. How to begin anew…
In the direct selling business…. The team is simply everything…..
Thank you so much Dan and Mark!
February 21, 2013 at 9:27 am |
My wife’s employer, a family owned bank recently voted the #1 place to work in the state, follows the first point exactly. They hire good people, take care of them, and then find a place for them to use their skills. Took them 3-4 months to get my wife placed where they wanted her and her skills were used the best for the bank. A great model to use and they’ve used it very successfully to build their team.
February 21, 2013 at 9:50 am |
I am a firm believer that all things are of value. In life, we all have a niche that can be utilized within teams efficiently. One will find this concept of specialties and/or niches within military special operation teams. Doctors, communication specialist, mechanics, and so on create this high performance team called Navy SEALs.
February 21, 2013 at 9:29 am |
Needed this reading today. Guilty of point #2. I need this bookASAP!
February 21, 2013 at 9:31 am |
Would love to learn more about becoming a high performance team
February 21, 2013 at 9:32 am |
Great insights.
February 21, 2013 at 9:33 am |
Thanks, Dan! You get my leadership gears turnin’ every morning!
February 21, 2013 at 9:33 am |
As still a fairly new leader, the one thing I have learned in the past five years is support and smiles go a long way. Team members must feel appreciated and feel empowered….we must learn to say yes to risks-takers even if we are not sure of the outcome. We learn from allowing each team member to try new things, as long as we reflect and communicate as a team what to do with the results. Thanks for your inspiration!
February 21, 2013 at 9:34 am |
PERFECT. This really helped me deal with some things currently.
Thanks
February 21, 2013 at 9:53 am |
I think attitude is contagious, whether good or bad. A bad attitude is a hindrance for success and growth more so than ineptitude. If someone lacks skills other team
members can pick up the slack for awhile, but a bad attitude is a tasteless poison that slowly kills the team.
February 21, 2013 at 9:54 am |
Very educative post! Particularly striking is the 1st pillar: Selection.
Attitude and aptitude. what comes most naturally is to focus on aptitude alone but attitude is more important. As the saying goes, ‘A little leaven leavens the whole lump’. I’ve been in a team where a team members ‘can’t do’ attitude almost killed the team.
Thanks so much for this post. This is a must read for any leader or aspiring leader!
February 21, 2013 at 9:57 am |
Great post! I really appreciate the second pillar of constant training. So often there is a misperception training can be once or twice a year event. Continuos learning is key, Thank you for sharing
February 21, 2013 at 10:09 am |
I would like to make my family into a great team
February 21, 2013 at 10:10 am |
Great piece
February 21, 2013 at 10:17 am |
Our youth group leadership team is presently working on all 3 of these things.
Thanks for the post and the giveaway!
February 21, 2013 at 10:55 am |
Great post. Love the three pillars and agree they certainly make the difference. I just finished reading a book by Simon Sinek and like others mentioned, knowing and buying into the team vision “the why” makes accomplishing the 3 pillars much easier – I found this out by trial and error. Going forward I’ll be more intentional with vision. The team buys into the 3 pillars more quickly with the side benefit of making my life and job easier.
Keep up the great posts.
February 21, 2013 at 11:22 am |
A breath of fresh air. Trust is essential. I trust you when I know you have my back…
February 21, 2013 at 11:22 am |
Awesome stuff. I have recently shifted into a team management role on my church staff and would greatly benefit from this book.
February 21, 2013 at 11:40 am |
Thought provoking article. I see where I need to facilitate teamwork by improving my coaching.
February 21, 2013 at 1:11 pm |
The importance of team work can’t be overstated. If organizations rise and fall based upon its leadership then the most direct and tangible reflection of the leadership is the depth and development of teams within the organization. I have been apart of an organization for six years now and when I first came aboard the “lead” team was so dysfunctional it made the Osbornes’ look normal. But over several years and some transformation (added by a few departures) our organization is health and growing again. I believe the health and grow has been a direct result of how our lead team has modeled the importance of teamwork.
February 21, 2013 at 1:37 pm |
This is an awesome article and very useful- can’t wait to get the book! Thanks for featuring it.
February 21, 2013 at 1:46 pm |
Great Post. Our agency is currently in the process of hiring a new Executive Director so this is perfect timing to read today’s post. The first thing, the directors and the board identified to be critical, was attitude. The aptitude is a given and this will be weeded out during the selection process. The current director has great attitude and is very devoted to our mission and our people. Witout Attitude our teams, the organization as a whole and the board members would be very different. In my experience the lead team has set the bar for the rest of the agency and it has created a very tight knit group. I will definitely continue to user that model going forward.
February 21, 2013 at 3:10 pm |
Wonderful. Especially the bits about attitude and the “heart stuff”. I think the book sounds like a must read!
February 21, 2013 at 4:26 pm |
Great teams mean you’re not alone. People to celebrate the heights of victory and encourage in the valleys of defeat.
February 21, 2013 at 4:41 pm |
Excellent reminders about the “normal” life of a team. It is critical to get through the first two stages to move on toward effectiveness. Dealing with attitudes are especially critical to continue to grow as a team!
February 21, 2013 at 6:09 pm |
Two teams, one successful, the other mediocro. The mediocro had one member who was toxic to the successful team.
End result the toxicity eliminated the whole mediocro team from participation. Where both teams could of shared success, only one in the end got the opportunity. Moral of story: Bad Attitudes Ruin Teams.
February 21, 2013 at 7:02 pm |
Excellent article! The third element (esprit de corps) is often overlooked/ignored by leaders. It encompasses much more than camaraderie. It reminds us that a team with a unified spirit can accomplish exponentially more than individuals working “on” a team. One can pursue a thousand; two of like spirit can pursue ten thousand….
February 21, 2013 at 11:23 pm |
In the environment I work in the biggest barrier if high performance is clarity of purpose. Without it people end up going their own thing and always try to promote their personal knowledge
February 21, 2013 at 11:24 pm |
If I could give my students just one skill to take with them in the careers it would be the skill of knowing how to be a good team member.
February 21, 2013 at 11:34 pm |
From the original quote, I find that there’s a balancing act between making too many decisions and making too few decisions. Nobody wants to be on a team with someone who makes too many command decisions. But nobody wants to follow a leader who never makes a decision. Like everything else, the perfect spot is somewhere in between the two extremes.
February 21, 2013 at 11:51 pm |
Definitely agree with your perspective on bad attitudes ruin teams!
February 22, 2013 at 1:17 am |
Sounds like a great book
February 22, 2013 at 1:41 am |
New job, new team, for me this was a good reminder of where to start. Tanks for sharing!
February 22, 2013 at 3:28 am |
Great article, will definitley be re-tweeting it! Trust with team and manager and Passion for Winning are two key elements in creating and sustaining a high performance team.
February 22, 2013 at 3:39 am |
As a civilian manager working in the Air Force I have multiple teams working with me. I can’t wait to read this book and make us better!
February 22, 2013 at 5:44 am |
The aptitude to learn + the desire to develop is a potent mix with which one can achieved almost anything.
Early in my management career I was fortunate to be able to experiment taking on new recruits with these raw ingredients and zero experience. It worked every time. Take that opportunity if you can. Look outside the norms for those which complete your team, even if their experience seems patchy or jagged when examined with your normal filters. Look for the hidden motivations which make people fly.
February 22, 2013 at 7:53 am |
The issue I am struggling with is a team of very high performing engineers and their egos. Getting them to work together as a team can be a challenge. My focus has been on getting them to see we succeed or fail as a team. We are designing a new process and if one part of the plant doesn’t work, the project fails.
It feels like we are stuck in the storming and I need to get us on to norming at the very least. Any suggestions?
February 22, 2013 at 8:43 am |
Excellent! Wisdom teaches me the same three – get my heart right, pursue wisdom, love people. Thank you Dan!
February 22, 2013 at 9:09 am |
“Always begin with attitudes not skills” love this! Some of the most talented people I’ve met have the worst attitude when it comes to working as a team. I totally agree and believe that the most teachable people are those who are humble and let themselves be molded.
February 22, 2013 at 9:35 am |
I’ve learned that no matter what company I work for, unless there is clear communication, and clear expectations, there will always be disappointment from the managers. However, I have also learned that I cannot do everything myself. God made people different for a reason, and if I can learn to embrace the differences in others then I know I can utilize those differences in order to help me accomplish more, and in turn make the business more successful.
February 22, 2013 at 9:52 am |
In the third year of renovating our team and, through hard work, difficult conversation, and an endless pursuit of teambuilding through revisiting and adhering to norms, risk-taking through extension of selves, and commitment to trust, we are in the middle of an amazing year. The “immature” team members holding conversations in the hallway is something that spoke to me and we are working to address.
February 22, 2013 at 1:11 pm |
I agree that selecting for attitude greatly improves the chances for building a high performing team.
February 22, 2013 at 5:56 pm |
Recognize your weaknesses, ask for help from your team, give each other time to shine. One will grow by observing, respecting the skills of others and building each other up. A team is formed when each knows when to step up or step aside and leverage someone else’s strength. Great Memo’s! Thanks!
February 22, 2013 at 6:58 pm |
Excellent post, thank you for these nuggets! A must read for all leaders and teams! We are definitely sharing!
February 22, 2013 at 7:14 pm |
Just how far would you go in placing attitude over aptitude? If you have amazing attitude, but very limited aptitude, would you take that individual and train them over someone with a solid attitude and above average aptitude?
February 22, 2013 at 9:12 pm |
Great post! I completely agree that attitude is everything!
February 23, 2013 at 12:03 am |
How is it that people on a team, working towards a common goal, can dislike each other but still care about each other?
A team member learns to see and then to respect the value in another person’s contribution to the team even when that person is not a friend otherwise. Over time, as a person remains not only open, but curious, differences can become the air that sustains the fire in friendship. So, when hiring, I suppose looking for team members with a good attitude could mean finding compassionate, intellectually curious people whose differences compliment and/or challenge each other. I’m looking forward to reading your book.
February 23, 2013 at 3:25 am |
Trust is also a critical quality for teamwork. It is absolutely vital to the success of high performance teams.
February 23, 2013 at 3:57 am |
Very true! If like-minded people with good attitudes get together as a team, the success of that team will be incredible. That team would definitely be unstoppable!
February 23, 2013 at 6:46 am |
We are looking for community on our team right. We have aptitude we struggle with working in silos, this book will be a help in breaking out of the silos.
@ericndavis
February 23, 2013 at 9:36 am |
Can’t wait to read this book and have another resource to share with my clients. The comments I read sound “spot on” as my British friends would say. As an instructor and facilitator of Leadership and team development I see how teams struggle to become high performing without appropriate training and a leader who understands situational leadership and the stages of team development. Agree attitude more important than aptitude. At a recent conference with John Maxwell someone asked how to motivate your team; John’s response… Hire motivated people and then don’t do anything to demotivate them! Select the right people, with the right attitude, and use the appropriate leadership style (directing, coaching, supporting, or delegating) for the situation. Yes training is required to create successful teams. What’s done in the forming and storming stages will determine if the team sails or fails. Trust and rapport must exist if a team is to succeed. Looking forward to reading The Secret of Teams!
February 23, 2013 at 11:01 am |
Dan, I’m completing a doctoral dissertation on leadership and teams using professional coaches as the study group. Many of the quotes I’ve seen throughout your blog are right “on the money” with what I’m reading in the research literature and seeing in my experiences in both corporate America and academia. Keep up the great work. I’d love to have you as a guest on my show and interview you whenever you’re in Atlanta.
February 23, 2013 at 11:11 am |
I agree that successful teams require constant training. Attitude isn’t something you can teach, so hire well and train your staff to problem solve together. Sounds like a great book. I am always looking for new resources to help support my teams.
February 23, 2013 at 12:39 pm |
I’ve enjoyed all of your discussions on Building New Teams. I’m teaching/facilitating a series of classes on the subject starting in April and would love a copy of the book. You have a way of picking out the most important concepts and leaving out the “fluff”…. i respect that !
February 23, 2013 at 1:09 pm |
Thank you for sharing this timely and concise piece. I have just shared it with my network and colleagues.
February 23, 2013 at 1:41 pm |
This one was spot on correct! Also picking the right individuals to participate on the team is critical. I’d like to see more on dealing with difficult team members that can sometimes derail momentum.
February 23, 2013 at 2:06 pm |
Good introduction to what high performance team constitutes of. Eager to read the book to know more
February 23, 2013 at 2:43 pm |
Thank you for this post! I find it encouraging and challenging, a key aspect of my leadership journey today and for the days ahead. I look forward to reading the book.
February 23, 2013 at 3:05 pm |
I am a beginner on learning how to build a team. This book would be very helpful.
February 23, 2013 at 3:59 pm |
Everyone on the team must recognize the importance of the team for it to be successful; that definitely does not mean 100% agreement; rather, it is more useful for the team to disagree. This leaves the door open to new ideas or a better understanding of the goals of the team
February 23, 2013 at 5:31 pm |
I facilitate weekly collaborate teams in my elementary school. I look forward to reading this book to help me be more effective.
February 23, 2013 at 6:51 pm |
Interesting that training is so central to effective teams. Leaders must constantly focus on developing others — it’s not all about the leader, it’s about others and their skill sets.
February 23, 2013 at 7:45 pm |
Trust is a hard term to express, show and more importantly truly believe in.
Ive realized that if the organization is based on the foundation of tight policies, regulations & discipline without confidence in each other, without passion and fun – you’ll slowly start to see deterioration of the team and culture.
February 23, 2013 at 8:07 pm |
There is much importance in recognizing that everyone on the team holds a piece to the puzzle and empowerment for each team member to efficiently and effectively commit their piece is invaluable.
What leader wants to make decisions every step of the way for the team? I can tell you I want to build a team to operate effectively especially without my presence.
February 23, 2013 at 11:03 pm |
Synergy is a key trait of top teams. They appreciate one another, support one another, and build each other up.
February 24, 2013 at 4:06 am |
Very well said and I have seen many missing out on the training part and still few on the first one. As I read in another blog post recently, it is certainly not going to be faster or beneficial if one does things him / herself and training the team is an important aspect for effective delegation and developing the teams. I am sharing this blog in my daily digest.
February 24, 2013 at 7:24 am |
I agree that the right hire starts it all. Finding team members with the attitude and passion will start the path for success. Not having the entire skill set can become a blessing as the team can help mold for success and skill diversity can add a new dimension.
February 24, 2013 at 8:03 am |
Good post. However with attitude and aptitude i differ . A team having the right attitude will also find ways to develop apptitude. It is noteworthy to mention that all members of any team might not have the aptitude to do all tasks…but with the right attitude and engagement, its would not be difficult to develop aptitude.
February 24, 2013 at 8:55 am |
Excellent post; I was not aware of this book’s existence. I like how you stated “..begin with attitude, not skills.” All too often, I’ve seen the opposite and the negative effects it had on teams.
February 24, 2013 at 3:04 pm |
Attitude is indeed the essential ingredient. Successful teams should bring a diverse set of perspectives; be open to listening, sharing and learning from each other; celebrate the success of the whole and of each other. specific skills may be needed, but having the right attitude is was holds it all together.
February 24, 2013 at 4:46 pm |
Very good perspective to measure my current team!
February 24, 2013 at 9:39 pm |
Anyone who reads the three pillars and doesn’t take away concrete ways to improve their teams should read it again. Insightful in a simple straightforward and refreshing way…
February 25, 2013 at 2:13 am |
Great post and agree with all the points. It’s sometimes easy to forget the simple things and too many people do not lead by example and that’s where bad attitudes can grow and disrupt. Love the blog.
February 25, 2013 at 2:17 am |
One might argue that ‘The secret of Teams’ is kicking against the obvious, open doors. But the right way to do it is an Art that Mark seems to master. To inspire leadership by presenting the right unlearning-instruction as if a how-to-manual may well invoke the right attitude for the bright and intelligent team players.
February 25, 2013 at 2:28 am |
Great read! From a past experience, lack of esprit de corps kills, totally. I now know better an working it out-it is a great “glue” of glueing disjointed parts (team members) together!
February 25, 2013 at 3:35 am |
Point one is well taken. Getting the right people on the bus is often most important but also most difficult. Suggestions are welcome. With the right people on the bus it will almost drive itself. Point three leaves me wanting more. How does one go about developing esprit de corps? I can understand enjoying it but I’m not sure how to ingrain it in my team. Thank you for your tweets on leadership.
February 25, 2013 at 5:47 am |
Having a can do attitude opens the thought process to possibilities while a can’t do does the opposite. Dan, you are my hero! Great, insightful blogs!
February 25, 2013 at 9:21 am |
Teamwork can only succeed when all members of the team accept the concept of how it works; in retail, I routinely see these teams fail because team members do not understand what being in a team means
February 25, 2013 at 10:14 am |
What is it about threes? I just read and reviewed the book Team Geek: A software developers guide to working well with others. The premise of this book is three pillars. They are humility, respect, and trust. It’s a quick and entertaining read.
February 25, 2013 at 10:29 am |
Its incumbent upon the leader to create that esprit de corps. Leaders create the environment that the team then strives or dies in. Thanks for the post.
February 25, 2013 at 10:58 am |
I found in Asian working cultures – group cultures – the esprit de corps is a given and team members genuinely care for one another. In western cultures it strongly depends on the manager if this is cultivated and sadly it is often overlooked or worse – given low priority.
February 25, 2013 at 11:02 am |
I would definitely be interested in reading your book and learn how to better lead and develop effective teams!
February 25, 2013 at 12:19 pm |
Very informative ! I wish this was required reading for all management levels. Thanks!!
February 25, 2013 at 12:35 pm |
Creating the kind of workplace in which employees want to perform to their full potential and contribute to the success of the organisation starts with seizing the hearts and minds of ‘every’ employee. I would really like to find out more in your book.
February 25, 2013 at 12:36 pm |
What a profound statement on Leadership and the causes of success and failure.
When people are not empowered, how can you expect a high level of success. When people are not empowered, leaders are burdened with the time consuming task of making decisions for other people. This being the case, leaders may as well do all the tasks and cripple their growth and productivity.
February 25, 2013 at 5:17 pm |
Terrific post- glad to see you share a recommendation for Mark’s book!
I think pillar 3 is the most often overlooked and easiest to remedy of them all…