The Top 10 Performance Factors for Teams

Image source by Vojko Kalan

Memo to the new team, 2/23/13:

Raise your hand if you love wasting time on:

1. Meaningless drivel.
2. Frustrating stagnation.
3. Superficial relationships.
4. Worthless discussions.
5. Trivial decisions.
6. Mediocre results.
7. Mundane impact.

If wasting time excites you, create dysfunctional teams.

Members of dysfunctional teams:

1. Dread meetings.
2. Can’t wait for meetings to end.
3. Return to meaningful work after meetings.

Functional formation path:

New teams follow predictable formation paths; forming, storming, norming, and performing. Tragically, many teams never perform.

10 high performance factors for teams:

1. Buy-in based on acceptable agreement. Go all-in based on 70% or 80% agreement. Express disagreements but leave all reservations in the meeting. When two people agree 100% of the time, one of them isn’t necessary. Waiting for 100% agreement means you’ll always be waiting.
2. Individual responsibility. Everyone grabs the rope and pulls. Reject drifting and drifters.
3. Honesty. Say what you think clearly, kindly, and respectfully. Going along to get along equals mediocrity.
4. Accountability. Ignoring nonperformance guarantees no performance. Avoid dancing around people, it’s dysfunctional.
5. Clear, agreed upon patterns for narrowing options and making choices. How will you make decisions?
6. Trust. What happens when others are honest?
7. Preferred communication channels. Email or phone, for example
8. Pursue results. What are you accomplishing? All talking informs doing or its wasted time.
9. Create momentum by building on wins. Wins are platforms not easy chairs.
10. Ask awkward questions. Dance with elephants before they crush you. Don’t expect perfect answer, however.

High performance is never a gentle accident.

Successful teams:

1. Trust.
2. Argue.
3. Commit.
4. Follow through.
5. Celebrate.

Above list inspired by, “5 Dysfunctions of a Team.“

How much do you want to matter?  High performance teams make you matter more.

Added resources:

“The Three Pillars of High Performance Teams”

My leadership coach Bob Hancox sent me this “Team Decision Making Tool.” Informed consent is enough.

Pattrick Lencioni’s pyramid of “5 Dysfunctions of a Team.” (Image source, me)

What team performance factors can you add?

How to Destroy Teams and Become Losers

Image source

Terrible teams are easy; great teams rare.

Great teams do two things. First, people working together achieve things individuals can’t; they achieve more together. Second,

Teams that work – work at working together.

Performance:

I was a good player on my high school basketball team, not great. We always competed with each other for playing time and starting positions. It was the ultimate performance-based environment.

Winning:

We shared passion to win and we frequently did. We won our way to the elite eight and the final four my junior and senior years, respectively. Even though I wasn’t the best player, I was the captain my senior year.

Internal competition:

Begrudging and belittling the achievements
of others destroys teams.

Too much competition within teams cripples competitive advantage. Great teammates celebrate each other’s success. If you outplayed me I was glad for the team and you. But, your great play inspired me to work my butt off.

Your best brings out my best.

Never let their best bring out your worst.

Internal competition works when:

1. Team success is more important than individual success.
2. Teammates push each other.
3. Everyone’s success is celebrated.

Tell me how you respond to the success of others and I’ll tell you if you’re a great team player.

Internal competition goes bad when:

1. Teammates begrudge and belittle the achievements of others.
2. Coaches/leaders play favorites.
3. Saboteurs hinder, undermine, and undercut the play of others.

Great teammates celebrate each other’s success.

*5 reasons teams blow up:

1. No alignment of goals.
2. No senses of ownership.
3. Rigid application of the lessons of the past.
4. Leadership’s unwillingness to eliminate bad performers.
5. Lack of respect and trust.

*Five of the ten qualities of bad teams from, “Sharing the Sandbox,” by Dean Brenner. Additionally, the inspiration for using my basketball experience comes from Dean’s book.

What makes teams work?

What makes teams fail?

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