The alien's guide to teamworking

Bob Griffiths - who conducted an interactive faculty workshop on the subject - outlines how to get the most out of teams and meetings.

I once had a client who worked for a hedge fund with some big problems. These difficulties included a lack of proper controls over many aspects of the business and a senior management attitude boiling down to: "We have made loads of money in the past when we just ignored problems so we don't have to change now."

Team meetings never started on time, action points were never clear or agreed, and sometimes 'participants' did not even turn up. Staff would put forward their concerns about aspects of the operation they knew to be seriously amiss: mainly strategic issues that could not be resolved at an operational level. Senior management would then politely agree, saying that it would address the issues. Afterwards, staff would try to carry through some of the points from the meeting but, with no backing from senior management, nothing would be resolved.

These team meetings were rather like the movie 'Groundhog Day' - but without the eventually improved behaviour. The same concerns were raised, people made the same promises and then at the next meeting they would live it out all over again.

This conduct might simply have been amusingly farcical, had there not been a lot of investors' money at stake. Sadly, market conditions did eventually turn against these indolent managers, with the problems they had ignored for so long coming back with a vengeance. As they were unwilling - or, by then, unable - to take the necessary action, the whole company got wiped out.

The above was an extreme case of what can happen if obvious dysfunctions within a team are ignored. But there are many similar examples of where a team is not fulfilling its purpose yet the leaders and members carry on regardless, hoping for the best.

The alien perspective

Very often we get so immersed in the 'doing' of our daily work lives that we forget to ask the very important question 'Why am I doing this and am I doing it in the best way?' One way to change that perspective is to imagine a newly-landed but logical alien whose mission is to find out as much as it can about life on earth. This alien also has the gift of invisibility. Suppose the alien finds itself in one of your team meetings. As you watch the meeting, ask yourself these questions:

• Is it clear what these people are doing here?
• Do they know why they are in this meeting?
• Do they look like they want to be here?
• Are disagreements being resolved or going round in circles?
• Do they seem to be engaged and making progress or is this more of a 'ritual' than a meeting?
• Are they getting some kind of fulfilment from being here?

Ultimately, would the alien leave your meeting puzzled as to why these people choose to spend their time in such an unproductive and frustrating fashion or fascinated by how earth-people can join together in diverse groups and achieve so much more than they would individually?

The smart-alec consultant

If that does not work for you imagine that I, or some other smart-alec consultant, talked to your team members privately and confidentially and asked them to honestly answer some questions.
How confident are you that they would:

• be able to describe the purpose of the team in a meaningful way?
• agree that team members tell the truth to each other?
• know how the success of the team will be measured?
• believe that team members hold each other accountable?
• agree that team members trust each other?
• choose to be part of that team if they had a free choice?

In his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni suggests the five key features of teams that do not work. Here I look at these points in turn.

Absence of trust

It is worth noting that an absence of trust lies at the base of the diagram. If team members do not trust each other or the leader they are never going to work effectively. As a leader you can create trust by:

• being a model for the behaviours you expect from others. You have to 'walk the talk' or you will never be seen as credible;
• communicating your feelings as well as ideas. It is sometimes said the British do not 'do' feelings, but if you are not willing to share your feelings it will be difficult for others to trust you; and
• keeping your word and supporting others in keeping theirs.

Fear of conflict

In any team some conflict is inevitable. The question is how to deal with it successfully. The leader can:

• handle conflict constructively. Examine your own attitudes towards conflict and learn the skills to handle it positively. For instance, at times team members will become angry with you or each other. When that happens, helping them focus on what they want - rather than their anger - improves the chance of a successful outcome; and
• establish team rules for handling conflict successfully. Agree with your team how they will behave when conflict breaks out.

Lack of commitment

As with my hedge fund example above, nothing destroys effectiveness faster than when commitments are made but not carried through. So an effective leader should:

• review commitments at the end of each meeting and ensure all team members are aligned; and
• make it clear to team members that it is OK to disagree but after a certain point the team still expects commitment to action.

Avoidance of accountability

Human beings have a natural tendency to try and avoid difficult issues if we think we can get away with it. Leaders can support members in facing up to their accountabilities by:

• explicitly communicating about goals and standards of behaviour;
• regularly discussing performance versus goals and standards; and
• upholding the standards the team has set.

Inattention to results

Any team has to exist for a purpose. Team members should know that purpose and, also, how they are being measured against the goals that fulfil that purpose. Leaders can help the team focus on results by:

• keeping the team focused on tangible group goals;
• rewarding individuals based on team goals and collective success; and
• publicly recognising contributions.

Conclusion

Ultimately the purpose of a leader is to help other people do their jobs and make the team a success. No one wants to be a member of a team which is going nowhere and as a leader, if you are ready to tell the truth and address the personal challenges that arise, you have a great opportunity to make a difference to your team and the individuals involved in it.