In this guide, we\u2019re going to focus on what works when it comes to building the best teams – and how to get the best from your people whatever the challenges might be.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Teams have evolved as the challenges we face have changed and become bigger. In the past, we relied on singular geniuses and innovators coming up with solutions that could be executed by teams through rigorous planning and prescriptive delivery. Although elements of this may still be around it\u2019s true to say that innovation and creativity are now much more of a collective responsibility dependent upon leadership that is not focussed on hierarchy. This new approach keeps on delivering – whether that\u2019s in sport, business innovation, disaster response or cutting- edge technology.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n “The issues we face today are so big and so challenging, it becomes quite clear we can’t do it alone, and so there is a certain humility in knowing you have to invite people in.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Polman\u2019s invitation to leaders described above is based on an understanding of the complex challenges faced now, against a backdrop of constantly changing groups of employees and collaborators. This demands a genuine team response where leadership becomes open to allowing solutions to come from anywhere. The new team spirit is about shared responsibility where motivation, innovation and creativity are collectively \u2018owned\u2019 and performance is based on collaboration, not competition.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n You could say there are three types of team now:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, when we talk about teams it\u2019s all about the context, the purpose and why they are together. And small organisations will have different needs from larger ones – especially when they get larger than around 150 people. At that point things change and understanding what happens to our \u2018Tribes\u2019 when they scale up is important, especially for start-ups, because the whole dynamic of teams needs an approach that appreciates and understands what\u2019s at play (see this article on <\/span>Tribal Leadership<\/span><\/a> from Farnham Street for more about this).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Teams are now always in beta-mode, so they need to be trusted to evolve and the processes you use need to support, rather than hinder this. So don\u2019t oversell your culture, just get clear, congruent and joined up. Allow teams to be organic and allow people to be different in how they interpret the nuances of what you\u2019re asking them to do. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Essentially though, it\u2019s about solving problems and for that, we need strong teams rather than just great individuals. We\u2019re always more than the sum of our parts and that\u2019s a key thing leaders need to be aware of. The onus is on them to provide the culture, but not dictate or try to control all the processes and outcomes. Once you\u2019ve nailed the principles that matter here, just trust.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n If managers and HR departments are hiring people like themselves, it\u2019s likely they\u2019ll struggle as they\u2019ll lack the diversity needed to meet their challenges. Solutions will often have to be found elsewhere and teams will continue to lack innovation despite the best efforts of management. When we create a homogeneous environment this kind of echo-chamber is inhibitive to performance and growth.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact is we need people who look, think and believe differently to us. As long as we all share the same solution-focused intention, diversity challenges us to see the world differently. Innovation is nurtured not through the status-quo but through insights that we haven\u2019t heard before. It\u2019s normally on the periphery and when we allow people to share the best of themselves then we\u2019ll be moving in the right direction.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, don\u2019t be scared to include the (perhaps hidden) diversity currently within your organisation and when you hire, remember how much your organisation needs it. Don\u2019t keep recreating the past, know that you need new insights and perspectives to grow.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no shortage of examples when it comes to poor team building events that rely on an element of \u2018forced fun\u2019 or that reinforce a culture of command and control. We need to keep it simple and support the activation of our essential human values. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n We need humility and a genuine interest in what other people are bringing to nurture teams and enhance our organisation. Autonomy and trust go hand in hand with performance. We need to instil this – not because it\u2019s \u2018politically correct\u2019 but because it works.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n In teams dominated by just a few voices, solutions will be lost and the creative energy and dynamism seen in high-performing teams just won\u2019t happen. <\/span>MIT<\/span><\/a> found that when one or two voices dominate, team performance was weaker than in teams with a more collective approach. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not complicated, is it?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Psychological safety. In my own work, this is the single most effective component in building any team. Although it\u2019s a simple principle it\u2019s also the biggest challenge to hierarchical thinking and silo-based attitudes. When you allow people to share their thoughts, without fear of being judged or not listened too, you add a flow of creativity and allow fresh thinking to emerge. It\u2019s about basic human values and the research backs this up.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Google\u2019s massive \u2018<\/span>Project Aristotle<\/span><\/a>\u2019 showed that pretty much the only factor that was consistent when it came to team performance was psychological safety. Throughout all the data their project gleaned the only clear pattern that emerged was this. This insight is a gamechanger and it\u2019s hugely helpful for organisations looking for the \u2018magic\u2019 displayed by high-performing teams. This simple idea, when placed at the heart of how organisations function makes the biggest difference.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The work of <\/span>Amy Edmondson<\/span><\/a> further confirms this – whether it be for medical teams, global organisations or teams responding to major incidents and crises. The combination of humility, openness and generosity of interpretation means seemingly impossible problems can be overcome. Psychological safety is the kernel at the heart of the world\u2019s most exceptional teams.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Making your team culture irresistible to existing and new talent may seem like a big challenge, but the principles of success are simple. We all want to see teams working fluidly and performing at a high-level with enough maturity to transform outcomes. It\u2019s essential that talent is owned by the organisation as a whole and that each team member feel totally part of this. It\u2019s not just a management thing, it\u2019s about the collective and what signals you give to it. If you can do this, you\u2019ll be setting yourself up nicely.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a dispassionate pair of eyes can be immensely helpful. Expertise that understands and empathises with your predicament will help get your team ethos on track. This is what we\u2019ve been doing for more than 20 years.<\/strong> Give us a call and let\u2019s talk teams.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Are Teams Now?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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You Need Diversity<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How To Build The Team<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What\u2019s The Biggest Factor At Play Here?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Do You Need to Do Now?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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