Teams that trust one another, engage in conflict, commit to decisions, and hold one another accountable are likely to set aside their individual needs and agendas and focus almost exclusively on what is best for the team. They do not give into the temptation to place their departments, career aspirations, or ego-driven status ahead of the collective results that define team success.
What influences achievement of results on a team?
What are ways that a team can track progress toward goals?
What are examples of visual tools for assessing a team’s success at a point in time, letting the team continually review its progress against its expected achievement? How would a team “operationalize” the visual tools?
What are the top 3 ways to focus on results on your team?
ACTIVITY: Design an Effective CES Team
Background
Before you begin, focus on the end. In this exercise, teams create the physical “box” that sells their idea of what’s in an effective team at CES. By imagining the package for their idea, the teams decide about important features and other aspects of their vision that are more difficult to articulate.
The box is always a focusing device: it wraps up a lot of otherwise intangible information into a nice physical object, prompting decisions along the way. When teams present or “sell” their boxes to each other, several things come to life, including the natural translation of features into benefits. Also, it’s fun to do.
Number of players
Teams working in parallel on different boxes.
How it works
The exercise moves through four phases: an introduction, box creation, team self-assessment, and sharing by “selling” and discussing your assessment with the larger group.
Build your team. Have a conversation about how you want your team to function.
• What are your norms or rules of engagement about trust, conflict and participation?
• What is your goal?
• How will you make decisions?
• How will you hold each other accountable?
PHASE ONE: Introduction
Before a group can jump into creating a box, they need to reflect on what could be in it. To get oriented, consider these building blocks:
• Possible names of the idea
• Possible participants, end users, or buyers, recipients
• Possible features, functions, or other important defining details
Box Example:
PHASE TWO: Make the Box
Build your team. Have a conversation about how you want your team to function.
• What are your norms or rules of engagement about trust, conflict and participation?
• What is your goal?
• How will you make decisions?
• How will you hold each other accountable?
PHASE THREE: Five Dysfunctions Team Self-Assessment
After completing the box, team will take a team self-assessment to gauge their team functioning. Analyze the results and answer these questions.
Trust
Where did you notice leadership moves in your group that led to increasing trust? Was there any example of someone being vulnerable that led to trust? Were there instances of lack of trust?
Conflict
How did your group make decisions? What conflict emerged and how was it resolved? Did you notice any moments of artificial harmony?
Commitment
Were the roles and goals clear? Was everyone on board with the plan? Whose voice wasn’t being heard? Who was playing what roles? What individual actions led to a better product or better group health?
Accountability
Did your team have high standards for your work? Did team members exercise personal accountability? Did team members fall into the victim loop? Who was holding others accountable? What feedback was offered and how was it received? What happened as a result?
Results
Did your team focus on results? Were you happy with your result? Did you feel a personal investment/ownership? How did that feeling of investment or apathy contribute to or hinder the result? Was there any status play going on? What would you have done differently?
PHASE FOUR: Sell the Box & Discuss the “Results” of Your Team Self-Assessment
Each team will have 10 minutes to “sell” their boxes back to the group.
Discuss your team assessment with the larger group. What themes emerged? What areas did the team excel? What are the areas of opportunity?
Strategy
Keep the boxes and display them in a prominent place. These may be more valuable (and visible) artifacts than any other documentation that comes out of the exercise.