Looking to improve team performance? When is the last time you “upgraded your team?” We’re not talking swapping people out, we’re talking about evaluating and updating the way that you work together as a team.
- Assess – While it’s great to setup a team for success from the outset, there’s no reason you can’t periodically evaluate what’s going on and make a collective decision to improve. Here are some areas/key questions to use to assess your team’s progress:
- PURPOSE – Everyone is clear on our collective purpose and the role he or she plays in achieving it (Y/N)
- COMMUNICATION – We have a common language/understanding that enables us to communicate effectively (Y/N)
- TRUST – We trust each other to follow through, to be fully present and share openly (Y/N)
- SAFETY – We can take risks on this team without feeling insecure or embarrassed (Y/N)
- DECISIONS – We make decisions efficiently and effectively, then capture and communicate them with anyone who is impacted(Y/N)
- SCOPE – We know what is in and what is out of our focused area of responsibility (Y/N)
- CULTURE – We have agreed on the way we talk, behave, and interact with each other (Y/N)
- (what else would you add to the list?)
- Act – Once you’ve assessed your team, have a conversation about the actions you will take to make change. You can’t move from Team 1.0 to Team 2.0 without action. Have a collective decision about what will deliver the greatest benefit to the team, and make it happen.
- Accelerate – There is a psychological principle that what you focus on flourishes or improves. Take time with your team to evaluate, agree on changes and then act. This “Team Tune-Up” will accelerate your performance and increase team member engagement.
