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:
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- 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.
