One of my favorite shows of all time is the HBO television miniseries, Band of Brothers, based on the book of the same name by the historian and author, Steven Ambrose. The final scene of the final episode shows the real life Major Richard Winters telling a story about one of the men in his unit (the following passage is from the book):
In one of his last newsletters, Mike Ranney wrote: "In thinking back on the days of Easy Company, I'm treasuring my remark to a grandson who asked, 'Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?'
No,'" I answered, 'but I served in a company of heroes.
It's a powerful reminder that in almost every facet of our lives, we will be doing things, not individually, but as part of a team. The late Steve Jobs, when he was still the CEO at Apple, said, "Great things in business are never done by one person; they're done by a team of people." And as the old African proverb says (which hangs on my office wall, by the way), "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
Our success is critically dependent upon how well we work together as a team. As leaders in an organization, it makes sense that we would invest time and money in developing our teams. The question is, do we really know what makes a team perform at the highest level? As it turns out, there is a lot of research to help us figure out just what goes into a high-performing team.
Several years ago, Carl Larson and Frank LaFasto conducted a large study on high-performing teams and published their results in a book called Teamwork: What must go right, what can go wrong. They first identified a sample of teams noteworthy either for their achievement (first phase) or for the insight each team would provide into the nature of their teamwork (second phase). They analyzed each team and identified a group of distinguishing characteristics for high performance teams. Most of their book talks about the characteristics that set these teams apart from others. However, Larson and LaFasto took an additional step. They operationalized these characteristics into a set of measures, and used the measures to monitor and provide feedback to 32 management teams. all of which improved their performance as a result.
The list of teams that Larson and LaFasto analyzed in the first phase is fairly interesting:
Mt. Everest Expedition / British Antarctic Expedition (led by the famous mountain climber, George McCleod)
Mt. Kongur (China) mountaineering expedition
Presidential Commission of the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident
U.S. Space Command
Cardiac Surgery Operative Team (led by Denton Cooley and Michael DeBakey)
Notre Dame 1966 National Champion football team
US. Naval Academy Football Teams 1961-1963
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
For the second phase, they focused on (1) executive management teams, predominantly from industry and (2) project teams, which notably included the McDonald's Chicken McNuggest team (led by Bud Sweeney) and the Boeing 747 Project team As a final check, they also analyzed disaster response teams, theater production teams, the flight deck team on the USS Kitty Hawk, tthe U.S. Navy Strike Warfare Center, and a number of Presidential Cabinets.
I am willing to bet that most of you would never have associated Chicken McNuggets with championship sports teams, Presidential Cabinets, U.S. Navy carrier flightdeck operations, or cardiac surgery teams! Regardless, after analyzing ALL of these different teams, Larson and LaFasto determined that the following eight characteristics defined these myriad high-performing teams:
1. Clear, elevating goal - I believe that having a clear sense of purpose or vision for the future is critical to high-performing teams. The highest performing teams have shared team goals that are inspiring, challenging, and clearly understood by every member of the team. Again, Steve Jobs said, "If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you."
2. Results-driven structure - Teams should have clearly defined roles and responsibilities with effective lines of communication. High-performing teams also have standardized processes and procedures in place that are shared and understood by every member of the team.
3. Competent team members - The team's purpose should determine the technical and content expertise that is required on the team. High-performing teams are comprised of a diverse group of members with complementary skillsets that work together and collaborate effectively.
4. Unified commitment - Every member of a high-performing team is focused and committed to the team goal. Members are so committed to the team, that they are willing to cover for each other and pick up the slack for others, if necessary. As legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson said, "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team."
5. Collabortive climate - High-performing teams are built on a foundation of trust, respect, and commitment to each other. The Hall of Fame baseball player, Babe Ruth, said it best, "The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime."
6. Standards of excellence - Clearly articulated goals and a shared sense of purpose aren't enough. The members of high-performing teams hold each other accountable to their own high standards. Their are consequences for non-performance, though due to the members' level of commitment, these consequences are rarely, if ever, required.
7. External support and recognition - High-performing teams are appropriately resourced and supported by the organization's management. The members are intrinsically motivated, and extrinsic rewards are rarely required. Recognition by each other is just as important as recognition by the rest of the organization.
8. Principled leadership - The leaders of high-performing teams create a sense of purpose, a shared vision, a North Star. The best leaders help the rest of the members on the team to realize that change is possible and that the team's goals are achievable. The leaders of high-performing teams unleash the talents of their teams - they do not micromanage team.
I would have never guessed that the team that launched the successful product release of McDonald's Chicken McNuggets would be characterized as a high-performing team, but there you have it! I will leave with one last quote, this one by the Japanese writer, Ryunosuke Satoro, "Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean."
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