Work
requires us to participate in many forms of project groups and teams. We’ve all had (many!) frustrating experiences
working on teams that are poorly led and managed. If you want to be a great team leader who
delivers strong results AND attracts the best talent, you’ll need to do an ‘About
FACE’. High performance teamwork happens
by design, not by default. Great
team leaders understand the architecture of high performance and take
deliberate action to set their teams up for success. They also sustain high performance by helping
the team continuously learn, adapt and develop.
The legacy of a great team leader is a track record of strong results
AND a team that has developed the will, capability and conviction to carry
on—even without the leader. Here are the
‘About FACE’ practices that in my experience distinguish the best team leaders
from the rest.
F = Focus and Fit. High performing team leaders refuse to lose
by ensuring the critical few priorities and expected outcomes for the team are
clear and compelling. They clarify both
longer-term vision / intended business outcomes AND the critical few intermediate
milestones/tasks that will ensure progress and momentum in the near-term. They inform AND inspire team members by
clarifying (1) which few priorities matter most, (2) what success will look like in tangible terms, AND (3) why our work matters—to our stakeholders
and to each of us. Beyond establishing clear focus, great team leaders actively
recruit members who are a great fit for the work at hand, especially in
the few ‘pivotal’ roles that will have disproportionate impact on team success
or failure. They don’t settle for
mediocre players in these pivotal roles.
They realize that these few people will set the tone and create a “wake”
of momentum for the rest of the team. Finally,
they ensure that the team as a whole has the capability, credibility and
commitment needed to deliver outstanding results AND represent key stakeholders
whose support is critical to success.
A = Alignment and
Accountability. Next, high
performing team leaders ensure that their goals and deliverables align in support
of higher-level business and customer priorities. Aligning the vectors is critical to
delivering outstanding results that exceed the sum of the parts. They also
clarify which team members are accountable for what tasks and decisions because
when everyone is responsible, no ONE is accountable and friction, confusion and
underperformance is the inevitable result.
Architecting alignment and clear accountability sets the team up to be
supported, productive and successful—individually and collectively.
C = Capability and
Communication. Clarifying goals,
roles, work processes, and ground rules for
sustaining positive interpersonal
relationships (GRPI) provides the architecture or structure for effective teamwork. Beyond this enabling structure, leaders must
identify any motivation, ability, and support “gaps” within the team and take
action to close these gaps and optimize the individual and collective
capability of the team. Finally, great team leaders identify critical
interdependencies with other individuals or departments that will support or limit
team success. They ensure the team proactively
engages these stakeholders to understand their needs, interests and concerns
and identify opportunities to develop win-win solutions, or at a minimum, to
invent an implementation path of least resistance. Sustaining ongoing, two-way communication with each
key stakeholder is a critical responsibility of assigned team members. This structure, capability building and proactive
two-way communication help teams succeed by building a capable and committed
guiding coalition up front rather than being surprised, and potentially
derailed, by inevitable resistance later in the game.
E = Engagement
& Execution. Engagement research has shown that individuals who feel
valued, challenged, and able to make meaningful progress give significantly more
discretionary effort. High performing team leaders sustain engagement by
establishing clear short-term milestones, monitoring progress, course
correcting as needed, and celebrating successes. Beyond “checking on” task progress
regularly, great leaders continuously “check in” to understand how members and
key stakeholders are feeling and what can be done differently to improve
effectiveness and efficiency. They “lean
into discomfort” early and often to surface inevitable questions, concerns and
frustrations before they disrupt progress and undermine relationships. As they uncover issues, concerns and ideas
for improvement they take action to help the team learn, adapt and overcome or
avoid obstacles. This leadership support
builds motivation, improves ability to get things done and demonstrates the
support that drives commitment and turbocharges execution.
“About
FACE’ represents a “go slow to go fast” approach that helps team leaders
deliver better results by design rather than defaulting to mediocrity or
average performance. Because we all want
to be part of a winning team, it also ensures team members have more fun in the
process and feel more committed to the project and the leader. And last but not
least, these leadership practices help build strong intra and inter-team
relationships that can create competitive advantage: a culture that embraces real win-win
collaboration and commitment to winning versus one where people default to compliance,
complacency and minimal cooperation.
