From research on teams and my own personal experiences over many years in managing team activities I suggest that the following issues require specific responses if a team hopes to meet its objectives.
- Define the problem or opportunity under consideration. Keep in mind that open dialogue may require redrafting the problem statement many times.
- Frame the problem. What are we doing? Why are we doing this? How are we going to do it? Who is responsible for doing it? When do we do it? Where do we do it? What are the expected outcomes?
- Describe the specific mix of competencies required to solve the problem or pursue some new opportunity. Are they available either within or outside the department or the organization? If not, how do you resolve the issue?
- Develop open communication. How does the team communicate? From where does it take its cues in reaching decisions? Does the team allow the difficult questions to surface?
- Propose a defined communication structure and network that defines what should be communicated, when, and by whom and to whom. There’s no room for comments like "Why didn’t you tell me?"
- Define the roles and responsibilities clearly, anticipate the gaps, and integrate them in relation to the requirements.
- Problem-solving skills do not necessarily come naturally. They must be grounded in some methodology. Whatever process is used it must be consistent and the team must be aware of the protocols.
- Problem-finding skills are equally important to problem-solving skills. Every defined problem has within it some unfound problems that need a resolution.
- All team members require some knowledge in making timely decisions. They need to understand decision processes and their role in reaching decisions.
- Team reviews cannot become typical dog-and-pony shows that exclude a dialogue about current or potential difficulties in meeting the objectives. Reviews are learning experiences that ask the difficult questions.
- Conflict can have a positive or negative impact. It’s positive if it raises the issues that some may not wish to raise. It’s negative when it becomes personal and disregards the facts.
- Playing catch-up to competitors doesn’t inspire a team. Creativity allows the team to take the lead and to work on the leading edge. If you’re in the game, why not play to win?
- Innovation allows the team to break away from the pack. Innovation is more than creativity; it’s a focus on invention and implementation.
These thirteen competencies and skills determine whether the team will meet its objectives. Competent teams function in an entrepreneurial mode in which all the team members are owners; they own the project and treat it accordingly.