Fast Teams

Throughout the Babson MBA, we work in small teams (6-7) to complete assignments, projects and presentations. Babson calls these teams “study groups”, but I think the term team better captures our shared commitment and accountability – some skin in the game. Flying fighter jets in the military demonstrated to me the amazing power of competent, dedicated, inspired teams—I think the same power is available in business teams as well.

As we begin working with new teams in September, we have the opportunity to harness this power and expand our networks--not only by connecting with 6 or 7 new people, but by adding their connections from previous study teams. Now, when we have new problems to solve, we will have tight connections with 12 to 14 classmates and loose connections with just about everyone in the class. This process also helps develop invaluable relationships that will endure well past graduation.

Donald Clark’s web site highlights the difference between teams and groups as well as the process of creating teams from groups: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadtem.html. Here are some highlights:

Foundation

Teams have numerous goals, but one should stand out as your rallying point. An example of a central goal is: “create the most effective study team in the class”. A supporting goal might be: “to create and deliver the best marketing presentation”.  Everyone must know, agree upon, and be committed to accomplishing the team’s goals.

Key to accomplishing team goals is productive participation of all members:

1. Contributing data and knowledge
2. Sharing in the decision making process and reaching consensus
3. Making the decision
4. Making an imposed decision work

Shared Commitment Requirements

• Communication - Open, honest, and effective exchange of information between members.
• Trust - Openness and truthfulness in critiquing and trusting others. We must get past making only positive critiques--our teammates deserve better
• Sense of belonging - Cohesiveness by being committed to an understood mandate and team identity.
• Diversity - This must be valued as an asset. It is a vital ingredient that provides the synergistic effect of a team.
• Creativity and risk taking - If no one individual fails, then risk taking becomes a lot easier.
• Evaluation - The ability to self correct.
• Change compatibility - Being flexible and assimilating change.
• Participatory leadership - Everyone must help lead to one degree or another.

Groups to Teams
A lose interpretation of Donald Clark’s recipe for making your group into a team.

Develop a Sense of Urgency - Team members need to believe the team has an urgent and worthwhile purpose. Establishing a sense of urgency and direction is pretty well be done for us by Babson and helps teams know what their expectations are. The more urgent and meaningful the need to reach a goal, the more likely it is that a real team will start to emerge. The best teams define their performance expectations, but are flexible enough to allow changes to shape their own purpose, goals, and approach.

Set Clear Rules of Behavior - Teams develop rules of conduct to help them achieve their purpose and performance goals. Some possibilities include:

• Attendance – make participation a priority
• Confidentiality - personal revelations must remain among the team
• Analytic approach - facts are friendly
• Constructive confrontation - make your unique point of view known, but do your homework too!
• Deliverables (the most important) - once you have are responsible for an assignment, do it well.  If you run into a roadblock, ask for help. But, don't abuse the trust your team has placed in you by min-running your assignment. The team does a grave disservice by letting a team member tag along for a free ride (this will not happen in the real world, and usually shows up at exam time).

Keep the Team Informed - Challenge the team with fresh facts and information. New information causes a team to redefine and enrich its understanding of objectives, thereby helping the team to set clearer goals.

Grow Together - Teams must spend a lot of time together (bonding), especially in the beginning. Yet potential teams often fail to do so. The time spent together must be both scheduled and unscheduled. Creative insights as well as personal bonding require impromptu and casual interactions.

Reinforcement Works Wonders - Exploit the power of positive feedback, recognition, and reward. Positive reinforcement works as well in a team context as elsewhere. For example, by being alert to a shy person's initial efforts to speak up, allows you to encourage continued contributions.

What are your thoughts on teambuilding?