Success from teams takes an investment of values
Posted on April 05, 2012 by Jenna Forster, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Why do so many team initiatives fail?
When a team comes together, the desire of the team leader is to bring sufficient vision and communication to team members to ensure execution and success. Yet, why do so many team initiatives fail?
The first possibility is that the vision cannot be accomplished by the team members, in the time frame provided or within the constraints of funding, skill sets, etc. But, more often, according to Stephen R. Covey, teams don’t meet goals because members don’t have a clear appreciation of either the goals or the priorities. In addition each member of a team may not have adequate commitment to reaching the goal, or they may not appreciate their responsibility in performance or don’t truly feel accountable for key performance increments. If team members lack a true understanding of the team’s function or the infra-structure within which they must operate to reach a goal, it may limit their performance or outcomes. In addition, lack of cohesiveness amid the team members can be very detrimental to their capacity to function on track.
We relate to each of these realities, but we forget the fact that each of us comes to any task with core capacities that allow us to approach a team with differing skill sets. If we are the only member of a team with a given core value (e.g. keeping track of each dollar and every minute of time) and more of the other team members are visionary, you may be perceived as not being a team player. Nothing is farther from the truth. Actually, your team role is to help the other team members come to appreciate your unique contribution to the team’s success.
Team leaders are famous for vision, but not all leaders are:
- equally qualified as communicators;
- gifted with attention to detail disciplines;
- mindful of reporting schedules and feedback opportunities;
- thorough about task management breakdowns and making specific assignments;
- discerning about team member values, attributes and skills;
Team members may not be:
- confident enough to ask questions;
- invested sufficiently in their team membership to become accountable;
- qualified with innate or taught skills/capacities and may not be confident enough to state that fact.
- Given the opportunity to become fully invested in the team objectives and goals and therefore may not be consistent with their performance.
If all the team players realize they must function as “one” to be successful, they’d look at the leader’s vision with greater appreciation of each team player’s role and capacity. Core values that motivate full and enthusiastic participation in team work must be encouraged. Working with a team is a learned skill and taking the time to acquire such skills benefits all concerned.
J.Forster & Associates “Focusing on the Human Capital of your Business”
tel 1(866)954-3399 | jf@jfandassociates.com | www.jfandassociates.com
