Teams Vs GroupsTeams Vs Groups

Wm. ( Chip) Valutis, PhDWm. ( Chip) Valutis, PhD

Working GroupWorking Group

• No realistic or desired common purpose, goals or joint efforts that call for a team

• Make decisions to help each individual perform within his or her area of responsibility

• Interact primarily to share information, best practices and/or perspectives

• No significant incremental performance need or opportunity that requires it to become a team

Pseudo-teamPseudo-team

• No interest in shaping a common purpose or set of performance goals, even though it may call itself a team

• Could be a significant, incremental performance need or opportunity, but it has not focused on collective performance and is not really trying to achieve it

Pseudo-team Pseudo-team (cont’d)(cont’d)

• The sum of the whole is less than the potential of the individual parts

• Weakest of all groups in terms of performance impact.

• Tend to contribute less that any other type because their interaction detract from each member’s individual performance without delivering any joint benefit

Potential TeamsPotential Teams

• There is a significant There is a significant incremental performance need incremental performance need and it is really trying to improve and it is really trying to improve its performance impactits performance impact

• Need more clarity about Need more clarity about purpose, goals or work products, purpose, goals or work products, and more discipline in forming a and more discipline in forming a common working approachcommon working approach

• Not yet established collective Not yet established collective accountabilityaccountability

• Very common—teams make Very common—teams make sense so many are attempted.sense so many are attempted.

• The journey between potential The journey between potential team and real team is quite team and real team is quite steepsteep

Real TeamReal Team

Small number of people with complementary Small number of people with complementary skills who are equally committed to a common skills who are equally committed to a common purpose, goals and working approach for which purpose, goals and working approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountablethey hold themselves mutually accountable

High-Performance TeamHigh-Performance Team• Meets all the conditions of real teams, AND has Meets all the conditions of real teams, AND has

members who are deeply committed to one members who are deeply committed to one another’s personal growth and success. This another’s personal growth and success. This commitment usually transcends the teamcommitment usually transcends the team

• Significantly out-performs all other like teams Significantly out-performs all other like teams and out-performs all reasonable expectations, and out-performs all reasonable expectations, given its membershipgiven its membership

1. Small enough in number1. Small enough in number

A) Can you convene easily and frequently?A) Can you convene easily and frequently?

B) Can you communicate with all members B) Can you communicate with all members easily and frequently?easily and frequently?

C) Are your discussions open and interactive C) Are your discussions open and interactive for all members?for all members?

D) Does each member understand the others’ D) Does each member understand the others’ roles and skills?roles and skills?

E) Do you need more people to achieve your E) Do you need more people to achieve your ends?ends?

F) Are sub-teams possible or necessary?F) Are sub-teams possible or necessary?

2. Adequate levels of 2. Adequate levels of complementary skillscomplementary skills

A)A) Are all three categories of skills either actually Are all three categories of skills either actually or potentially represented across the or potentially represented across the membership :membership :

1.1. Functional/Technical?Functional/Technical?

2.2. Problem-Solving/Decision-Making?Problem-Solving/Decision-Making?

3.3. Intentionally?Intentionally?

B) Does each member have the potential in all B) Does each member have the potential in all threethree categories to advance his or her skills to categories to advance his or her skills to the level required by the team’s purpose and the level required by the team’s purpose and goals?goals?

2. Adequate levels of 2. Adequate levels of complementary skills complementary skills (cont’d)(cont’d)

C) Are any skill areas that C) Are any skill areas that are critical to team are critical to team performance missing or performance missing or under-represented?under-represented?

D) Are the members willing D) Are the members willing to spend the time to help to spend the time to help themselves and others themselves and others learn and develop skills?learn and develop skills?

E) Can you introduce new E) Can you introduce new or supplemental skills as or supplemental skills as needed?needed?

3. Truly meaningful 3. Truly meaningful purposepurpose

A) Does it constitute a broader, A) Does it constitute a broader, deeper aspiration than just near-deeper aspiration than just near-term goals?term goals?

B) Is it a team purpose as opposed to B) Is it a team purpose as opposed to a broader organizational purpose a broader organizational purpose or just one individual’s purpose or just one individual’s purpose (e.g., the leader’s)?(e.g., the leader’s)?

C) Do all members understand and C) Do all members understand and articulate the same way? And do articulate the same way? And do they do so without relying on they do so without relying on ambiguous abstractions?ambiguous abstractions?

3. Truly meaningful purpose 3. Truly meaningful purpose (cont’d)(cont’d)

D) Do members define it vigorously in D) Do members define it vigorously in discussions with outsiders and frequently refer discussions with outsiders and frequently refer to it and explore its implications?to it and explore its implications?

E) Does it contain themes that are particularly E) Does it contain themes that are particularly meaningful and memorable?meaningful and memorable?

F) Do members feel it is important, if not F) Do members feel it is important, if not exciting?exciting?

4. Specific goal or goals4. Specific goal or goals

A) Are they A) Are they teamteam goals vs. broader organizational goals goals vs. broader organizational goals or just one individual’s goals (e.g., the leader’s)?or just one individual’s goals (e.g., the leader’s)?

B) Are they clear, simple, and measurable? If not B) Are they clear, simple, and measurable? If not measurable, can their achievement be determined?measurable, can their achievement be determined?

C) Are they realistic as well as ambitious? Do they allow C) Are they realistic as well as ambitious? Do they allow small wins along the way?small wins along the way?

4. Specific goal or goals 4. Specific goal or goals (cont’d)(cont’d)

D) Do they call for a concrete set of team work-D) Do they call for a concrete set of team work-products?products?

E) Is their relative importance and priority clear E) Is their relative importance and priority clear to all members?to all members?

F) Do all members agree with the goals, their F) Do all members agree with the goals, their relative importance, and the way in which their relative importance, and the way in which their achievement will be measured?achievement will be measured?

G) Do all members articulate the goals in the G) Do all members articulate the goals in the same way?same way?

5. Clear working 5. Clear working approachapproach

A) Is the approach concrete, clear, A) Is the approach concrete, clear, and really understood and and really understood and agreed to by everybody? Will it agreed to by everybody? Will it result in achievement of the result in achievement of the objectives?objectives?

B) Will it capitalize on and B) Will it capitalize on and enhance the skills of all enhance the skills of all members? Is it consistent with members? Is it consistent with other demands on the other demands on the members?members?

C) Does it require all members to C) Does it require all members to contribute equivalent amounts contribute equivalent amounts of real work?of real work?

5. Clear working approach 5. Clear working approach (cont’d)(cont’d)

D) Does it provide for open interaction, fact-D) Does it provide for open interaction, fact-based problem solving, and results-based based problem solving, and results-based evaluation?evaluation?

E) Do all members articulate the approach in the E) Do all members articulate the approach in the same way?same way?

F) Are fresh input and perspectives F) Are fresh input and perspectives systematically sought and added?systematically sought and added?

6. Sense of mutual 6. Sense of mutual accountabilityaccountability

A) Are you individually and jointly A) Are you individually and jointly accountable for the team’s purpose, accountable for the team’s purpose, goals, approach and work-products?goals, approach and work-products?

B) Can you and do you measure B) Can you and do you measure progress against specific goals?progress against specific goals?

C) Do all members feel responsible for C) Do all members feel responsible for all measures?all measures?

D) Are the members clear on what they D) Are the members clear on what they are individually and jointly are individually and jointly responsible for?responsible for?

E) Is there a sense that “only the team E) Is there a sense that “only the team can fail”?can fail”?

Work Group or Team:Work Group or Team:Which does “strategy” mandate?Which does “strategy” mandate?

• Competitive advantage grows out Competitive advantage grows out of the entire system of activities. of the entire system of activities. The fit among activities The fit among activities substantially reduces cost or substantially reduces cost or increases differentiation.increases differentiation.

• It can be misleading to explain It can be misleading to explain success by specifying individual success by specifying individual strengths, core competencies or strengths, core competencies or critical resources. The list of critical resources. The list of strengths cuts across many strengths cuts across many functions, and on strength blends functions, and on strength blends into others. into others.

• The success of a strategy depends on The success of a strategy depends on doing many things well – doing many things well – not just a not just a few few – and integrating among them. If – and integrating among them. If there is not there is not fit fit among activities, among activities, there is no distinctive strategy and there is no distinctive strategy and little sustainability.little sustainability.

Objectives of the Team Objectives of the Team Development ModuleDevelopment Module

• Raise awareness as to the Raise awareness as to the challenges and challenges and opportunities that lie opportunities that lie aheadahead

• Build buy-in and Build buy-in and commitment for the team commitment for the team and its developmentand its development

• Identify and prioritize Identify and prioritize developmental developmental imperatives for the SSTimperatives for the SST

• Set the stage for the team Set the stage for the team and individual and individual development component development component of the SSTof the SST

• Outline the first Outline the first developmental initiatives developmental initiatives to pursueto pursue

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CHIP@VALUTISCONSULTING.COMCHIP@VALUTISCONSULTING.COM