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Much of organizational life these days revolves around “teamwork”. We try to organize the work by teams because we believe that when the conditions are right a team is able to create and do more than individuals can do on their own.
Unfortunately, I think most of us go through the majority of our work life without ever being part of a real team. Instead, we mostly spend our time as part of a group of individuals working on the same project. The difference between a team and a work group may seem small, but they can end up being worlds apart. When we find ourselves working within a real highly functional team we’re able to clearly see how different they can be. Working as part of a group that is truly a team is an amazing experience.
My Team Experience
I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced such a team. For a time I worked for a non-profit, youth serving organization. There was an executive director and three of us directors who were responsible for the operation of the organization. Each of us had come to the organization at different times, from different backgrounds and for different reasons. As the organization grew at an average annual rate of over 30% per year for a decade, we grew as a team. Looking back it’s really hard to pinpoint when it really happened that we began acting as a team, so all I can say is that it was something that came about over time.
As individuals, the four of us each had our own strengths and weaknesses. Amazingly, given the somewhat random circumstances that brought us together, most of our individual strengths and weaknesses were unique within our group. More amazingly is that most of our individual weaknesses turned out to be a strength of one of the others.
As we spent time working together, the experiences we shared allowed us to see what each other brought to the group. Over time we gained comfort and trust in one another and started to operate in such a way that allowed each of us to accentuate our strengths. As we grew as a team we shared in the ups and the downs. When we succeeded it was because of what WE did. When we failed it was also because of what WE did.
How We Did It
There were a number of things that allowed this group to work so well as a team. We all talked as a group on a regular basis, at least everyday and sometimes multiple times in a day. But we NEVER had any scheduled meetings or agendas. We just informally ended up in the same office at the same time and talked about what we needed to.
As we got better at working together we began sharing responsibilities for the different projects we were working on. In most cases this also was informal. Since each of us always knew what was going on, we would just naturally step in when the project called for our particular strengths and talents. Rarely was there an acknowledgment in the beginning of a project that I would do this piece or he would do that piece.
Why It Didn’t Last
We had a good run of several years working together as this team. During this time we certainly were able to accomplish more as an organization than we would have if our team was just a group working on the same project. But eventually the magic started to fade away. Looking back there are two things that I can point to that caused the team dynamics to change.
As the organization got bigger it got harder and harder for the four of us to manage everything effectively. We needed more folks to help us so we reorganized the organization around program areas, adding another whole level of leaders to the organization. While the four of us were still in charge, there were now others that were making decisions and managing projects.
The second thing that happened is that I moved my office out of our main building to another part of town because my department needed more space. Even though I visited the main office everyday, it took me away from the impromptu discussions that we were used to. Within a short time a second of the Directors moved to another part of the state to oversee operations there. Unfortunately, within a couple of years two of us directors left the organization to do other things and the third died at a tragically young age.
Trying to Find It Again
After having the wonderful experience of working in a truly remarkable team, I’ve searched for it again in subsequent jobs. But I’ve always been disappointed. A few years after leaving that organization I found myself working in a much smaller nonprofit organization in the same functional position. This new organization had a similar structure with an executive director and four directors who were responsible for the operations of the organization. But no matter how hard we tried to act as a team we always came up short and acted a group of five people working on the same projects.
Because I’ve had the pleasure of working in a highly functioning team I know it’s possible. But since finding that experience again has been so elusive, I know that team development needs to be purposeful if we really want teams that can work at such a high level. I’m hoping to explore some of the challenges we face trying to develop real teams in our organizations in future articles.
In the meantime, I’m asking you to share your experiences with working in a highly functioning team in the workplace. Have you been lucky enough to have an experience similar to mine? What made your team work so well?
Leader’s Reflection: Many organizations try to organize around teams. But in most cases we are really just groups of people working on the same project. Being part of a highly functional team can be elusive, but when it happens truly remarkable things are possible.
When you are on a great team you know it. For me one of the key elements needed for a team to function well is a commitment to a single purpose. This is not a goal or mission but an understanding of the true benefit of accomplishing the team’s objectives. In addition, it is essential that members of the team trust that each member is bought into the success of the team and each other. Lastly, the members of the team must feel comfortable in and seek each others’ company. If these elements exist, honest, frank and timely communication can flow.