Building Transformational Teams
A leadership team I consult with recently lost a valued member. In discussing next steps one well meaning employee stated, “what we need is a clone of Michael”. Granted, Michael’s commitment and impact propelled the team to achievements beyond their expectations. Most agreed that Michael carried the team on his back.
Did the team need a clone of Michael to carry them to the next level? Were the other team members unqualified under-performers? Or in Michael’s absence, did the team need to revisit their future goals, determine where they stood in relationship to those goals, assess their talent, and address the gap? While cloning may remove some of the unknowns, it removes all of the diversity.
There are times when one member’s value overshadows the rest of the team. Constantly emphasizing one person’s importance diminishes the value of the others. Additionally, it can foster a perception that there is only one critical path to success. “We all need to have Michael’s strengths.”
Little long-term success is attained by a “one man band”. When the path to success is dictated by one, the perspective and scope will both be limited. Almost all organizational successes come from high performing teams where individuals with a variety of roles create the critical path.
Appreciate the accomplishments of individual performers. Recognize them in public. And encourage them to consider how their success can be shared by all, and enhanced by others.
After a few weeks Michael’s former team was struggling to stay afloat. Not only did he carry everyone, few knew what to do without him. The team needed to be retooled to compensate for his departure. Michael may have been a peak performer. The team certainly wasn’t.
Defining roles, training to strengths, delegating responsibility, and deepening communication, resulted in higher team performance. They didn’t need another Michael. They needed to become a better team.
Cloning may have benefits in the medical community. Cloning doesn’t build diverse teams. When you find yourself down a man, don’t look to hire a clone. First, use it as a time of reflection. Then follow the steps below.
Next steps: Evaluate your team’s objectives. Receive unbiased perspective on team effectiveness. Request a complimentary consult.
Tags: cloning, diversity, leadership, strengths, success, sustainable, teams, transformation