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Five Ways to Spark Creativity in Your Team

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Creative Thinking, Development, Teams. No Comments on Five Ways to Spark Creativity in Your Team

Tapping into creativity is a constant challenge.

In a business climate that can turn on a tweet, creativity is not just an asset, it’s essential. But I’m not just advocating creativity for creativity’s sake – companies need creativity to solve real business problems. As a seasoned leader shared with me recently, “The half-life of ideas is decreasing rapidly.” So what’s our response?

We need more and better ideas. The good news: Creating new, value-added ideas is what teams do best. However, creativity in a team environment is not automatic. There are some things that leaders can do to increase the creative output of their team. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

  1. Expect (and Respect) a Creative Team – When you establish the role of your team, be sure to highlight the expectation that the team will create fresh, new solutions to the problems you face, and respect their process.
  2. Teach Them How to Be Creative – The skills of creativity can be learned. To learn them, they must be taught. Schedule time to conduct training for your team. This can take many forms. It can be as brief as a micro-session on effective brainstorming (before your next brainstorming session) or multi-day training sessions. The point is simple – train your team on the skills of creativity.
  3. Give Them Opportunities to Practice – Creative thinking and problem solving are skills – just like golf, tennis, or a foreign language. Like any skill, you get better with practice. Look for opportunities for your team to practice the skills you’ve learned. Practice builds competence and competence builds confidence.
  4. Celebrate Creativity When You See It – The actions that you reward will be repeated. That’s human nature. That’s one reason you need to recognize not just the successes but the effort as well. Not every creative endeavor will be successful. That’s normal. If you’ve been operating in a culture in which creativity has not been valued, recognizing creative effort will be even more critical. People are paying attention. They want to know if it’s really safe to voice new ideas.
  5. You, the Leader, Must Set the Pace – People always watch the leader – whether we want them to or not. Do your people see you embracing creative ideas? Do they see you engaged in the process of creating new ideas? You can accelerate the adoption of creative thinking as a skill if you personally get in the game. If you don’t, you’ll need to temper your expectations of groundbreaking new ideas from your team.

Teams are probably at their best when they’re engaged in the creative process.

They are leveraging their collective wisdom and experience to create what previously did not exist. One of the most satisfying and productive things leaders can do is create the conditions to harness this creative potential. In our rapidly changing global marketplace, fostering and embracing creativity is essential for survival.

 

a wooden picket fence with an attached sign that says "this way" and an arrow pointing to the right

Teams: Pseudo vs. Real

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Creative Thinking, Performance, Teams. No Comments on Teams: Pseudo vs. Real

What Is a Pseudo Team?

A pseudo team is a group of people who call themselves a team but perform worse than they would as individuals. The label is on the door, the meetings are on the calendar, the work is divided up — but the result is wasted effort, low accountability, and chronically poor performance. Katzenbach and Smith named this dynamic in their research on team effectiveness, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

I’ve spent most of my career thinking about, studying, and writing about teams that excel. My book, The Secret of Teams, is about creating High Performance Teams. But I’ve been looking at this topic long enough to know the other side of the story — some teams stink. I’ve been on my share of them, in sports, in nonprofit organizations, and in my full-time job. The honest truth is that the difference between a great team and a pseudo team isn’t talent or intent. It’s leadership.

A Pseudo-team is a place you don’t want to be. And if you find yourself there, you want to do all you can to improve the situation as soon as possible. Before we plot your escape plan, let’s be clear on the condition we’re describing.

The Six Signs You’re on a Pseudo Team

  • Chronically poor results
  • Little team discipline regarding process
  • Low investment in team development
  • Ineffective meetings
  • Low team accountability
  • Little personal concern for other members of the team

If this sounds like a team you’re on today, what can you do? Here’s the good news: you do not have to stay where you are.

When a team realizes how bad they really are — often coming to grips with the fact they are actually wasting resources by pretending to be a team — you only have three choices: move forward, retreat, or stay where you are. The third option is tragic. If your team is faced with these options, be careful not to retreat to your previous station as a work group. If you do, you’ll miss what could be the chance of a lifetime — to be on an amazing team.

How to Move From a Pseudo Team to a Real Team

If you decide to move forward, the path is clear and well-marked. To move from a Pseudo-team to a Real Team you need SKILLS. The understanding of team basics will move your team forward. This statement is built on the assumption you have the requisite individual skills to perform your assigned roles with excellence. If that’s not the case, you’ll certainly have to address that. A team with weak individual players will always face an uphill battle.

The skills you need for the team to escape the pit are straightforward. You can actually make your own list. Simply answer the question, “What skills does our team need to better function as a team?” Most leaders’ lists look something like this:

The Skills a Real Team Needs

  • Goal Setting
  • Problem Solving
  • Decision Making
  • Effective Meetings
  • Conflict Resolution

There’s one more thing you’ll need — I probably should have mentioned it before now.

Leadership will be required.

No team drifts to greatness. Neither do teams generally identify and close their own skill gaps, at least not in the early days of team formation.

My encouragement to you is to identify the gaps and lead your team to close them — one at a time. When you do, you can move to Real Team status on Katzenbach’s curve. From there, you can see your ultimate goal — High Performance.

The good news worth repeating: you don’t have to stay where you are. Pseudo teams aren’t permanent. The skills above can be learned, the gaps can be closed, and most teams that commit to the work move from pseudo to real inside a single season. Where’s your team today, and what’s the first skill you’ll close the gap on this week?

 

FAQ

Common Questions About Pseudo Teams

01

What is a pseudo team?

A pseudo team is a group that calls itself a team but performs worse than its members would working as individuals. The term comes from Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith’s research on team effectiveness. Pseudo teams typically show chronically poor results, little discipline around process, ineffective meetings, low accountability, and a noticeable absence of personal concern among teammates.

02

What’s the difference between a pseudo team and a real team?

A real team produces outcomes that exceed what its members could accomplish alone. A pseudo team produces less. The difference isn’t title, structure, or org chart — it’s whether the group has built the skills (goal setting, problem solving, decision making, effective meetings, conflict resolution) that turn shared work into shared results.

03

Can a pseudo team become a real team?

Yes. Most pseudo teams aren’t pseudo on purpose — they simply haven’t been led through the skills that turn a group into a team. The path is straightforward: identify the gaps one at a time, lead the team to close them, and don’t retreat to a work-group dynamic when things get hard. Leadership is the variable.

04

How do I know if I’m on a pseudo team?

Look for the six signs together: chronically poor results, little discipline regarding process, low investment in team development, ineffective meetings, low team accountability, and little personal concern for other members of the team. One or two of these can show up on any team. When you see all six, you’re on a pseudo team.

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Harness The Power of a Start-up… Even if You Aren’t in Start-up Mode

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Creative Thinking, Culture, Development. No Comments on Harness The Power of a Start-up… Even if You Aren’t in Start-up Mode

Have you ever been part of a start-up? Do you know people who have? What can we learn from the pioneers who are willing to start something new? Here are a few observations I believe are transferable – even if you are not in start-up mode.

  1. The vision is white-hot. In the early phases of a company, the founder or senior leader has already seen the preferred future he or she is trying to create. It seems as though they invest disproportionate time and energy helping others see it, too. These leaders know vision leaks and they constantly replenish it in word and deed.
  2. Collaboration is not a slogan. When the work really matters, and survival is not guaranteed, people WANT to work together.
  3. Buzz is contagious. Where’s the buzz? Is there any excitement in your work environment? Can outsiders feel it? If you don’t understand the question, you are not experiencing it. The good news: You can create it. When you do, it will stimulate more energy and excitement. Start-ups shouldn’t be the only ones who enjoy this benefit.
  4. “New” brings energy. I’m convinced part of the energy, excitement, passion, and engagement of a start-up comes from doing something new. Even better if it is something no one has ever done before. How does this apply to you and your team? Why not challenge your team to do something new and different? What new strategy or tactic have you always wanted to try? Do it!
  5. Leadership is hands-on. There may be successful start-ups in which senior leadership is disengaged, but I doubt it. In my limited experience, the leaders in these organizations are involved on a daily basis. They don’t get their data from a spreadsheet; they get it from talking to customers and working with the teams closet to the work. Start-up or not, I want to be an engaged leader.
  6. The work ethic is palpable. Now, I want work-life balance as much as the next guy; but I also want a team so sold on the work, they are willing to do what it takes to get the job done. If you find yourself needing an all-nighter every week, you’re not doing it right. If your people aren’t willing to pull one from time to time, you’re not doing it right either.
  7. There is focus. One of the big issues many teams and organizations suffer from is scope creep, or product line creep, or service offerings creep. Start-ups are not immune, but the best ones fight it – and win. Focus may be the defining characteristic of successful organizations, young and old. Yes, there are always outliers who can do many things well. However, my money is on focused teams and organizations.

I can learn a lot from those who are leading successful start-ups. How about you?

What can you do to breathe some of the energy of a start-up into your team/organization?

 

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5 Tips to Help Your Team Be More Creative

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Creative Thinking, Execution, Teams. No Comments on 5 Tips to Help Your Team Be More Creative

In today’s challenging economic times, creative thinking is more valuable than ever. Not creative for creativity’s sake – creativity to solve real business problems. Many of the ideas of the past are no longer relevant. As a seasoned leader once shared with me, “The half-life of ideas is decreasing rapidly.” So what’s our response?

We need more and better ideas. The good news: Creating new, value-added ideas is what teams do best. However, creativity in a team environment is not automatic. There are some things that leaders can do to increase the creative output of their team. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

Expect Your Team to Be Creative – When you establish the role of your team, be sure to highlight the expectation that the team will create fresh, new solutions to the problems you face.

Teach Them How to Be Creative – The skills of creativity can be learned. To learn them, they must be taught. Schedule time to conduct training for your team. This can take many forms. It can be anything from a brief micro-session on effective brainstorming (before your next brainstorming session) to multi-day training sessions and everything in between. The point is simple – train your team on the skills of creativity.

Give Them Opportunities to Practice – Creative thinking and problem solving are skills – just like golf, tennis, or a foreign language. Like any skill, you get better with practice. Look for opportunities for your team to practice the skills you’ve learned. Practice builds competence and competence builds confidence.

Celebrate Creativity When You See It – The actions that you reward will be repeated. That’s human nature. That’s one reason you need to recognize not just the successes but the effort as well. Not every creative endeavor will be successful. That’s normal. If you’ve been operating in a culture in which creativity has not been valued, recognizing creative effort will be even more critical. People are paying attention. They want to know if it’s really safe to voice new ideas.

You, the Leader Must Set the Pace – People always watch the leader – whether we want them to or not. Do your people see you embracing creative ideas? Do they see you engaged in the process of creating new ideas? You can accelerate the adoption of creative thinking as a skill if you personally get in the game. If you don’t, you’ll need to temper your expectations of groundbreaking new ideas from your team.

Teams are probably at their best when they’re engaged in the creative process. They are leveraging their collective wisdom and experience to create what previously did not exist. One of the most satisfying and productive things leaders can do is create the conditions to harness this creative potential. Start today and get ready to be amazed at what your team will do!

 

A close-up picture of the figures of men in a table football game A close-up picture of the figures of men in a table football game

Who Is Your Competition?

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Creative Thinking, Organization, Vision. No Comments on Who Is Your Competition?

Who is your competition? It may not be who you think it is. I was reminded of this as I read a Knowledge@Wharton interview with former MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga. You might think MasterCard’s competition would be American Express or Citibank – no, Ajay says their competition is cash.

As Banga explained, 85% of the world’s transactions are conducted using cash. He asserts that to focus on his traditional competitors means wrestling with them for 15% of a global market. He’d rather go after the other 85%. Genius!

So, let me ask again, who is your competition?

  • If you operate a local theater, you may assume Netflix and Amazon are your competition. What about other sources of entertainment?
  • If you sell sandwiches, certainly you’d consider Subway a competitor. What about grocery store deli counters, or even bigger — what about the grocery store itself?
  • If you’re selling wallpaper, I guess your competition would be anyone who sells wallpaper. But what about paint stores?
  • If you drive a taxi, is Uber your competition, or is it mass transit? Or maybe it’s walking? It probably depends on where you drive your taxi.

So, really, who is your competition and why does it matter?

Accurately identifying your competition will have far-reaching impact. Here are some of the ways it may change your organization…

Your Thinking – Perhaps more than anything else, broadly and accurately defining your competition will impact your thinking. Coca-Cola decided a few years ago that their competition was not limited to only other soft drink manufactures — their true competition was all the beverages consumed globally on a daily basis by every man, woman, and child. It changed their view of their business. Today, it’s not just about Coke, Diet Coke, and Sprite – Coke has over 500 brands and sells more than 1.9 BILLION servings a day. This would not be the case if Coke thought Pepsi was their only competitor.

Your Positioning – If this isn’t a term you’re familiar with, it is a marketing term. It represents how you want to position your product or service in the mind of your customer, or potential customer. In the MasterCard example, I don’t know their official positioning statement, but in light of Ajay’s comments, it probably says something like:

MasterCard is the safe and convenient way to pay for all your purchases.

Your Advertising – If you wanted to position your product based on the previous statement, your advertising could show a group of people at a restaurant who realize they don’t have any cash; panic turns to delight as they realize one member of their group has a MasterCard! (I know this sounds bizarre to an American audience, where 50% of our transactions are already purchased using credit cards. Ajay is thinking much bigger than just the US.)

Your Planning – When you change the items above, your goals change. When your goals change, so do your strategies. Then your strategies must translate to the tactics of day-to-day operations to have any effect. And ultimately, the tactics you select should determine how you allocate resources – people, time and dollars.

Who is your competition?

 

a set of train tracks that split as they go off in the distance a set of train tracks that split as they go off in the distance

Got Problems?

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Communication, Creative Thinking, Teams. No Comments on Got Problems?

Every team has problems – even if things are going well, your new problem is how to sustain the gains and go to the next level. Teams, when working well, are GREAT at solving problems. They harness the experience, wisdom, and creativity of the entire group. Together, the team is smarter than any of the individual team members. Does this sound like your team? Tragically, many teams never realize their full problem-solving potential. One way to help your team in this arena is to provide a clear process for problem solving.

Here are six steps that my friend and consultant, Jennifer Howard, taught me more than 20 years ago. It still works! You may want to experiment with it the next time your team faces a significant or complex problem.

Step 1: Identify the Problem. This is perhaps the most obvious of the steps, but you could argue that it is the most critical. There’s an old saying I love, “A problem well-defined is half solved.”

Step 2: Review the data. This serves several purposes. It may help you refine your problem statement. The data may give you clues regarding the root cause of the problem or perhaps the solution itself.

Step 3: Brainstorm Potential Causes. Now that your team has reviewed the data, it is essential that they agree on the most probable cause(s) of the problem. The outcome of this step will be the focus of step 4.

Step 4: Brainstorm Potential Solutions. This is where many teams BEGIN their problem solving. However, without the pre-work of steps 1 – 3, this is often misplaced energy.

Step 5: Create Your Action Plan. Based on the work of step 4, select the solutions you believe will have the greatest impact; decide who will do what by when and begin to deploy your solution.

Step 6: Monitor Your Progress. This is essential. Did your intervention work? Did your action plan solve the problem? If not, you’ll need to retrace your steps and repeat steps 3 – 6.

Using a process for solving problems is like providing tracks for a locomotive. Without them, the train can’t move. If you provide the tracks for your team, they will amaze you with their ability to solve even the most difficult problems.

What problem, if solved, would accelerate your team’s success?