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One Word… Collaboration

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Performance, Teams. No Comments on One Word… Collaboration

Often, a single word or concept can make a huge difference for leaders and their organizations.

Let’s take a look at a word that is certainly trending: Collaboration.

Why all the fascination about an idea that has been around for so long? I don’t think the concept has changed; I think the context has. Never before in history has information been more ubiquitous or the world moved at a more dizzying pace. These factors, combined with a more globally competitive landscape and increasing complexity, make this tried-and-true concept shine with relevance.

Collaboration may not be the most efficient way to work, but I believe it is the most effective.

Collaboration is a time-tested practice on the path to greater results. The concept is so elementary it doesn’t need much explanation or defense. If you can create the environment for men and women to pool their experience, expertise, education, and passion to tackle your most challenging problems, you can create a huge competitive advantage.

What are some of the obstacles you need to overcome to achieve full collaboration? Here are 4 that I’ve identified:

Individual ownership. Most people care deeply about their work and their contribution to the success of the organization. On the surface, this is a really good thing. However, it is a two-edged sword. The good news is that work gets done; the bad news is that it may get done without the collaborative input of the team. Leaders need to defeat the “I’ll just do it myself” mindset.

Physical space. The pandemic and the radical changes to the way people work has provided challenges when a group of people attempt to truly work together. Find what works for your team and make tweaks along the way to refine your working environment.

Time on task. We have to invest more time together to gain the benefits we seek. Time together is the price you pay for better results. This can be both formal, scheduled time and informal time. Regardless, time is essential in becoming a more collaborative team.

Volume of work. Collaboration is not the most efficient way to work. However, I believe it is the most effective way to work. The more work we have to do, the more we need to collaborate – even though it requires more time. This may feel counterintuitive – it is!

What inhibits collaboration on your team?

 

Don’t Set the Bar Too Low

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Development, Performance, Teams. No Comments on Don’t Set the Bar Too Low

I want to lead a great team – don’t you? I want to work on big ideas that will have a big impact. I want to invest my leadership energy in people and projects that matter. I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way. So where do we begin? We have to start where we are – but thankfully we don’t have to stay there.

One of the things I’ve been guilty of from time to time over the years is setting the bar too low – for myself and my team. This can take many forms, but today I want to talk about how, if we’re not careful, we can set the bar too low as it relates to our team.

First, we need to clarify the key ingredients regarding high performance in a team setting. They are: Talent, Skills, and Community. However, I want to be clear on some important distinctions in this arena.

People and Talent are not the same thing…

Every team is composed of people. However, many teams lack the talent they need for great accomplishment. One of our roles as leaders is to always be looking for talent – always recruiting. What does talent look like in your context? Don’t settle for just anybody to be on your team.

Assigning Tasks is not the same as developing Skills…

High Performance Teams have skilled members. These are men and women who have individual skills and team skills. If we’re not careful, we could find ourselves delegating tasks rather than developing skills. If this happens, over time your team will be devoid of any initiative and creativity. Don’t confuse delegation with skill development.

Collaboration is no substitute for real Community…

People in high performance teams do work together – they do collaborate. But they do so much more. Real community is about doing life together. When this happens, it is the turbo-charger for team performance. The members of the team are no longer just working for the organization; they are working for each other also. Don’t settle for getting along with each other. Invest the time and energy in cultivating authentic community and your team will never be the same again.

 

A group of three coworkers leaning in toward a laptop computer on a table, examining something there together A group of three coworkers leaning in toward a laptop computer on a table, examining something there together

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.

 

Several coworkers around a conference table, listening to and watching a few of those coworkers making a presentation to the group.

Develop More Leaders

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Organization, Teams. No Comments on Develop More Leaders

What does it take to build a leadership culture? What I discovered when I wrote my book, Leaders Made Here, is that organizations not only desperately need a point-of-view on leadership, they also need a leadership culture. I define a leadership culture as a place in which leaders are routinely and systematically produced. In a leadership culture, it is not unusual when there is a surplus of qualified leadership candidates for an open position.

Building A Leadership Culture

As a leader, you are the architect of your organization’s culture. How do you ensure you’ll have the needed leaders to fuel your future success? The answer: Build a leadership culture.

Here are five keys to creating a leadership culture:

  1. Define it – Does your organization have an agreed upon definition of leadership? If not, that’s the starting point.
  2. Train it – Having a definition is critical, but insufficient on its own. Can your leaders deliver on your definition? Some can, I’m sure, but training is probably required – at least for emerging leaders. Leadership skills are not innate.
  3. Practice it – Do you give emerging leaders the opportunity to lead? Most of what leaders learn about leadership they learn from leading. Give them the chance to practice by actually letting them lead.
  4. Measure it – This can take many forms: performance reviews, 360 feedback, “Readiness for Next Opportunity.” Then there’s always the “9 Box,” popularized by G.E., which evaluates leaders on two dimensions – performance and alignment with organizational values. You can even measure participation in leadership training.
  5. Model it – If your existing leaders are not showing people what great leadership looks like in your organization, or if they aren’t working diligently to demonstrate the attributes outlined in your definition of leadership, none of the previous ideas will have much impact.

How deep is your leadership bench?

 

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.

Two men sitting across from each other in a restaurant booth, working on computers and talking together. Two men sitting across from each other in a restaurant booth, working on computers and talking together.

5 Must-Haves for Team Members

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Development, Planning, Teams. No Comments on 5 Must-Haves for Team Members

One of the most important decisions you and I make as leaders is, “Who’s on our team?” The results you’ll pursue will change over time. Skills can be developed and community can be strengthened. However, if you have the wrong people around the table, your ultimate success will always be in jeopardy.

Here are a few questions that may be helpful as you select your team.

Q: Does this person want to be on a team?
I’ve worked with some very talented people during my career who were not team players. They were gifted in their area of expertise, but for whatever reason, they wanted to be an individual contributor. I’ve tried to convert some of these folks to team players – it didn’t work.

Q: Are they willing to contribute in a team setting?
Do you know people that want to be part of something without getting their hands dirty? You sometimes see this in a team setting. You may find individuals who enjoy the team vibe, but they may not want to contribute to the hard work of actually making the team work. If you can discern this before you put someone on the team – don’t put them on the team.

Q: Is this individual a learner?
The second ingredient in creating a high-performance team involves learning new skills. If the men and women on your team are too busy, arrogant, stubborn, or unable to learn, they’ll not be good team members.

Q: Do they resonate with the vision & values of the team/organization?
When building a team, you have a fundamental choice around this question. Are you looking for people who already “get it” or are you looking for people to “win over” to your point of view? I’d rather start with people who share a common passion for the cause.

Q: Do you sense that they could become great at what they do?
This is where your intuition as a leader comes into play. I don’t know how to test for this, but you’ll know it when you see it. Whenever possible, I select people for my team who I believe have greatness in their future.

Bonus Question: If you’re building a leadership team, don’t forget to ask the important question…

Q: Can this person lead?

 

I’d love to hear from you on this. What questions do you ask to get the right players on your team?

 

Two coworkers, a man and a woman, shake hands in the center of the image, looking at each other in agreement Two coworkers, a man and a woman, shake hands in the center of the image, looking at each other in agreement

Can I Trust You?

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Character, Culture, Teams. No Comments on Can I Trust You?

People do not follow leaders they do not trust. If you and I are trustworthy, we’ve jumped a significant hurdle on the path to effective leadership. If we are not seen as trustworthy, no amount of skill will suffice. If your heart is not right, no one cares about your skills. So the question is… How do you build trust?

Building trust is the same for the executive as it is for the first grader.

Here are some ideas to jump start your thinking:

Show up – This is not about mere physical presence. This is about how we show up. Be present in the moment. Be engaged. Contribute. Add value. How we show up makes a huge difference and communicates far more than we want to believe. If we do this well, it contributes to our trustworthiness.

Be prepared – Preparedness communicates interest. It communicates engagement. When we are not prepared, people think we don’t care. How many people do you trust who don’t care enough to prepare for a meeting or an event?

Do what you say you are going to do – It doesn’t get any more basic than this. Trust is more easily vested in men and women of integrity. If our words and actions are not aligned, this creates questions and gaps. These gaps erode trust very quickly.

Tell the truth – If you and I are going to garner followers, we must tell the truth. Deception is not congruent with a servant leader. Incongruence equals lack of trust, and rightly so. Our people deserve the truth.

Deliver with excellence – Incompetence never builds confidence or trust – neither does half-hearted effort. Leaders who do their jobs well are much easier to trust. If you consistently make bad decisions or cannot execute your assigned duties, you will eventually lose the trust of those around you.

Think others first – Servant leaders don’t think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less. If you believe a leader is looking out for your best interests, you are much more likely to trust him or her. On the flip side, if you think the leader is more concerned with his or her career and reputation than they are yours, trust is rarely given.

The bottom line – if you and I want to lead well, we must build trust. Trust doesn’t come with the office or the title; it is something earned over months, years and decades.

Invest the time and energy and become trustworthy!

 

A businesswoman and businessman discussing something from a stack of papers they hold in front of them. A businesswoman and businessman discussing something from a stack of papers they hold in front of them.

Delegation without Guilt

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Personal Effectiveness, Teams, Vision. No Comments on Delegation without Guilt

A question I believe many leaders have struggled with is: How do I delegate without guilt?

Let’s first look at what delegation is. Is it dumping work on someone you manage? Is it strategically getting work assigned to the best possible person? Is it a convenient way to avoid unpleasant tasks? Is it a way to help people grow? The truth is, it can be any of the above.

Before I go any further, you’ll have to decide what YOU believe about delegation. However, I’m going to assume you are a servant leader – or are striving to become one. Therefore, I would suggest you can minimize or even eliminate any angst you may have about delegating if you clarify your point of view. Here’s how I try to think about delegation.

Delegation helps people grow – if done properly. Delegation should never be a dump-and-run proposition. The outcomes need to be clearly stated, the boundaries established, and milestones identified. Most of what you and I know about leadership, we learned when someone delegated real responsibility and we grew in the process.

Next, if done thoughtfully, delegation can leverage a person’s talents, strengths, and passions. There are clearly things you and I don’t like to do. However, there are men and women who LOVE to do those same activities. I know it seems strange on the surface, but it’s true. So, when I find myself faced with something I really don’t enjoy doing, one of my questions is, “Who would love to do this?” Thankfully, we’re not all the same.

Another reason we should be able to delegate guilt-free is the space it creates for us to do what we’re uniquely qualified, gifted, and compensated to do. Assuming we use our time wisely, appropriate delegation multiplies our time and our effectiveness. We will have more time to do what we are supposed to do.

Finally, assigning work to the most appropriate individual or team is a stewardship issue. Generally, you are paid more than the people you lead. Therefore, if work can be done by someone at a lower hourly wage, that is good stewardship.

I’ll close by saying that effective delegation is a HUGE hurdle for many leaders. More than that, failure to delegate well will derail your career. You must figure out how to delegate before you can move to the highest form of getting work done – when you see your role not as a delegator but a developer. If you’re interested in learning more, I wrote about this transition in a post entitled Is Your Leadership Career Stalled?

For now, clarify what you believe about delegation and do it well. It is an essential stepping stone to becoming a great leader!

a man standing before his coworkers leading a meeting with a screen presentation behind him

Create the Target Before You Shoot the Arrow

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Communication, Teams, Vision. No Comments on Create the Target Before You Shoot the Arrow

Do you have a target for what you are trying to accomplish?

I saw a cartoon years ago in which Charlie Brown shot an arrow at a fence and then proceeded to draw a circle around the arrow. At some level, he found this satisfying. This is not how great leaders think.

During my tenure at Chick-fil-A, I had the privilege of planning our annual meeting. The team and I spent months preparing for this event, and we always took the time to draw the target before we shot the arrow. And I am thankful we did. Here’s the leadership lesson that comes to mind as I reflect on these events: One of the reasons these events were a success—not the only reason, but one of them—is that we decided what we were trying to accomplish before we created the event. We drew the target BEFORE we shot the arrow.

There are many things leaders CANNOT do for their people. However, clarity regarding intent should never be in short supply. People must always know what they are trying to accomplish.

“The greatest gift leaders can give their people is clarity.”

The power of clarity transcends targets, goals, and objectives – it includes vision, values, and strategic intent, as well as other tactical issues. But what we are trying to accomplish cannot get lost in the process.

When you identify the target with crystal clarity, I think you may be amazed at how often your team will hit the mark.

 

a group of men and women sitting around a table working on their computers

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!