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Why Project Teams Fail

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Execution, Performance, Teams. No Comments on Why Project Teams Fail

I’ve been studying and participating on projects my entire career. I believe there is a really short list of reasons so many of these teams fail. Sometimes it’s a leadership issue on the team, sometimes it’s a resource question and in some situations, the team will fail because of outside factors beyond their control. But there is one reason that towers above all the others…

The absence of clarity is most often the culprit – clarity around issues of deliverables, boundaries, timing and more. Many teams begin with these details missing or misunderstood. The good news for leaders – this is completely avoidable. The answer to this problem is a team charter – a simple document in which you outline several critical elements.

Project teams are different; therefore, I prefer to offer flexibility and customization in the creation of a charter. However, the following elements could be considered standard…

Purpose – Why does this team exist? Is it to solve a problem? To make a recommendation? To create a product? To reinvent a process? There should be no mystery in the purpose of a team.

Deliverables – If a team’s purpose is to make a recommendation on regional offices, the deliverables provide the specifics. The deliverables might include items such as a rollout plan, a staffing plan, a budget, measures of success, and more. Deliverables provide the specifics that are often not included in a purpose statement.

Key Milestones – When is the work to be completed? Are there target dates that need to be met (e.g., first draft, prototype, etc.)? Are there approvals needed along the way? If so, when and by whom?

Design Principles – Are there factors that must be incorporated into the final output? Examples include: All prototypes will be tested in the field for 6 months before full deployment; or, Accelerated learning techniques will be incorporated in all classroom sessions; or, All training sessions will be delivered by senior leaders from our organization. Any decision which has already been made that affects the work of this team should be stated here.

Boundaries – These can be as unique and diverse as you can imagine. What are the lines that cannot be crossed? As an example: If you’re designing a training event, some boundaries might be that participation is voluntary, or attendees will pay for the training, or no training can take place in the 4th quarter of the year.

Budget – How much money has been allocated to this project? Is this the annual budget or the TOTAL budget? (This will matter if the project will be executed over more than one calendar year.) Does the budget cover design and delivery, or just design?

Team Membership – Who is on the team? If the members have assigned roles, this is a good place to note that as well. Specifically, it is helpful to call out the team leader or facilitator.

Sponsor – Which senior leader has sanctioned the work of this team? I have seen examples with multiple names here – I prefer one name. Who has the team’s back and has approved this charter?

If you give a new team this information, you’ll be amazed at how often they’ll hit the mark.

 

A group of players on a sports team, standing in a huddle with their arms around each other. A group of players on a sports team, standing in a huddle with their arms around each other.

Master Team Basics

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Engagement, Talent, Teams. No Comments on Master Team Basics

I am a big fan of teams. Obviously I have a strong bias since I wrote a book titled, The Secret of Teams and the companion Field Guide.

So that got me thinking about why I love teams so much. Here are some of the reasons I came up with…

Teams allow people to maximize their individual contribution. When we’re part of a strong team, we can focus on our strengths. Good teams allow people to play to their strengths.

Teams can accomplish what individuals cannot. Here are a few fun facts: When Walt Disney made Snow White, he supervised over 700 animators. When Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he did so with the help of many assistants and other painters. And when NASA wanted to put men on the moon, they employed over 400,000 men and women to make that dream a reality. I don’t want to invest my life in something so small I can do it by myself. A big dream requires a strong team.

Teams create capacity. When a leader decides to empower a team, the impact is dramatic – not just in terms of results. Yes, results will improve. But perhaps of equal or greater value is the capacity a leader can create when other capable people put their hands on the rope. More people pulling in the same direction is always a good outcome. As a result, senior leaders can be freed up to do only what they can do.

Teams outperform individuals. The evidence is clear on this one. When a team combines their experience, education, passions, personalities, creativity, intellect, and their judgment, the results speak for themselves. This collective experience and wisdom translates into real, tangible results! Teams create competitive advantage because…

None of us is as smart as all of us.

Teams are life-giving. When a team is working well, there’s nothing quite like it. To be a member of a high performance team is one of life’s great pleasures. For those of you who’ve never been on a team like I’m describing, this may seem like a stretch. It’s not. When a team is comprised of the right people with appropriate, diverse skills and the team is pursuing genuine community, the personal benefits almost defy description. To be part of a group in which people know, serve, celebrate, mourn, and love each other is priceless.

I realize this list could be much longer. As I confessed in the beginning, I’m a big fan of teams! If you’ve not been part of a team that enjoys the benefits I just listed, maybe today is the day you decide to build one.

Why are you a fan of teams?

 

five hands in a row laid out on a table, all different skin tones five hands in a row laid out on a table, all different skin tones

Leading People Who are Different

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Talent, Teams. No Comments on Leading People Who are Different

How do you lead a team with vastly different personalities?

I once received this question after a speaking engagement. I’m not sure what the person thought I might say, but I told him congratulations! Teams perform at their highest level when they are comprised of people who are different. Teams who lack diversity are severely handicapped.

Diversity in a team setting comes in many forms, such as: race, age, gender, ethnicity, education, passions, talents, skills, experiences. And yes, even personality differences add to the richness and power of a team.

To address this question specifically, I have three suggestions regarding different personalities:

Acknowledge the tension – For some reason, to name something makes it more approachable. If you’re introverted and people on your team don’t seem to understand that, talk about it! If you’re frustrated because some members of your team always want to talk about the details and all you want to discuss is the big picture, talk about it. Don’t pretend people are the same and don’t sweep issues under the rug.

Learn about people’s differences – Do you really understand different personality types? Do you have a deep, working knowledge of the differences represented on your team? A thorough review of each member’s personality profile could be an outstanding team building activity. If you’ve been confused or frustrated by the actions of others in the past, this activity may answer a lot of questions.

Leverage the differences – Just like a good sports team assigns positions based on specific skills, you can increase your effectiveness if you get the right people doing the right work. Extroverts, introverts, people who are more concrete and those who are more abstract in their thinking, those who are more detail-oriented and those who are not – there’s a place for everyone. As leaders, one of our roles is to help people find the right place to contribute. If we’re successful, the individual and the team both win.

All of this may sound like a lot of work, and it is. Building a high performance team is hard. But the right team composition can accelerate the journey. Diversity, including personality, is a gift. The ultimate strength of your team hangs in the balance. If you have a team of diverse individuals, be thankful; if you don’t, you need to start recruiting.

 

A photo of several peoples' hands stacked on top of each other in a circle, with colorful sweater sleeves, getting ready for a cheer A photo of several peoples' hands stacked on top of each other in a circle, with colorful sweater sleeves, getting ready for a cheer

Act As One

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Engagement, Teams. No Comments on Act As One

High Performance Organizations must strive to Act as One.

To Act as One is a simple idea with profound implications for leaders who desire to create High Performance Organizations. Think about the potential impact of a unified and aligned workforce. If you harness the power of every member of your organization, your competition doesn’t stand a chance.

A Unified Group Can Achieve Truly Amazing Results

Teams exist to accomplish a mission that individuals never could. At their best, a unified group can achieve truly amazing results. However, anytime an organization lacks alignment, the opportunity to reach its full potential is squandered. High Performance Organizations possess the uncanny ability to appreciate and pursue the idea of “we over me.” This mindset powerfully enables performance to skyrocket as everyone pulls on the rope in the same direction.

If an organization intends to Act as One, it requires courage and intentionality. As a part of setting the pace, leaders must decide to clear the clutter and ruthlessly call their teams to work together. Too often, organizations fail as egos collide, agendas get in the way, and turf wars ensue.

“Without a focused leadership team that calls out for unity, an organization is headed for chaos.”

As the leadership team attempts to galvanize the organization, there are three key steps they must take:

  1. First, they need to Create Clarity. It is not enough for leaders to know the mission, vision, strategy, and goals. These ideals must also be clearly communicated to all levels of the organization.
  2. Second, the leadership team is charged with recruiting toward alignment. To Staff with Eagles, those high performers who buy into your culture is vital if you intend to maximize your results.
  3. Third, leaders need to Affirm Values in Action. By creating a culture of encouragement where people are valued and celebrated for doing the right things and also for doing things right, organizational excellence is within your reach.

High performance is available to you and your organization. It begins with a new way of thinking, rooted in WE. If you are ready to pursue total organizational alignment, you can take the next step in your high-performance journey…

It’s time to Act as One!

How aligned is your organization?

 

a group of people silhouetted against a pink sky, one man leading in front of the others a group of people silhouetted against a pink sky, one man leading in front of the others

Has Your Team Been Hijacked?

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Performance, Teams, Vision. No Comments on Has Your Team Been Hijacked?

Who should lead your team? The answer may not be as clear as you think. But it may be one of the most important decisions you’ll make if you are trying to build a high performance team.

You may be thinking, “I’ll lead the team.” Well, that might be the right answer and it might not. If your goal is to create a high performance team, the point leader, or supervisor, is often not involved in the day-to-day work of the team. Let me clarify…

A high performance team should be equipped and empowered to manage their day-to-day work without the direct, hands-on involvement of their supervisor. Only then does this approach create maximum capacity for the leader who chartered the team in the beginning. If your physical presence is required for your team to do great work, you have become a hostage of the team.

So, who leads the team if the point leader is not directly involved?

First, in a high performance team, leadership should be viewed as a role to be filled more than a position to be pursued. And based on the work at hand, leadership should be provided by different people. Leadership in a high performance team should always be fluid. As an example, if the topic is marketing oriented, your marketing leader needs to step up; or if it’s a human resources issue, the HR person should lead.

Next, regarding who leads the team meetings, you can certainly have a designated facilitator, team captain, even a general manager. You can call them whatever you like as long as he or she clearly understands the role they are to fill.

The person in this role must:

  • Believe in the power of the team
  • Believe in shared leadership
  • Believe in the power of collaboration
  • Believe in the process of building a team

If your designated captain is a high-control individual, autocratic, dictatorial, domineering, prefers a ‘command and control’ style, or if you’ve ever heard them say “My way or the highway!”, he or she should not be in charge. To do so will guarantee the team will never reach its full potential.

The power of the team resides in the team – not in the mandates and edicts of a single leader. No matter how talented a leader is, a high performance team is more talented. Together, we will always be smarter than any one of us alone. The aspiration of high performance demands this truth be celebrated, not suppressed.

If you want to build a high performance team, be sure you don’t undermine your efforts by allowing anyone to hijack the process.

 

a yellow post with a red and white bar blocking the entrance to an underground car parking area a yellow post with a red and white bar blocking the entrance to an underground car parking area

The Fine Art of Facilitation

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Execution, Personal Effectiveness, Teams. No Comments on The Fine Art of Facilitation

Have you been in a great meeting recently? I know for some of you, that may sound like an impossibility. My fear is that many of us can’t remember the last time we went to a great meeting. One reason we attend so many low-impact meetings is absence of a skilled facilitator.

Although many elements must come together to create a successful meeting – none are more important than a good facilitator. Being a great facilitator is not hard to do if you clearly understand the role.

Have you ever thought about what the word ‘facilitator’ actually means? The origin of the word reveals an individual who removes barriers for others. Let’s explore how that might manifest itself in the context of a meeting.

A facilitator should both anticipate barriers in advance and remove them in real time during the meeting. Following are examples of both.

Before the Meeting…

It would be a barrier if:

  • the right people weren’t invited. A good facilitator will invite them.
  • there were no agenda distributed in advance. You can remove that obstacle by ensuring one goes out before the meeting.
  • the wrong items were on the agenda. A skilled facilitator does the necessary pre-work to determine the highest priority items and places them on the agenda.
  • you didn’t have a place to meet. Secure a venue and publish the location.
  • you didn’t have the needed technology to conduct the meeting – even if the “technology” is nothing more than a flip chart. Determine in advance what’s needed.
  • there were no meeting norms. The best facilitators help groups establish these.

By taking the above actions, and others like them, you are preemptively removing barriers and improving your odds of having a productive meeting.

During the meeting…

It would be a barrier if:

  • members of the group were not participating. You can ask individuals for their thoughts during the meeting.
  • the conversation turned ugly. You can stop the dialogue and ask people to repeat their understanding of the other person’s point-of-view.
  • the group were ignoring your meeting norms. A facilitator will reference and enforce these norms.
  • someone were dominating the conversation. You can ask him or her to hold their next thought and allow others to comment.
  • there were no process for solving problems. The facilitator should be skilled in several approaches and models.
  • no one were capturing action items. Be sure someone is.
  • no one were keeping track of the time. The facilitator may choose to do this or assign someone else to watch the clock.
  • the conversation were allowed to wander off the agenda. You can redirect by capturing “Other Issues” for future meetings or outside conversations.

Although this is a partial list, I think you get the idea. A great facilitator helps make meetings productive! Without this crucial role, most meetings flounder.

The next time you find yourself in a great meeting, be sure to thank the facilitator.

What barriers have you experienced as a facilitator? How did you overcome them? I’d love to hear from you on this. You can leave your comments below.

 

coworkers sitting around a table working on their laptops, laughing together coworkers sitting around a table working on their laptops, laughing together

Help People Win

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Development, Teams. No Comments on Help People Win

I’ve been thinking and writing about teams a lot over my leadership journey. I’ve observed some great teams and many others who were struggling. The potential causes for underperformance are numerous. Some teams struggle because the leader is not operating in a team paradigm.

When a leader is attempting to build a team, but he or she is operating on a “family” paradigm, performance will often suffer. Here’s an example…

If you are a manager of a baseball team and your second baseman can’t catch ground balls, you replace him. However if, rather than a team paradigm, you’ve chosen to embrace a family paradigm, you probably let the underperforming second baseman stay – not only does he stay on the team, he will likely stay on the field. You feel helpless to replace him, because he’s part of the family.

“Leaders need to think about team, not family.”

I experienced this when a leader confided in me that a member of his team was underperforming and resisting coaching. I asked if the employee clearly understood the potential consequences if performance didn’t improve. I was told no. When I asked a few more questions, the leader revealed his belief that he couldn’t communicate potential consequences because the person was part of the “family.” He was not referring to blood family. In this brief exchange, I learned a lot about this leader’s orientation… He was NOT thinking team, he was thinking family. As a result, his team was underperforming.

Here’s a comparison of two ways to think about an organization…

           Team                                        Family

Performance is primary                                     Performance is generally a non-issue
Expectations are clear                                        Expectations are often unspoken
Feedback is given freely                                     Feedback is often withheld
Measurement is vital                                          Measurement is absent
Specialization is encouraged                             Generalists are the norm
People are selected for the role                         Roles are often created for people
Conflict is productive                                          Conflict is avoided
Competition is normal                                        Competition is discouraged
Participation is conditional                               Membership is unconditional
Goals are common                                               Goals are uncommon

Certainly, none of these comparisons are intended to be absolute, and in many cases, a continuum exists between these extremes. However, they do represent the stark differences in the two approaches.

Some of you are thinking: This seems harsh – shouldn’t a team exhibit love, trust, and camaraderie? Great question! I think all these positive attributes do exist in the best teams. Actually, they are prerequisites to high performance. I call this community. It is the turbocharger on team performance. But it is not family.

Community is the belief that if we do life together, we’ll experience enhanced levels of trust and performance. Genuine community summons the best from each member of the team. However, unlike in a family, to be a member of the community is conditional.

My recommendation is to treat your family like family and your team like a team. You’ll win a lot more games if your second baseman can catch ground balls.

 

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?

 

an image of eight people from behind sitting on a barrier near a body of water with their arms around each other an image of eight people from behind sitting on a barrier near a body of water with their arms around each other

The Invisible Force Behind Amazing Teams

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Character, Performance, Teams. No Comments on The Invisible Force Behind Amazing Teams

For years, I attempted to learn what separated great teams from the not-so-good ones. All good teams have talented people, their goals are clear, and they are well led. But some teams transcend all the others. They are not simply good – they are great. So, what’s the difference? Here’s what I discovered:

The invisible force behind all high performance teams is their sense of community.

Here’s a working definition: Community is a place where people know each other deeply, serve each other willingly, celebrate each other enthusiastically, and mourn the setbacks in life together. It’s a place characterized by genuine care and concern for each member of the team.

I’m thankful I’ve been part of a community like this on several occasions during my life. We’ve laughed together, cried together, buried children and parents and even members of our community. We’ve willingly sacrificed for members of the group. We’ve given our time, encouragement, accountability, and corrections to each other. We’ve done life together. It’s really beyond my ability to put into words the power, the joy, and the potential that resides in genuine community.

As you read this, I hope you know exactly what I’m trying to describe. I hope you’ve experienced it for yourself. If you have, you realize there’s no substitute for it! If you haven’t yet been part of a community like this I hope you’re asking one question:

How do you create community?

There’s no formula, but there are some things you can do to fuel the process. Here are a few of them:

  • Be intentional – community rarely forms spontaneously
  • Go slow – don’t force it
  • Celebrate the little things as well as the big wins
  • Express gratitude and appreciation freely
  • Find ways to serve others on the team
  • Put the needs of the team ahead of your own
  • Be vulnerable
  • Think about activities you can do together with your team
  • Make building community an ongoing priority – not an afterthought
  • Never stop looking for ways to do life together
  • Be patient – creating genuine community requires time

Just because community is an invisible force does not mean that it is unattainable. Intentional effort and time on task will go a long way toward creating your own power source for your team.

What can you do this week to begin creating the power of community within your team or organization?

A businessman's hand holding a magicians hat with chalk drawn rabbit ears sticking outside of it. A businessman's hand holding a magicians hat with chalk drawn rabbit ears sticking outside of it.

How to Pull a Rabbit Out of Your Hat

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Engagement, Teams. No Comments on How to Pull a Rabbit Out of Your Hat

I once watched a magician named Derek Hughes perform… he was amazing! To the casual observer, he was empowered with supernatural abilities. The truth: although well practiced and eminently skilled, what the audience experienced were some tricks of his trade. I’m thankful magicians aren’t the only ones who have a few tricks up their sleeve.

What is a trick? Here’s a working definition: something difficult to explain without understanding the process or method used for producing the outcome. A trick, well-executed, often leaves people mystified.

Leaders have been known to pull their share of rabbits out of a hat. Like magicians, some leaders are slow to share their secrets, but I thought I would share one with you today.

Establishing a common language within a team, organization, or culture unleashes huge untapped potential.

Armed with this truth, many leaders work diligently to forge a common language. It requires time, discipline, and attention to detail. Leaders repeat stories, metaphors, descriptions, and labels as often as possible – it is strategic repetition. Truett Cathy was famous for this approach. I had the privilege of listening to him tell the same stories again and again, over the 4+ decades I worked for Chick-fil-A.

You may find leaders practicing this trick by sponsoring training sessions or teaching classes themselves, as GE’s leaders have been famous for over the decades. Many organizations work diligently to embed core values deep in the culture. The language is always precise and repeatable.

Why does this trick work so well? A common language…

Minimizes Confusion – You may not have heard the story of why, in 1999, a Mars orbiter crashed into the red planet. Two sets of engineers, on opposite sides of the earth, did not share a common language – one was using the Metric system and the other was using English standards. As it turns out, a game of inches is very different from a game of centimeters.

Strengthens Culture – What we say and do repeatedly IS the culture. Culture is not what we want it to be; it is what it is. To change a culture, you must change language and habits. Language is a cornerstone of a culture. A change in language can signal a change of culture. Guests are treated differently than customers.

Fosters Unity – When we realize we speak the same language, it is a powerful, unspoken sign of unity. When you say something that others instantly understand – not just the denotation but the connotation – they know what YOU mean when you use a term or a phrase, and you know you are part of the same tribe.

Increases Speed – How much time, energy, and effort is lost when we don’t speak the same language? It would be hard to measure. If you don’t believe me, take note of all the questions you generate and receive in an attempt to clarify meaning over the next week. You will probably be shocked.

Facilitates Alignment – Language is the currency of alignment. Are your people talking about the same things? Do they all agree on the key priorities, strategies, and tactics? Alignment multiplies impact. Without a common language, the chances are good you are leaving results on the table.

Creates Synergy – Synergy is increased when people speak the same language. I don’t fully understand it. There is confidence, comfort, and enhanced creativity when we speak the same language. This produces trust and often leads to exponential returns – it’s almost magical!

Leaders who create a common language can often make the difficult look effortless. Only those on the inside will know the years of effort required to pull the rabbit out of your hat.