Successful Teams…are there any out there?

What do successful teams look like? Are they enigmas? Do any really exist? Are they more trouble than they are worth? Many of us have asked these questions and have also experienced the frustration of working with a group of people when nothing seems to get done except maybe a lot of fighting. Working together as a team is not as simple as it sounds…easier said than done as they say! There are many reasons teams fail even with the best intentions.

First, sometimes the goals are not clear to all members. What exactly is it we are supposed to accomplish? Sometimes the purpose is very clear to management or the facilitator but not to the rest of the group. The purpose needs to be clearly and directly communicated to the group. This may need to be reinforced several times and the group's perception of the 'why' needs to be discussed.

Second, is the membership compatible? We put teams together for several reasons and even if the talent mix is there, the personalities may not mesh together. Conscious thought needs to be put into the creation of a team. What adjustments need to be made when possible to make the team more compatible? The membership should not be 'cast in stone'. Problems may not surface until after the team has worked together for awhile. A decision may often need to be made to change the players.

Third, the team needs to be capable of good decisions. Do they have the skills required to accomplish that? It isn't as easy as it seems. Hopefully, the membership has some seasoned team members that are capable of 'mentoring' the group to make sound decisions. Often, training and education to develop a system that minimizes poor decision-making will help. There are plenty of decision-making processes available to assist the team with that. Identifying the level of authority a team has that can increase as the skill level increases may be all that is needed.

Fourth, will the learning curve tolerate mistakes? New teams need to be able to make mistakes and receive the support and guidance necessary to learn and grow from those mistakes. Fifth, are there sufficient rewards for working together vs. working alone? If star performance is what is rewarded and not the team behavior, there will be little incentive to work as a team.

These are merely five possible reasons as to why teams struggle and are often given up as unsuccessful. Poor team function is very distressing for management as well as the team. It is time-consuming and an expensive use of resources if not used well. In healthcare, as in any industry, time is critical and we cannot afford to waste it. We are all being forced to work harder with less resources. Let's use the resources we have well and to our advantage. Team work works and teams usually make the best decisions. Time and energy needs to be invested in the process of team building. The definition, assessment, planning and implementation of teams to accomplish the task needs to be as important as the task itself to be accomplished. Some might say…the team in and of itself is more important than the task.

Meetings…meetings…meetings! Part One

There are times when many of us feel as though all we ever do is plan and attend meetings and we never have enough time to do the 'real' work. We then wonder when the 'real ' works get done! Sometimes the meetings we attend seem unproductive and a waste of time. And there are some who will use it to catch up on sleep, plan their next day of meetings, do their grocery or errand list……. The message here is that we often dread these things and it is true that it is not the most productive use of time. In this world, time is a very precious commodity…we cannot afford to waste it.

This is a three part series on meetings. This first part is about agendas and the role they play in successful meetings. Part II will focus on the process and forum of the meeting. Part II will discuss roles of the participants including leadership, gate-keeping, etc. Agendas are tackled first because they need to be done prior to the meeting and will help to set the tone for the efficiency of the meeting.

1. All meetings should have an agenda. There should be no surprises! The agenda should be done in advance enough so people can be prepared and plan accordingly,

2. All agendas should be detailed enough to tell the participants exactly what to expect and who it will be discussed by and the time frame allotted.

3. Participants should have input on the topics to be discussed. This will give the feeling it is 'our' meeting rather than 'your' meeting.

4. The agenda should be realistic in terms of amount of information to be discussed and decisions to be made. Too much on the agenda is over-whelming and each meeting starts with left over items plus the 'old business' that needs follow-up. Too little on the agenda tends to make people it was a waste of time if they scheduled around it.

5. The agenda items should be ordered in such a way as to maximize member time. Are there certain items that need to be discussed by everyone and others which do not? This communicates value for others' time.

6. Make sure your agenda has only what is necessary to be discussed. Consider other means of communication for information dissemination.

In summary, people appreciate consideration for their time. You are using their time as you would your own. A well thought out agenda using the tips described above will help set the climate for a successful and productive meeting. In the next article, we will tackle the process and format for a meeting.

Meetings…meetings…meetings! Part 2

In the last article I talked about the need for an agenda. This article will focus on the process and format of meetings. Part III, in the next article, will cover the aspects of leadership and member roles. The process or 'how' the meeting will run will prove to be just as important as having a well put together agenda. We all know the feeling of sitting at a lengthy meeting where the same people talk and the same ones sit silently with apparently nothing to add. The key points I want to cover in this article include 1. Discussion process, 2. Decision making/problem-solving and 3. Conflict management.

Discussion process/format

First, there should be an agreed upon set of rules as to the format of the meeting. Is this a casual, informal, formal or procedural type of meeting? The type of meeting will help determine the appropriate process or format to use. A reminder here is needed. Whenever new members are added to a group, it is important to 'enculturate' them into the 'rules' of the meeting. It is embarrassing to make a mistake or to risk 'looking bad' when one is a new member.

It is up to the facilitator to make sure that the format has been agreed upon and takes primary responsibility for compliance. For example, if it has been determined that all issues will be voted on by all members present then a system must be used to make that happen. If decisions are made by consensus or discussion then it is often acceptable that any one who disagrees will speak up.

Certain guidelines for format need to be considered. This is not a complete list, merely one to give you a few suggestions.

1. Time meeting begins and ends

2. Adherence to timeframes

3. Expectations for membership coming prepared for discussion or decision making--- accountability to the task and the group.

4. Discussion format-casual or formal with everyone giving their opinion

5. Voting and/or decision making

6. How do decisions get made when certain members are not present

7. Minute taking--- how they are taken, disseminated and used.

8. Establishing deadlines for completion of tasks and evaluating the need to follow-up at certain intervals.

9. Evaluating the group in terms of meeting goals, accomplishing tasks and general satisfaction of the membership.

Decision-making and Problem-solving

Decision-making and problem-solving should be a deliberate process for the group. If it is not, the group risks not making decisions at all or making inappropriate ones. There are many decision-making processes available. The one described here is a combination and reasonably simple.

Step One: Define the problem or the task at hand. Although this sounds very easy, it is often the downfall of the solution. Did we define the task or problem correctly? Are we solving the right problem?

Step Two: Assess the causes or the reasons for what may or may not be the problem. Try to be thorough here and examine as many as possible.

Step Three: Consider the possible solutions and then evaluate the solutions for feasibility/viability, etc.

Step Four: Implement a chosen strategy/solution(s)

Step Five: Evaluate the effectiveness of the solution and return to Step One if needed. This can be your most important step and one that is often over-looked. This will help determine if you defined the problem correctly in the first place. Also, it may be that some alterations are necessary, not necessarily starting over.

Define, Assess, Implement and Evaluate…the key critical components to problem-solving.

Conflict Management

I have given suggestions before on types of conflict management. This time, let's examine the types of conflict that may present themselves. There are three basic types and you can find out by asking yourself these three simple questions.

1. Do we really disagree about this and if so, what/where/how do we disagree? This referred to as 'simple conflict'.

2. Are our egos getting in the way of resolving this? We really don't disagree, we just cannot stand to be wrong--- 'ego conflict'.

3. Do we only appear to disagree because we aren't communicating very well? This is referred to as 'pseudo-conflict'.

Once you have identified the basis for the conflict, the means in which to manage it becomes more obvious. There is little reason to 'flog a dead horse' shall we say if we are operating from the wrong perspective.

Next article, leadership and membership roles will be addressed. What is every person of the group responsible for as a member?

Meetings…meetings…meetings! Part 3

Leadership and Membership Roles.

This article is about the roles people play in groups. Roles can be looked at in several ways. This article will cover three ways members display different roles or behaviors in groups. First, there are intentional and unintentional roles played in groups. Second, there are formal and informal roles in groups. Third, there are also positive and negative roles.

Intentional vs. Unintentional
There are times when we are in groups and we may not even be aware of our behavior. We can start with a couple of well-known assumptions about communication and behavior.

1. Communication is often unintentional. If my behavior may be unintentional then let's assume others' behavior might be as well. Aren't there times when people point out things to us that we may have done or said and we are often very surprised to hear it? It may even be something positive such as, "You really helped us stay on track in that meeting, kept us focused". Your perception may not be that at all. You just thought you asked a lot of questions.

2. A large part of communication exists at the non-verbal level. Again, we may not even be aware of what we are non-verbally communicating to others. For instance I may not realize that my facial expression is telling others in my group that I'm bored or disinterested in the meeting. The real expression may be of confusion or fatigue.

This also happens with membership roles in groups. Sometimes there are those that are perceived as great leaders but feel as though they do not do anything special in that role. They may not even be the designated leader of the group. Some people can be very disruptive and do not realize they are until others point it out to them.

The more we increase our awareness of our behavior the more control we have over our behavior. We do this most easily by seeking feedback from others. By asking others to tell us how they see us, give us their perceptions of our behavior, the more we can look or examine that behavior and make choices about whether to change it or not. These behaviors can often be positive and negative. We cannot repeat that which we do not know.

Formal vs. Informal
There are also formal or designated roles in groups. These are typically the leader and the recorder. These are only two but likely the most common. Someone is assigned or appointed to be the designated leader. It is often this person's responsibility to keep the group on track, resolve differences, etc. The recorder is the one who takes the minutes and keeps written track of the proceedings. There are often informal roles within the group. These are the roles played by others not assigned but emerge as the group develops. Some of these roles include:

1. Leaders. Yes, we said that this is often an assigned role but often others pick up and help the formal leader to do their job. Ideally, this is a quality all group members have. It is every member's responsibility to keep the group on track, assist with resolving conflict, helping others to participate or speak up.

2. Gatekeepers. These are the folks who help with keeping things on track, making sure people are participating; the ideas are getting out on the table.

3. Harmonizers. These members keep things from getting out of hand. They do not particularly like dissention and unresolved conflict. They try to 'fix' or mend hurt feelings. Keeping the peace is a priority for the harmonizers.

4. Jokers. These are the ones who keep it light, break up the monotony, and keep the group from getting too serious. They will interject some humor, get the group off track now and then. They will often use their humor to tame conflict as needed.

5. Timekeepers. These are the ones who will make sure that the meeting starts and ends on time. They often are the ones looking at their watches, pushing the issues along and trying to get closure. They often see meetings as a waste of time so want to waste as little of their time as possible. On a positive note, they are also the ones who help keep the group on track knowing the value of time.

These are just five informal roles members can play. All of these roles have a place in meetings and are present whether we want them to be or not. Some will present problems from time to time if not in balance. Also, some people will display several of these roles at different times during the meeting.

Positive vs. Negative Roles
Positive Roles
1. Engagers. These members work hard at getting others to participate. They want to make sure everyone gets heard and the ideas are heard.

2. Decision makers. These people will help make sure the decisions get made. They see the need and help make that happen.

3. Problem solvers. These members assist with conflict resolution. They don't run away from it but do not make it worse either. They try to look at what is good for the group.

4. Initiators. These members do not wait for someone else to start. They help get the ball rolling. It doesn't matter to them to be right on target, everybody has to start somewhere.

5. Responsibility takers. These are your best friends at a meeting. These are the people you don't have to pull teeth with to get to do something. These are the ones who volunteer to help, will do for the group for the good of the group.

6. The Trusted. These are the members you can trust. They will work hard for the group for the good of the group and rarely have an agenda other than what is on the table. If they disagree, they say they do and usually also tell you why.

Negative Roles
1. Complainers. Nothing is ever right for these folks. "Yeah…but" is their motto. They can see the down side to every situation and why it won't work. Often these folks are caught in the past.

2. Interrupters. No one ever finishes a sentence around these folks. They have something to say about everything before the sentence is completely out. The problem often is that they are afraid they will forget their thought if they don't get it out.

3. Aggressors. These are the ones who take over and often squash the quiet ones. They intimidate others into silence sometimes and may get their way if allowed too often.

4. Passive Ones. These are the ones most often laying in fear from the Aggressors. They are afraid to say anything for fear of being wrong, looking stupid, etc. Unfortunately, they may have good ideas that never get heard.

5. Passive-Aggressors. A leader's worst nightmare because you never quite know what they are up to. They will have their own agendas in the group and search and destroy behind your back.

These are just some of the roles played by members in groups. This is not an exhaustive list by any means. This is just some food for thought for your next meeting. What roles do you play? What roles do you see others playing? It is not always easy to know what to do about the 'bad' roles. The best is to confront head on and try to preserve the integrity of the group and the person. Not an easy task to be sure. Sometimes it is wise to pull someone over that you feel might be disruptive to the group and ask them about it kindly. Remember that much of communication can be unintentional.

The group can set up rules or guidelines for behavior. These are often present implicitly anyway. It is always best when they are stated so everyone understands the norms. There is nothing worse than finding out the rules only because you broke one. Much of how a group handles its membership behavior relies on the relationships established and shared. A group that trusts each other can often be much more 'honest' with each other than a group that does not. The more similar the make up of the membership, the easier the communication may be with the group.

Awareness and commitment to the process will help a group progress through the difficult times. Groups take time to get to know each other, some longer than others do. Understanding the roles taken by its membership is one step towards appreciating the dynamics of groups.

Conflict...

We often think about conflict as that eight letter dirty word. Many of us want to run when it looks as if a little disagreement is heading in our direction. First, let's talk about a few assumptions about conflict. One, conflict is inevitable. It is bound to happen. The laws of human nature prevail----we cannot and will not agree all of the time.

We are unique creative individuals with different backgrounds, education, roles, families, etc. Our perceptions are our own because of those experiences. We bring to every relationship and interaction different ideas. Two, we need conflict to generate more ideas and creativity. Conflict prevents complacency and boredom. Not all conflict is a fight per se; it comes in a variety of degrees and can be very productive when managed appropriately.

There have been thousands of articles and books written about conflict. There are a variety of ways to deal with conflict. Here are just a few simple suggestions and guidelines that may work for you.

1. Be in the right frame of mind. This means all parties involved--you should not be too tired, too angry, too preoccupied.... If you are not in the right frame of mind, you will not be listening.

2. Establish ground rules if you have to. If past experience tells you that certain behaviors, not conducive to problem solving, tend to surface... pre-agreed upon rules can help. Examples might be, both parties agree to the time and place or no name calling. We often keep to the rules when we have mutually and verbally agreed to them. We also sometimes need a rule for when we break the rules.

3. No hitting below the belt or gunny sacking. It is non-productive and usually makes a bad situation worse if not impossible. Storing up everything from the last six months and then spewing it out on the table for discussion is likely to shut down any conversation.

4. Be very clear about what the goal is----seems obvious I know but is it to solve the problem, change the relationship or to hurt the other person, make them feel guilty? The goal should guide your process.

5. Be descriptive not judgmental

6. Don't blame...it does not accomplish much except to hurt.

7. Take responsibility for how you feel. "I feel like this when..." rather than "You make me..."

8. Do what you say you are going to do. Nothing erodes trust faster than to not keep a promise that was made. Be very careful before you make that promise...can you do it?

9. Remember...we all make mistakes and we are not our mistakes. We need to exercise a little tolerance in others.

In another article, I will talk more about some specific strategies for conflict management. Different situations require different strategies and skills.