As Denning (2011) described what sets apart a high performance teams is the degree of commitment members are to one another (p.141). High performance teams have the characteristics of effective communities, a web of affect relationships; a commitment to shared values, norms and meanings; a shared history and identity; and a relatively high level or responsiveness to members and the world (Denning, 2011, p. 141). Basics are required first to make a team, such as a goal and members. Shape expectations of those who use their inputs, rapidly adjust to shifting needs, grow stronger, growing individually, have interpersonal commitments, and as carry out work with shared passion (Denning, 2011, p. 304).
I apply these characteristics through a group of about 6 people starting back in February, whose goal is to design a manual for a specific team. The objective os high performance teams and effective comment need to be clear, compelling and flexible (Denning, 2011, p. 149). This working group is mainly comprised of member from that team and a few outside members. To actively shape inputs, we keep a draft uploaded for members to write their ideas after discussion. Usually in a meeting, I restate their thought, and ask a question and then get the team to agree with it or not, then move to the next section. Everyone is flexible and often shift when management questions the significance of the progress so far, and that is usually something the working group sees as out of scope. The shared passion is to gain more support and clearly identify the specific task the team is require and not required to do. This would help with some financial pressures, distribute workload effectively, drive the team toward a common business rhythm and creation of common process training references.
We each grow individually by sharing knowledge between the smaller group factions, and have interpersonal commitment within those groups, with a goal. For example, one small group goal is to avoid having other teams track items we are responsible for delivering, as a supply operations team. To get to this goal, one thing to do is to spread the work out enough to show a constant pattern of support to discourage other groups from being involved.
Shared values is important because it connects the group in the temporary time that we have to create something meaningful. Having an idea is powerful, and the will to educate others because work should be done accordingly for the customer. All of us in the group are forward thinkers, having an idea, writing it down and explaining it. Likewise, we have been in situation where it could have been different knowing what be may know now that some in the group has shared their thoughts.
Eales-White (2012 discussed building a high performance team rapidly using these four key steps; create the right environment, promote group discovery, harness the power of the process and carry out a review (p.424). A statement used by most lean manufacturing lectures, is “is not the people, it’s the process”, and one thing the working group must work is harnessing the power the process for it to stick well beyond our careers.
High performance teams, require a team of folks and the four patterns to working together; working group, teams, community and network. I recall being a part of a working group for a specific project that lasted for about 2 years, 1 year on my own and the other with a group. This group was responsible for monitoring delivered from the supplier to the main manufacturing assembly and then including me. Having a working group created visibly to the challenges, I had with the supplier and reacting to shifting concerns of the customer. The technology was not up to par and still is in work to find a way to capture shifting needs. Meetings were rarely called it was just including those to help prevent roadblocks to talk with the supplier and map out the progress of supplier deliveries. This project had an incentive to it and successfully completed accordingly to the customer’s needs.
I recall being a part of a network with the help of Groupon. I would get up early in the morning to kick boxing lessons, and after a successful first session, I was cornered into getting a membership. I loved the refreshing smell of the summer mornings, and then being energized for work, after 2 more workouts but then nothing. I lost interest in the lessons and started to feel little stressed losing sleep. I call this a network because there were many locations to choose from, all though this was a new facility, I didn’t have to do the same exercise. I didn’t form a connection with anyone, unlike my current exercise routine of attending a family recreation center every Wednesday now.
I paid my way out of this network, but I believe I could've internalized the value of my membership to explore my options before dissolving the network. I feel tough at the time to continue but let everything else discourage me from continuing, such as finances. The results would have been different if I just would have found the value in the other options, and felt trapped. Similar to a positive experience with working groups, if I had a presentation to convey a story of my challenges, I may have shown that I could meet the customers needs without much intervene. Because of the working group, a new team was created that is currently monitoring all activities with some pros but also cons because material must go through more hands causing delays. I find it hard now to get anyone to see how amazingly great I am at completing a project and therefore, gaining a promotion. I’ve seen others be successful off so something I was also apart of and only got recognition at the time of meeting the success, and I’m still trying to figure out how to become a legacy.
Denning, S. (2011). The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Eales-White, R. (2012). Building high-performing teams rapidly. Industrial and Commercial Training, 44(7), 424-428. doi:10.1108/00197851211268018
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