In the first part of our high performance teams series we had a look at the four foundations to success. We covered the importance of teams having (1) a common vision and clear actions, (2) clear accountability and performance reporting systems, (3) leveraging diversity and leading by example and (4) awareness and support for individual work/life goals. In this second part of the series we take a closer look at how teams can leverage diversity by exploring a model of team work preferences and how it can be used to understand and create effective team dynamics and allow teams to leverage their diversity and not let it become a barrier to achievement or a conduit to conflict.
High performance teams understand that each individual within the team brings with them unique skill sets, interests and traits that can be vital in assisting the team achieve its goals and maintain high levels of engagement and support for each other. In teams that don’t recognize these different skills, interests and traits they can become obstacles where individuals personalize other’s behavior towards them as obstructionist or incompetence and this ultimately leads to personal conflict, disengagement and low performance.
Achievement, Engagement and Balance
When we examine the characteristics of a high performing team we find two key drivers, (1) Achievement and (2) Engagement. In relation to achievement, these teams are clear on their strategy, meet and or exceed their KPIs and goals and have higher levels of innovation. In relation to engagement, these teams have a high level of morale and team-work and know how to support, encourage and motivate each other in order to achieve their goals.
High performing teams not only understand how to achieve both a high level of achievement and engagement but they also understand and strive for a balance of focus across both factors. If a team is too focused on achievement, team members report lower job satisfaction and morale due to the absence of interpersonal relationships and support from their team members. In these circumstances, team members report a feeling of isolation despite being part of the team as each team member is so focused on outcomes that they lose the ability to relate and bond with other team members. Conversely, if a team is too focused on engagement, team members will report high morale and there will be an elevated level of social networking and activities. However, outcomes and results will be lower which in turn increases management focus on the team performance and the party eventually comes to an end. In these circumstances, morale quickly dives and team conflict and dysfunction emerge as pressure to deliver results is increased.
Within the 2 domains of achievement and engagement there are 3 key work style preferences that individuals align with. In order for teams to become high performing they need to understand where each members work preferences are so as to work effectively at maximizing team strengths and counter balancing any potential blind spots.
Team Achievement Roles
There are three work related preferences for individuals in the area of achievement including (1) Visionary Strategist, (2) Driver/Achiever and (3) Regulator/Enforcer.
Visionary Strategist
The Visionary Strategist’s are team members that are driven by their understanding of their role in both the team goals and the bigger picture of the organization’s strategy or mission. They often demonstrate high levels of creativity and innovation as they seek to understand things at a conceptual level. These team members like to think about where things are heading or where the team needs to position itself into the future. Where this role potentially clashes with other roles is that it is not as detail focused as the Regulator/Enforcer and they can sometimes become inpatient with the Driver/Achiever who may take too long to execute on strategy in the eye of the visionary/strategist.
Driver/Achiever
The Driver/Achiever’s are team members that are highly competent at delivering outcomes due to their high level of focus on team specific results rather than a focus on vision or strategy or interpersonal relationships. Team members with this preference often display a high level of pride in their achievements and thrive on self-improvement, stretch targets and friendly competition. Like other roles, the Driver/Achiever can potentially clash with other team members who hold other preferences. They can become frustrated with too much vision and strategy and prefer to get started and deliver the outcomes. However, conversely they may see the Regulator/Enforcer as too bureaucratic if their preference for rules and processes creates delays for the Driver/Achiever.
Regulator/Enforcer
The Regulator/Enforcer’s are team members that prefer highly structured and clearly defined roles, processes and procedures that are uniform across the team and organization. They are detail focused and perform best when they are treated equitably and when there are clearly defined goals, targets and accountability systems. Clashes with this role sometimes occur with the Visionary/Strategist who prefer less structured environments, a big picture focus, and are less detail oriented than the Regulator/Enforcer. Likewise clashes can occur with the Driver/Achiever role if processes or procedures are not followed.
Team Engagement Roles
There are three work related preferences for individuals in the area of engagement including (1) Helper/Supporter, (2) Encourager/Motivator and (3) Connector/Communicator.
Helper/Supporter
The Helper/Supporter’s are team members who like to form deep interpersonal relationships with other team members and understand how to support and encourage others to achieve both their work and career goals. They understand what is really important to their colleagues and are happiest when there is opportunity to connect on a personal level. This role however can conflict with the Encourager/Motivator who may be seen by the Helper/Supporter to be too ‘surface level’ in their relationships. Clashes can also occur with the Connector/Communicator role who prefers to prioritize group needs above the individual.
Encourager/Motivator
The Encourager/Motivator’s are team members who demonstrate their support of their fellow staff by being encouraging and enthusiastic. They use nicknames, humor and jokes as a way of connecting with other team members. They are more boundary focused with their work and personal lives than other roles and their communication to team members is highly positive in a task focused way. This role may clash with the Helper/Support role, which can be viewed as intrusive because of the work and personal boundaries of the Encourager/Motivator. While the Encourager/Motivators enjoy the team activities of the Connector/Communicator they prefer to keep participation in these to within work time.
Connector/Communicator
The Connector/Communicator’s are team members who are group focused and work best when there are collective goals, with logical and achievable objectives, that they can clearly communicate to the team. They enjoy work that requires regular team interaction to achieve the desired goal. They support their colleagues’ personal and work interests and enjoy group engagements and team activities both inside and outside of work. While this role is similar in its support efforts to the Encourager/Motivator, they may clash and risk being seen as intruding on the Encourager/Motivators time by organizing activities and engagements outside of work. They also can experience frustration with the Helper/Supporter’s regular need to connect through individual conversations or more intimate smaller groups than larger group based activities.
Bring It All Together To Create High Performance
High Performing Teams understand where each of their member’s preferences are under both the Achievement and Engagement domains. By taking the time to profile themselves and discuss how they can make best use of individual strengths and manage potential role clashes they are able to leverage the diversity within their team.
Click here for more information on our High Performance Teams (HPT) Program.
Tips for Leveraging Diversity in your team:
1. Create a team profile of each person's’ work role preferences.
Note: You can download the Sero360 app from iTunes AppStore or the Google PlayStore to take your high performance teams pulse and access other free resources.
2. Check if there are any roles within your team that you have a majority preference for. Are there roles that a lot of your team prefer?
3. Check if there are any gaps or roles that are not preferred by any or only a few team members.
4. Generate strategies to cover any gaps in your team profile to ensure an adequate balance of achievement and engagement roles.
Stay Ahead Of The Curve!
Ben De Young
The Performance Curve