{"id":2809,"date":"2017-07-05T09:17:43","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T07:17:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teamdeck.io\/?p=2809"},"modified":"2022-07-12T11:56:19","modified_gmt":"2022-07-12T09:56:19","slug":"putting-team-unexpected-recipe-teams-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teamdeck.io\/it\/leadership\/putting-team-unexpected-recipe-teams-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting THEM in TEAM. An unexpected recipe for your team\u2019s success"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hey Team Leader,\u00a0<\/strong>the dynamics within your team are all high-fivey and perfect. You like working together, you (willingly) hang out after work and you\u2019re committed to building great things. Only, you\u2019re not.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re not, because, even though internally all seems to be fine, you might be lacking a crucial ingredient:\u00a0there\u2019s no THEM in your TEAM, and it can sink your projects.<\/strong>\u00a0Who\u2019s THEM? We\u2019re talking clients, higher management and any external parties that are a part of the project your team is currently working on.<\/p>\n

(If it\u2019s not the case and your team understands the importance of treating the external parties as if they were a part of the core team\u200a\u2014\u200akudos to you, Team Leader. I salute you and encourage you to leave your pieces of advice in the comment section.)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been leading teams for over 8 years\u200a\u2014\u200aas a lead developer, product owner and a CEO. I\u2019ve also been led by many producers and project managers. One thing I’ve noticed? G<\/strong>reat leaders care about both the inside AND the outside of the team.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Avoid the us-vs-them trap<\/h1>\n

The us-vs-them attitude was a normal thing when we were growing up.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all done that<\/strong>, whether it was hiding comic books under the desk in class or giggling when a parent wasn\u2019t in on a joke. The adults were still in power, but a little mischief made us feel deliciously rebellious.<\/p>\n

This kind of behavior often translates to work dynamics. Haven\u2019t you ever seen perfectly grown-up people excited about not having a bug disclosed during a client demo? And I get it, it\u2019s a short-term reward (as in \u201cphew, we avoided the negative feedback\u201d), but in the long term it negatively affects transparency, productivity and team spirit. When frustration settles in, the mischievous excitement wears off. And, hey, the\u00a0projects don\u2019t seem to get done any faster when you don\u2019t vibe well with the clients.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Would you be able to look me in the eye and tell me you\u2019ve never seen the us-vs-them dynamics at work? Whether it\u2019s the client or the management that people defy, it\u2019s a relationship that is going on in many companies. Fret not, there are several things you can do to mend the fences and to foster a \u201ctheam\u201d concept (I know, right?).<\/p>\n

Please, don’t lie to your clients<\/h1>\n

That\u2019s the easy part, at least in theory. The trick is to make your team believe (and enjoy) the fact that the client is a part of the group.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Be about the why, not the what.<\/h2>\n

People make decisions based on the information provided, duh. One of these decisions (conscious or not) is whether to be fully dedicated to the project you are currently working on. When introducing new projects or new features, remember to, first of all, outline the reason for the action. Such process not only increases the engagement but it also encourages critical thinking; you may be able to optimise the project and think of a better solution when everyone in the team is focused on the same goal.\u00a0Foster ownership over responsibility.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Take charge of the process.<\/h2>\n

From my experience, what often leads to conflicts between the team and the client is a process takeover. It goes without saying that a well-thought and optimised process helps to run your project smoothly. The thing is, it only works when everyone knows the process (and the rationale behind it)\u200a\u2014\u200athat includes the client as well. My advice would be to kick off each project with the client and provide a clear overview of:
\n– who is in the team (it\u2019s a great chance for everyone to put the names to the faces and form a more meaningful relationship),
\n– what is the daily\/weekly process\u200a\u2014\u200aa meeting schedule, when (and how) the updates will be presented,<\/p>\n

– tools that will be used for communication, project management or resource management (not all of them will be accessible for the client but I believe that a transparent overview is needed).<\/p>\n

3. Establish a feedback procedure.<\/h2>\n

Feedback is important for project progress and, if you\u2019re following Agile principles, it surely is a part of your process. Some clients and managers like to provide an \u201congoing commentary\u201d that, although good-willed, tends be confusing and even disheartening. That doesn\u2019t mean you should avoid feedback! Instead,\u00a0make sure all interested parties know when their feedback is expected and appreciated.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking of feedback,\u00a0let your team know how they\u2019re doing.<\/strong>\u00a0Studies show that people perform better when they\u2019re expecting rapid feedback. I\u2019ve recently took part in\u00a0the world\u2019s largest hackathon<\/a>\u00a0and, together with my team, we developed\u00a0an experimental app for 360 feedback<\/a>. As it turned out, we made it to\u00a0the top of the contest<\/a>, beating 1.2k other ideas. I take it as a sign that peer evaluation is a much needed process in companies.<\/p>\n

4. Make the managers a part of your team(\u2018s success).<\/h2>\n

The bigger the company, the more difficult it seems to be noticed by the management. The situation gets even worse when all your team hears from the bosses is either complaints that something went wrong or an occasional praise at the end of the project. You, as a team leader, can change this by:<\/p>\n

– regular updates. I\u2019m not talking weekly reports and timesheets\u200a\u2014\u200aas data-packed as they can be, they\u2019re also extremely impersonal and difficult to read at a glance. Being a manager myself, I can tell you that visuals go a long way. Enrich your updates with meaningful charts and send concise memos outlining the latest events,<\/p>\n

– adding some personality to your team\u2019s effort. Mention the team spirit when reporting to your manager. If your team has a nickname, logo or unusual rituals, make sure other people in the company know it. The elements you used to build a great team culture should be visible to other employees, especially the managers. Not only does it help to spread the good practices but it may also strengthen your team\u2019s sense of accomplishment.<\/p>\n

– asking for feedback, not just waiting for it. Scheduled review sessions are important but you shouldn\u2019t be afraid to ask for advice and feedback. Granted, your bosses are busy people but you should be able to count on some guidance.<\/p>\n

5. And, again,\u00a0please, don\u2019t lie to people!\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If something goes wrong, it is on you to pass the news to your team or to your client. It\u2019s tempting to keep the information from other people, especially when the crisis was quickly solved but transparency towards your team and clients will make everyone feel like they\u2019re working towards the same goal.<\/p>\n

This is what you shouldn’t do, though<\/h1>\n

I truly believe that the us-vs-them attitude between your team and the client\/management can hurt you in a big way. At the end of the day, however, you are the team leader, so you have to support your people. Every so often, hostility between your team and the external parties comes from things like irrational criticism, exaggerated requests or overall unprofessional behavior.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0healthy team culture means that people shouldn\u2019t be afraid to challenge the status quo when something is not working<\/strong>\u200a\u2014\u200acultivate that attitude and don\u2019t be afraid to challenge the management or clients when you feel it\u2019s reasonable.<\/p>\n

TEAM + THEM = THEAM (and love, and success, and happiness)<\/h1>\n

Together with my team, we\u2019ve recently released\u00a0our first own product – the software di gestione delle risorse<\/a> – and being in the \u201cclient\u201d role made me realise the importance of this rule even more. Being transparent with each other and focused on the same goal made us fast, effective, and genuinely happy with what we\u2019ve achieved.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hope you will be able to translate the anti us-vs-them strategies intto your team\u2019s relationships with clients and higher management. Find a place for Them in your Team. Technically, you\u2019ll create a \u2018theam\u2019 then but treat that as a upgrade from the standard version.\u00a0Good luck!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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