A team is not a group of people who work together but a team is a group of people who trust each other.” — Simon Sinek
As early as 2016, studies have shown that a significant majority of companies are restructuring their organization around smaller, leaner, and faster teams. Instead of being labeled and put into a multi-function hierarchy of teams, people are assigned to projects and rallied by a team leader.
Let’s explore why shifting to a team lens is key for leaders today.
Teams are agile. When teams are given specific, clear-cut goals and are empowered to make the decisions, they can move quickly and adapt in real time. Having project parameters approved at the start of the project removes the old-school layers of approval that weigh down most traditional hierarchical organizations.
Teams are focused. This new flexibility allows teams to be organized based on the skills and experience needed for a project. Organizations can access a wider talent pool by bringing specialists from other departments or accessing experts from outside.
Teams are the engine for innovation. By assembling a group with diverse skills, thinking styles, and backgrounds, you create an environment poised for problem-solving and innovation. In a study published in Harvard Business Review, it was reported that teams with a lot of cognitive diversity generated accelerated learning and performance compared with less cognitively diverse teams in complex and uncertain conditions.
Changing the structure of teams is just the first step. Team leaders and members must also learn and practice new skills to be successful.
Managing conflict becomes essential. Team leaders must look after the dynamics of the team and be proficient in handling and solving conflict. Teams are more agile and innovative as long as everyone stays aligned. Rivialies, conflicts, and gossip can slow down an organization. But these conditions can completely derail and incapacitate a smaller team with stricter deadlines. Leaders who ignore disagreements do so at their own risk. Leaders must anticipate conflicts and deal with them before they damage the team. Building a process designed to manage conflicts when they arise will make the group feel like a team. Regularly discussing how the team functions goes a long way to helping all members feel valued and that they have a voice.
Listen to more than the words. When researching its most effective teams, Google found that the best-performing teams displayed high levels of social sensitivity. Social sensitivity is understanding how others feel based on nonverbal cues like voice intonation or facial expressions. The best teams can identify and understand what’s not being said. In many cases, what’s not being said is connected to tension and confusion. Even teams with fewer star performers achieved better results when the team members practiced social sensitivity. Psychological safety is built upon social sensitivity. Creating an environment where everyone feels safe to ask for help, speak the truth, or share unpopular opinions strengthens relationships and builds resilience.
Managing virtual teams is becoming the norm. Team members collaborating across states, countries, and time zones continues to grow. Building remote teams is a convenient and cost-effective way to involve the best people in your project. However, issues that every team deals with, like, collaboration, communication, accountability, and conflict management, become much more challenging to manage when you add in remote team factors like cultural differences, distance, and language barriers. For a remote team to thrive, leaders must provide a clear vision, relevant data, effective tools, productivity tools, and regular performance feedback.
When you help leaders shift their mindset from I to We, it moves teams to achieve high performance. Increasing self-awareness and focusing on a shared team objective harnesses the power of the team and maximizes potential. Communication, conflict management, and a commitment to psychological safety are vital skills to develop and practice.
