I’m deeply committed to the ‘science’ of how groups work; how a diverse collection of people can collaborate, cooperate and manifest outcomes that are truly superior and more far-reaching because they are mastering this ‘science’. And let’s face it to help change our world for the better we need some truly powerful cooperation amongst groups.
There are some great books written on this topic and for most the ‘go-to’ text will be ‘The 5 Dysfunctions of Teams’ written by Patrick Lencioni which I also personally value in my work with Executive Teams. Factors such as trust, ability to challenge each other, give and receive feedback, and be committed to common goals are all in there.
In my experience though, there are some fundamentals that really do shift a group’s ability to harness the potential that sits within the diversity and richness of the group – diversity of functions, of personalities, of leadership styles, of ways of thinking and so many more elements that could be on this list.
So here are my top three:
Willingness to truly enter into group work – this may sound a bit obvious but the key here is ‘willingness’. There are far too many situations where leaders are members of a ‘team’, especially peer groups, but really far more focused on their own portfolio, needs, challenges, and, in some cases, desire for autonomy and independence. Examining our own willingness to let go of some of our hard-fought independence, control and thinking in service of the group purpose is far harder and more subtle than we might imagine.
We are consciously or unconsciously confronted with the quality of our own maturity, self-confidence and ability to let go without feeling that diminishes us. In a competitive culture and world that can be a tough transition. It demands a simultaneous tension between independence and self confidence with a willingness to truly align with and, if necessary, submit oneself to the ‘higher’, collective focus or purpose of the work of the group.
Wholehearted commitment to the agreed purpose of the joint work – often groups or Executive teams will work on a common purpose and so often it stays at a more entry level of commitment and definition. To really commit to the purpose of a piece of work requires a willingness to allow that purpose to become part of who you are. To recognise that it is more than a set of words on a page or a screen. The purpose is a living entity requiring constant attention – attention meaning our love, our relationship with it.
For example – a purpose that states ‘building a culture in which all colleagues can thrive’ is a straightforward enough purpose on the surface. But if we are to truly commit to it we need to enter into its layers and examine where it is demanding compromise, self-sacrifice and change. We need to know and live the purpose as if it were a dear friend to whom we were profoundly committed.
Open-mindedness – one of the greatest challenges in any relationship is the degree to which we form ‘containers’ in which we can place people to enable us to know how to respond – person ‘a’ always behaves, responds like this. These shortcuts can be useful – they are also limiting. When new ideas are placed on the table, when someone wants to offer a contribution, when an exchange hits some difficulties, we are called upon to keep striving even more for an open-minded approach and way of being.
This is about our willingness and ability to stay receptive, curious, willing to receive what another has to offer and see beyond our need to have our perspective heard, to be right, to get agreement quickly, or whatever motivation might be driving us. It isn’t easy by any stretch. Yet if we can enter into group work with curiosity and open-mindedness we will have a far richer and ultimately more effective collective experience.
What would be on your list?