What Great Teams Know and Do Field Guide and Workbook

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to Use This Guide ........................................................................... 5 The Secret of Teams ................................................................................ 7 What Exactly Are We Trying to Build? ..................................................... 13 Structure Matters ................................................................................... 19 The Journey Ahead ................................................................................ 27 Embrace a Common Purpose .................................................................. 35 Pursue Shared Goals ................................................................................41 Establish a Team Scorecard ......................................................................47 Recruit Talent ........................................................................................ 53
Copyright 2013 by Mark Miller All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at Mark@GreatLeadersServe.org. Printed in the United States of America Printing Information Bookmasters 30 Amberwood Parkway P .O. Box 388 Ashland, OH 44805 Tel: (888) 537-6727 Ext. 1137 www.bookmasters.com

Clarify Roles .......................................................................................... 61 Create a Cross-functional Team Build Individual and Team Skills ................................................. 69 ........................................................ 75

Have Great Meetings ............................................................................. 83 Solve Problems Together ......................................................................... 91 Build Genuine Community ..................................................................... 97 Assess Reality ....................................................................................... 105 Next Steps ............................................................................................ 109 Answer Key .......................................................................................... 112 Additional Resources ............................................................................ 124 Acknowledgements .............................................................................. 125 About the Author ................................................................................ 127

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

Im excited to share the ideas in this guide with you! This guide and workbook have been a long time in the making. At Chick-l-A, our ofcial team journey began over 20 years ago. During this time, weve been learning and taking good notes along the way about what works and what doesnt. My hope is our journey can signicantly shorten yours. This resource is formatted to serve multiple purposes. It is a COMPANION of sorts to the book The Secret of Teams. In that book, I outline what a High Performance Team is and what it is not. I do my best to paint a vivid portrait of the awesome and elusive High Performance Team. However, the book falls short (intentionally) on HOW to create a High Performance Team. This guide has been written to ll in that gap. It contains dozens of best practices from teams whove made the journey successfully and lived to tell about it. It is also a FIELD

GUIDE it contains practical ideas that work. As such, the order of

the chapters is irrelevant. If youre hiking and get bitten by a snake, youll probably skip the chapters on pitching your tent and go straight to the rst aid section. You can use this guide in that fashion. Third, this guide is a WORKBOOK . Ive been humbled by the leaders around the world who want to teach this content in a workshop. To do this well, a workbook was needed. I hope the ideas and suggestions on the following pages will serve you and your team well. My encouragement to you, regardless of how you decide to use this resource Enjoy the journey!

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The Secret of Teams

ve been fascinated by teams most of my life. I guess it started when I was about 6 years old. It was in the days before tee-ball I think it was just called baseball then. From that day until today, Ive been on countless teams some good, some really bad and a few great ones. Ive been on sports teams of all kinds, church teams (or committees) and certainly scores of teams at work. How about you? What kind of team experiences have you had?

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THE SECRET OF TEAMS

GROUP EXERCISE
Think about the best and worst teams youve been a part of. List some of the characteristics of both below.

THE SECRET OF TEAMS

GOOD TEAM

BAD TEAM

KEY INSIGHTS
Great teams focus on

At Chick-l-A, we ofcially began studying teams in the late 1980s. Its a journey were still on today. Recently, I had the opportunity to write a book about what weve learned thus far. In The Secret of Teams, we summarized our work in the following image is the foundation of great teams

THE SECRET OF TEAMS

GROUP EXERCISE
What are the benets you can expect if you build a High Performance Team?

are essential for success

separates the great teams from all the others What are some of the barriers you face in building a High Performance Team?

COMMUNITY IS A PLACE WHERE:

People and are and are and are and together

NOTES

Many teams have talent and skills and they perform adequately. However, the best teams the great ones have learned that a strong sense of community will turbocharge their performance.

Teams dont

to greatness

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magine for a minute you were asked to build a building, or home, or some other physical structure. Before you began construction, Im guessing youd have a few questions. You might ask: What should it look like? What are the minimum critical specications? What is the desired outcome? Are there any dening characteristics or design boundaries? Although each team is unique in some way, there are common dening characteristics that distinguish High Performance Teams from all others.

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WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE TRYING TO BUILD?

Although building a high-performance team is a journey and the signs of progress can often be hard to spot, that doesnt mean your status is unknowable. As with any journey, there are mile markers along the way that can be used to measure your progress. Even if there is fog ahead, the markers still exist.

Does your team

and

What problem is your team currently trying to solve? What successes can you point to in the last 90 days regarding problems the team solved?

There are at least six dening characteristics of a healthy High Performance Team.

DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS:

Is your team pursuing a

and

The members of the team hold each other

Are the members of your team Does each member of your team have a development plan? What is the development plan for your team? How much time have you devoted as a team to development in the last month?

IDEA FOR ACTION

Heres a quick win to jump-start this process. Does your team capture action items as a matter of routine during every meeting? If not, youll want to begin. If this practice is already part of your team culture, you may also want to experiment with reviewing action items at every meeting. This one practice could usher in a culture of accountability and revolutionize your team.

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WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE TRYING TO BUILD?

The members of the team demonstrate genuine for each other

and

NOTES

Is your team achieving

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of mile markers or desired outcomes for your team. But it should be enough to give you a good idea of where you are today. Theres also a more in-depth assessment in Chapter 16 which highlights the activities your team will need to engage in to create the team of your dreams.

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tructure matters. The right structure creates efciency, effectiveness and superior results. The wrong structure is an impediment to all these. Teams structured well can excel. Structure matters more than some people think. However, structure is not the sole ingredient in the success of a team as some people believe. This misguided belief drives some leaders to search for the perfect structure I havent found it. What we have discovered are some principles to help teams make good decisions for their own situations.

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STRUCTURE MATTERS

GROUP EXERCISE
How is your team currently structured? Draw a picture of your current team structure.

Structure should enable

Structure should not be

GROUP EXERCISE
Why do so many leaders miss the importance of a dynamic structure?

WHY STRUCTURE MATTERS

Which

would you like to row

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STRUCTURE MATTERS

TYPICAL STRUCTURE OPTIONS

Advantages

Disadvantages

Advantages

Disadvantages

Advantages

Disadvantages

Advantages

Disadvantages

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STRUCTURE MATTERS

HOW DO I STRUCTURE MY TEAM?

Start with the

IDEA FOR ACTION

Go back to your team and ask the following questions: Are we structured to maximize our performance? What would the ideal structure look like for us? How can we begin to move in that direction?

Decide what role you want the

to play Dont take the decision of structure lightly. After your goals are clear, structure will be one of the key factors to determine if youll turn your vision into reality or not.

Keep the team

in number

NOTES

Engage multiple

if possible

What functions do you think you may want to engage on your team?

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s Ive written about before, I started working diligently to understand teams and what makes them work over 20 years ago. In the early days, it seemed there was a new discovery around every turn. In 1993, I read a book, The Wisdom of Teams, by John Katzenbach and Douglas Smith. In it, I discovered a picture to illustrate the journey we were on as an organization.

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THE JOURNEY AHEAD

TEAM PERFORMANCE CURVE

STAGE 1 WORK IMPACT EQUATION: 1 + 1 + 1 =

This is when individuals work independently and pool their collective output. This is not really a team. It is a pre-team condition. There is no real attempt to work together.

CHARACTERISTICS
Independent work No synergy Little collaboration

STAGE 2 TEAM IMPACT EQUATION: 1 + 1 + 1 =

After a work group decides, or its leader decides, to become a team, there is the inevitable downturn in performance. It is similar to a golfer who rebuilds her swing for a time, her scores will deteriorate.

CHARACTERISTICS
Effort without return No plan for progress Little afnity with the team

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THE JOURNEY AHEAD STAGE 3 TEAM IMPACT EQUATION: 1 + 1 + 1 =

The path from Pseudo Team to Potential Team is paved with discipline and hard work. If a team is persistent, they will reach the output levels they enjoyed previously as a work group.

STAGE 5 IMPACT EQUATION: 1 + 1 + 1 =

TEAM

This should be the ultimate goal for every team. Unfortunately, few teams ever realize this level of performance. It is an exciting place for the most elite teams.

CHARACTERISTICS
Performance has improved compared to Stage 2 Overall performance is not signicantly improved Team skills are evident but not consistently applied

CHARACTERISTICS
Extraordinary performance Genuine care and concern for each other is evident Team skills have been mastered

STAGE 4 TEAM IMPACT EQUATION: 1 + 1 + 1 =

This is where the journey begins to pay off in real terms. The team that sticks with it and practices the skills will reach a point at which their output exceeds their input synergy is realized!

GROUP EXERCISE
Have you been on a High Performance Team like this? How did it feel? What did you accomplish?

CHARACTERISTICS

Output of the team exceeds the input Team skills are evident and applied consistently Care and concern for other members of the team are secondary

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THE JOURNEY AHEAD

HOW DO YOU MOVE UP THE CURVE?

NOTES

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heres something extremely powerful in a shared purpose. This may seem obvious to any of you trying to build a great team. But youd probably be surprised how often teams do not have a common purpose. This is one of the recurring issues in teams everywhere. Without leadership focus, purpose is rarely clear.

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EMBRACE A COMMON PURPOSE

GROUP EXERCISE
Whats your teams purpose?

Which of these two approaches do you prefer and why?

The power of purpose is not realized until it is shared, understood and embraced. Would your team answer this question as you did?

STEPS TO A COMMON PURPOSE

1
Ask the right Why do we have a What are we really trying to

IDEA FOR ACTION

Theres a simple test you can take to measure your teams shared purpose. Pass out 3 x 5 index cards and ask each member of the leadership team to answer one question: Why are we here? Then collect the cards and read each one. Most likely youll get a lot of really good answers back. But the true test is whether you get the same answers from everybody.

Why does the team How will we know if the team is

Im guessing you see the power in a shared purpose so how does your team get one? There are at least two primary ways to accomplish this The can establish the purpose for the team

IDEA FOR ACTION

Our recommendation is for you and the team to answer all these questions. Look for patterns in your answers. Look for ideas that resonate with the team. This would be a fantastic activity for an upcoming team meeting or maybe a team retreat.

Or the leader and team can to gure this out

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EMBRACE A COMMON PURPOSE

Make it It can be than you may be currently thinking

Invest the

to get this right

QUESTIONS TO TEST YOUR PURPOSE

If we adopt the purpose weve crafted, what will need to change? What will need to change regarding how we invest our time? What would need to be different about our team meetings? Does your statement succinctly answer the question Why?

Purpose should answer the question Why? Your why can be as big as you like. At Chick-l-A, the corporate purpose is: To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive inuence on all who come in contact with Chick-l-A. Notice, it doesnt say anything about selling chicken. Most people want to be part of something much bigger than themselves. What other examples can you think of where a teams purpose was bigger than the immediate work at hand?

NOTES

Make your purpose simple to

and

The statement you nally land on should be simple. If its too complicated, its impact will be lessened. Peter Drucker, the management and leadership guru, used to say, If you cant put it on a t-shirt, you dont have it yet. A great example of a simple yet powerful leadership team purpose is from a leader who told us, My leadership team exists to grow people and grow the business. Thats pretty clear.

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y denition, theres one single moment when a team becomes a team. Its not when the roster is announced. Or when they step on the eld together. And its not when they score their rst point or win a championship. Experiencing an entire season of games together does not mean youre a team. A team becomes a team the moment they pursue shared goals. Up to that point, its only a collection of individuals. But the moment they begin sharing the same goals, they unleash the energy and create the synergy that make them a team.

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PURSUE SHARED GOALS

GROUP EXERCISE
When have you experienced the power of shared goals?

What objections can you anticipate when you begin talking about establishing goals?

Have you ever really thought about why goals are so powerful for a team? Here are some reasons to consider... Goals afrm Goals also clarify Goals help people keep Goals create Goals bring out the in people and and

IDEA FOR ACTION

Meet with your team and repeat the question above. Determine how youll respond to the objections and barriers youll likely encounter. You may also want to review the previous reasons as to why and how goals add value.

ESTABLISHING SHARED GOALS

Every situation is different. But here are a few questions your team can ask to identify possible shared goals. What one thing could we accomplish over the next 12 months that would have the greatest possible impact on the business? What are the top three things we must do to be wildly successful over the next 12 months? If we could magically change one thing about our business to radically improve performance, what would we change?

Goals give you something to test your against

Goals give you a great reason to

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PURSUE SHARED GOALS

If a new leader and leadership team came into our business, where would they focus their time and energy rst? What specically would they work to accomplish? How would they measure their progress? If we could choose only one thing to work on as a team, what would it be? How would we measure our success? If you could set one stretch goal for the entire business, what would you set? What is one thing you believe is broken in your business? How would you know if it were xed? What goal would drive action to resolve this issue?

NOTES

GROUP EXERCISE
Think of three to ve additional questions you could ask to inform your goal setting

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hink about the last time you went to the doctor. Im guessing they checked your temperature, your blood pressure and your pulse. These are widely held as key health indicators. Now, depending on why you went to the doctor, they may have measured several other things. If you had a swollen ankle, they probably took an X-ray or two as well. Heres the point your team has some key health indicators as well. These are things youll always want to monitor. Therefore, they probably belong on your scorecard.

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ESTABLISH A TEAM SCORECARD

GROUP EXERCISE
What are your key health indicators?

IDEA FOR ACTION

Try the previous exercise with your team. Ask each person to create their own list of three numbers theyd want to know upon their return. Then compare your answers. Then, through a process of listening, asking good questions and discussion, you can most likely agree on three important metrics or health indicators for your team.

Pretend youve been away from the business for ve years. When you return, you want to know about the health of the business. You ask, Hows the business doing? The response: Which three numbers do you want to know?

WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE A SCORECARD?

A well-conceived scorecard allows the team to... Identify critical Monitor the Celebrate of their work

People love to keep

A FEW OTHER TIPS...

Represent your scorecard

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ESTABLISH A TEAM SCORECARD

Keep the data

What other questions do you have about scorecards?

Make the scorecard the

of your team meetings

IDEA FOR ACTION

Once your team has selected the items to be represented and tracked on your scorecard, ask your team to design it. Let them determine if it will be done by hand or electronically. Let them determine what type of visuals best capture your performance. You may be surprised at their creativity. People love to keep score. And its the leaders job to help them do it effectively. A carefully crafted scorecard can have a huge impact on your team and your organization.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many health indicators should be on the scorecard?

NOTES
What happens to the other items weve measured in the past?

What happens if the needs of the team change?

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hat attributes are you looking for when you select a team member? You can change the game and your team when you select the right players. The decision regarding who will be part of your team is one of the most important decisions youll ever make as a leader. If you have the wrong people around the table, your ultimate success will always be in jeopardy.

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RECRUIT TALENT

GROUP EXERCISE
What happens when you make a good selection for your team?

TEAM PLAYER

Potential Interview Question:

What happens when you make a bad selection?

LEARNER

Potential Interview Question:

The rst step in a great selection is a clear What attributes are you looking for in a team member?

SERVANT SPIRIT

Potential Interview Question: Of course, every team must develop its own set of criteria and attributes. But here are some additional traits to consider

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RECRUIT TALENT

OPTIMIST

IDEA FOR ACTION

The qualities and traits youll want for members of your leadership team are probably different from the list of characteristics youre looking for in a team member. Which of the traits above are most critical when selecting someone to serve on your leadership team? Did you miss anything? If you currently have a leadership team, a potential project is to create both a team member and a team leader prole.

Potential Interview Question:

OWNERSHIP

The traits weve outlined are a tall order, but dont let this list discourage you let it inspire you to keep the bar high when you think about the talent youll select to be part of your team. Its also a good list for self-evaluation for existing members of your team. You may be wondering

Potential Interview Question:

HOW DO WE FIND PEOPLE LIKE THIS?

Solidify your

INITIATIVE

Potential Interview Question:

Select for

and

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RECRUIT TALENT

Grow your own

recruit talent

Involve your current

in the process

NOTES

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larity is empowering. The absence of it is debilitating. One of the activities your team will benet greatly from is the process of establishing role clarity. When it is clear who is responsible for what, at both the individual and team level, the natural by-products are increased accountability and results. When roles are clear, execution improves dramatically. Role clarity is elusive for many teams not for its difculty but for lack of leadership. Your team can beat the odds and be crystal clear on key roles. Get this right and enjoy the benets of improved performance.

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CLARIFY ROLES

GROUP EXERCISE
Think of a time you were part of a team when roles were unclear how did you feel? How did it impact the performance of the team?

Establish

Provide

Why do you think role clarity is an issue for so many teams? Provide

Provide

THE LEADERS ROLE

Provide

IDEA FOR ACTION

Establish core If youre the team leader, how does the previous list of responsibilities line up with your current job description? Perhaps you need to rethink your role.

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CLARIFY ROLES

GROUP EXERCISE
FRONT LINE TEAM MEMBERS ROLE
Create a rst draft of the role you want front line team members to play.

THE LEADERSHIP TEAMS ROLE

Manage the

Identify and solve real

Enforce core Why invest the time to provide role clarity? Improve Job improves improves improves improves improves

Hold each other

improves

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CLARIFY ROLES

NOTES

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ave you ever wondered what makes a team strong? Certainly, there is great strength in common purpose and shared goals. Theres also strength in a team that builds genuine community (Chapter 14). There are many contributing factors to a strong and vibrant team. This chapter is about one often-overlooked variable that contributes to a strong team cross-functional representation. Think about a baseball team. They have inelders, outelders, pitchers and catchers. The team comprised of nine second basemen would be at a distinct disadvantage.

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CREATE A CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM

GROUP EXERCISE
Have you ever served on a team with multiple disciplines or functions represented? What were some of the advantages? What were some of the challenges?

Different

GROUP EXERCISE
Do a team inventory. How diverse is your current team?

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM BENEFITS

Deep

NAME

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Diverse

ASSIGNED ROLE
Multiple

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Broad

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CREATE A CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM

Assuming you acknowledge the advantage of a cross-functional team approach, which roles should be represented?

There is tremendous potential in cross-functional teams that much is clear. However, the team must still pursue SHARED goals. Shared goals create power and synergy individual goals create silos and turf battles. Having a cross-functional team is no guarantee of success. The team must also practice and master basic team disciplines in order to win. However, the strength a cross-functional team generates is worth the time and energy to create one.

HERE ARE FOUR QUESTIONS THAT MAY HELP:

If you were to divide your work into categories, which four to six would you choose?

NOTES
What are the critical functions you must consistently execute to be successful?

If you were going to make a critical decision for your organization with far-reaching implications, which functions would you want represented in the conversation?

If your team is a functional team, how can you simulate the benets of a cross-functional team?

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kills are one of the primary ingredients required to build a High Performance Team. How can any team expect to win without skills? It remains a mystery why so few teams devote focused time to identifying skill gaps and closing them. Whats not a mystery are the countless teams that wander aimlessly and perform poorly for lack of skills. One of the culprits is the time required. As challenging as nding the right people can be and as time-consuming as building genuine community is, developing skills is perhaps the most difcult of the three. The price for this growth is time, energy and discipline.

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BUILD INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM SKILLS

High Performance Teams need two kinds of skills to excel: and

TEAM SKILLS
The list of team skills can be long and will vary depending on the team. Here are a few team skills weve seen in successful teams. Hopefully, these will help start the conversation Goal

INDIVIDUAL SKILLS GROUP EXERCISE

What are examples of individual skills you believe would be critical for someone to excel on a team?

Decision

Problem

Conict

Meeting But possessing a lengthy list of these individual skills is not enough to help your team reach its high-performance potential. In addition to these individual skills, each member of the leadership team needs to learn team skills.

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BUILD INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM SKILLS

Team skills multiply the teams individual skills and allow your High Performance Team to accomplish far more together than they could working independently. So how can you begin to develop these skills with your team? Heres a process that may be helpful

Create a plan to

one skill

Identify the

your team needs

GROUP EXERCISE
Suppose the skill you want to develop is effective team meetings. Think of 10 ways you could help an individual and/or the team close this critical gap.

IDEA FOR ACTION

Introduce your team to the concept of individual and team skills. Brainstorm a list of skills you want to master.

Do a candid

IDEA FOR ACTION

Engage the team in a conversation about the skills youve just identied. Allow the team to assess themselves and the group. Then rank order the skills you want to develop.

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BUILD INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM SKILLS

Execute your

The potential of your High Performance Team will largely be determined by the skills you develop and practice together. In the nal analysis, it is not raw talent that creates greatness although talent is always preferred it is skill that turns aspiration into accomplishment.

NOTES

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ets face it most of the meetings we attend in our lives are not the model for productivity and efciency. But for High Performance Teams, effective meetings are essential to their success. When done well, they multiply our time, increase our productivity, tap into the collective wisdom and creativity of the group, yield better decisions and better results. They are the forum for the team to plan, prepare, strategize, problem solve and encourage each other. When meetings are done poorly, not only do you forfeit all of this, they become a source of disengagement and a colossal waste of time.

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HAVE GREAT MEETINGS

GROUP EXERCISE
Think of a great meeting youve attended in the past. Why was it so good?

Distribute pertinent information

the meeting

4
Next, think of a poor meeting youve attended. What was different from the previous meeting you described?

Focus on

management

Designate a

GREAT MEETINGS
1
Invite the right

Designate a

Publish an

Document all

items

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HAVE GREAT MEETINGS

Review previous

at each meeting

Allocate 75% of the Activities could include: Review the scorecard (key metrics) Identify problems and opportunities Solve problems create action plans Review previous action items Celebrate accomplishments

to performance management.

Display your

Always review the agenda Be sure to review all

the meeting action items at

10

Practice the three Frame it Focus on it Finish it

meeting

IDEA FOR ACTION

Look back at the last ve meeting agendas for your team. What percentage of the time was invested in these performance management activities?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q A
How can we make our meetings more productive?

Q A

How often should my team meet?

It depends. Some teams meet weekly; others twice a month and yet others manage to get the work of the team done meeting only once a month. Follow your instincts. However, weve found meeting less than once a month will prevent your team from reaching its full potential.

First, apply the basics above. Beyond that consider the following

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HAVE GREAT MEETINGS

Q A

Should the leader facilitate all the meetings?

In the beginning, it may be appropriate for the leader to fulll this role. He/she can model the desired behaviors for the team. However, if the leader continues to facilitate all the meetings, the team cant meet without the leader; the leader is hostage to the team. We recommend training others to facilitate the meetings.

NOTES

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igh Performance Teams are GREAT at solving problems. They harness the experience, wisdom and creativity of the entire group. Together, the team is smarter than any of the individual team members. Does this sound like your team? Many teams fall short of their problem-solving potential often because they dont know where to begin. One way to help your team in this arena is to provide a clear process for solving problems. This is like providing tracks for a locomotive. The power resides in the engine, but without the track to run on, it is unrealized potential. The train cant move without the tracks.

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SOLVE PROBLEMS TOGETHER

GROUP EXERCISE
Think of several problems youve faced in the past where the ESRC approach might have helped you solve a problem more quickly or effectively.

There are numerous problem-solving models and approaches. In this guide, well introduce two for your team to consider. The rst is called the ESRC model. Its name is derived from the steps in the process:

EXPECTATIONS SKILLS RESOURCES CONSEQUENCES

When your team encounters a performance problem involving an individual, ESRC may be helpful. It is built around four questions. Are the clear? to execute on the expectations? needed to meet the expectations? For more complex problems, you may want to use a six-step approach. Heres how it works:

Does the person have the Does the individual have the Are the

Identify the

clear for meeting or failing to meet our expectations?

These four elements represent the key drivers of performance. Your team can use these as a checklist to deal with virtually any problem in which people are part of the process and the problem has already been pinpointed.

Review the

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SOLVE PROBLEMS TOGETHER

Brainstorm potential

Using a process for solving problems will harness the creative potential of your team. Give them the knowledge, the time and the challenge to solve your most difcult problems. When you do, they will amaze you with their insight, intuition and creativity.

Brainstorm potential

NOTES

Create your

Monitor your

IDEA FOR ACTION

What is the biggest problem your team is currently facing? Which of these two approaches, ERSC or the six-step model, can you use to nd a solution?

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f weve learned anything groundbreaking over the last two decades its this: Community is the difference maker for a High Performance Team. Actually, we didnt discover this we rediscovered it. It is not a new idea. Weve also moved it from the mystical to the strategic. As weve learned, community is a product of rational choice, not random chance. Much of what youve read in this guide has been well documented over the decades. All of the principles and practices are critical, but no single practice or combination is sufcient to create the extraordinary performance of High Performance Teams. The results they seek and achieve are possible only because these teams understand the power of community.

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BUILD GENUINE COMMUNITY

The rst step in pursuing community is to Our working denition: Community is a place where... People Serve each other Celebrate each other Mourn the in life together each other deeply

it

So how do you create this thing called community? Theres no formula for creating a community like that. But there are principles to guide you on your journey. Here are some of them... Be

Go

GROUP EXERCISE
Celebrate Have you ever been part of a group that would t this denition? How did community impact your work?

Express

freely

Serve others on the

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BUILD GENUINE COMMUNITY

Put the teams needs ahead of your

What specic activities do you believe will build community?

Be

Create

you can do together

GROUP EXERCISE
What obstacles do you anticipate as you try to create community among your team?

Make building community an ongoing

Never stop looking for ways to do life

So why not give it a try? If youre not intentional about cultivating community, it will not spontaneously manifest itself. To build it, like most things of value in life, will require Be discipline and persistence and some faith. And it all begins with a decision when you decide to band together with a small group of people, to work for the greater good, to do something exceptional that you could never do on your own. This single decision may be the most important one youll make as a team.

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BUILD GENUINE COMMUNITY

IDEA FOR ACTION

Make community building an intentional part of your ongoing plan for your team. Include an activity on every meeting agenda to foster community.

NOTES

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eality is your friend. Many teams dont take advantage of this truth. You can. Now that youve seen the best practices outlined in this Field Guide, it may be time for a reality check. If youre trying to determine where your team is today, you can go back to the dening characteristics outlined in Chapter 2. If youre trying to determine what next steps make sense for your team, the assessment on the following pages may be just what you need. After youve taken the assessment, in Chapter 16 we outline some specic next steps for your team to consider.

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ASSESS REALITY

RATE EACH STATEMENT USING THE FOLLOWING SCALE: 5 = 4 = 3 = 2 = 1 =

Completely Agree Partially Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Partially Disagree Completely Disagree

COMMUNITY
The team members know each others story (personal and professional). The team members care deeply about every other member of the team. The team regularly celebrates the accomplishments of individual members. Members of the team go out of their way to serve each other. The team is doing life together. Total

TALENT
Every member of the team thinks holistically about the organization. Every member of the team is a team player. The team members represent diverse perspectives on the organization. The team members are committed to personal and professional growth. The individual members of the team are in the right roles within the organization. Total

LEADERSHIP
The leader communicates a clear vision for the future of the team. The leader delegates real responsibility to the team. The leader expects the team to manage their own work. The leader has established clear boundaries for the team. The leader encourages the team and the individual members. Total

SKILLS
The team has a disciplined approach to problem solving that works. Data plays a critical role in the teams efforts to solve problems. The team is capable of conducting an effective meeting. The team has demonstrated the ability to resolve conict within the team. Individual members of the team possess the skills needed to do their job well. Total

NEXT STEPS
After youve completed this assessment, consider asking your team to do the same. Compare your answers. Talk about the statements where your ratings are signicantly different. Involve the team in creating a plan for improvement. Repeat the assessment in six months. Celebrate your progress!

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o whats next for you and your team? If youre the team leader, take the assessment in Chapter 15. Ask each member of your team to take the assessment individually. Allocate two hours to talk about your ndings. Where did you agree? Where did you disagree? Why? Pick one item to focus on for the next 30 days. Identify the next item youll attack for 30 days.

In six months, take the assessment again and repeat the process forever!

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ADDITIONAL NOTES

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ANSWER KEY

ANSWER KEY

CHAPTER 1
Great teams focus on

CHAPTER 3
RESULTS
is the foundation of great teams are essential for success separates the great teams from all the others and are and are and are and

TALENT SKILLS COMMUNITY

People

KNOW SERVE LOVE

KNOWN SERVED LOVED MOURN

together

BOAT Which
Structure should enable Structure should not be

would you like to row

CELEBRATE

GREAT WORK STATIC

DRIFT Teams dont

to greatness

CHAPTER 2
COMMON PURPOSE Is your team pursuing a
Are the members of your team and

SHARED GOALS

GROWING SOLVE and PROBLEMS

and

COMMAND AND CONTROL

QUARTERBACK

IDENTIFY Does your team

The members of the team hold each other

ACCOUNTABLE

CARE The members of the team demonstrate genuine CONCERN

Is your team achieving for each other

PHENOMENAL RESULTS

PLAYER-COACH

HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM

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ANSWER KEY WORK

to play in number if possible Stage 3

ANSWER KEY

Start with the

Stage 1 Work

LEADER Decide what role you want the SMALL Keep the team FUNCTIONS Engage multiple

GROUP 3

Stage 2

PSEUDO
Stage 4 Team

Team

Impact Equation: 1 + 1 + 1 =

Impact Equation: 1 + 1 + 1 =

POTENTIAL
Stage 5

REAL

Team

Impact Equation: 1 + 1 + 1 =

Impact Equation: 1 + 1 + 1 =

HIGH PERFORMANCE

Team

CHAPTER 4
HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM REAL TEAM WORK GROUP

Impact Equation: 1 + 1 + 1 =

10 +

COMMUNITY

SKILLS POTENTIAL TEAM

PSEUDO TEAM

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ANSWER KEY

ANSWER KEY PLANS Goals give you something to test your STRATEGIES
can establish the purpose for the team to gure this out against Goals give you a great reason to

CHAPTER 5
LEADER The
Ask the right

and

CELEBRATE

WORK TOGETHER Or the leader and team can QUESTIONS TEAM Why do we have a

CHAPTER 7
SUCCESSFUL

ACCOMPLISH What are we really trying to

How will we know if the team is

MEET Why does the team

Make it

BIG
than you may be currently thinking and

BIGGER It can be TIME Invest the

UNDERSTAND Make your purpose simple to

COMMUNICATE

to get this right

CHAPTER 6
DIRECTION Goals afrm
Goals also clarify

Identify critical ISSUES

IMPACT Monitor the PRIORITY and

Celebrate

of their work

SUCCESS SCORE GRAPHICALLY

of your team meetings

ASPIRATION SCORE
in people

People love to keep Represent your scorecard Keep the data

Goals help people keep Goals create

URGENCY

CURRENT

BEST Goals bring out the

FOCAL POINT Make the scorecard the

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ANSWER KEY
How many health indicators should be on the scorecard?

ANSWER KEY OPTIMIST

FEWER IS BETTER. THE NUMBER SHOULD BE CLOSER TO FIVE THAN TEN.

What happens to the other items weve measured in the past?

Potential Interview Question:

WHAT EXAMPLE CAN YOU SHARE TO CONVINCE ME THAT YOU MAINTAIN A POSITIVE OUTLOOK WHEN FACING A DIFFICULT SITUATION? OWNERSHIP
Potential Interview Question:

CONTINUE TO MEASURE ANYTHING THAT HELPS YOUR TEAM PERFORM. THE SCORECARD SHOULD CONTAIN THE FEW (35) CRITICAL METRICS.
What happens if the needs of the team change?

WHEN YOURE WORKING ON A PROJECT AND DONT GET THE OUTCOME YOU ANTICIPATED, WHATS THE MOST COMMON ROOT ISSUE? INITIATIVE
Potential Interview Question:

CHANGE YOUR SCORECARD ACCORDINGLY. IT IS A TOOL TO SERVE THE TEAM.

CHAPTER 8
The rst step in a great selection is a clear

WHEN IN THE PAST HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM OR OPPORTUNITY PROFILE AND MOVED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE?
Solidify your

TEAM PLAYER

PROFILE TOMORROW and LEADERS

recruit talent in the process

Potential Interview Question:

WHAT ASPECT OF YOUR PAST TEAM EXPERIENCES HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING FOR YOU? LEARNER
Potential Interview Question:

TODAY Select for

Grow your own

ALWAYS

LEADERS Involve your current

WHAT ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN MOST HELPFUL TO YOU IN THE PAST TO STIMULATE YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH? SERVANT SPIRIT
Potential Interview Question:

CHAPTER 9
Provide Estabish core

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE IN THE LAST 90 DAYS TO SERVE SOMEONE OUTSIDE YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY?

VISION VALUES

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ANSWER KEY
Establish Provide Provide Provide Manage the

ANSWER KEY

BOUNDARIES RESOURCES ENCOURAGEMENT EDUCATION DAY-TO-DAY PROBLEMS VALUES ACCOUNTABLE

CHAPTER 11
High Performance Teams need two kinds of skills to excel:

INDIVIDUAL
Goal Decision Problem Conict Meeting

and

TEAM

Identify and solve real Enforce core Hold each other Improve

SETTING MAKING SOLVING RESOLUTION MANAGEMENT

your team needs

PERFORMANCE

ACCOUNTABILITY improves EXECUTION ENGAGEMENT COMPETENCY SATISFACTION Job PERFORMANCE

improves improves improves improves improves

SKILLS Identify the

Do a candid

ASSESSMENT DEVELOP PLAN

one skill

Create a plan to Execute your

CHAPTER 10
Deep Diverse Multiple Broad Different

CHAPTER 12
Invite the right Publish an

PEOPLE AGENDA
the meeting management.

EXPERTISE PERSONALITIES PERSPECTIVES EXPERIENCES PASSIONS

BEFORE Distribute pertinent information PERFORMANCE Focus on

Designate a Designate a

FACILITATOR TIMEKEEPER

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ANSWER KEY ACTION Document all ACTION Review previous

Display your Practice the three items at each meeting

ANSWER KEY

ITEMS

CHAPTER 14
DEFINE The rst step in pursuing community is to KNOW People
each other deeply it

WORK Fs
to performance management the meeting action items at

MEETING Allocate 75% of the PREVIOUS Be sure to review all EVERY

meeting

BEFORE Always review the agenda

Serve each other Celebrate each other

WILLINGLY ENTHUSIASTICALLY
in life together

SETBACKS Mourn the

Be Go

CHAPTER 13
EXPECTATIONS Are the
clear? to execute on the expectations? needed to meet the expectations?

INTENTIONAL SLOW WINS

freely

Celebrate

SKILLS Does the person have the RESOURCES Does the individual have the CONSEQUENCES Are the
Identify the Review the Brainstorm potential Brainstorm potential Create your Monitor your

GRATITUDE Express
Serve others on the Put the teams needs ahead of your Be

TEAM OWN

clear for meeting or failing to meet our expectations?

VULNERABLE
you can do together

PROBLEM DATA CAUSES SOLUTIONS

ACTIVITIES Create

Make building community an ongoing Never stop looking for ways to do life Be

PRIORITY TOGETHER

PATIENT

ACTION PLAN PROGRESS

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
I guess the rst resource I should mention is THE SECRET OF looks like. If youre interested in personalized coaching or team training events, check out these trusted partners:

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TEAMS . As stated

Ill try not to merely repeat the acknowledgments from THE SECRET OF TEAMS . However, there are a few people I must thank for their contributions to this resource and my personal journey on the topic of teams. First, DAN

in the beginning, it was my attempt to paint a portrait of what a High Performance Team

CATHY, thanks for encouraging no, challenging me to learn all I could

about teams over 20 years ago. It has been a productive quest for me and for Chick-l-A. Next, JENNIFER HOWARD she taught me the majority of what youve read on these pages. She is uniquely gifted in her ability to help teams identify and close the critical skill gaps that sabotage so many of their dreams. This is my site, dedicated to encouraging and JON KATZENBACH , thanks for giving language to the stages of team development. I trust my rendition of your work doesnt blemish the brilliance of your observations and research over the years.

BUILDINGCHAMPIONS.COM Dr. Henry Cloud - DRCLOUD.COM Behavior Business Partners - BBPWEB.COM

Building Champions GREATLEADERSSERVE.ORG equipping leaders around the world. To date, there are more than two dozen specic posts on how to create the type of team this guide describes. Also, youll nd there a feature entitled TODAYS CHALLENGE . This is an ongoing series in which I attempt to answer questions submitted by readers. Please send your questions to: MARK@GREATLEADERSSERVE.ORG Im on Twitter @LEADERSSERVE . I hope to connect with you live or in cyberspace! If youd like additional copies of this guide, go to . GREATLEADERSSERVE.ORG

Thanks to the CHICK-FIL-A OPERATORS and TEAM MEMBERS whove piloted and proven the ideas youve just seen. Finally, thanks to JAY VINEYARD, TIM BURCHFIELD and BILL would never have been produced.

DUNPHY, who

had the idea to teach this content around the world. Without their vision, this Field Guide

ALL PROFITS WILL BE DONATED TO CHARITY.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ark Miller is a business leader, best-selling author and communicator. Mark began his Chick-l-A career working as an hourly team member in 1977. In 1978, Mark joined the corporate staff working in the warehouse and mailroom. Since that time, he has provided leadership for Corporate Communications, Field Operations, Quality and Customer Satisfaction, Training and Development, and today he serves as the Vice President of Organizational Effectiveness. During his time with Chick-l-A, annual sales have grown to almost $5 billion. The company has more than 1,600 restaurants in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Mark began writing about a decade ago. He teamed up with Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager, to write The Secret : What Great Leaders Know and Do. Today, almost 400,000 copies of The Secret are in print, and it has been translated into more than 25 languages. Recently, he released The Secret of Teams, which outlines some of the key lessons learned from a 20-year study on what makes some teams outperform the rest. His newest book, Great Leaders Grow : Becoming a Leader for Life, was released in February 2012 and was coauthored with Ken Blanchard. In addition to his writing, Mark loves speaking to leaders. Over the years, hes traveled extensively around the world teaching for numerous international organizations. His theme is always the same: encouraging and equipping leaders. His topics include leadership, creativity, team building and more. Mark has an active lifestyle. As a photographer, he enjoys shooting in some of the worlds hardest-to-reach places, including Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, Antarctica and the jungles of Rwanda.

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Praise for

One parable, well told, is worth a thousand rules. In this parable, Mark deftly captures how he and his colleagues at Chick-l-A have managed to tap into the very essence of what allows teams to become the best version of themselvesgreat talent, incredible skills, and a tight sense of community. If you are seeking the same for your own team or business, read The Secret of Teams. Marcus Buckingham New York Times bestselling author of First, Break all the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths

No one understands the importance of culture and teamwork more than the folks at Chick-l-A. Theyre at out one of the best companies in the world. Mark Miller shares some of their secrets in this remarkable business fable. Patrick Lencioni President, The Table Group, and author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Mark Millers ne book is a must if you want to take your team from good to great. Written in a very simple, clear, and concise manner, The Secret of Teams distills complicated management theory into easily digestible bite-size pieces. I recommend this book for everyone who is leading a team or will soon lead a team. General Charles Krulak 31st Commandant of the US Marine Corps and President, Birmingham-Southern College

Teamwork is still the ultimate competitive advantage. The Secret of Teams will help you take your team to the next level. When a team is not ring on all cylinders, everyone on the team knows that. How is your team doing? Teams dont fail because they want to fail; they fail because they dont know how to succeed. Let Mark Miller show your team how to succeed. Matthew Kelly New York Times bestselling author of The Dream Manager and Off Balance

Mark offers unique experience and insight into how teams perform and what it takes to get more out of teaming efforts. Jon Katzenbach Senior Partner, Booz & Company, coauthor of The Wisdom of Teams, and author of Peak Performance