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Getting the Most out of Your Team

The Importance of Culture

3/30/2013

Overview
What is a Team
Why is Culture important for a Team How to Develop an Effective Team The Team Effectiveness Model

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

What makes a Team?


A team is not just a developed group
A team goes through a shift in psychological ownership about the outcome they feel accountable and will freely take leadership A group is most appropriate when individual efforts are focused on achieving sub-goals in other words, the whole is the sum of the parts

A team, on the other hand, jointly works on a collective product, producing a synergistic outcome

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

Differences between a Group and a Team


1

Group
Strong, clearly focused leader
Individual accountability

Team
Shared Leadership Roles
Individual and mutual accountability

Individual work products


Leader runs efficient meetings that report progress

Collective Work Products


Leader encourages open-ended discussion and active problem-solving meetings

Discusses, decides and delegates

Does real work together

1 Adapted from The Disciple of Teams by J.R. Katzenbach and D.K. Smith. Published in Harvard Business Review, March-April 1993, pp.111-120

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

Change of Expectations for a Team


Loyalty is redefined from agreeing with the boss to achieving the larger goals
Decisions are not made in isolation and handed down. The team jointly problem solves, collaborating on the preferred solution The leader facilitates a process not the outcome Learning and development comes through new experiences

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The Impact of Culture to Support Teams

Pay and perks are great, but employees are looking for something more. They want to feel involved, make a difference and be given a chance to grow.1
The office is a persistent, subliminal communication system that reinforces or undermines the companys culture. The office is a strategic driver.2 A study found that the level of fit between the values of an organisation or culture and the values of its new employees was a clear predictor of whether employees stayed with an organisation for more than a year.3 Griffin Hospital in the U.S. changed its culture to empower employees. As a result, they have one of the lowest nursing turnover rates in the country 4: 5% compared to an industry average of 17%.5

1. Dr. Amy Lyman, HR Strategic Review, Vol 3(1), November-December 2003, 2 Julia Boorstin, Fortune, January 2004, 3. Dr. David Week, The Culture Driven Workplace, 2002, 4. Dr. Christian Vandenberghe, Journal of Organisational Behaviour, Vol 20(2), 1999, [5] Dr. Amy Lyman, HR Strategic Review, Vol 3(1), November-December 2003,

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

Culture What is it?


Culture is created from the messages people receive about how to fit into the organisation
Your culture supports you to achieve your outcomes . Or it gets in your way, slows you down and makes it HARD work!

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

Impact of Culture on the Value of the Organisation


1962
80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 70% 60%

1992
90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

2000
85-90%

68%

50% 40% 30%

62% 38%

30%
20% 10% 0%

32%

20% 10% 0%

10-15%
Tangible Assets Intangible Assets

Tangible Assets

Intangible Assets

Tangible Assets

Intangible Assets

0%

High performing culture will become more critical


Kaplan, S. & Norton, D. The Strategy-Focused Organisation Harvard Business School Press, 2001

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

Benefits of Focusing on Culture


REDUCES COSTS
Reduces project completion time Helps execute strategy Minimises response time Decreases interpersonal conflict

IMPROVES PRODUCTIVITY
Creates environment for innovation Increases employee dedication

ENHANCES BRAND
Heightens public perceptions Clarifies communications Aids recruitment and retention Simplifies succession planning

Improves consistency of service


Simplifies decisionmaking

Identifies nonperformance

Creates legacy

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

Focusing on Culture = Investing in the Future


Great companies raise performance and change the culture, these arent alternatives, you must do both at the same time.
Gordon Cairns - CEO, Lion Nathan

If organisations are not investing in culture and leadership, theyre not investing in the future.
Dr. Allan Hawke Former Secretary, Department of Defence

The test of the value of the culture is its resilience to shocks and its speed of response to crises. Because of culture, we have come out stronger each time we had a crisis.
Greg Bourne, Regional President, BP

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

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What Culture makes an Effective Team?


Clear shared purpose, goals and vision Clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities:
Right purpose and metrics for each role Transparency about deliverables from all

Good team processes:


Meetings agendas aligned with team purpose Appropriate level of information sharing Reporting/communication processes streamlined & automatic That members support each others success In everyones competence to do their job That members are open and have integrity

High trust:

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Team Effectiveness Model A Self Test

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A. Purpose/Goal
Characteristics:
Clear about what has to be achieved together, use specific measures Clear about the long term vision for us Clear about the unique purpose of this team Clear on shared priorities and how to achieve goals Clear on how we link into and contribute to the strategic framework of the bigger whole great

poor

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B. Roles/Accountabilities
Characteristics:
Each role defined using the right metrics and being agreed to by all Interdependencies of individual roles Individual contributions defined and linked to team goals Transparency about deliverable from all

poor

great

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C. Process
Characteristics:
Teams interactions [including meetings], using time wisely [right topics, right direction, right people] Output for each interaction/meeting is clear Team members have the necessary information to contribute effectively Team rules are established Reporting/communication processes streamlined and automatic great

poor

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D. Relationships
Characteristics:
Understand own and other team members style, likes, dislikes, motivations, etc. Have a defined and agreed way the team wishes to behave Allowing differing points of view to be heard Trust that members support each others success Trust in everyones competence to do their job Trust that members are open and have integrity

poor

great

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

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Summary
What is a Team
Why is Culture important for a Team How to Develop an Effective Team The Team Effectiveness Model

Mettle Group Pty Ltd 2007

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