Building a Team

It's been said that too much attention to politics and control will spoil a team's chemistry. But is there an exact science to building a team? Is there a set make-up? Walter McIntyre begins to analyse this with his article 'Building a Six Sigma Project Team'. The points that Walter highlights, I feel, are transferable to all teams.

So let's begin with how he identifies that there are Three Simple Rules...

1) Don't be too rigid. The make-up of team will need to change a little as it moves through the process improvement phases. There should be a core group of members all the way through, but often there will be a shifting of other members depending upon what the team needs at the time.

There are three main types of team members:

Regular team members are the core group who attend all meetings and participate in all team activities.
Ad-hoc team members participate only when the team requires their expertise.
Resource team members are sources of information, resources or coaching and attend meetings at the discretion of the team leader.

2) Match talents to specific needs. A process improvement team should include a process owner, a process expert, a budget and accounting specialist, someone from engineering and maybe even a stakeholder. Everyone has their own purpose, their own function within a team. Being a team member will give them buy-in.

3) Determine a common purpose. The purpose of the team should come from building a common identity. The team should know what the business expects from them, as well as the known roadblocks and limitations.

Walter states that these three rules are a great starting place, but teams still face many challenges.

Team dynamics can be placed in jeopardy if there is a lack of respect and commitment from team members. Positive team behaviour revolves around respect, built upon a willingness to show consideration and appreciation for others. From respect comes progress and synergy/alignment. Without it, there is stagnation and disintegration. A team that is respectful of others, and the team as a whole, will have the best chance of success.

The appreciation of diversity of opinion is the starting point of positive team dynamics. The point of putting a team together is to have a diversity of opinion. All opinions and ideas have value and contribute to developing a best solution or result. To be successful, team members should recognise and celebrate diversity of opinion. This means looking for the useful and positive in everyone's comments and questions.

Agreeing to disagree is the adult method of dealing with conflict. This is how a team gains consensus. It also means to allow diversity of opinion to exist and drive the team forward. By agreeing to disagree, team members do not have to let go of their opinions to move forward.

Another important aspect of respect within a team is attendance. Team members have to be present in both body and mind in order to contribute toward the team's success. If a team member is absent, that person does not contribute and slows the team's progress. A team members who is present yet unengaged in discussions presents a similar problem.

When a team is functioning correctly, everyone is contributing - participating, voicing their opinions and adding their collective brainpower to the team's efforts. One moment you're giving information, the next you're listening, and the next you're negotiating. The resulting high energy level speeds the team's progress. It's also more fun.

However, dealing with conflict is an important team function. Not only is conflict unavoidable in a team environment, it is desirable. The team should cherish conflict that results from diversity of opinion. However, the team leader will need to intervene when the conflict becomes personal or destructive. The bulk of the responsibility for this job lies with the team leader, but some responsibility lies with the other team members as well. A set of ground rules will help the team prevent conflict from dragging it away from its mission.

Dealing with conflict is all about respect. If a team has individuals who do not show mutual respect to their teammates, it will not be effective. Above all, the team must keep their eye on the ball and control the pressure to spend time on individual and political concerns.

A team that maintains this focus has the best chance of success.


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