I have just ordered J Richard Hackman’s book “Leading Teams” after reading an interview with him in Harvard Business Review.  In the article he offers five basic conditions leaders should consider if they want to set up and sustain effective teams:

1.  The teams must be real

Everyone must know who is on the team and who is not.  It is the leaders job to make this clear.  It is sometimes a difficult call and JRH talks about a CEO who kept a CFO in his role because he was good at what he did, but would not allow him to join the executive committee because he was a “team destroyer”.  

2.  Teams need a compelling direction

Members need to know, and agree on, what they’re supposed to be doing together.  Unless a leader articulates a clear direction, there is a real risk that different members will pursue different agendas.  Any leader who has worked with a team of strong individuals will attest to this.

3.  Teams need enabling structures

Poorly defined tasks, the wrong members, wishy-washy values and agreed behaviours all lead the team into difficulties.  

4.  Teams need a supportive organisation

The organisational context, including structures, rewards and incentives and access to information must facilitate team work.  Have you ever audited your strategic objectives and reward criteria for congruence.  Are you (for instance) measuring customer support in your performance appraisals but rewarding only New Business enrolment in your financial rewards to staff? 

5.  Teams need expert coaching

Most executive coaches focus on individual performance, which does not significantly improve teamwork.  Teams need coaching as a group in team processes, especially at the beginning, midpoint and end of the project.  But team coaching is a specialist endeavour.  The coach should be able to distinguish between team coaching and facilitation as well as between team coaching and individual coaching. 

JRH finishes the article by commenting that there are cases where collaboration is a hindrance rather than a help.  Part of the leader’s role is to find the most effective applications for individual autonomy and collective action.  Every team needs a deviant.  The person who challenges decisions or the status quo.  But, as he points out, challenging or speaking the truth in a team can be a dangerous role to play.