How to fix this Team? Diagnosis-2

This is continuing from a prior post.

Here are some things we can look at.  If these were not done well at the beginning, they could be a cause of our problems now.

Mission

We must have a challenging mission.

We must understand what it is, it must be a common mission that we all agree to.

We must all want to accomplish the mission.

Want to be a Team

First, in my opinion, they will not gell as a Team if they all do not buy-in to the mission (or vision or goal).

They should all look at each other.  See the mission.  Ask themselves if they want to accomplish the mission with these other people (in this Team).

Liking the other people in the Team is not the question.

Do you want to go after this mission with this Team, these people?

It’s one thing to enjoy a person at the beer hall.  Another to want to be in the same Team with that person.

It is ok if some do not know at first. But after a few sprints, each person must decide.

Want to win, together

This is similar, but different.

This is the idea of working together to win.  We all give 110% (as we say).  And we want to win, however we define winning.

Which also means we each want to get better to support the Team more.  Getting better is a kind of humility and requires “work”.

Lots of team are not real Teams in this way.

Help and ask for Help

The fancy word is collaboration, but no one knows what that means, so I make it simple.

Every person must be willing to help any other person in the Team. As much as possible, whenever asked (within reason).

People agree to accept help.

And they agree to ask for help fairly quickly.

No driving in circles lost in the fog…without asking for people.

Each person is willing to show another person HOW to help me.  In a reasonable way.

This is hard. It is humbling.  Once you get used to it, it’s actually fun.  Everyone is obviously imperfect, so we all can laugh about it.

Skill Sets

The managers should have considered “skill sets” when putting the Team together.  And whether the Team has the right skill sets and enough of each one, to git ‘er done – in a reasonable time frame.

At the beginning, the Team also must evaluate this, at a lower level of detail.

Need versus capability.

And always there are gaps.  So, discuss how we overcome those gaps.  What training do we need.  How else can some people learn?  How might the part-timers (chickens) outside Team help?

If we don’t have and can’t get enough of the right skill sets, the Team must tell the Manager or management.

And it is common that we don’t know at the beginning whether we have enough.

And we also can learn that, now that we are smarter, we can see that we do not have enough of X.  Again, this must be addressed with the Manager or management.

 

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