Solving team problems is a key skill for you as a manager to develop. They will be looking to you for guidance when problems occur, following your example and following your direction, especially if there are areas that they have no control over.

How can you make sure that you give yourself the best chance of dealing with team problems, so they all buy-in to the solution in the end? Here are some tips:

Start with a solid problem statement:

A team can’t fix a problem that it hasn’t identified well. Coming up with an accurate problem statement is the first step in solving any problem and achieving a meaningful goal. In fact, an accurate problem statement will often suggest a possible solution.

Guidelines for a good problem statement:
• State the problem narrowly enough so the team can handle it
• Make it a statement, not a question
• Be detailed, not too general
• Avoid apportioning blame or cause
• Use measurable qualities or quantities when you can

Use these guidelines next time your team discuss a problem. Make sure they don’t end up too wooly or discriminating.

Take a look at these problem statements and see if you can determine what’s wrong with them. Answers later in the blog:

1) The total number of errors is 0.75 per 1000
2) We don’t have enough time for all the meetings we need to hold
3) We would get better productivity if we had air conditioning
4) We get customer complaints about the phones not being answered between 1 and 2pm

Make sure you differentiate between team goals and individual goals:

The group should decide on a common objective (and agree it) and action steps should then be set showing who will do what and by when.

Make sure team members don’t put their own concerns too much ahead of the team objectives.

All smart players in a team see the link between the success of the team and their individual success.

Make sure the team knows the purpose of dealing with the problem.

Remember that teams develop direction and commitment by working toward a common purpose. The purpose is shaped in response to a demand or opportunity put in their path. Top teams spend time exploring, shaping and agreeing on a purpose that belongs to them as a team and individually. This makes the day’s work clear in the eyes of every team member.

And the answers to those problem statements?
1) A pretty good statement, but exactly what are the errors and over what time period?

2) Too general and not measurable. A better statement would be “ In March, 5 team meetings were cancelled because of lack of room availability”

3) This includes a solution in the statement. It may not be the only solution. A better phrase may be “productivity decreased by 10% last summer in the CKD department”

4) This is pretty good, but doesn’t specify how many customers and how many calls. A better one would be ”During March, three of our top customers complained that they were unable to get through to IT on 7 occasions between 1 and 2 o’clock.

These tips should help you formulate the problems in a way that will gain solutions much quicker.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

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Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith in their 1993 book “The Wisdom of Teams” provide excellent, very usable distinctions among the kinds of groups currently operating in organisations. Here’s what they suggested were the differences:

1. Working group: No significant incremental performance need or opportunity that would require it to become a team. The members interact primarily to share information, best practices, or perspectives and to make decisions to help each individual perform within his or her area of responsibility. There is no call for either a team approach or a mutual accountability requirement.

2. Pseudo-team: This is a group for which there could be a significant, incremental performance need or opportunity, but it has not focused on collective performance and is not really trying to achieve it. It has no interest in shaping a common purpose or set of performance goals, even though it may call itself a team. Pseudo-teams are the weakest of all groups in terms of performance impact. In pseudo-teams, the sum of the whole is less than the potential of the individual parts.

They almost always contribute less to company performance needs than working groups because their interactions detract from each member’s individual performance without delivering any joint benefits. For a pseudo-team to have the option of becoming a potential team, the group must define goals so it has something concrete to do as a team that is a valuable contribution to the company.

3. Potential team: There is a significant, incremental performance need, and it really is trying to improve its performance impact. Typically it requires more clarity about purpose, goals, or work products and more discipline in hammering out a common working approach. It has not yet established collective accountability.

There are many potential teams in organisations. When a team (as opposed to a working group) approach makes sense, the performance impact can be high. The steepest performance gain comes between a potential team and a real team; but any movement up the slope is worth pursuing.

4. Real team: This is a small number of people with complementary skills who are equally committed to a common purpose, goals, and working approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. Real teams are a basic unit of performance. The possible performance impact for the real team is significantly higher than the working group.

5. High-performance team: This is a group that meets all the conditions of real teams and has members who are also deeply committed to one another’s personal growth and success. That commitment usually transcends the team. The high performance team significantly outperforms all other like teams, and outperforms all reasonable expectations given its membership. It is a powerful possibility and an excellent model for all real and potential teams.

We’ve discussed Katzenbach’s ideas on many of our courses and managers always go away with a clearer insight into how and why they should be dealing with groups or teams.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Follow us here on Twitter

So you’re a manager. Congratulations. I’m sure you’re doign a great job. Now, I don’t mean to bust your bubble, but what are you going to do to make yourself a better manager. Here are a few things to consider:

Build a Great Team

No manager can be successful without a great team at his side. It’s your job to develop a team full of successful, hard working, and motivated individuals. You’ll need to brush up on your interview skills and work at selecting the right people right from the start.

Develop a Great Team

Once you have the right people working with you, you’ll need to make sure they’re all motivated to get the job done – not only on an individual basis but as a team working together as well. Team members should all have times where they’re doing their own things, but they should be able to work together most of the time as well. If you’re having trouble in that area, you may want to implement a few team building activities to break the ice a bit.

Work on Your Own Communication Skills

Odds are, you judge your employees by their abilities to communicate – with each other, with you, and with clients. But are you setting a good example? Your team members, and even managers above you, will grow dependent upon your ability to convey clear, concise thoughts. You’ll need to work on both your verbal and written communication skills in order to become successful.

Time Management

Time management is rough for a lot of people, especially those juggling busy home lives while they’re focusing on their careers. What can you do to enhance your time management abilities? Do you need to get a better organization plan? Do you need to learn to prioritise better? Figure out what your weaknesses are and learn to improve upon them.

Give Yourself a Break

Your employees and team members get breaks during the day and you should, too. You’re not a superhero and you simply can’t work long days without taking a few minutes here and there to breathe. Take a short walk, get a cup of coffee, or simply shut the office door for a few minutes. Oh, and don’t forget to take your annual vacation. If you’re rested, you won’t become aggravated when dealing with your team.

You are a valuable member of your organisation and you want to make sure you stay that way. Take some time to improve upon yourself and you’ll be successful for years to come.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

The other day we took a look at some of the main principles of team building and how they effect the success of a team from the inside out. Today I’d like to share a few more concepts in the hopes you’ll be able to apply them to your next team building (or team growing) experience.

Do the members of your team understand the context? In short, do they understand not only the main purpose of the team but how the work the team completes will help the organization reach its ultimate, long-term goals? In short, your team members should feel as though their team is important to the organization.

Does the team feel as though it has the tools it needs to perform competently? Most team members, when asking themselves this question, aren’t looking for materials but are looking at the other people on the team. Do they feel as though everyone in the group is capable of getting the job done. Are they kowledgeable and skilled?

Does the team have control of the project? Have you given the team the power it needs to get the job done while setting boundaries and limitations that will prevent them from going over budget or missing their deadlines? Control is good. Having to redo a project because the team members let the power associated with the work go to their heads is bad.

Is everyone communicating? Communication is key in any venture. Are all members of your team encouraged to give feedback and express their honest opinions. If not, they may be wondering why they are a part of the team at all.

Does your team understand that their work comes with consequences? Do they understand that they are accountable for what they do and do not accomplish and that if the job does not get done there will be consequences? Likewise, will they be rewarded for getting the job done on time and within budget?

Choosing a group of people to participate in a team is easy. Making sure those people are happy, can work together, and actually get the job done is another. You’ll have to work on the team from the inside out but I guarantee once you’re done you’ll have a highly functioning group you’ll be proud to have under your wings.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Manager Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

We’ve spoken several times about how important it is to build a great team. As managers we spend a lot of time focused on building a team and working as a team but we sometimes forget to step back and take a look at how our team members feel about being a part of the team – as part of a team in genearal and, more important, as part of our teams specifically.

So what areas of team building should you really be looking at in order to ensure both the happiness of your team members and the group’s overall success? Here are a few concepts to get you started…

Do your team members have clear goals and expectations? In short, has upper management given you clear directions and have you conveyed those directions clearly to your team? Your team needs to know why it exists, what it’s goals are, and what it’s limitations are (financially, chronologically, etc.) in achieving those goals.

Are your team members committed to the task at hand? Do they really want to be on your team or do they feel forced to participate? Will they be rewarded or recognized for their efforts? If the entire group isn’t committed the odds of you completing a successful project instantly drop.

Has the team created its own mission statement or charter? The team needs to work together to outline exactly what its goals will be given the task at hand. Upper management needs to support the team in its efforts to set those goals. Do they have clear goals set within a reasonable timeframe?

Do your team members understand the concept of collaboration? Are they all working together as a team or is one person (or group of people) making all of the decisions and telling everyone else what to do? Are they working together respectfully? Are they resolving conflicts peacefully? Are they all working towards the same goals?

Are the teams coordinated properly? Is your team working independently or are there several other teams working on tasks that will ultimately come together to form one large project? If they are working together, is upper management coordinating the teams properly so that the process flows smoothly? Will everyone complete their share of the project on time – and will all the pieces fit together properly?

If any one of these aspects is falling short, your team members will begin to feel as though they’re not really a part of a team. The happier they are in their work, and the more they feel like a part of a team, the better they’ll ultimately perform!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”