Do you know the feeling — that your team keeps running into the same obstacles to working at its best? I call it a hurdle race — a series of obstacles we have to clear to succeed as a team, and that are always in the way, whether we’ve been a team for three months or ten years.
Almost every day I talk to managers or team members about their struggles to function as a team. Over the years that has added up to a great many conversations, and by now I’m pretty used to spotting and categorising the symptoms. In everyday terms I call it a hurdle race (P. Lencioni, 2002). It’s a philosophy built on the idea that a team has to clear a series of hurdles before it can perform effectively.
Another general pattern I see is that the teams who really set out to clear their obstacles find it’s actually surprisingly simple — but also hard. When a team gets stuck, on the other hand, you can soon tell from how the team is doing. Happiness at work dips, sick leave rises, things aren’t delivered on time, the company loses customers, and so on. That’s why the ‘hurdle race’ philosophy works indirectly with a team’s motivation, happiness at work, teamwork and stress levels.
Working in a team is like running a hurdle race. Clearing a hurdle is simple, but also hard. When you get stuck, you can soon tell from how you’re doing.
The hurdle race
A well-functioning team is one that can create the results it has set out to achieve. To do that, the team has to keep clearing these barriers:
1. Trust
Members of a well-functioning team trust each other on a fundamental, emotional level. They’re comfortable showing vulnerability — able to show weakness, admit mistakes and ask for help. They reach a point where they can be completely honest and open with each other, with no filters.
2. Conflict
When a team trusts each other, it’s not afraid to get into passionate discussions about the topics and decisions that are crucial to the team’s success. The members don’t hesitate to show disagreement, challenge or ask questions to find the best solution and make the right decisions.
3. Engagement
A team that dares to have conflicts with each other is able to commit to important decisions, even when different team members don’t naturally agree with the decision being made. That’s because the team makes sure everyone’s views and ideas have been heard and considered. It gives you the certainty that every stone has been turned.
4. Ownership
Teams that commit to the decisions being made don’t hesitate to hold each other to shared agreements either. The members don’t wait for the manager just because he has overall responsibility — they show shared ownership by going straight to the member the matter concerns.
5. Focus on the result
Teams that trust each other, enter into constructive conflict, commit to the decisions being made and hold each other to the agreements they’ve made. These teams are far harder to distract, and find it far easier to set aside their own needs to focus solely on what’s best for the team.
Source and more inspiration
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
P. Lencioni, 2002, Jossey Bass
