Instinctively we know Aristotle’s quote to be true. We’ve seen it in our favorite sports teams when they are most successful. The 1980 Olympic Hockey team is a great example. We’ve also experienced unstoppable collaboration in our communities afte r disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. And, yes, we’ve experienced it in our own working lives. However, the joy of success quickly fades away as we attach tangible reasons for success. We often ignore the great things each team member contributed to make it a success and instead move on with the next challenge hoping we can recreate the magic again. It’s not magic. You can have it. Teamwork does make the dream work!
THE FIVE CONSTRUCTS INTRODUCED
“Leaders sometimes wonder why they or their organizations fail to achieve success, never seem to reach their potential. It’s often because they don’t understand or can’t instill the concept of what a team is all about at its best: connection and extension.” – Bill Walsh
The above quote from an NFL H all of Fame coach isn’t about the sport he coached. It’s about where he felt his responsibilities lay. The duty is to help everyone self- actualize and blend their abilities. It’s the responsibility to put everyone in the “right seats on the bus,” as Jim Co llins says in his book “Good to Great.” Google researchers found five distinctive characteristics of highly effective teams: psychological safety, dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact. We’ve included information about each of these characteristics below. The information and the image are provided by re:Work, and is used with their permission.
Here are the five characteristics in order of importance:
1. Psychological Safety: This refers to an individual’s perception of the consequences of taking an interpersonal risk or a belief that a team is safe for risk- taking in the face of being seen as ignorant,
incompetent, negative, or disruptive. In a team with high psychological safety, teammates feel safe to take risks around their team members. They feel confident that no team member will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or offering a new idea.
2. Dependability: Members reliably complete work on time versus avoiding responsibilities.
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