The technology leadership structure at the Evergreen State College resembled that of many other organizations; hierarchical, silo-ed and competing for resources. Taking tips from Patrick Lencioni’s parable “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” this group attempted to reinvent themselves, addressing issues of accountability, conflict management and communication. Fundamental shifts in behaviors and expectations can lead to better strategic thinking, added capacity and a much more nimble (and fun) organization.

We believe that we always know what we want our management culture to look and taste like. Smooth, complex flavor a little bite and fun

The problem is getting to that state. The process can be complex and mystifying.

In our case, our operating budgets were separate, controlled (and coveted).
Managers managed their own staff, work priorities, and advocated for initiatives they felt were important.
Strategic direction of the institution fell solely on the Director to disseminate and decide.

Team mind was not so prevalent

Conflicts were frequent but because of trust issues not elegantly worked out among the group so tensions were often high. Decision making was painful if there was any disagreement and collaborations didn’t happen easily.

it was more like playing a game of Risk.

SHARE PERSONAL STORY ABOUT AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE TEAM LOOKED LIKE

A new Director along with turnover in several of the management positions prompted a review/reflection of management practices. Some of the pain points of decision making were reviewed for the group. There was a new collective desire to change the management culture, because honestly it wasn’t fun, at all.

The team decided to read Patrick Lencioni’s “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” as a way to reinvent the IT

Based on Lencioni's book, of course we wanted to create a highly functional team. By identifying the dysfunctions as laid out in Lencoine's book, we began the slow and deliberate process of repair and reinvention.

What defines a team?

Interdependence. High performing, cohesive teams-
Are comfortable asking for help, admitting mistakes and limitations and take risks offering feedback. They tap into one another's skills and experiences
Avoid wasting time talking about the wrong issues and revisiting the same topics over and over again because of lack of buy-in
Make higher quality decisions and accomplish more in less time and fewer resources. Put critical topics on the table and have lively meetings. Align the team around common objectives
Retain star employees

Dysfunction #1: Absence of Trust
The fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building of trust within the team.
Dysfunction #2: Fear of Conflict
The desire to preserve artificial harmony stifles the occurrence of productive ideological conflict.
Dysfunction #3: Lack of Commitment
The lack of clarity or buy-in prevents team members from making decisions they will stick to.
Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of Accountability
The need to avoid interpersonal discomfort prevents team members from holding one another accountable.
Dysfunction #5: Inattention to Results
The pursuit of individual goals and personal status erodes the focus on collective success.

Trust is the foundation on which all of your team success is built. Without trust you won't be able to have successful conflict, you won't commit as a team and you won't take individual responsibility for your role within the team.

Building trust takes time and can happen in a number of ways. On our journey we thought we had trust - we all agreed that we would be honest and trust each other but we didn't actually put this into practice until turnover on the team revealed just how little trust we had in each other. If you're just starting on your collaborative leadership journey, spend time getting to know your fellow A teamers and put into practice the act of being vulnerable to one another.

Allowing conflict to brew trust

Our experience has been that people can be uncomfortable with just the mention of the word conflict. One of the simplest definitions of conflict from Merriam & Webster identifies it as: a difference that prevents agreement : disagreement between ideas, feelings, etc. Looking at it from this definition suggests that conflict is a difference of ideas or feelings. Certainly we encounter this daily just moving through life (I want to go out for dinner, my spouse wants to stay in; my child wants to stay up until 9 to watch TV, I want my child to go to sleep).

In the context of developing a functional & collaborative team you will encounter conflict and it should be often. A diverse team with differing perspectives is vital for a technology organization that is expected to flex to emerging trends while maintaining core systems.

ADD PERSONAL STORY EXAMPLE OF HEALTHY CONFLICT (maybe the honest conversation we had with Rob at the retreat about looking forward to seeing him more engaged; he has been more present at meetings since then)

Should our common goals say that we agree use the best ingredients, use state of the art brewing equipment, have organic options and deliver seasonal varieties at a competitive costs? Goals should be few and very high level - “We want to brew the best beer we can, and improve it regularly (or something like that).”

This is ok, but it is a little too operational and should be cleaned up.

This hits the mark as it transcends operational loopholes. We all agree that the management across all boundaries are the responsibility of the team, not just the slice that each Associate Director "Manages"

A Harvard Business Review article on Accountability stressed the following:

In the weakest teams, there is no accountability
In mediocre teams, bosses are the source of accountability
In high performance teams, peers manage the vast majority of performance problems with one another

https://hbr.org/2014/05/the-best-teams-hold-themselves-accountable/

Your A Team, when functioning at its best, holds each person responsible for his/her actions.

Set expectations. Let new team members know up front that they are expected to hold you and others accountable.

Set an “It takes two to escalate” policy. If your team struggles with lots of escalations to the boss, set a policy that “it takes two to escalate.” In other words, both peers need to agree they can’t resolve it at their level before you bring it to your boss.

Create team values (based on personal & organizational)
Develop guiding principles as a team that reflect core agreed upon values
Set aside regular time for strategic conversations
Setup roles on who does what in collaborations
Spend time together - busy schedules cannot be an excuse
Have fun together - whatever this might look like
Group training - engage in training exercises together

We meet for 3 hours every week. We have guiding principles that we review, assess and grade ourselves annually. Our strategic topics are first on our agenda, operational topics come last. Each meeting we define a facilitator & note taker on a rotating basis. We still fail on all of these and we’re 6+ years in the making. Instituting this kind of team takes commitment and an understanding that the work doesn’t end.

Ok so you're amped up now, ready to start building you own A team. You've had the hard conversations, started building trust and as a result you've seen common goal setting and personal accountability. The world is your oyster! And then the day to day grind sets in and falling back into old habits beckons. Here's the real secret - committing to building a collaborative leadership team demands that you re-visit these conversations over and over and over again.

Sounds like a lot of work, we know. Just as there is nothing better than that first sip of perfectly balanced brew on a hot summer day - there is nothing better than being a part of a leadership team that engages in the hard work every day to make your organization a more positive and productive place.