Team  Orienta+on  Process™  

Execu+ve  Summary  Ge8ng  more  done  with  others  over  whom  you  have  no  control  may  be  the  most  important  skill  to  develop.    The  steps  in  the  Team  Orienta+on  Process  are  proven  to  give  a  group  of  people  the  best  chance  of  coming  together  as  a  high  performance  team.    Accomplish  each  step  in  dialog  among  team  members.    The  same  list  has  been  found  to  be  worth  re-­‐visi+ng  any  +me  a  team  has  lost  energy  or  direc+on  and  needs  re-­‐orien+ng.    

Step  0.  Take  100%  Responsibility    Only  one  person  can  ensure  you  have  a  great  team  experience.    Take  Responsibility  for:  •  being  on  a  great  team  •  deserving  to  be  on  a  great  team  •  knowing  how  teams  get  built  (and  

how  they  don’t)  

Team  Orienta+on  Process  

1.  The  TASK  is  the  reason  

Facilitate  shared  clarity  about  the  team’s  task,  purpose,  or  assignment:  •  Ask  the  team’s  sponsor  what  is  wanted  

and  expected  of  the  team  •  Dialog  with  team  members  un+l  they  reach  

complete  shared  clarity  about  what  group  output  (not  individual  output)  is  expected.  

2.  Surface  Member  MOTIVATION  Align  individual  and  team  outcomes:  •  Ask  each  team  member  to  clarify  what  is  in  it  

for  them  (beyond  a  paycheck)  •  Acknowledge  that  unique  personal  outcomes  

are  held  by  each  team  member  •  Explore  poten+al  compe+ng  loyal+es  or  

commitments  between  the  role  on  this  team  and  other  responsibili+es  

•  Invite  the  group  to  commit  to  support  each  member  in  ge8ng  their  individual  outcomes.  

3.  Promote  Team  AGREEMENTS  Make  and  keep  agreements:  •  With  the  team,  develop  5  to  9  

behavioral  (i.e.,  observable)  agreements  team  members  vow  to  abide  by  in  dealings  with  each  other  

•  Consider  mee+ng  frequency,  procedures,  and  roles;  workload  distribu+on;  communica+on  policy;  problem  solving  policy;  conflict  resolu+on  policy;  etc.  

4.  Clear  and  Eleva+ng  Goal  To  cra]  a  clear  and  eleva+ng  goal:  •  Understand  the  TASK  is  what  must  be  

done;  the  GOAL  is  what  makes  it  worth  doing  

•  Listen  for  the  emergence  of  a  stretch  goal  that  energizes  the  team  to  complete  the  task  AND  delivers  on  each  of  the  individual  outcomes  

•  Such  a  goal  will  o]en  emerge  from  the  storming  phase  

5.  Discover  what  PEOPLE  bring  Inventory  team  resources:  •  Ask  each  team  member  to  

discuss  what  they  can  bring  to  the  team  in  terms  of  skill,  experience,  contacts,  exper+se,  etc.    

•  Reinforce  how  each  member’s  gi]s  can  bring  value  

Team Orientation

Process

(abbreviated)

Think  about  it  As  a  leader…    Knowing  how  to  get  more  done  with  others  may  be  your  most  important  skill.    Do  you  have  a  proven  and  repeatable  process  for  building  any  team  any  +me?    Do  you  lead  in  such  a  way  that  people  want  to  share  responsibility  with  you  to  get  the  project  done?    Read  more:  Teamwork  Is  An  Individual  Skill:  Ge6ng  Your  Work  Done  When  Sharing  Responsibility,  Christopher  Avery    ©  2015  Partnerwerks  Inc.  All  Rights  Reserved