There is something undeniably magical and uplifting when your business team is operating at their maximum potential and everyone else in the business can see it and feel it…and wonder how on earth, why? I am a strong believer that as a leader you are only as good as your team – and having been blessed with some “dream teams” I have realised that the common thread in all these teams was this sense of collective energy and excitement that builds day-by-day as you come to really know and value what every single person brings to the table. And regardless of the daunting tasks, challenges at hand and late nights…there is that anticipation of knowing that whatever comes your way when you step into that office the next day, that the team can also step-up and it can be tackled. It doesn’t happen all the time in teams as we all know and so when it does it’s pure magic and it’s palpable. And this applies to both a virtual team and on-site team. And so what makes a dream team? In my experience, here are the things that normally happen:
1. The opportunity to identify with something much larger than ourselves and feeling part of a greater endeavour. I experienced this a couple of years ago in Singapore in my regional HR team where we could all fully be ourselves. A team of 9 different nationalities all operating within strong cultural nuances and ways of doing things. And in this team setting, we gradually came to realise with head, heart and gut, that “different from” does not automatically mean “better than” or “worse than”. (Thornton, 2010:49) We simply became more of who we are in the process of smashing goals and more able to be our authentic selves. And then of course it’s this close contact with others that enhances our self-awareness to be a good team player in a multi-cultural setting.
2. There is the amplification of learning responses in the team (Thornton,2010:6). A dream team develops the maturity to support an enjoyable, structured and regular opportunity to reflect on our work practices, to access the rich wisdom of the team and to support colleagues in a safe and confidential environment. What then happens is a wonderful development of flexibility through direct and repeated contact with each other’s different views and opinions. Groups operating this way are clearly powerful sources of learning, because the resources of the whole group are available to the individual members. (Thornton,2010: 49) And knowing how we create each other’s world, we can develop a stronger sense of responsibility. ( Senge,1994:231)
3. The ability of peers to correct and challenge each other in a direct and natural way. This factor becomes a natural extension of how we learned, operated and supported each other and especially when faced with the pressures of business realities, including unpalatable ones. (Thornton, 2010:7)
4. Humour. Never underestimate the power of humour…and how dream teams can over time develop, nurture and inculcate their own brand of humour….which to the outside world can look quite perplexing….though on the inside it is the invisible tie that binds during the really tough organisation times.
Having these factors in place can truly enable people’s finest thinking.