Back to all posts
I worked on a dream team.
It wasn’t because of the company I worked for, though I was proud of that too (Pfizer). It wasn’t because the people I worked with had impressive titles or were famous.
It was a dream team because we could share anything that was on our mind.
If I disagreed
… I respectfully shared it.
If I had an idea that felt a bit crazy
… I wasn’t afraid to bring it up.
If I had a concern with the way things were going
… I didn’t even wait until our next meeting to speak my mind.
We didn’t do everything I spoke up about, but I did feel safe enough to bring things up to be considered.
And we often changed directions and made different decisions, due to this diverse thinking. We ended up in a better, stronger place – every time.
"A team is more than a collection of people. It is a process of give and take."
I had been on many teams. Many. But this was the first team where I truly felt like what I would imagine an ideal team would feel like.
Respectful. Engaging. Intellectually stimulating. Exciting. Fun!
Amy Edmondson, a Harvard professor, coined this “psychological safety”. We felt safe enough to say what we thought would help the team – even if it felt risky.
What made this team different?
Well, we actually didn’t have a “team lead” on this team. We saw each other as equals and created this environment together. Each one of us worked to be the teammate we wanted in each other.
We led our own reactions.
We led our own responses.
We were a collective group of leaders.
But sometimes, as Innovative Leaders, you have to be the one to initiate and create this. As a leader, you create what you want to see in the world. And this includes a team environment… a team culture.
Even if you’re not the “team lead” – you can lead how your team interacts. You can model the actions you want to see in others.
Want to create this in your team? Here are 7 strategies we applied:
1// Create a team charter.
We discussed what was important to us in daily interactions and conversations. This goes beyond how often you’re going to meet or how you’re going to communicate, like email or slack. We identified values and then gave examples of what those looked like.
2// Set aside the need to be right.
We had plenty of debates, but the goal of the debate was to make the best decisions for the team. There were no hidden agendas or the need for an individual to prove their expertise. This changed the dynamic of our debates.
3// High self-awareness.
No one is perfect and high pressure can bring out the ‘worst’ in us. But the difference was each team member was very self-aware and could tell when their emotions were running high and shared this with the team. Being transparent about emotions not only to themselves but also to the team helped to manage reactions.
4// Have tough conversations.
We did not shy away from conflict. Just like new muscles require tough workouts to build and strengthen… relationships need the same. We built the strength of our team relationships with trust workouts, by talking about hard things together.
5// Assume positive intent.
I’ve found most interactions in the workplace are not intentionally hurtful. When an interaction doesn’t feel good, it’s usually because the impact didn’t match the intent. By assuming that the intent was positive, we can keep respect for the other person, allowing a way forward together.
6// Assign decision makers, not ideators.
Each team member held the authority for decision-making in their own expertise. However, anyone at any time could bring up ideas or question thinking with curiosity without someone becoming defensive. This allowed us to connect across borders of expertise and think big picture.
7// Be ok with changing decisions with new information.
As we had high respect for each other, we were always willing to listen to each other’s thinking, no matter if it aligned or conflicted with what we thought. We were open-minded and always looked for ‘better thinking’, making it ok to change our minds with a new perspective or information.
It’s easy to list these… but I have to be honest. They are not always easy to do. It takes practice.
But a team willing to practice together is a team that grows stronger together.
However, it takes someone willing to bring this up in the first place and keep it going.
An Innovative Leader, like you.
“A team is more than a collection of people. It is a process of give and take.”
– Barbara Glacel
Leadership Author & Executive Coach
