Forming the Team
The problem statement needs to be defined in terms of what kinds of expertise may be needed. The team leader may have a perspective on the problem to be solved that is complemented by the team members' point of view. To avoid focusing on a potential solution fields prematurely, it is helpful to use a group whose skills bracket the full range of the problem area. For a product development problem a team can include designers, material scientists, industrial engineers, marketing people, intellectual property lawyers, and experts on user issues. Definition of the problem objective in clearly stated terms is necessary to communicate to team members the requirements that a solution needs to meet. It is likely that there are several fields where solutions could be found and the problem solving team needs to prioritize them.
Team members need to be selected not only for the expertise that they can bring but also as for the diversity in their background and thinking styles. There can be some overlap in disciplines, especially if one is a starter and another is a finisher. Team members should also be scheduled for their availability and their role desired. A team member that is already overcommitted may have trouble making a contribution to the problem solving team. One way to resolve problems in time commitments is to structure the team into a core team with consultants that are on call. The core team can focus on possible solutions while the consultants can be called upon at certain critical times during the project. Another solution is to use an outside consultant as a team member to replace or supplement the capabilities from a potential team member with possible time conflicts.
When forming a problem solving team, the team leader needs to clearly communicate the needs for the team members. These needs include: the type of problem, whether or not further definition of the problem is needed, the desired result, the type of team role being sought, the time period of the commitment being sought, and the learning benefit to the potential team member. Selection and motivation of potential team members is also a key step in the process of forming a team.
For the formation of a successful team, finding the prospective team member's development interests and explaining how participation on the problem solving team addresses those interests will help build individual commitment. The team leader also reminds potential team members of the team ethics: to share a commitment to teach and share information. The team leader motivates each potential team member by visualization of the benefits of success a positive result will have for the individual's portfolio.
Balancing Team and Individual Needs
In order to balance the team and individual needs, the leader needs to establish team rules and roles for the team members. In addition to the basic commitment to teach and share information, other team ethics include:
1. know where you are on the problem solving journey
2. commit to possibility thinking (versus impossibility thinking) when roadblocks appear
3. focus on the project targets (which should be clearly defined)
4. never commit to a task unless you plan to complete it
5. know when to ask for help in an assigned task and find resources to complete it
6. make yourself available for helping other team members with their tasks
The team leader at times is like a conductor of an orchestra and at other times a substitute or mentor for a player. To successfully complete a project, work styles and communication needs of the individual team members must to balanced against the needs of the team as a whole (i.e. project goals). A consensus is required on communication channels and formats, frequency and distribution, and frequency and duration of team meetings. If the majority of the potential team members use email, then it is reasonable to use email as a primary communication channel. If one team member is acting as a consultant, then the communications need to be filtered so that person is acting on the most relevant information. The team member experience, project complexity, project status, and interim communication requirements will determine frequency of team meetings. Team meetings can be used both as reporting and brainstorming sessions.
The best team leaders make it appear that their role is minimal. How the work is assigned, completed, and reported depends on the abilities of the team members and their relative experience in working with teams. The team leader will, if possible, select potential members with a range of team experiences. As possible, based on how the problem definition stage operates, team members may volunteer for assignments based on interest and skills and help to recruit other team members and consultants as needed. The team leader needs to communicate to the members taking on tasks that while there may not be one right way to complete this task, it needs to be completed well within the schedule and the budget. Inputs from the team will likely shape the approach to a task to be completed. It is useful to know whether team members are readers or listeners and make the best use of this information. While it is likely that a mixture of styles exist, avoid asking listeners to take on documentation tasks by themselves or asking a reader to take on a listening task by themselves.
Pulling it Together
Putting the pieces of completed work together and eliciting every team member's best contribution is a balancing act between leadership and management. The team needs to communicate assertively with each other and the team leader to be certain the project is staying on the right track and avoiding activities that waste resources. Each team member needs to handle incoming communications as needed and respond and/or act on them.
Recognition for individual and team contributions needs to be ongoing rather than only after a successful project is completed. Recognition is not just plaques and certificates. There are many creative ways to recognize progress and outstanding performance. The team leader needs to know what constitutes motivating recognition for the team members but not overdo it.
Over the duration of a project, team members should learn and improve their abilities to contribute. A post-project review with a team can also be an important development exercise for determining what team approaches work well and what approaches didn't work as well that could be modified. Team members can take the improved team skills into their next team engagement.
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