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The Super Teams Pack
The pack for clarifying the team’s strengths,
story and road to success
* Introduction.
* The Team’s Strengths.
* The Team’s Chosen Way Forward.
* The Team’s Story, Strategy and Road to Success.
* The Team’s Road Map.
* The Team Member’s Contributions to achieving The Picture of Success.
* The Team’s Progress towards achieving The Picture of Success.
* The Team’s People.
Contents
Super teams are special. They often start by building on their strengths, setting specific goals and clarifying their picture of success. They then translate this into a clear story, strategy and road to success.
Everybody knows what mountain they are climbing, why they are climbing it and how they will reach the summit. They know who will be delivering what and by when.
Super teams are made up of people who want to be positive, professional and peak performers. They choose to opt in and make clear contracts about their best contribution towards achieving the goals.
Introduction
Super teams then perform superb work and find solutions to challenges. They do whatever is required to achieve the picture of success.
----------
The following slides provide a framework that you can use to continue to build a super team. Please take the material and use this in your own way.
Story Strategy
Success
Super teams often start by building on their strengths and clarifying their picture of success. They then translate this into a clear story, strategy and road to success.
Super Teams
The Super Team’s
Strengths
Super teams build on their strengths and their successful style of working. They clarify their perfect customers and how they can help these people to succeed.
This section provides tools for clarifying the team’s strengths. It starts with the Success Stories and then clarifies its Strengths.
Some teams skip this step and move straight to the story. That is one option. But clarifying your strengths can provide the foundation for achieving success.
Introduction
There are many tools you can use to go through these steps. The following slides illustrate one approach you may wish to consider. It invites you: * To clarify the specific activities in which the team
delivers – or has the potential to deliver - As, rather than Bs or Cs. * To clarify the team’s ‘perfect customers’ and the
challenges these customers face. * To clarify how the team can use its strengths to
help these customers to succeed.
Here are the exercises on these themes.
The Super Team’s Strengths
Learning From When It Performs Brilliantly
So how can you find a team’s strengths – where it delivers As, rather than Bs or Cs?
One approach is to explore its positive history and when it has performed brilliantly. The team’s talents can be found in a combination of ‘What’ it delivered, ‘How’ it was delivered and to ‘Whom’. These provide clues to the team’s strengths and successful style.
So when has the team performed brilliantly? What have been its success stories?
What did people do right then to perform outstanding work? What were the principles they followed? How did they translate these into action?
Try tackling the exercise on this theme.
* Describe the specific times when the team has performed brilliantly.
* Looking at each example in turn, describe the specific things that people did right to perform great work.
Start by focusing on:
- The specific strengths they showed.
- The specific strategies they followed.
- The specific skills they used.
Describe the specific things they did to translate these into action and deliver great work.
The specific times when the team performed brilliantly were:
1) When
The specific things that people did right then to perform brilliantly were:
* They
For example:
* They
For example:
* They
For example:
2) When
The specific things that people did right then to perform brilliantly were:
* They
For example:
* They
For example:
* They
For example:
3) When
The specific things that people did right then to perform brilliantly were:
* They
For example:
* They
For example:
* They
For example:
The Super Team’s Strengths
Where It Delivers As, rather than Bs or Cs
Bearing in mind the answers from the previous exercise, move on to describing what you believe to be the team’s strengths.
* Describe the specific activities – the projects, services, products or other activities – where
the team delivers, or has the potential to deliver, As to customers. So you may wish to focus on:
- The specific ways it helps customers to achieve success.
- The specific kind of strategic inputs, services or products it provides to help customers
to achieve success.
- The specific types of projects where it does greatwork to help customers to succeed.
- The specific results it has delivered for customers.
The team’s strengths go beyond ‘What’ it offers. They are often contained in the ‘How’ it delivers these things. Combining these strengths and successful style can help to define the team’s specific contribution to helping customers to achieve success.
The following exercise is in two parts. It invites you:
* To describe where the team delivers As and give examples of where it has done this in the past.
* To describe where the team has the potential to deliver As and give reasons why you believe this may be possible.
The specific activities – the projects, services, products, tasks or other activities - where the
team consistently delivers As to customers are:
1)
The specific examples of when it has demonstrated this in the past have been:
*
*
*
2)
The specific examples of when it has demonstrated this in the past have been:
*
*
*
3)
The specific examples of when it has demonstrated this in the past have been:
*
*
*
The specific activities where the team may have the potential to deliver As are:
1)
The reasons for saying this – the examples and evidence - are:
*
*
*
The Super Team’s Strengths – Where It Has The Potential To Deliver As
2) To
The reasons for saying this – the examples and evidence - are:
*
*
*
The Super Team’s Specific Customers
So who are the team’s perfect customers? Who are the kinds of customers with whom it works best?
This may main focusing on customers with certainly ‘personality types’. For example, the team might work best with pacesetters, established companies or those in a certain sector. Certainly it may not always be possible to work with the preferred customers, but it is useful to know the characteristics of such people.
Getting the right match means that the team and the customer start off at 7/10. They often have shared values. This helps them clarify a shared vision, work well together and deliver visible results.
How to clarify the preferred kind of customer? One approach is to look back at when the team has done great work.
* What were the personality styles of the key people with whom they worked?
* How would you describe the customer’s culture?
* How did the team and customer work well together to get positive results?
Bearing these answers in mind - plus adding other qualities that may be important – do two things.
* Describe the team’s perfect customers.
* Describe the specific goals these customers want to achieve in their work and the challenges they face.
The type of customer or the customer’s name is:
1)
The specific goals they want to achieve are:
*
*
*
The specific challenges they face are:
*
*
*
The type of customer or the customer’s name is:
2)
The specific goals they want to achieve are:
*
*
*
The specific challenges they face are:
*
*
*
The type of customer or the customer’s name is:
3)
The specific goals they want to achieve are:
*
*
*
The specific challenges they face are:
*
*
*
The Super Team’s Specific Contribution
We are now coming to the key point. We have covered:
* The team’s specific strengths and successful style of working.
* The team’s specific customers – together with the customer’s goals and the challenges they face.
It is now time to move on to:
* The team’s specific contribution – the specific things it can deliver to help the customers to achieve success.
Try completing the following exercise. Bearing in mind the team’s strengths, describe the specific things it can deliver to help the customers to reach their goals. Follow this by describing the specific benefits for the customers.
The specific things the team can deliver to help its customers to succeed are:
1) To
For example:
*
*
*
2) To
For example:
*
*
*
3) To
For example:
*
*
*
The specific benefits to the customers of delivering these things will be:
*
*
*
The Benefits
This section has explored the team’s strengths and successful style of working. It is also focused on its perfect customers and the specific contribution it can make to help them to achieve success.
This approach enables the team to learn from its positive history. It can clarify the principles it followed to do great work and explore how to follow these more in the future.
Super teams start by building on their strengths. They then translate these into a clear story, strategy and road to success. This will take us on to the next exercise.
Conclusion
The Super Team -
Pursuing Its Chosen Route Forward
Introduction
Bearing in mind the work you have done previously on the team’s strengths, this exercise invites you and, if appropriate, your colleagues to do the following things.
* Describe the possible routes the team can follow in the future.
The team may be able, for example, to choose from some of the following options.
- To simply carry on what it is doing now.
- To build on on its strengths and work with certain kinds of customers.
- To build on its strengths and develop the new business whilst continuing to work with its
present customers.
- To concentrate fully on certain activities and then sell the business.
- Or whatever.
* Describe the pluses and minuses of each option.
* Describe the attractiveness of each route. Do this on a scale 0 – 10.
Again, you can do this by yourself as a leader or involve key colleagues. If the latter, invite people to give their individual view on the attractiveness of each option.
People often start this exercise by listing the obvious options, but then explore other possibilities. Encourage them to do this. For example, is it possible to combine the best parts of each road into a new option? What other options are there?
* Discuss the various options.
Imagine that you and your colleagues have done the previous parts of the exercise either individually or
collectively. It is now time:
- To discuss the various options with a view to agreeing on the way forward.
- To, when discussing the options, build on what you have in common.
It is okay with healthy debate, but finally it will be important to move to the final step.
* Describe the team’s preferred route.
Describe the route that people would like to see the team travel.
Let’s assume that you and your colleagues have been able:
* To clarify the possible routes the team can travel in the future.
* To clarify the pluses and minuses – and attractiveness – of each route.
* To build on what you have in common and clarify the agreed way forward.
It will then be time to translate this route into a clear story, strategy and road to success. That will take us to the next step.
The Super Team’s Possible Options
The following slides give an opportunity to sketch out the team’s possible options – the routes it can take going forwards.
The first slide gives an overview of what the final options may look like from above. But start by describing each of the options in detail on each of the slides that follow. You can then return to the overview and decide which route to follow.
The Team’s Possible Options
Pluses: ___
Minuses: ___
____ / 10
The attractiveness rating of each of these options is:
The Possible Routes The Team Can Follow In The Future Are:
Pluses: ___
Minuses: ___
____ / 10
Pluses: ___
Minuses: ___
____ / 10
C
* To _______
A
* To ______
B
* To ______
The Possible Routes The Team Can
Follow In The Future
a) To
The pluses will be:
*
*
*
The potential minuses may be:
*
*
*
The Attractiveness Rating is: _____ / 10
b) To
The pluses will be:
*
*
*
The potential minuses may be:
*
*
*
The Attractiveness Rating is: _____ / 10
c) To
The pluses will be:
*
*
*
The potential minuses may be:
*
*
*
The Attractiveness Rating is: _____ / 10
d) To
The pluses will be:
*
*
*
The potential minuses may be:
*
*
*
The Attractiveness Rating is: _____ / 10
e) To
The pluses will be:
*
*
*
The potential minuses may be:
*
*
*
The Attractiveness Rating is: _____ / 10
This section to be completed after all the options have been discussed
The Super Team’s Preferred Route
The Specific Route We Would Like The Team To Follow In The Future Is:
* To
The pluses of following this route will be:
*
*
*
The Team’s Preferred Route
The potential minuses may be:
*
*
*
The specific things we can do to build on the pluses and minimise the minuses are:
*
*
*
Let’s assume that you and your colleagues have been able:
* To clarify the possible routes the team can travel in the future.
* To clarify the pluses and minuses – and attractiveness – of each route.
* To build on what you have in common and clarify the agreed way forward.
It will then be time to translate this route into a clear story, strategy and road to success. This takes us to the next step.
Conclusion
The Super Team’s Story
The Story, Strategy and Road To Success
Super teams build on their strengths. They then translate these into a clear story, strategy and road to success. People can choose to opt in and make clear contracts about their contribution towards achieving the goals.
They perform superb work and find creative solutions to challenges. Super teams do whatever is required to achieve the picture of success.
This section provides tools for clarifying the team’s story, strategy and road to success. Start by defining what you see as the team’s purpose – the specific thing the team really wants to do. You can then clarify:
Introduction
* The ‘What’.
The specific goals to achieve and the picture of success.
* The ‘Why’.
The benefits of reaching these goals.
* The ‘How’.
The key strategies to follow to achieve the goals.
* The ‘Who’.
The responsibilities of various people in working to achieve these goals.
* The ‘When’.
The specific things that will be happening and when along the road towards achieving the picture of success.
Several points are worth bearing in mind when writing the story. It is good:
- To decide for whom you are writing the story.
If you are a leader, you may initially write the story for your internal team. This will ensure everybody knows the team’s goal.
- To write the story by yourself or, if you wish, to involve other key people at various stages.
- To stay true to the spirit of the story but then, if you wish, also adapt and communicate it in a way that resonates with other groups of people.
Some Points To Bear In Mind About The Road Map
The Road Map is the ‘When’ part of the story. This will become your ongoing working document. So it is vital to craft it with care.
Several things are worth remembering when making the road map.
* Start from the destination and work backwards.
Start by picking a date in the future. Describe the specific goal you want the team to achieve by that date.
Also describe the specific things that will be happening then that will show you have achieved the goal.
* Dating the road map
Start at the top of the ‘Dates’ column and put the end date. Then work backwards towards the present day.
You may want to break up the road map into quarters or other suitable periods. Finish at the bottom of the Road Map where it says ‘Today’.
This ‘starting from the destination’ approach is used on many successful projects. It encourages people to keep focusing on the end goal.
* Choose a suitable template for ‘chunking’ the goals.
The following pages use the 3Ps framework – Profits, Products – including customer satisfaction – and People. You can use this or your own template.
* Bring the road map to life with quotations.
Describe the actual words you would like to hear people saying at various stages of the journey.
These can be quotes from leaders, customers, colleagues or whoever.
----------
So here are the slides for the Story and Road to Success.
The Team’s Story
The ‘What, Why,
How, Who and When’
The purpose of our team – the specific thing we really want to do - is:
* We want to …
Introduction
The goal we want to achieve by ___ is:
* To
The specific things that will be happening then that will show we have reached the goal will be:
Profits
*
*
*
The ‘What’ – The Picture of Success
Products
*
*
*
People
*
*
*
The benefits of reaching the goals will be:
For the company
*
*
*
The ‘Why’
For the customers
*
*
*
For the colleagues
*
*
*
The key strategies we can follow to give ourselves the greatest chance of success are:
Profits
* To
* To
* To
The ‘How’
Products
* To
* To
* To
People
* To
* To
* To
The leadership team’s responsibilities in working to achieve the goals are:
* To
* To
* To
The ‘Who’
The managers’ responsibilities in working to achieve the goals are:
* To
* To
* To
The colleagues’ responsibilities in work to achieve the goals are:
* To
* To
* To
The ‘When’ – The Team’s Road Map Towards
Achieving The Picture of Success
The ‘one line’ specific goal our team wants to achieve by the end of the year is:
* To
The specific goals we aim to achieve by _____ are:
Profits*
*
*
‘Products’ *
*
*
People*
*
*
The Team’s Overall Goals
The following pages describe what must be delivered each quarter towards reaching these overall goals.
One key point. The totals under each heading for each quarter should be cumulative. This is illustrated below with Profits, but do it with each heading. For example:
Q4. Profits £1 millionQ3. Profits £750kQ2. Profits £500kQ1. Profits £250k
This just lists the headline under Profits, but it could be broken down into more detail. Suggest that you have at least three bullet points of deliverables under each of Profits, Products and People. This helps to flesh out the road map.
Q4
Profits
*
*
*
Products
*
*
*
People
*
*
*
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
Milestones. The specific things that we will have achieved by then will be:
Quotes. The words we want to hear people
saying then are:
Q3Profits
*
*
*
Products
*
*
*
People
*
*
*
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
Q2Profits
*
*
*
Products
*
*
*
People
*
*
*
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
Q1Profits
*
*
*
Products
*
*
*
People
*
*
*
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
“______________”
The Organisation’s Road Map to Success
The Team’s Road Map The Team’s Road Map The Team’s Road Map
The Individual’s
Contribution
The Individual’s
Contribution
The Individual’s
Contribution
The Individual’s
Contribution
The Individual’s
Contribution
The Individual’s
Contribution
Imagine that you have presented the story, strategy and road to success to your people.
One approach is to ask if there are any questions.
Another is to invite people to form groups. They then make flip charts that gather their responses to the story under the following headings – see next slides.
Give them 15 minutes to complete the sections.
If appropriate, go round to take a look at the themes that emerge. This gives you chance to collect your thoughts regarding how to answer the points.
Getting Responses To The Story
Invite each group to then give the headlines of their responses.
Try to address the points as honestly as possible. It is, of course, okay to say that you are not prepared to answer a particular question or that you will get back later with the answer.
There may be other questions that people would like to ask individually. Tell them to talk with you or their manager.
People will not take in all the information at once, but it is important that they understand the overall direction the team is taking and the reasons for this approach.
Like. The things we like about the story and strategy are:
*
*
*Additions. The possible additions to the story
and strategy that may be worth considering are:
*
*
*
Responses To The Story
Questions and Concerns. The questions we have and the possible concerns are:
*
*
Rating The Chances Of Success.
The rating we would give regarding the chances of success of delivering the goals is: ____ / 10
The specific things we believe could be done to increase the chances of success are:
*
*
The Team Member’s Contribution Towards Achieving
The Picture of Success
This section provides a framework that each team member can use to make clear contracts about their best contribution to achieving the team’s goals.
It invites them to refer to the team’s aims and covers their own ‘What, Why, How and When’. This takes time to complete, but encourages them to think through their contribution.
Please note. The exercise focuses on what they are going to ‘deliver’, rather than simply ‘do’. This encourages a culture of ‘managing by outcomes’, rather than managing by tasks.
Introduction
The exercise encourages them to clarify:
* The ‘What’ – the specific results they will deliver.
* The ‘Why’ – the benefits of achieving these results.
* The ‘How’ – the key strategies they will follow to deliver the results.
They can focus on the key strategies, rather than simply list a series of tasks; the support required and how they will keep their manager – and any other key people - informed of their progress towards the goals.
* The ‘When’ – the specific things they will deliver and by when.
They can then meet with their manager to agree on clear working contracts and make a summary called ‘My Agreed Goals’.
This is the one piece of paper they can keep referring back to when focusing on outcomes, rather than tasks.
My Contribution
The following pages outline my contribution towards achieving the team’s goals. This to be agreed with my manager.
Bearing in mind the team’s picture of success – and also my own strengths - the specific results I want to
deliver towards achieving the goals by _____ are:
1) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
The ‘What’
2) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
3) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
The benefits of reaching the goals will be:
For the company
*
*
*
For the customers
*
*
*
The ‘Why’
For the team and colleagues
*
*
*
For other people – including myself
*
*
*
The ‘How’
The key strategies I will follow to deliver the results will be:
1) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
2) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
3) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
The Support
The specific support I would like in order to be able to deliver the results would be:
1) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
2) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
3) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
The Progress Reports
The specific things I will do to proactively keep my manager and other people informed about
my progress towards achieving the goals will be:
1) To
2) To
3) To
The specific things that will be happening – and when – that will show I have delivered the results will include some of the following things.
1)
This will be delivered by: ______.
2)
This will be delivered by: ______.
3)
This will be delivered by: ______.
The ‘When’
This section to be completed after the discussion with my manager.
This sheet summarises the goals I will deliver towards the team’s picture of success.
It is key the document we will keep referring to in our regular updates. It may, of course, evolve during the year.
My Agreed Contribution
The specific results I will deliver towards achieving the team’s picture of success by _____ are:
1) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
My Agreed Goals
2) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
3) To
For example:
* To
* To
* To
The Super Team’s
Updates
The progress that we are making towards
achieving the picture of success
Introduction
This section provides a framework that the team members – or various teams with the team – can use to report progress towards achieving the goals.
It suggests giving these updates every month. But you may choose another time frame. People can give updates on the following themes.
* Successes in the Past Month.
* Successes in the Next Month.
Successes In The Past Month
The specific results I/We have delivered in the past month towards achieving the picture of success have been:
*
*
*
What Went Well
The specific things I/We did right to deliver some of these results – with concrete examples - were:
*
*
*
The specific things I/We can to do follow these principles more in the future – together with concrete examples - are:
*
*
*
What Can Be Even Better
Looking back at the past month, the specific things I/We can do even better in the future – and how - are:
*
*
*
Successes In The Next Month
The specific things I/We plan to deliver in the next month towards achieving the team’s picture of success are:
*
*
*
The Green, Amber and Red Pack
Keeping track of what is happening on the road towards achieving success
Introduction
Super teams ensure that people keep others up-to-date on what is happening on the road towards success.
One approach is to have a dedicated room or other place that shows the state of play with everything to do with the profits, products – including customers - people and projects.
People can then flag up what is currently in the Green, Amber and Red Zones. They can also suggest want can be done to maintain or improve what is happening in these areas.
Green Zone
Amber Zone
Red Zone
* The Green Zone.
These are the things that are going well. It is important to keep building on these things. For example, you may find that giving even more attention to customers who like you may result in creating even more business.
People can list what is presently in the green zone. They can also describe how to maintain or improve these things.
* The Amber Zone.
These are the things where there are warning signs or need improvement. People can list what is presently in the amber zone. They can also describe how to improve these things.
* The Red Zone.
These are the things that are going badly. They need radical improvements or key decisions to be taken. People can list what is presently in the red zone. They can also describe how to improve these things.
Setting up your Green, Amber and Red Zone Room
Some super teams have a dedicated room where:
* They show the team’s Picture of Success and the road map towards achieving these goals.
* They have three charts headed Green, Amber and Red.
* They invite people to use Post-Its or another form of recording to continually flag up everything that is
currently in the Green, Amber or Red Zones.
People also suggest what can be done to build on the Green and, as far as possible, shift the Amber and
Red into the Green.
The next slides provide a framework you can use for each of these categories. But you will obviously do this in your own way.
The key is for people to stay ahead of the game. They are to proactively keep others informed about what is in the Green, Amber and Red Zones on the way towards achieving the picture of success.
The goal we want to achieve by _________ is:
* To ____________________________________________
The specific things that will be happening then that will show we have reached the goal will be:
Profits
***
‘Products’ ***
People***
The Picture of Success
The Green Zone
1)
2)
3)
The specific things that are in the Green Zone at the moment are:
1)
2)
3)
The specific things we can do to maintain or build on these things are:
The Amber Zone
1)
2)
3)
The specific things that are in the Amber Zone at the moment are:
The specific things we can do to improve these things are:
1)
2)
3)
The Red Zone
1)
2)
3)
The specific things that are in the Red Zone at the moment are:
1)
2)
3)
The specific things we can doto improve or make
decisions about these things are:
The Team’s People
The qualities often shown by people in a super team
Great teams are often made up of people who have ‘similarity of spirit’ and ‘diversity of strengths’. This section describes the qualities often shown by people in super teams. You will have your own view of:
* The spirit you want people to demonstrate.
* The strengths and skills you want people to demonstrate.
* The steps you can take to build a super team in which people demonstrate these qualities.
The section concludes with an exercise that invites you to describe the spirit and qualities you want people to show in your team.
Introduction
Diversity of strengths
Similarity of spirit
Super teams are based on:
* They often aim to be positive, professional and peak performers.
* They choose to be positive, rather than negative.
They choose to take responsibility, rather than avoid responsibility.
They recognise that they – and others – make choices and each choice has consequences.
They ‘control the controllables’. They build on what they can control and manage what they can’t.
People In Super Teams
* They build on their strengths and manage the consequences of their weaknesses.
They build on their As and manage the consequences of their Bs and Cs.
They know how to use their strengths to help potential sponsors – such as a company, customers or colleagues - to achieve success.
* They choose to be professional.
They make clear contracts about their best contribution towards helping the team to achieve its picture of success.
They ‘play back’ the results to achieve and double-check these with their sponsors. They often produce some quick successes.
* They perform superb work.
They always do the basics and then add the brilliance.
They deliver great service and help their sponsors to achieve success.
* They find creative solutions to challenges.
They focus on clarity, creativity and concrete results. They manage setbacks successfully.
They encourage and enable other people to achieve ongoing success.
* They achieve peak performance.
They are good finishers and achieve the goals.
They do whatever is required to ensure the team achieves success.
They produce success stories that enable other people to learn from the experience.
They are committed to constant improvement.
This is one approach. You will have your own list of qualities that you want people to demonstrate.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on the next page that invites you to describe these qualities.
The Super Team’s People
The Spirit – the attitudes, behaviours and qualities – we want to see people in the team demonstrate are:
1) To
For example:
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*
*
2) To
For example:
*
*
*
3) To
For example:
*
*
*
These materials provide one approach to building super teams. Please take the ideas you like these and use these in your own way. If you want any more background to the materials, please contact me at:
The Super Teams Pack - Conclusion
