Great leaders recognise that they must stay in control of what is delivered – the organisation’s specific goals. At the same time, they will be judged by their people’s performance, rather than their own. It is therefore vital to encourage people to use their creativity to achieve the specific goals. How to square this circle? How to retain control yet also release people’s creativity? One way is to ensure that people feel they are running their own businesses with the larger business. These units must, of course, contribute to achieving the organisation’s specific goals.

Sounds hard, but it is relatively simple in practice. Imagine you a leading an organisation. Let’s explore three steps towards implementing this approach successfully.

1) You can communicate the organisation’s purpose, principles and what must be delivered in practice.

Ten years ago I worked with a far-sighted company that employed around 1000 people. The leadership team knew they could set the vision, but they would rely on their people to deliver peak performance. So they gave people ‘empowerment within parameters’. Gathering everybody together, they used the following framework to communicate their strategy.

Purpose

The purpose of our organisation – the specific thing we are here to do – is:

* To

The specific goals we want to deliver by ____ to fulfil this purpose are:

* To

* To

* To

Principles

The key principles we want people to follow to achieve this purpose are:

* To

* To

* To

Practice

The specific goals we want the various teams to deliver
towards achieving this purpose include, for example:

* To

* To

* To

After communicating this strategy, the leadership team moved onto the next stage. You would, of course, do this in your own way.

2) You can encourage people to make clear contracts about what they will deliver in practice.

How to make this happen? How to give people ‘empowerment within parameters’? The leadership team gave people the following messages.

“Every team will be expected to deliver specific goals that contribute to achieving the organisation’s goals. But you are experts in your field. So there may be other things you would like to add to – or refine - your team’s goals. Now comes a fundamental part. The way you work will - within parameters - be up to you. But you must show how what you practice supports the principles and contributes toward achieving the purpose. Bearing in mind the required outcomes – and other things you may want to achieve – it is then up to you:

a) To clarify your specific goals;

b) To show how delivering these things will follow the principles and contribute to the purpose;

c) To clarify the support you require to achieve success;

d) To meet with your manager and make clear contracts about your team’s specific contribution to the business.

“Bearing this approach in mind, you may want to consider using the following framework when presenting back to your manager.

Practice

The specific goals we want to deliver by _____ are:

* To

* To

* To

Principles and Purpose

The specific ways that delivering these will follow
the principles and contribute to the purpose are:

* To

* To

* To

The specific kinds of support we would like to help us to deliver success are:

* To

* To

* To

“Meet with your manager and agree on your working contracts. These should be written in ‘outcome terms’. In other words, describe what you will ‘deliver’, rather than ‘do’. Agree with your manager on how you will proactively keep them informed on the road towards reaching your goals. So your agreed goals may look something like the following.”

The team’s agreed contribution towards
achieving the organisation’s specific goals

The specific results we will deliver will be:

1) To

For example:

* To

* To

* To

2) To

For example:

* To

* To

* To

3) To

For example:

* To

* To

* To

3) You can manage by outcomes and ensure that people follow the principles and contribute to the purpose.

How do make sure things stay on track – and do this without micro-managing? One approach is to invite each team to make quarterly presentations. They are to present:

a) The specific things we have delivered in the last quarter towards achieving the agreed goals;

b) The specific things we plan to do in the next quarter;

c) The challenges we face and our plans for tackling these;

d) The support we need to achieve success.

Success breeds success. So compile success stories showing how people are following the principles and contributing to the purpose. Communicate these both inside and outside the business.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Imagine you are a leader. Describe the things you can do to encourage people to feel they are running their own businesses within the greater organisation. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to ensure that people feel they are
running their own businesses that contributes to the bigger business are:

*

*

*

Great organisations recognise that people like to feel in control. One approach to making this happen is to give people ‘empowerment within parameters’ - providing the deliver their agreed goals. They are then more likely to make their best contribution to helping the organisation to achieve its picture of success.

How can you recruit, retain and reward good people? The first step is obviously to ensure that everybody knows the team’s story, strategy and road to success. Telling the story is also vital when recruiting people. You can give candidates an overview of the ‘what, why, how, who and when’. Great teams ensure their people ‘know the deal’. People know: a) The employer’s role in working towards the goals; b) The employee’s role in working towards the goals. They can then decide whether they want to be part of the team. Let’s consider how you can work with people who want to bring the story to life.

1) You can employ people who embody the team’s story.

Great teams are made up of people who have ‘similarity of spirit’ and ‘diversity of strengths’. (Diversity of spirit is a recipe for disaster.) When looking at a present or prospective team member, ask yourself:

“Does this person embody the spirit of the team? Do they want to bring the values to life? Do they want to contribute to the team’s story? If so, how can we encourage them to make this happen?”

You are looking for characters, not clones. This calls for hiring people who are committed to maintaining the team’s balance between consistency and creativity. Great teams have people who follow the key principles in a consistent way. They then produce professional performances that always deliver at least 8/10. Such teams also encourage people to express their creativity at the right time. They can then produce peak performances – the 10/10. Looking at your team, do two things. First, write the names of the people who embody the team’s story. Second, describe the specific things they do to translate it into action.

Great teams recruit people who want to live the story, but this does not mean individuals must stay for the rest of their lives. Such teams often have a golden period when the individuals’ agendas align. There comes a time when some people want to move on - and that is okay. Great teams spot the signs early. They then recruit others who want to develop the story.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe the specific things you can do to recruit, reward and retain people who embody the team’s story. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to recruit, reward and
retain people who embody the team’s story are:

*

*

*

2) You can employ people who express the team’s story.

“Three years ago I took over a demoralised business,” said one MD. “After clarifying the future strategy, I spent the first year getting the right staff and building the right systems. This called for spending lots of time with the positive people. I encouraged them to stay and involved them in helping to shape the future. Within one year our performance was solid, but it wasn’t outstanding. So I encouraged people to build on strengths and find more ways to express their ‘A’ talents. That was when we began delivering top class work.”

‘Similarity of spirit’ is crucial: but so is ‘diversity of strengths’. Great teams start by providing a solid foundation. They then provide a framework within which people can express themselves. How does this work in your team? How can you encourage people to express their personalities? You may want to encourage them, for example:

· To build on their strengths - to spend more time focusing on where they deliver ‘As’, whilst managing the consequences of their ‘Bs’ or ‘Cs’.

· To use Appreciative Inquiry to clarify when they performed superb work, the principles they followed and how they can follow these more in the future.

· To use their personalities to provide great service – and add that touch of magic – that enables the customers to succeed.

Sometimes you may need to encourage people to think beyond the old cliché that: ‘There is no ‘I’ in team.’ Actually, there are lots of I’s in ‘team’. It just that people express these I’s in different ways towards building the word TEAM. (See below.) They use their personalities to encourage other team members and contribute towards achieving the team’s goal. They follow the key principles, perform superb work and ensure the team achieves peak performance.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at your team, describe how you can encourage people to express themselves on the way towards achieving the team’s goals. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can to do to encourage people to
use their personalities to express the team’s story are:

*

*

*

3) You can employ people who will enhance the team’s story.

Great leaders create and maintain the framework. They keep people’s eyes on the story, strategy and road to success. Such leaders also keep their eyes on both today’s and tomorrow’s business. This enables them to ‘surf the sigmoid curve’. They stay ahead of the game, spot opportunities and keep developing - rather than slide down the curve before taking action. Great teams take several steps towards making this happen.

- They continually look ahead, spend time with pacesetting customers and anticipate future scenarios.

- They ask themselves and their people: “Looking to the future, what are the challenges: a) For ourselves; b) For our customers? Bearing in mind our strengths, what are the opportunities? How can we help our customers to succeed? How can we enrich, energise and enhance our story? How can we continue to be successful?”

- They then do whatever is necessary to develop the story, strategy and road to success.

Great leaders may set the strategy, but they recognise it is people who bring it to life – both now and in the future. So they employ people who express today’s story whilst, in some cases, also being able to shape and enhance tomorrow’s story. This is always a fine balance – because it is vital to deliver today’s business whilst shaping tomorrow’s business.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking to the future, describe how you can employ people who will enhance the team’s story. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can to do to employ
people who will enhance the team’s story are:

*

*

*

There are many models for hiring great people. This article has focused on steps you can take to choose people who embody, express and enhance the team’s story. You will do this in your own way to continue building a superb team.

Imagine you are a leader. Your contribution will be judged by three things. First, by what you personally do. Second, by what your team delivers. Third, by the legacy you leave. The word ‘legacy’ may have become overused, but it is remains a key element in a leader’s work. Let’s explore how you can leave a good legacy.

1) You can clarify your legacy as a leader

An artist tries to cheat death by leaving behind a body of work. A leader leaves behind achievements and memories. There are, of course, many different kinds of leaders - such as people leaders, business leaders, thought leaders and creative leaders. Different leaders obviously leave different kinds of legacies.

Imagine you are leading a company. How do you want your contribution to be remembered? Start by listing the groups of people who will be affected by your work – such as your employers, employees, customers and other groups. Looking into the future, describe the actual words you want each group to be saying about your contribution. Describe what you want them to be saying about what you did regarding the profits, products, people and planet. Previously many business people cared primarily for their profits - but nowadays it is vital to leave a more sustainable legacy.

Looking at yourself as a leader, what do you want to pass-on to people? What will be the benefits – for yourself, for other people and for the planet? Try completing the following sentences.

The legacy I want to leave as a leader is:

*

*

*

The benefits of leaving this legacy will be:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify the key strategies for leaving the legacy.

Looking at your legacy, ask yourself: “Am I serious? If so, what are the 3 key strategies I can follow to deliver the legacy? What will be the pluses and minuses involved in pursuing these strategies? How can I maximise the pluses and minimise the minuses? Am I prepared to take the tough decisions that will be necessary? How can I continue to keep my eyes on the goal - rather than get distracted by tactics? Am I prepared to do what is necessary to deliver the legacy?” Try completing the following sentence.

The key strategies I can follow to deliver the legacy are:

*

*

*

3) You can do everything possible to leave your legacy as a leader.

Great leaders do whatever is necessary to deliver the legacy. Keep your eyes on the goal. There will be distractions, setbacks and disappointments, but they are part of the journey. Every leader encounters difficulties along the road. Dame Cicely Saunders spent years raising money to found the modern hospice movement in Britain. Peter Beneson met resistance when founding Amnesty International. Abraham Maslow was criticised for encouraging psychologists to study health rather than sickness. Keep returning to your compass and focus on the real results to achieve. Recommit to your beliefs and press on towards delivering the goal. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I must do to ensure I deliver the legacy are:

*

*

*

Every system has ‘rules’. Sometimes these rules are spoken; but often they are unspoken. Some rules are helpful, some are hurtful; but all have consequences. One of the keys to surviving and then thriving in any system - such as a family, team or organisation - is to know the ‘rules’. You can then decide how you want to behave. Imagine you work in an organisation. Here are three ideas for understanding the rules in the system.

1) You can clarify the ‘rules’ of a system.

Let’s start with some background about systems and ‘rules’. During the 1940s many people began to study systems theory. They found that most systems reverted to homeostasis - systems strove for stability. So if you introduced a change, the system would often reject the intervention and return to its previous state. It was possible for a system to evolve. But this required introducing something that, by and large, benefited the whole system. Otherwise parts of the system would drive out the intervention. These principles applied to virtually all systems - including families, teams and organisations.

Systems maintain stability in many ways. One way is by following certain ‘rules’ which are embodied in patterns of behaviour. There are different levels for understanding the rules in a system - but the most obvious is to identify the Dos and Don’ts. Some of these messages will be spoken, but others will be unspoken. One company’s set of rules included, for example:

Dos

“Do be a self-starter. Do set specific goals. Do keep you stakeholders informed. Do work hard. Do talk about life-work balance. Do talk about teamwork. Do continually strive for promotion. Do reach your goals.”

Don’ts

“Don’t actually practice life-work balance - it will be seen as wimpish. Don’t expect to be rewarded for teamwork - you will actually be judged on your individual contribution. Don’t expect positive strokes - next year we will simply up your targets.”

Looking at your own organisation - or an organisation with whom you work - describe the Dos and Don’ts. Some messages will be clear—but others will be unspoken. Try completing the following sentences.

Dos. The ‘Dos’ in the organisation are:

*

*

*

Don’ts. The ‘Don’ts’ in the organisation are:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify the consequences of the rules in a system.

After defining the Dos and Don’ts in the organisation, describe what you believe to be the pluses and minuses. The company mentioned previously had several contradictory rules. For example: “Do talk about life-work balance - but don’t practice it.” If somebody wanted to take time off to do something special for their child, for instance, they still felt guilty. This was despite the person often doing company work on Saturday or Sunday. Looking at the organisation, try completing the following sentences that outline the consequences, then move onto the next step.

Pluses. The pluses of the rules are:

*

*

*

Minuses. The minuses of the rules are:

*

*

*

3) You can clarify the rules you would like in a system.

Before describing your preferred rules, let’s briefly revisit some basics. Systems seek stability - which has both pluses and minuses. The human body, for example, often heals itself by overcoming illnesses. This is obviously a plus. If the human body slowly changes and becomes addicted to a drug, however, the new state will eventually become the status quo. Any attempt to stop the drug will meet with resistance. Certainly the body can take steps to regain its former health - but it may be a difficult journey.

Organisations also like stability. This is a necessary to function from day-to-day - but they also need creativity. Organisations that remain in a ‘steady state’ can drift towards decay. Why? They do not have the diversity required to tackle new challenges. Healthy organisations are therefore based on ‘similarity of spirit’ and ‘diversity of strengths’. This balance is crucial. People must ‘buy into’ the basic values - otherwise there is chaos - but also provide the variety required to tackle new challenges. Great organisations get the right balance between consistency and creativity. They also make the rules clear:

* They do give people clear messages about ‘the way we do things around here’.

* They don’t give confused, conflicting or coded messages.

Bearing these factors in mind, tackle the exercise at the end of this piece called My preferred rules. Describe the desired rules in an organisation where you would thrive. Describe the pluses and minuses of these rules - not only for you, but for the organisation. Finally, describe the steps you can take to find - or create - the kind of systems where you can succeed.

The rules in my preferred organisation would be.

Dos:

*

Don’ts:

*

The consequences of these rules would be.

Pluses:

*

Minuses

*

The things I can do to find – or create – the
kind of system where I do my best work are:

*

*

*

“The final part of the exercise was decisive,” said one person. “For years I had tried to do entrepreneurial work inside my previous company, but it became dispiriting. Eventually I get head-hunted, but I did lots of questioning about the ‘rules’ in the prospective company. The employees said the business: a) expected you to hit your agreed targets; b) expected you to take initiatives to create the future business. There were many other ‘rules’, but virtually all were beneficial. I have never regretted joining this company.”

Imagine you are leading a team or an organisation. Your job is to keep refocusing people on the overall strategy – the story – and ensure they deliver success. There are many ways to make this happen through off-sites, coaching sessions and informal conversations. You can also use a monthly newsletter to inform people about the progress towards reaching the goals. Let’s explore three areas you can cover when updating people on the story.

1) You can remind people of the story.

Imagine you are writing a monthly update for your people. You can remind people of the strategy by covering the following themes in the opening paragraphs. Bring it to life by giving examples that are relevant to their daily work.

“Let’s start by reminding ourselves of our strategy. This is: a) The ‘what’ – the goals we are aiming to achieve. b) The ‘why’ – the benefits of reaching the goals. c) The ‘how’ - the strategies we are following to reach the goals. d) The ‘who’ - the responsibilities of different groups, such as the leadership team, managers and colleagues, in reaching the goals. e) The ‘when’ – the milestones we aim to pass on the road towards achieving the goals.”

Giving the road map helps people to see how their daily actions fit into the big picture. Then go onto the next stage.

2) You can update people on the successes and plans for the story.

You can now move from the strategy to the specific examples. Give people an update about progress on the journey. Describe both corporate and individual achievements in the last month – plus the plans for the next month. If appropriate, mention some of the issues ahead and the plans for tackling these challenges. Let’s imagine, for example, that your company runs a chain of bookshops. Your update might look something like this – though you would obviously give your own examples.

“Let’s start by focusing on some of our successes in the past month. We have run excellent book launches in the following towns: a) _____ b) ______ c) ______. The staff in these branches have maintained the launch momentum and exceeded their targets. There have also been many examples of great service this month. Several of these are mentioned at the end of this article, but there is one that I would particularly like to mention. An international student group visiting Oxford found that all their text books had gone missing. Carole, the manager of our Oxford shop, contacted every bookshop and managed to gather 40 text books for the students. Moving onto our community work, our branches in Manchester and Leeds have provided practical support to the local literacy campaigns. The successes mentioned above have contributed to helping us to hit our profits, provide great service and serve our local communities.”

“Looking ahead, the company faces several challenges over the next month. First, several supermarkets are running loss-leaders on their Harry Potter books. We are holding Harry Potter events around the country and also introducing children to other authors. Second, we are refurbishing the coffee shops in 10 stores and also providing more reading areas for our customers. This will cost £20k – but we believe it will enrich our customers experience. Finally, we will be introducing a new career development package for all our people.”

You will, of course, cover areas relevant for your team. Give people a strategic overview, together with examples that relate to their daily work. Then move onto the next stage.

3) You can invite people to describe their successes and plans – then repeat the story.

Give the ‘call to action’ and repeat the strategy. So you may say something like:

“Now it is about moving-on in the journey. During the next month I and the managers will be: a) _____ b) ______ c) ______. I would like you to focus on doing: x) _____ y) ______ z) ______. During the last week of the month remember to tell your managers about your successes and plans for the next month. We will capture some of these in the next update. So to summarise: we are on the road towards achieving our aims. The route won’t always be easy – so let your managers know the support you need to do your job. We will then do what we can to help you and the company to achieve success.”

There are many ways to keep people updated. Whatever the approach, it is good refocus on the overall road map, report progress and explain the road ahead. People will then feel they are contributing to a compelling story. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to keep
reminding people of the story are:

*

*

*

Imagine you are a leader. Super teams are built on ‘similarity of spirit & diversity of strengths.’ Diversity of spirit is a recipe for disaster. So what are the qualities you are looking for in people? Super teams employ people who want to be positive, professional and peak performers. Let’s explore how you can identify whether the people in your team demonstrate these qualities.

1) You can employ people who are positive.

Start by looking at each person in your team – or those you want to hire. Ask yourself the following questions: “Do they have a positive attitude? Do they generate positive energy? Are they enthusiastic? Do they encourage other people? How do people feel after meeting them - positive, negative or neutral? Do they take responsibility? Do they use ‘volunteer’ language, saying that they want ‘to make things happen’? Or do they use ‘victim’ language, saying that ‘things happen to them’? Are they resilient? Do they rebound from setbacks?”

Bearing these answers in mind, ask yourself the following questions: “On a scale 0 - 10, to what extent do I rate the person as being positive: a) towards customer: b) towards colleagues?” Some employees can behave superbly with customers, for example, but may be difficult with colleagues. Great team members recognise that it is important to be positive with both groups. Looking at each person in turn, rate them in both areas. Then describe what they can do to maintain or improve the ratings.

Customers

Rate the extent to which the person
is positive towards customers: __ / 10

Colleagues

Rate the extent to which the person
is positive towards colleagues: __ / 10

The specific things the person can do to
maintain or improve these ratings are:

*

2) You can employ people who are professional.

Move onto the next stage. Again, looking at each person in turn, ask the following questions: “Do they behave professionally? Are they customer focused? Do they produce good quality work? Do they make clear contracts with people? Do they meet their promises? Are they self-managing? Do they want to improve? When making a decision, are they able to sketch-out the possible strategies? Do they see the consequences of each option? Do they then make good decisions? Are they proactive? Do they stay ahead of the game? What are the words that their colleagues say about them? Are the words that their sponsors and stakeholders – their manager and the other key players in the organisation – would say about them?”

Bearing these answers in mind, ask yourself: “On a scale 0 - 10, to what extent do I rate the person as being professional: a) towards customers: b) towards colleagues?” Rate them in both areas - then describe what they can do to maintain or improve the ratings.

Customers

Rate the extent to which the person
is professional towards customers: __ / 10

Colleagues

Rate the extent to which the person
is professional towards colleagues: __ / 10

The specific things the person can do to
maintain or improve these ratings are:

*

3) You can employ people who can be peak performers.

Move onto the final stage. Looking at each person in turn, ask yourself: “Do they have the ability to be a peak performer? What are the activities in which they deliver ‘As’, rather than ‘Bs’ or ‘Cs’? When are they in their element - where they feel at ease yet excel? When do they produce excellence? If this was my own business – and my own money - would I employ this person? If so, what would I hire them to deliver? What would be the benefits to the team?”

Bearing these answers in mind, ask yourself: “On a scale 0 - 10, to what extent do I rate the person as delivering peak performances: a) when working with customers: b) when working with colleagues?” Rate them in both areas - then describe what they can do to maintain or improve the ratings.

Customers

Rate the extent to which the person delivers peak
performances when working with customers: __ / 10

Colleagues

Rate the extent to which the person delivers peak
performances when working with colleagues: __ / 10

The specific things the person can do to
maintain or improve these ratings are:

*

What scores are you looking for? Here is one guide. Being positive: 8+. Being professional: 7+ - providing they are willing to keep developing. Being a peak performer: 7+ - providing they are willing to use their talents to the benefit of the team. One leader said:

“The part I found most useful was rating one of my key players in relation to both customers and colleagues. He was superb with clients, but terrible with team members. He dismissed people’s opinions and moaned aloud in the office. So I gave him the option of: a) Choosing to be professional towards team members, or: b) Carrying on being unprofessional and, as a result, being moved-on from the team. After a period of reflection, he chose to be professional towards his colleagues. Since then he has been true to his word, but security is to have an alternative. So I have visited his customers, introduced them to other team members and have a back-up plan in case he reverts to his old behaviour.”

Spirit is crucial. It is vital to have team members aim to be positive, professional and peak performers. This provides the basis for continuing to build a super team.

Great teams get the right balance of decision makers, drivers and delivers. Decision-makers set the strategy. Drivers ensure the strategy is translated into action. They act as positive models and often lead ‘teams within the team’. They approach the leaders and say: “As far as I understand it, the strategy is … My part and my team’s part in it happen is … Is that correct? Right, I will go and make it happen.” Drivers then ensure the deliverers produce the goods. Let’s explore how you can make this happen in your team.

1) You can clarify the qualities you want in the drivers.

Great football teams, for example, always have a backbone of strong players who act as the manager’s lieutenants – both on and off the field. Emanating confidence and fighting spirit, they are what sports psychologists call ‘cultural architects’. They always do their best and transmit these high standards in the way they behave, train and play. They demand a lot of themselves – especially when encountering setbacks - and expect others to give 100%. Woe betide any player who tries to swing the lead at the expense of the team. Drivers play a vital part in shaping great teams in sports, business and other fields. One MD explained how he relied upon such people.

“Two years ago I became the MD of a mobile telephone company. Looking at the senior team, my first job was to find people who could act as a bridge between me and the field. Otherwise I would be spending all my time by-passing the poor senior managers and behaving like a cop. I looked for leaders who were able: a) To communicate our vision; b) To translate the strategy into top-line tactics; c) To be good models; d) To lead high performing teams that delivered results; e) To manage me. This final point was crucial, because patience is not one of my virtues. I need senior managers who can implement the strategy, keep me off people’s backs and guide their teams to success.”

Imagine you are leading a team. What are the qualities you want your drivers to demonstrate? You may want them to be positive, customer-focused, good leaders or whatever. Try completing the following sentence.

The qualities I want the drivers to demonstrate are:

*

*

*

2) You can get the drivers you want in the team.

Generational shift provides an interesting challenge when it comes to employing the right drivers in a team. This is especially so when ‘breaking-up’ one team and building a second-generation super team. You can then ask yourself: a) Who are the present drivers that we want to keep – because they have to right attitude and ability to continue in this role? b) Who are the ones who may need to move on? c) Who are the potential drivers we can bring through the ranks – and how can we get them up to speed? d) Who must we bring in from outside? e) How can we make this transition successfully?

Sometimes it takes months to get everybody you want in the team. During this period it is important to do three things. First, to make sure the business runs successfully. Whilst you can rely on some key managers, you may have to ‘manage’ others closely to ensure their teams deliver success. Second, to encourage the key people you want to keep and behave fairly towards others who may need to move-on. Third, to do everything possible to get the right drivers in place. You will, of course, take these steps in your own way. Try completing the following sentences.

The drivers and potential drivers
I already have in the team are:

*

*

*

The drivers I want to bring in
from outside the team are:

*

*

*

The specific things I can do to make sure I
get all the drivers I want in the team are:

*

*

*

3) You can encourage the drivers to enable the whole team to achieve success.

Drivers have strong personalities – but they need backing. When appropriate, it is useful: a) To communicate the ‘What’ – the picture of perfection. You are ultimately responsible, so the overall ‘What’ will not be up for debate. Nevertheless, it can be useful to get some input from the drivers. b) To communicate the ‘How’ – the key principles to follow to achieve the picture of perfection. You are also responsible for clarifying the key strategies – but it is possible to involve the drivers at this point. They will need to implement the plan – so it is good to get their ideas on the overall strategies and tactics. c) To make clear contracts about the ‘Who’ and ‘When’. Encourage the drivers to clarify their action plans for making the strategy happen; the support they need and the measures. Make sure they have the brief and mandate to do the job.

“Sounds okay, but how do you make sure people keep on track?” somebody may ask. Build-in monthly sessions for ‘course correction’. The drivers can present: the successes in the past month; the plans for the next month; the challenges they face, the potential solutions and the required support. Providing ongoing back-up will encourage and equip the drivers to ensure the whole team delivers success. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to encourage and equip the
drivers to enable the whole team to achieve success are:

*

*

*

Drivers act as the gears and translate the strategies into action. They bridge the gap between decision making and delivery. Getting the right drivers in place is a key step in achieving ongoing success

“There is one certainty is this job,” said one leader. “There is at least a 50% chance that I will get sacked. This can be because I do not deliver the results, there is a change at the top or for some other reason. But I will be true to myself and do what I believe-in. I will stand or fall by following my principles.”

Imagine you are a leader taking over a team. Let’s explore how you can be true to yourself in that situation.

1) You can clarify your principles.

“I believe-in following three steps towards building a successful team,” said the leader mentioned above. “First, to set the right goal. This sounds simple – but it is the hardest part. Great teams set the right goal at the right time in their ‘market’. Second, to build the right team. This means getting the right people in the right places, otherwise you are sunk. Third, to implement the right strategy in the right way – and keep going until you get the right results. Lots of ‘rights’ there – but translating these into practice takes tough decisions.”

What is your philosophy for building a successful team? What are the key principles you believe-in following to achieve success? Try completing the following sentence.

The key principles I believe-in
following to build a successful team are:

*

*

*

2) You can communicate your principles.

Great leaders do this in two areas. First, they communicate their principles to their sponsors before taking the role. They may say something like: “These are the results I will deliver – the ‘What’. Are there any other results you would like to add?” After getting the sponsors over the emotional line where they want to ‘buy’ what is being offered, great leaders then say: “These are the principles I will follow to deliver the results.” Whilst continually reassuring the sponsors, they outline their approach to delivering the goods. Second, they then communicate the principles to their team members. Great leaders make sure that everybody knows the ‘rules’. It is then up to people to decide whether they want to contribute towards achieving the goals.

You will, of course, communicate the principles in your own way. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to
communicate these principles are:

*

*

*

3) You can implement your principles.

Great leaders relish this part. They love following their principles –especially when it comes to making tough decisions. Why? They see these as necessary for achieving success. So they make such decisions quickly to create the right foundation and keep the team on track. They then encourage, educate and enable their people to follow the daily disciplines. Sometimes, however, they come to a crunch point with their team members or sponsors.

“That has happened for me on several occasions,” said the leader. “Early in my career I decided to fire a serial complainer – replacing him with a positive person. My sponsor, who I had worked for previously, backed me fully – even though I had failed to consult the HR people properly, something I learned to do in the future. Moving-on to another example, I took an Operations Manager role, with the brief to spread an initiative across Europe. When it came to the crunch, however, my bosses would not back me fully. They insisted that I should try to ‘influence’ people, rather than have any direct authority. I soldiered-on but, at best, it was only 50% successful. Since then I have learned to make clear contracts. I would sooner get sacked by being true to myself. I don’t want to fail on two counts: not delivering the goods and not being true to my principles.”

Let’s return to your leadership role. How can implement your principles? What may be the tough decisions? How can you enable your people to deliver the goods? What may be the crunch moments in relation to your sponsors? How can you be professional and polite at such moments – yet also follow your principles? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to
implement the principles are:

*

*

*

Everybody encounters moments when they must make a crucial decision: do I be true to myself or do I put my principles aside for a while? Sometimes it is not ‘black or white’; but ultimately it is vital to be true to yourself. Then we can laugh at Groucho Marx’s joke: “Those are my principles. If you don’t like them I have others.”

“Are you serious? That is the question I ask teams after they have presented their plans. Their first reaction is: “Of course.” That is great - but we must then focus on the implications of translating their aims into action. After clarifying the pluses and minuses, the team is asked: “On a scale 0—10, rate to what extent are you are really serious?” Those that answer 8+ are more likely to reach their goals.

Imagine you are a leader. Your team has clarified its specific goals and strategies. Before pushing the button, however, ensure that people understand the implications. Here are three suggestions for taking this step.

1) You can clarify the pluses and minuses involved in reaching the goals.

Invite your team to tackle the exercise called Are we really serious? Looking at what is involved in reaching the goals, ask them to clarify the pluses and minuses for different stakeholders. They can focus on the implications for the company, customers, colleagues/ employees and any other groups. There will be both upsides and downsides.

“The biggest minus for some managers was making tough decisions about people who did not fit the future culture,” said one leader. “The strategy depended on employing people who took responsibility. This meant: a) We must encouraging people who demonstrated this quality; b) We must give clear messages to those who didn’t. Some managers found this difficult - but it was necessary if we were to reach our goals.”

2) You can ask the team: “Are we really serious?”

Invite the team to spend time reflecting on the points they have written. Peak performers consider the implications of reaching their goals. They then do three things. First, they consider how to build on the pluses. Second, they consider how to minimise the minuses. Third, they make a decision. Do they accept the whole package? Do they really want to go for the goals? If the answer is ‘Yes,’ they move into action and get an early success. Invite your team to take similar steps. In your own way, say something like:

“Are we really serious? Bearing in mind the pluses and minuses involved in reaching the goals, rate the extent to which you believe we are serious. Do this on a scale 0 - 10. Please be completely honest.”

Consider the final scores and discuss these with the team. If the ratings are 8+ - and remain so after exploring any outstanding key issues - your team is probably committed. If the ratings are less, you have two options: a) You can again consider how to build on the pluses and minimise the minuses; b) You can consider revisiting the original goals. Whichever route you take, make sure the final ‘seriousness rating’ is at least 8+. This is necessary to stand a fighting chance of success.

3) You can show you are serious by doing what is necessary to achieve success.

Now move into action. There are several steps you can take to show people you are serious. Some of these you will have already covered, but they include:

“The ‘zero tolerance’ part hit home for me,” said one leader. “Previously I thought I was serious. But now I realise this was 7/10 - and I hoped the rest would fall into place. Thankfully, many times the teams were successful - otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am today. Looking back, however, the times we failed were when we didn’t think through the implications.”

Great teams are ‘committed to the commitment’. This only happens, however, if they dare to consider the all the consequences. Providing your team has gone through this process - and score 8+ on the seriousness scale - you stand a good chance of success.

Role theory says that: “If a person is expected to fill a certain role, then they will often fulfil it.” This can happen in the family, for example, where individuals may fill the different roles of ‘problem child’, ‘perfect child’, ‘peacemaker’, ‘encourager, ‘workaholic’, ‘suffering martyr’, ‘sick child’, ‘achiever’, ‘responsible one’ or whatever. It can also happen in teams, organisations and society. Role theory can be used to help people to succeed; or it can be abused to ensure they fail. Let’s explore how this works in practice.

1) You can recognise the power of role theory.

So let’s start by revisiting role theory. This states that: a) People are expected to fill certain roles; b) People find these expectations are re-enforced by others around them. These are communicated through messages, norms, rewards and punishments that show how people are expected to behave; c) People are then more likely to fill the expected roles. One key point is worth underlining. Role theory rests on the assumption that many people want affirmation and they seek this by tending to ‘conform’. They behave in a way that is accepted. This also explains why some people make radical shifts in their lives. They leave one ‘system’ that rewards certain behaviour – but where they feel uneasy – and move to another where they develop a more rewarding role. Bearing in mind these factors, let’s explore how role theory can be used in different ways.

A frightening experiment in role theory took place during the 1960s. A group of junior doctors were asked to spend a day taking the roles of patients in a mental hospital. This was to be part of their training – an exercise in empathy. The doctors duly filled the task and acted-out in ways they had seen patients behave. The day ended and they went to put on their coats, but were met by staff saying: “What are you doing? You are patients. You must stay in the hospital.” The doctors went crazy – explaining they were actually on a training exercise. The staff said: “Many of our patients think they are doctors. Go back to the wards.” The doctors started protesting, screaming and behaving irrationally. “See,” said the ward staff, “you are crazy.” The nightmare continued with the doctors becoming more like patients. They were finally released, but it was a salutary lesson. The doctors realised how quickly they had lapsed into odd behaviour after being treated as patients.

Role theory can also be used to get positive results. When I ran a therapeutic community for young people, for example, they were expected: a) To be responsible; b) To encourage other people; c) To visit universities to teach budding social workers how to encourage troubled teenagers. The young people met these expectations and – by and large – fulfilled the positive roles.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, looking at your own life and work, can you think of a time you have seen role theory in action? Describe the example. Second, describe the specific things that were done to reinforce people to continue to stay in a certain role. Try completing the following sentences.

The time I saw role theory in action was:

*

The specific things that were done to
reinforce people to stay in a certain role were:

*

*

*

So how you can use role theory to, for example, succeed in an organisation? Let’s explore this area.

2) You can use role theory to design people’s roles.

Imagine you are a manager. You can use elements of role theory to help your people to achieve success. This means moving from older views of ‘roles’. Traditional organisations defined roles in terms of activities – what people should ‘do’. Managers then supervised employees, making sure they completed the tasks. This might appear efficient, but it was not always effective. Why? Organisations confused activity with results. People spent time on activities that might or might not contribute to achieving success. Newer organisations focus on results – defining roles in terms of what people should ‘deliver’. People clarify the ‘what’ – the specific results to achieve. They then focus on the broad principles of ‘how’ they will produce the results by ‘when’. This calls for hiring responsible people who do what is necessary – within parameters – to produce success. ‘Roles’ have therefore become focused on ‘deliverables’ – though they still contain clear ‘dos & don’ts’. How does this work in practice? Imagine you are creating a role. You will cover the following areas:

Designing a role

The Deliverables. The specific results
we want the person to deliver are:

*

*

*

The ‘Dos & Don’ts’. The dos & don’ts we want them
to follow on the route to delivering the goods are:

*

*

*

The Desired Support. The specific support they will need to
do the job – and how we can supply this support - is:

*

*

*

The Deadlines. The specific deadlines by which
we want them to deliver certain results are:

*

*

*

How to make this work? Following classic role theory, it is important to ensure that: a) You define the required outcomes; b) You ‘reward the behaviour you want repeated’; c) You then do everything possible to help the person to fulfil the role successfully. This brings us to the next stage.

3) You can use role theory to help people to succeed.

Role theory emphasises the need for constant reinforcement to keep people on track. This is certainly the case if a system wants to suppress people – because otherwise they break out and grow. Many years ago I taught family therapy. Working with families, we saw how the parents, for example, shifted responsibility for problems onto the ‘scapegoat’ – such as a son who was misbehaving at school. “Everything would be alright if it wasn’t for him,” was the creed. Certainly the youngster must take responsibility – but he was also used to deflect attention from other issues. The family maintained him as the scapegoat, however, by constantly criticising and setting him up to fail. They seldom nurtured his talents, encouraged or helped him to succeed. If he did succeed, the parents and other family members must examine their relationships. The family system found a way to deal with its pain – albeit a dysfunctional way – and reinforced him in the scapegoat role.

You can also use role reinforcement in a positive way - especially if people have chosen a role they will find fulfilling. Imagine that you have employed somebody to deliver the goods. You can use the best elements of role theory: a) To agree with them on the deliverables – the results to achieve; the ‘dos & don’ts’; the desired support and the deadlines. b) To encourage by giving specific feedback on what they do well; c) To meet with regularly to check on their progress and, if necessary, do some ‘course correction’. You can invite them to describe what they are doing well - plus what they can do better and how; d) To publicise success stories about their own and their team’s achievements; e) To ‘reward the behaviour you want repeated’. This may seem artificial – but it mirrors many elements of role theory. But it often delivers the goods.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe a specific situation where you can use role theory to enable people to succeed. Second, describe the specific things you can do to help them to get positive results. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific situations where I can use
role theory to help people to succeed is:

*

The specific things I can do to help
people to get positive results are:

*

*

*

There are many ways to enable people to succeed in organisations. Providing it is used in the right way, role theory can help them to deliver positive results.