Launching a Team
Three keys to success.
By Matthew Laffer
December 3, 2023
Teamwork is not a one or two-time event, but an emergent process. And it’s hard, which is why so few teams are successful.
Most teams, especially new teams, need help in three key areas to launch successfully:
How the work is linked to the team’s broader purpose.
Moving from a list of names to a bounded, interdependent team.
Establishing *norms* to guide how the team will work together.
Let’s unpack this a bit.
1. Purpose
Linking work to purpose requires a compelling vision and direction. It should be clear, challenging, and consequential.
Good direction requires clarity. This will orient a team and align its performance with its reason for existence. Here’s a simple and effective template for creating a compelling purpose:
This team exists to…(make it short and to the point) By…(top 3 priorities) So that…(impact on the company, customer, and the world)
Challenging work energizes a team and enhances effort and motivation. Effort and motivation are the optimal focus for a team at the beginning of its lifecycle. Having a system for mapping the right focus and coaching to the team at the right stage of its lifecycle is paramount. Getting the timing right matters. A lot.
Working on projects that matter engages a team and encourages better collaboration and cooperation. Consequential work, supported by one-to-one coaching, fosters full utilization of knowledge and skill, and provides a major advantage for upleveling any team.
2. A real team
Is this a real team? Should it be? Ask too few leaders.
It can be a conceptual challenge to articulate how coming together provides something more than the sum of individual responsibilities. Many teams are comprised of individuals performing tasks independently of each other and are a team in name and reporting only.
Must the team interact and share resources to accomplish their purpose? Where are the interdependencies? The inefficiencies? Potential synergies? Not every team is a string quartet. Leaders must first make sure they actually have a team to lead.
Shifting from a list of names to a bounded team, that take responsibility for delivering on the promises they make, is required for a successful team launch and will accelerate how fast the team develops.
While a bounded team is essential to a good start, it must be supported by intentional *team design* if the team will ultimately be successful. Does the team have the right people? Does the team have a sound structure? Does the team operate in a supportive context? Is expert coaching available?
What if it’s not a leader’s management style that determines how well their team performs? But how well a leader designs and supports their team so that the team can learn how to manage themselves.
3. Norms
Let’s begin with what was once a thought experiment. Imagine a world where…
Leaders design and support their team so that they learn to manage themselves.
The team is clear on what it means to be on the team and how they are expected to work with each other, especially during times of opportunity and challenge.
Company values have been thoughtfully defined in a team’s context and reflect the ways to put them into practice.
What started a decade ago as an experiment, has now successfully launched dozens of teams at some of the most innovative companies around the world.
The single variable that most differentiates outstanding teams from the mediocre ones is the presence of explicit norms.
Norms have massive asymmetrical upside. Leaders can achieve significant long-term, cultural gains from establishing how the team will work together at the onset.
Pro-tip:
Many norms are also skills which require different developmental techniques. A common misconception is that people know how to be a team player.
Matthew Laffer is a 3x entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO at Goalspriing.
