As Darren Hardy sits with one of America’s most powerful businesswomen he asks, “What is the number one contributing factor to all the success you’ve had?”
His guest is co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of ABC Television, one of the largest and most recognized conglomerates in the world.
“The number one key to success, here at Disney and really in every business, is the team.” Anne Sweeney promptly responds.
“It is all about putting together the best team possible,” she continues. “The smartest people, the people who are risk takers, the people who really treasure and understand our brand…they continue to be curious about its future and do everything they do with a high degree of integrity.”
Anne Sweeney activated the single most untapped competitive advantage … teamwork.
Cohesive team behaviors
Hmmm … individually great people joining together into one super-performing team, sounds great. At Next Level we call them self-managed teams and leaders.
So what’s the magic superglue that makes self-managed teams work effectively instead of tearing apart at the seams?
- Build trust – team members are genuinely transparent and honest with one another; they build vulnerability-based trust
- Engage conflict – there is constructive debate of ideas
- Commit to decisions – when a team openly communicates it there will be greater commitment to the plan
- Embrace accountability – with a commitment to the plan it becomes easier to be accountable for their actions
- Focus on results – the goal of building trust, healthy conflict, commitment to decisions, and accountability is one thing: achievement of results
Where is your team?
How will you and your team successfully navigate the change and challenges ahead?
Think about your team. Now, how would you rate your cohesiveness?
1. Trust 1 2 3 4 5 6
We are transparent and honest – vulnerable with one another
2. Conflict 1 2 3 4 5 6
We engage in unfiltered, constructive debate around ideas
3. Commitment 1 2 3 4 5 6
We commit to the decision, the plan of action
4. Accountability 1 2 3 4 5 6
Each team member is accountable for his/her actions
3. Results 1 2 3 4 5 6
We consistently get it results
Marked by change
Anne Sweeny’s journey to executive leadership of Disney/ABC Television began 18 years ago. She has weathered a lot of change. She attributes most of her success to strong teams.
Of course it makes sense to recruit smart people, risk-takers, those who appreciate your brand, people who remain curious and are optimistic, and have integrity. But, how do they become a self-managed team?
The process doesn’t have to be complicated but it must be intentional.
Begin putting these five behaviors into practice. Because they build on each other, it’s difficult to work on any one behavior in isolation. But you can begin learning to trust one another.
It’s as simple as asking for help. Start by admitting your weaknesses and mistakes. It creates vulnerability that will begin bonding your team with trust.
Once you start building trust, it becomes possible to engage in a debate of ideas, rather than conflict with each other. It is a process that involves learning these five behaviors as well as putting them into practice. You’ll need time and often guidance.
Your team conflicts may be so simple that these five behaviors are the superglue you need. Then again, your issues may run deeper. Don’t be afraid to call me if you find you need help.
Here’s to your next level,
Steve
PS: Improving performance is what happens in Next Level Team-based Coaching. If you’d like to see more details of how we develop self-managed teams and leaders, see the team-based coaching page.
*The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team™is the result of the partnership between Wiley Workplace Learning Solutions and best-selling author Patrick Lencioni. The assessment is based on his best-selling book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and powered by Everything DiSC.Next Level Executive Coaching, LLC is an Authorized Partner with The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team.
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