A 3 Step Conversation Starter for Dynamic Teams
75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional. (Tabrizi)
(Any team that has members from different departments is cross-functional. If marketing and production are present, for example, your team is cross-functional.)
7 challenges of cross-functional teams:
- Turf wars and pissing contests.
- Blabbermouths at the table.
- Maps without roads. Where are you going? Really?
- Dead weight and energy vampires. It’s hard to perform when someone’s sucking your blood.
- Resource hogs. Who gets the money and the people?
- Avoidance. Sweeping awkward conversations under the carpet.
- Glory hounds. Who gets the credit when projects succeed?
A 3 step conversation:
You can’t improve what you avoid.
There are three steps to conversations that elevate team dynamics – assessment, celebration, new behaviors.
- Where are we now?
- What are we doing well?
- What behaviors might nudge our team toward the next level?
Example: A conversation starter for psychological safety:
Step one: On a scale of one to ten how comfortable are we at bringing up tough issues? (Answer anonymously. Average the score and write it on the board.)
Step two: Why didn’t you choose a lower number? This is your chance to honor what’s working. You don’t have to declare your response to step one. Describe behaviors. What is our team doing right?
Step three: What behaviors nudge our team toward greater comfort at bringing up tough issues? Generate a list of three or four simple behaviors. Avoid the seduction of perfect solutions. Choose one behavior to practice for a month. Set expectations for yourself. Pat people on the back when they practice preferred behaviors. Choose a new behavior next month.
10 topics:
On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate our practice of …
- Supporting each other.
- Seeking and giving feedback.
- Staying on topic.
- Clarifying purpose.
- Creating actionable plans.
- Holding each other accountable.
- Establishing clear structure and process.
- Having fun.
- Sharing success stories.
- Evaluating progress.
What challenges do teams face?
What conversation topics might you add to the list?
Added resources:
- Cross-Functional Dysfunction
- 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
- Conquering team dysfunction
- Team Effectiveness Discussion Guide
Great message for getting to the meat of difficult conversations. I try to set up teams where we rotate everyone in to the chair role throughout the year- so all take the ‘norms’ (to which I would add ‘focused monthly norms’) to heart. Before becoming the chair – folks rotate into the ‘minute taker’ role in the meeting prior – so they are ready to both address the past and move forward. It takes time to get everyone on board with such a shared leadership strategy. Curious to know if other use this kind of rotary chair role – and if it helps keep the norms (and ownership of the norms) in place? Thanks again for sharing samples of not so good and better behavior – a great piece for getting the conversation going about quality conversations. Good for setting the tone for PLC’s, too!
Really helpful. In my department, we are supporting the development of skilled facilitators and effective group members. We often use the focusing questions from the work of Thinking Collaborative which encourages us to ask ourselves, “Who are we? Why are we do this? Why are we do this this way?” The 10 Topics Rating Scale will be a great addition to further support our effort to be mindful of our personal and collective identities.
I love reading you blogs. This one is right on. Building psychological safety in face of the challenges you cite can be exhausting. Think I’ll take the advice of Barbara Smith and “share wealth” of responsibility at the our leadership table.
What challenges do teams face? Focusing on individual tasks or assignments that across many contribute to the whole. Over many years and different environments working many X teams I’ve found the best success is when tasks are split up and when completed brought back to the team and pieced together as a whole. In that way you get thru a number of the items discussed above. But then again it takes some creative Team leadership to make this work.
Excellent topic and so timely! I must share, as I just read it this am – Lisa Kwan wrote an article that is in this month’s HBR about this very topic. Through extensive research she identified three dimensions by which groups define and develop their sense of security: identity (how the group or team understands itself to be), legitimacy (how the team is perceived by others), and control meaning control over what you do as a group or team. She speaks to how you build the psychological safety Dan spoke of along these three dimensions. It was a fascinating way to autopsy how cross collaboration may have failed in the past, as well a way to plan going forward.
Thank you Dan for a great read!
What challenges do teams face? Working with the wrong people, because the wrong team was recruited by the organisation because they were employed for their skills only not their values.
I really like the approach of asking these pointed, thought-provoking questions. I believe these responses let cross-functional members learn more about one another. The ice and roadblocks seems to disappear when individuals realize they are working on the same team and goal. It’s unfortunate these power teams made of different departments were created to solve problems but have problems within themselves.
Thanks Dan, some very good points challenge just to think about how to have these difficult area beneficial conversations.
I really enjoy posts that deal with mitigating negative situations such as working in an uncomfortable environment. I think the thing about working in an environment where you are a stranger gives an opportunity to see yourself and contributions through a different perspective like a self-evaluation. However, uncomfortable environments shut some people down. I think ensuring that we have a positive environment where we invite feedback is a great starter. I think I would add the anonymous question, what makes you uncomfortable at work? I think if some people knew that certain actions make others uncomfortable that would prevent them from doing it. However, some people are just those type of people that enjoy making others miserable to make themselves feel better.