HBR Guide to Managing Strategic Initiatives by Harvard Business Review

Author:Harvard Business Review [None]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Published: 2019-02-16T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

Adapted from HBR Guide to Project Management (product #11184E), Harvard Business Review Press, 2013, pp. 127–134.

CHAPTER 11

Building a Transformative Team

by Nathan Furr, Kyle Nel, and Thomas Zoëga Ramsøy

An all-star team is making headway with a new initiative that could alter the future of the organization. Spirits are optimistic, and the team is successfully maneuvering through new, yet very promising, territory. Then, the results begin taking longer than anticipated to prove, and after too much time spent outside of their comfort zones, the team of high-achieving employees can’t seem to execute within the uncertain environment.

The team’s outlook shifts, and it becomes clear that the group will not be able to weather the storm of uncertainty needed to realize this new organizational opportunity.

How could such a capable team fail?

At the heart of many organizations is a deeper problem that blocks transformation: product/function organizational structure. This structure works in well-understood environments, where maximizing delivery of a product or service is the goal, but transformative projects require the organization to return to a more malleable state. This challenge requires teams that are formed through a rematching of resources and employee capabilities.

Transformation-capable teams are made up of people who not only are high performers, but have a unique balance of skills and mindsets that allows them to sustain focus, agility, and optimism in the face of uncertainty for prolonged periods of time. Ultimately, not all top-performing employees are equipped for this.

In our book, Leading Transformation: How to Take Charge of Your Company’s Future, we highlight certain capabilities to search for and cultivate while building a transformative team. Specifically, there are three unique characteristics that will play critical roles as a team takes on a breakthrough initiative.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.