The Seven Cornerstones of Teamwork by Phil Geldart

Author:Phil Geldart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Eagle’s Flight
Published: 2015-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Clearly what had been wrong was trying to get everyone to work only as one big team. I needed subgroups within that team, each with its own purpose and function – like Granite’s waterfall components – but each also part of a larger, more important whole.

The larger whole couldn’t succeed without the components, but the components, the subgroups, couldn’t overshadow the whole.

“OK. Clear,” I thought. “But do I form subgroups around functions (like all Finance together), or around tasks?” As I thought about it, and the waterfall, it was clear that subgroups had to be around aspects of the larger team mission. That mission needed each aspect to be completed for it to succeed. So, around tasks.

As I pulled over a pad of paper to start capturing my thoughts, and remembering Keith and Sue, I thought I should begin with each subgroup having at least one Finance person, and one Guest Relations person. I looked up and thought, “Good start. What’s next?”

“I think I need a framework of some sort,” I concluded. Either I would have to create it and just give it to them, or I could do it with them, letting them be in the room to better understand my thinking, and also contribute.

That was an easy decision.

Five minutes later I’d sent off an email to Mike, Sue, and Keith asking for (yet another!) early meeting the next morning, and had ordered some hot cinnamon rolls and coffee for us…I’ve found those rolls work wonders at keeping things from getting too serious too soon!

The next morning my colleagues filed in, somewhat apprehensively. I motioned them over to the warm cinnamon rolls and suggested we start there. That helped to thaw the tension, and while they ate I elaborated.

“OK gang. Two things. First, several points,” I turned to the flip chart and summarized as I went.

“Number 1 – the goal is unchanged: 3% improvement in guest satisfaction and 3% decrease in cost, with Mike as the leader ultimately responsible for delivering that outcome.

“Number 2 – we need subgroups.”

“What’s a subgroup?” interrupted Keith.

“Good question. Key question, actually. A subgroup is a smaller team within the larger team. It’s made up of some people from the larger team, but not everybody…and,” I said, thinking out loud, “it addresses a smaller portion of the problem being tackled by the larger team.”

“Can we bring new people onto the sub-team?” asked Mike.

“Nope. If you do, they automatically become part of the larger team. I’ll explain why in a moment.”

“OK,” he said.

Picking up where I’d left off, I went on. “Each subgroup will tackle a part of the larger goal. That is, they are not, under any circumstances, to be only functional. For example, we won’t have a ‘Finance’ sub-team. We might have a…” I thought for a moment…,“…’pricing’ sub-team that has a Finance focus, but which would include others from those areas affected, like Guest Services.”

“Oh, I see,” said Sue, my quick study. “So they’d have their own Unanimous Focus on a Common Goal or Unanimous Focus on a Common Sub-goal, in this case,” she said smiling.

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