Lauren's Effective Teaming Journal

Module 1  Reflecting on Personal Experience: During the first week of this course, we were asked to document our initial understanding of high-performance teams by reflecting on past experiences.  As I am sure everyone can relate, not all team experiences are positive.  It is much easier to recall bad examples (particularly during our MBA pursuit) than it is to recall positive experiences; however, this exercise forced us to dig deeper to differentiate the two experiences by reflecting on influencers of high-performing teams.   For example, reflecting on my past experiences, I provided three characteristics of high-performing and low-performing teams.  High Performing Teams:  Alignment and adoption of shared goals and objectives Clearly defined roles and responsibilities Trust and Accountability Low Performing Teams: Siloed work-streams  Poor Communication Lack of clarity around the team’s purpose Following this exercise to reflect on strong and w...

The Foundations of High-Performing Teams  A Reflection on Module 1 Readings Personal Takeaways & Key Insights:  Clarity and alignment of goals Establishing an organizational culture that fosters natural team-forming Mutual Accountability Trust Summarizing my key takeaways from this module, I touch on the importance of goal setting, mutual accountability, supportive leadership, and most importantly TRUST amongst team members.   Elaboration This week's readings set the stage for understanding the foundations of high-performing teams. The example of the naturally developed team was interesting to me and reinforced the need for clarity and alignment around performance goals and mutual accountability. How do teams form naturally? When team members have their eyes set on achieving a common goal, they have an individual incentive to work with team members of varying skill sets to achieve that goal. The goals become more significant than their individual needs for succes...

Team Design & The Life Cycle Understanding Sensemaking A Reflection on Module 2 Readings Personal Takeaways & Key Insights:  Communication Social Alignment Goal Alignment Trust  Agile sensemaking Interdependencies and Cyclical Nature of Shareholders, Employees, Customers, and Leaders Reflecting on Mann-Gulch: In this module we spent a good amount of time evaluating the Mann-Gulch fire to understand how team systems break down and to identify high-performing team imperatives.  While it is challenging to look back in hindsight and judge decisions made, this particular scenario provides an abundance of learning opportunities to reflect on.  In a discussion post reflecting on Mann-Gulch, I outlined a few changes I would have made (albeit knowing what I know now) if I were Dodge.   First, this team failed to have a clear and aligned goal.  As we learned in Module 1, this is an imperative of a high-performing team.  Goals were assumed in this sc...

Team Decision Making Reflecting on Module 3 Readings   Personal Takeaways & Key Insights: MAU for complex decision-making assists in removing biases Sensitivity analysis provides mechanisms for challenging and thus optimizing decisions Face-to-face vs. virtual meetings:  The key is for people to feel connected, engaged, and able to freely communicate Hybrid approaches to meetings (Face-to-face vs. virtual) is advisable.  It is not a one-size-fits all approach and face-to-face meetings should be reserved for complex decision-making.  Summary of Reflection:  In this module, we explored models for complex decision-making, specifically the Multi-Attribute Utility model, and how these tools assist in removing biases and optimizing decision-making among teams. We had the opportunity to put this model into practice with our teams in evaluating alternatives for our team assessment project. This module also emphasized the importance of sensitivity analysis to ch...

Revisiting Foundations for Sensemaking Reflecting on Module 4 Readings Personal Takeaways & Key Insights:  The makeup of the team is paramount.  Cross-functional teams foster greater alignment and support sensemaking.  Providing autonomy empowers teams to perform at the highest levels.   Leadership support should provide a sound structure on which teams can stand. Create an enabling structure Ensure organizational systems are in place Leave space for well-timed coaching interventions Summary of Reflection:  In this module, the readings provided examples of cross-functional teams and the benefits of this approach. In particular, the readings evaluated the performance of the Butler Manufacturing Company. The work of this organization required multiple disciplines and expertise; however, the team ensured all participants received cross-training so that bottlenecks could be avoided if a team member had to step away. This approach supported the team's achiev...

 Leadership & Teamwork Reflecting on Module 5 Readings Personal Takeaways & Key Insights:  Purpose, Goals, & Approach need to be relevant and meaningful Commitment & Confidence Create opportunities Do REAL work Remove Obstacles Diversify & Strengthen Skill Sets Team design matters Summary of Reflection:  This module expanded upon leadership considerations to developing and supporting teams. The most critical step a leader should take when considering the need for teams is the team's design. Without a well-designed team, a leader can spend a tremendous amount of time improving the environment; however, the team will not flourish. After ensuring optimal team design, leaders must focus on establishing the proper structure for oversight and support.   Reading through the content, I reflected on the concept of purposeful leadership. I performed independent research, which reinforced how adopting this leadership principle facilitates alignment ...