Module 7: To Team or Not to Team?

When to Form Teams & When to Coach

Reflecting on Module 7 Readings

Personal Takeaways & Key Insights: 

• Teams at the top are not advisable unless organizations are experiencing major changes
• Leaders should determine necessity based on evaluating: 
• Whether or not goals can be achieved through individual work
• Quality, skills, and attitudes of individuals needed for the team
• Overall leadership attitudes and decisions
• Prioritize team performance above individual performance
• Direction, structure, and context must precede any coaching attempts

Summary of Reflection: 

This module was helpful in understanding as a leader when teams are necessary and when they may not be beneficial. I initially felt leaders should demonstrate high-performing teams in their structure and interactions, and now I understand that this is unnecessary. As long as teams are well-designed and leaders focus on the key elements and characteristics outlined throughout the course, teams may still achieve high performance. Leadership should spend time evaluating and understanding the benefits and potential barriers of teamwork based on the organization's specific goals. Furthermore, executives should adopt a team approach to work only when organizations are navigating significant changes; otherwise, group work for this level of professionalism is more than adequate to achieve a company's aspirations.  

This module reinforced the importance of trust (a common and resounding theme) in achieving mutual and individual accountability. When teams lean in with mutual accountability, they focus on the overall team performance ahead of individual success. 

Lastly, this module highlighted when and how to coach teams emphasizing the importance of providing clear direction, establishing an enabling structure, and providing context for the team goals and objectives. These foundations are necessary for coaching to be effective. Additionally, well-timed coaching is of paramount importance.  

Journal Entry Archive:

Elaboration:

I found this module very helpful, particularly as an organizational leader. The readings provided context for determining when teams are necessary, how and when leaders should form teams, when it is necessary for organizational leadership to function as a team, and how leaders should support and coach teams. I initially thought leaders at the top of an organization should set good examples for teams within the organization by functioning in this manner at the top. This module clarified my perception suggesting that teams are only necessary at the executive level of an organization when major changes are occurring within the organization. These stakeholders function best in work-group scenarios versus teams. 

When to form corporate teams at the top of the organization should be determined by evaluating the following: 

1. Whether or not the organization's aspirations can be achieved through individual contributions
2. Individual: quality, skills, and attitudes
3. Leader attitudes and decisions

Concrete Examples:

"Team Performance First, Individual Success Second"

Teams perform at the highest levels when they successfully adopt mutual and individual accountability for the team's performance. When teams embrace this level of accountability, leadership shifts from its traditional single-individual form to being shared across team members.  

Source: 

Shambrook, Chris. "Mutual Accountability in Teams." The Performance Room, 19 Nov. 2018, www.theperformanceroom.co.uk/mutual-accountability-in-teams/. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

‌Dual Coding:

Slacks: Direction, structure, context (without these things, coaching will be a challenge) 

Shoes: Coaching