How do you get innovative ideas and breakthrough performances from traditionally formed work teams? We are all aware of the underlying conventional wisdom at play here; get people who are team players, balance the thinker with the doers, conduct individual assessments for every team member (Belbin Team Role Assessment and Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator tests are the most popular), appoint a leaders and you will have formed a typical ‘team’!
If you get anything other than run-of-the-mill outcomes from it, should you really be surprised? According to Bill Fischer and Andy Boynton, corporate strategists, the difference between traditional and virtuoso team is as stark as the difference between managers and leaders ( we have had that debate here), or even chalk and cheese. The former has members who are chosen because of their availability, emphasise the collective (consensus is important), focus on mundane tasks and accomplishing fixed targets.
On the other hand, virtuoso team members are top-of-the-line star performer chosen for their expertise; they tens to be egoecntric, highly competitive and are focused on generating the innovative ideas and work practices needed to satisfy today’s sophisticated customers. The trick – which flies in the face of what we have been taught about teams – is to bring these individuals together in a restricted space that promotes interpersonal interaction. Equip them with the required resources and make them work to strict deadlines.
Fischer and Boynton’s research shows that such teams are driven by the need to succeed against all odds and therefore never shy away from challenges while forcing face-to-face dialogues to resolve conflicts. A critical role is played by by the project sponsor who has the authority. power and influence to assemble the team, set deadlines and step in should there be a need for ‘steering’ discussion and performance in order to accomplish goals.
However, their overly ambitious and aggressive mindset make it difficult for these team to work on long-team projects. So if you expect the project to last longer than six month, have replacements employees in mind so that members can be shuffled to avoid major conflicts.
By Leon Menezes. The writer is a senior H1 practitioner, professor’of practice and and executive coach.