(R) LE5: The Team Message

"Strategy 5　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

  Reinforce the team message constantly: "We are one - we live or die together""

                                                                                              Leading at the Edge p.70

According to this chapter, there are some main key elements to create, maintain, and reinforce a group's unity (= teamwork):

1.To "Establish a Shared Identity"

A good leader tries to create a shared value which gives common identity and unity to the team. When all team members hold shared identity with each other including the leader, they can put their energy for the shared goal.

2. To "Maintain the Bonds of Communication"

Having frequent communication makes the team members feel the sense of connectedness and team unity. At this time, the communication among the team doesn't always have to be face-to-face. It could be done through the internet or other electronic technologies.

3. To "Keep Everyone Informed, Involved, and Thinking About Solutions"

When vital information to achieve tasks are shared with the team members, they feel that they are involved in the project. When they feel that they are involved, they feel responsibility. When they feel their own responsibility, they do the best they can to achieve tasks allocated to them.

4. To "Leverage Everyone's Talents – And Deal with Performance Problems Constructively"

A good leader is a person who can understand each team member's ability and their strong points. Shackleton was very sensitive to these, and he was also good at "match those qualities with the needs of the expedition." When each member gets a task which they are good at to do, they can contribute to the team as best they could. = making full use of diverse talents of diverse individuals in diverse ways.

Also, a good leader deals with a poor performer without isolating the individual but give him/her an opportunity to recover.

*

Now, having a great teamwork is obviously one of the keys to success. However, through this reading, I noticed one important thing: creating/maintaining a good harmony itself should NOT be an "aim". Every team member needs to keep it mind that it's a "means" to achieve tasks with their full energy in order to reach the goal. This sounds like very natural (=Atarimae thing) but it is sometimes forgotten. Especially in Japan, people sometimes do not say what they really think in order not to break the harmony among the team. It leads the person to take a conciliatory attitude toward the challenges that the team faces = putting the cart before the horse.

Thus, in my opinion, it is not very good to emphasis the team message too much. The important thing is to make sure that the members understand their "goal" through sharing values/identity, frequent communication etc. (things mentioned above). These processes gives the sense of unity to the team, and as a result, the team message is reinforced.