High performing teams and the leadership of change

As leaders of Change we are faced with some unique challenges in bringing together dispersed groups of people, often from a range of organisations and often with members of that team who have not done this before.

As well as the technical leadership of the process of Change, we also have a duty to provide the Glue that binds this team together around the delivery of a common goal. This latter element is often overlooked, and not given the importance it deserves , as without it the activities and processes of Change delivery cannot work.

Examples of the challenges faced could be:

• You have one chance to get it right
• There is no bedding in period for the team – forget a gentle Forming/Storming/Norming/Performing development of team capability
• Team members may be new to change , or to change on this scale
• With a team made up of multiple organisations and internal groups there will be different agendas and split loyalties.

So as a leader you will have to provide the drive and single-minded focus to get this group over the finish line, right?

In fact to achieve and sustain the top performance over what could be many months you need a number of tools in your toolkit in order to not under cook, or overcook the pressure and get it just right. And of course , everyone is an individual so has different personal drivers and inhibitors depending on what is going on in their lives on that particular day.

So what can we do as leaders to give our teams the biggest chance of achieving success;

• We can ensure that everyone within and affected by the change are on board with the Team Journey. Talking to people individually and in groups regularly, and following up on any risks is a basic requirement. Form a Pulse on how everyone is doing, to pick up any worries early.
• We can create an environment and forums where clear open and honest 2-way communication flourishes and is reflected in the messaging given to stakeholders.
• Build clarity around roles and responsibilities. This should not be confused with Job descriptions, but is about what is expected of individuals and establishes accountability for each scenario within the delivery.
• Finally we can create the ability to overcome setbacks, as they are inevitable, through approaching problems constructively, dealing with causal factors and measuring results.

Delivering Change does require process and governance but without a well-led, highly performing team it is unlikely to succeed.