Super teams have a core leadership team who set the ‘What’, ‘Why’ and the overall ‘How’. They then involve their people and make clear contracts on the agreed ‘Who’ and ‘When’. Such teams implement the right strategy with the right people in the right way. They then do whatever is necessary to deliver success. Let’s explore these themes.

1) You can have the right strategy.

Good leadership teams make sure they are following the right strategy. They then communicate the overall game plan to their people by saying something like:

“The goal we are aiming to achieve is: To __________. This is the ‘What’. The benefits of achieving this goal will be: a) _________. b) _________. c) _________. This is the ‘Why’. The key principles we want you to follow to reach the goal are: a) _________. b) _________. c) _________. This is the ‘How’. The detailed ‘Who’ and the ‘When’ will be up to you and your teams. But one thing is mandatory. We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to deliver the overall goal by the agreed date.”

“There are several points to bear in mind when doing the work. First, you will be given freedom - within the agreed parameters - to deliver the results. Second, you will be encouraged to make sure that whatever you do follows the key principles. Third, you will be asked to make clear contracts with your manager about your specific contribution towards achieving the goal. Finally, whenever there are conflicts in the business, try to find ‘win-win’ solutions. Go for the solution that is best for the whole team. When in doubt, keep following the key principles to reach the overall goal.”

Looking at the actual team you work in at the moment, to what extent do you believe it has the right strategy? Rate this on a scale 0 – 10. What are the specific things it can do to improve – or maintain – this score? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I believe the team
has the right strategy is: ____ / 10

The specific things we can do to improve – or maintain –
this score and make sure we have the right strategy are:

*

*

*

2) You can have the right people.

Imagine you are the leader of your actual team. Does it have the right people in the right places? Imagine you were starting the team again with a blank piece of paper. Which people would you re-hire? What would you hire each of these to deliver? People make the difference. So they must all have the right attitude, ability and application to do good work. “But it is so difficult to get the right people,” somebody may say. Maybe, but just try the alternative: it is even more difficult working with the wrong people. Looking at your team, to what extent do you believe it has the right people in the right places? Rate this on a scale 0 – 10. What are the specific things that can be done to improve – or maintain – this score? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I believe the team has the
right people in the right places is: ____ / 10

The specific things we can do to improve – or maintain – this score
and make sure we have the right people in the right places are:

*

*

*

3) You can ensure that people implement the strategy in the right way.

Super teams deliver. So how can you make this happen? Imagine you are the team leader. Let’s assume everybody has made clear contracts about their contribution towards achieving the team goals. You can then do several things to ensure people stay on track. First, make sure that every team member has the practical and emotional support they need to do the job. Second, hold monthly update sessions where each person presents: a) The things I have done in the last month towards achieving the goals; b) The things I plan to do in the next month. c) The challenges I face, the strategies I have for tackling these challenges and the support I need to achieve success. Third, make any tough decisions and do whatever is necessary to ensure the team delivers success. Looking at your team, to what extent do you believe that people are implementing the right strategy in the right way? Rate this on a scale 0 – 10. How can people improve this score? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I believe people are implementing
the right strategy in the right way is: ____ / 10

The specific things we can do to improve – or maintain – this score
and make sure we implement the right strategy in the right way are:

*

*

*

Great teams develop good habits. This ensures that they continually reach 8/10. People then add that touch of magic to achieve 10/10. Your team can increase its chances of success by implementing the right strategy with the right people in the right way.