Dr. David Rafeedie

Bill liked to use the word “team” a lot around the office. As the CEO of a medium size company, he took pride in how he interacted with his subordinates. In his view, they worked well together while accomplishing mission effectively. Bill often patted himself on the back for how well he had hired—at least for the most part. He had some turn over now and then but felt those who left were just not a good match for his team. He knew as a team they had room to grow, but he didn’t know what his next steps would be. A friend of his (let’s call him Jack), the CEO of a large corporation, encouraged him to hire a business coach. “Hey, my friend Jack is doing well so maybe there is something to this coaching thing,” Bill thought. So he did his homework and hired a coach. Working with the coach, Bill decided to survey his team to quantify where they stood as a team. He anticipated that his feelings his team was healthy would be confirmed, and the data would help him give direction to taking his team to the next level.

Much to his surprise and horror, Bill discovered his executives were not happy with his leadership. They felt underused and sometimes even felt useless. They were afraid to question his ideas and felt their staff meetings and strategic planning times together were simply a “rubber stamp” exercise for Bill’s ideas. They did not feel the freedom to question decisions or to make suggestions that might make those decisions better. In fact, they felt there was no mechanism to share ideas or suggest corrections in a way that would be a benefit to the organization. Instead, they grumbled and complained to each other behind his back.

Bill made a couple of mistakes that leaders often make. He mistook silence for agreement. If there are no dissenting voices or clarification questions, or even suggestions to make an idea better then a leader should be asking for them. I always see silence as a red flag. It may not always be, but I find it a good rule of thumb to always ask for opinions if none are forthcoming. Ask team members by names.

The other mistake he made was assuming that because they were all meeting together, they were experiencing teamwork. (Finzel, 2007) A team meeting does not necessarily mean teamwork is taking place. A team member may be bringing her or his agenda with them. One team member may dominate the conversation or manipulate the discussion. Another may not ever say anything because they are mentally AWOL. A team experiencing teamwork is more than a group of individuals working together.

Team and teamwork are tangible characteristics of a healthy team and can be seen and experienced. For the sake of the discussion, let us define what we mean by team and teamwork. A team experiencing teamwork is:

Two or more people brought together for a specific purpose working in synergy to achieve a specific goal.

Synergy is: The total effect of the team is greater than the sum of the individual effects of the individual team member.

Carl Whitaker, a renowned physician, and family therapist said https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Whitaker

As much as I would miss my wife if she were to die,
I would miss what we are together even more.
Our '"we-ness'"our "us-ness".

Borrowed from family system theory, that is a great way to think about a healthy team. Healthy teams enjoy being together and appreciate one another’s gifts and talents and what they bring to the team. They “own” the end goal and are aligned in their efforts to achieve it. Below are eight common sense characteristics that can be seen and experienced by a healthy team. Together they reflect a healthy team environment.

Characteristics of Healthy Team

Healthy teams are formed and do not occur naturally. Whenever you bring a group of people together, it takes intentionality to move them from thinking, “I” to “We.” The leader's role is to help them become a team rather than a group of individuals functioning in a group. In 1965, Bruce Tuckman proposed his very helpful four phases Teamwork Theory that helps put intentionality in a working framework. Helping your team progress through the phases; Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing, takes an intentional effort from the team leader. Here is a good explanation of Tuckman’s model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckman%27s_stages_of_group_development
The team members always build up the team, not themselves. They give away the glory. On healthy teams, the members encourage and support one another. They do what it takes to help their teammates succeed.
When one team member fails, every team member feels the failure, when one succeeds they all rejoice. Closely related to number 2, good team members don’t compete with one another in an unhealthy way but realize that each one is working to achieve the same goal. They realize that it takes a team effort to be the best.
Healthy teams focus on the task they are called on to achieve. They know what the win is and work hard to get there. Clarity is a hallmark of a healthy team.
Healthy teams have a player-coach and submit to her or him in matters relating to team effectiveness and mission accomplishment. I am dating myself here, in my opinion, the greatest player-coach ever on a professional sports team is Bill Russell. He was the heart and soul of the Celtics, and he drove me nuts when he would beat the Lakers. He was an excellent player and a great coach. Healthy business and ministry teams have great player-coaches. Someone who knows the job well and how to motivate and equip her team. Check out some important info on the amazing Bill Russell: www.nba.com/history/players/russell_bio.html
Excellence is a fundamental value of healthy teams. They are constantly looking for ways to improve and are not satisfied with the mundane or status quo. Excellence is what makes champions. Healthy teams have a deep desire to be the best. Great teams do the fundamentals very well. It gives them a foundation to build on.
Individual members of a healthy team have permission to “get in the face” of a member who drops the ball. Everyone makes mistakes. On a healthy team, team members can be honest with each other about “dropping the ball.” That behavior is healthy accountability, and everyone learns the lessons. This kind of transparency and authenticity is indicative of good working relationships grounded in mission or direction. It is the kind of healthy interaction that allows the team to progress and become a performing team.
Healthy team members are aware of their limitations, play within themselves, and look to the team for support. Great players know what they can do well and know their limitations. They “play within themselves” and empower those around them.

Intentionality is the key to building a healthy team. A log doesn’t become a beautiful piece of furniture just by cutting down a tree. A group of people working together does not become a healthy team just because they are working together. It takes work, it takes time, and it takes a plan.

Embed the characteristics above into your team, and you will find morale and production increases. Do intentional team building. There are some good resources out there. One I like is The Disney Way, by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson, along with the Fieldbook that goes with it. Another of those resources is the right coach for you and your team. Contact me if you want to discuss where you and your team are and would like to go.

What are some characteristics you would add to describe a healthy team? How would you assess your team?

Characteristics of a Healthy Team