Why good teams don't fall from the sky

How teams are formed, exist, and mature

There's a key question when it comes to project success: How do successful teams emerge? This article provides answers that can be clearly derived from a systemic view of a team. It will become apparent that one attitude and two skills are of particular importance. Unfortunately, these attitudes and skills don't simply fall from the sky, as the image above illustrates… Those who discover, practice, and internalize them in teamwork will be richly rewarded.

To avoid discussing gimmicks and short-lived fads, let me first clarify what I consider to be successful:

1. The team members contribute their skills to a common goal, with which each of them identifies in their own way.
2. The team members develop and use values, rules, structures and processes that enable them to communicate, decide and act in such a way that they can pursue their goals with a high degree of personal responsibility.
3. The team is able to adapt quickly enough to the demands and changes of its environment to thrive within it. This environment is shaped, for example, by the company itself, its customers, the competition, or economic, social, or environmental conditions.
4. On the one hand, the team is capable of adequately obtaining resources and information from this environment. On the other hand, it can effectively protect itself against harmful or disruptive influences.
5. The team is able to improve its performance and discover and utilize untapped potential through a joint learning process.

These success factors don't just fall from the sky. They arise from a complex interaction of people pursuing a common goal. The likelihood of a successful team emerging depends significantly on how well the participants manage to utilize and continuously refine the following skills:

The ability to…
… to develop a strong sense of belonging,
… to exchange ideas openly and in a goal-oriented manner about commitment and responsibility,
… to exchange information about performance openly and in a goal-oriented manner,
… to exchange ideas openly and in a goal-oriented manner about the promotion of potential,

Or, to put it more simply: how well the participants manage to come together in a civilized manner for the benefit of a common goal.

Let's take a closer look at this. It will quickly become clear that these skills build upon each other and influence one another.

The ability to develop a strong sense of belonging

Without belonging, a team cannot exist. The feeling of belonging arises when team members help each other satisfy important needs such as trust, loyalty, recognition, professional development, and security. Ultimately, a successful team is a community of purpose based on shared needs. Each member initially hopes that they will have a better chance of fulfilling their needs within the team than they would without it. When this hope is confirmed through getting to know one another and participating in initial shared activities, a sense of belonging develops. For example, it becomes apparent that team members are friendly, work is structured and goal-oriented, and they are helpful and have a good sense of humor.

The true test of belonging arises in situations where team members' needs clash, for example, when one person's need for security inhibits another's drive for knowledge. If a team is consistently able to resolve such conflicts in a way that maintains a positive balance of needs for all involved, then mutual trust within the team grows. The team understands conflicts as a natural part of teamwork and possesses the ability to use them as a source of knowledge and further development. This fosters a special quality of trust and belonging. It demonstrates that what makes us different can unite us more strongly if we only learn to recognize and utilize those differences as a resource. I find that truly remarkable.

How can a sense of belonging be practically fostered? First, it's important that people can get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere. There are many enjoyable methods for initial introductions. Numerous suggestions can be found online or in bookstores. The next step is for future team members to work together in small groups on challenging tasks that also provide a shared sense of accomplishment. Rituals such as shared coffee and lunch breaks, birthday cake, and celebrating interim results promote relationship building and maintenance. When it comes to addressing and resolving disagreements and conflicts, the manager plays a crucial role. They should definitely familiarize themselves with relevant topics.

A sense of belonging paves the way for another prerequisite for successful teams. Without this sense of belonging, no genuine willingness can develop to commit to other team members and the shared goal, and to take responsibility.

Open and goal-oriented exchange about commitment and responsibility

Expectations are clearly communicated. Effort and responsibility are acknowledged. Discrepancies between expected or agreed-upon effort and actual effort are addressed. The same applies to responsibility. The goal of this open communication is to mutually reinforce each other's willingness to commit and take responsibility through appropriate recognition, and to help each team member make their appropriate contribution.

That this open communication can lead to disagreements and even heated discussions is inherent in the nature of things. Developing respectful and solution-oriented methods of conflict resolution is therefore a crucial maturation process for a team.

A team in which every individual is committed to shared goals and their teammates, and takes responsibility, develops a high level of resilience against crises, setbacks, and other challenging situations. Dedicated effort and a resolute acceptance of responsibility also create the conditions for effective performance.

Deployment and performance: It's important to distinguish between effort and performance at this point. Effort is any contribution that benefits the team in some way – regardless of whether the result has an immediate economic benefit. This could be a word of encouragement, training a new colleague, participating in a discussion, or resolving a conflict. Effort creates important conditions for performance to be possible. However, it doesn't necessarily lead to it. Performance represents a measurable output, such as the number of devices produced or the billable service. Unfortunately, effort is very often ignored or not adequately recognized when performance falls short of expectations. This undermines the foundation for future success.

Open and goal-oriented exchange about performance

The same principles apply to performance as to commitment and responsibility. Only when the team discusses expected, agreed-upon, and achieved performance openly and respectfully can team members either reinforce each other's motivation or support each other in increasing their performance capabilities.

Open and goal-oriented exchange about potentials

Many teams harbor dormant skills or talents that are either underutilized or have yet to be discovered. This is generally true for every team member. If a team wants not only to survive but also to continuously renew itself, discovering and utilizing potential plays a crucial role. This requires open communication about which individuals, based on their talents, should be developed and how, for the benefit of the team. Priority must be given to those talents and individuals who promise the greatest benefit to the team's goals and the needs of its members as a whole.

Core competency: Respectful handling of differences

Openly addressing commitment, responsibility, performance, and talent also means that we will be confronted with differing opinions and sensitivities. A crucial core competency of successful teams lies in disclosing these differences and being willing to actively engage with them in order to find a solution and then jointly embrace it.

At this point, it's worth touching on the topic of appreciation. Is it respectful to keep someone in the dark about our assessment of their commitment, sense of responsibility, or performance, or even to lie to them? Is it respectful to pretend that everyone puts in the same effort, bears the same responsibility, and delivers the same results, when that's not the case? I believe the answer is a resounding NO!

Why is the threshold for speaking openly and concretely about commitment, responsibility, performance and potential so high?

This is likely due, in part, to our (not entirely unjustified) belief that many people perceive critical feedback as insulting or shameful, even as a challenge to their entire being. We may also believe this because we observe this reaction to critical remarks in ourselves. The reason: Due to socialization within family, circle of friends, education, and work, many people's self-esteem is often closely linked to fulfilling the expectations of parents, friends, teachers, and superiors. Unmet expectations are all too often punished on a relational level with withdrawal of affection, exclusion, or contempt. This creates a vicious cycle: When a person feels challenged as a human being by feedback on their behavior, they react with counterattack, defensiveness, or withdrawal. Anticipating such reactions, others hesitate to speak openly. This leads to resentment about a person's behavior often building up for a very long time. Eventually, however, the threshold is crossed. Then accusations, frustration, anger, or rage may erupt uncontrollably and unrestrainedly. This, in turn, reinforces the person's feeling of rejection. Consequently, their reaction is equally intense. Further escalation is very likely.

Another reason for the high barrier to speaking up is that too many people still feel insecure in such situations. How do I say it? When do I say it? Where do I say it? They lack suitable phrases, procedures, or simply the practice to apply them. Rather than say something wrong, they prefer to keep quiet. Herein lies another important starting point for making teams successful: learning, practicing, and internalizing methods for dealing with disagreements and conflicts in an appreciative and solution-oriented manner.

Attitude and methodological competence as the key to success

The foundations for a successful team are laid by fostering a sense of belonging and open communication about commitment, responsibility, performance, and potential. The goal is honest and concrete appreciation to strengthen team cohesion and mutual support to further develop crucial success factors. A key role is played by the team's ability to address and resolve disagreements and conflicts respectfully and with a focus on solutions. Proven methods exist for this, which can be learned and practiced. Team members can also support and assist each other in the necessary effort required for team development. The best mindset is to view differing interests, opinions, or needs not as a threat, but as a source of knowledge and growth. This mindset and its practical application don't simply appear out of thin air. However, those who embark on the journey to discover, practice, and internalize it will be richly rewarded.

Good luck with your project work!

Further information

Training & coaching
MicroConsult Training & Coaching on project management

MicroConsult training and coaching - overview

Food for thought:
Column by Peter Siwon about the human side of project work

Peter Siwon: Systemic project management