Team Health
Health indicators when managing and leading a team
A few weeks ago we underwent a significant restructure. We shuffled people around, merged teams, and — unfortunately — let some folks go.
But when some doors close, others open, and we were able to give a couple of people their first true management role. Starting in a new role is hard no matter what — being new to management, the domain, and the team. But it is especially tough in a global pandemic while working remotely.
To give them a head start we had to work through our approach to set up our newbies for success. How can we support them through the first 3–6 months? How can we maximise the chances of the group coming out the other end in a good spot?
Before we jump into our approach to this challenge, let me take a step back.
A lot is going on in a managerial role. More responsibilities. More things to keep an eye on. More context switching.
The first focus for new managers is usually delivery. How can I make sure my team is performing? We worry about delivery because we will be evaluated against it.
And that is understandable — it is a big part of leading a team. The question is how to achieve it.
I would argue that anyone can enable quick sprints of high productivity. Creating a deadline. Directing people down to the smallest detail. Exerting pressure and instilling urgency.
But it is not sustainable. Once the deadline has passed, the urgency goes away. Or, if we are trying to get it going for too long, people burn out.
If we want to have a consistently high performing team, urgency and motivation need to come from within. As managers, we need to lay the foundations by creating a healthy team.
Let us look at the categories that define a healthy (and happy) team…
1. Safety and Trust
… or openness and inclusiveness.
The most important aspect to look out for is how the team interacts with each other. A healthy team requires a high degree of trust between team members (including yourself) and a safe environment for everybody to share their thoughts.
Behaviours to look out for:
- Is feedback exchanged open and often? Between all members of the team and yourself? Are people calling out areas of improvement?
- Is the team vulnerable? Are they willing to talk about the not-so-great moments? Is everybody comfortable asking for help?
- Do all team members contribute to discussions? Do they feel safe to share their opinions in group settings?
- Are ideas listened to and considered? Can a thought or idea come from anyone on the team?
If you observe contradicting behaviour to any of the above it is time for you to act. Not by directing and telling folks off. But by influencing members of the team in the right direction.
2. Structure
Safety and trust are the foundation for healthy teams. Without it, nothing you build on top will last long.
A bit of structure can go a long way though to enable high performance.
- Does everybody in the team know what we want to achieve? Is there a shared context on the Why and What?
- Do people understand their roles? Do they know what is expected of them and how to achieve it?
3. Autonomy
The last aspect to look out for in healthy teams is autonomy. Autonomy is not about the freedom to do whatever people like. It is about an environment where your team has the tools and information to complete their work.
While the previous two aspects are a team effort, autonomy is up to you, the manager.
- Are expectations set? Do team members understand what they need to accomplish and what the requirements or restrictions are?
- Do you (the manager) can be hands off? Are folks able to independently complete their task without input from yourself?
- Is information shared openly within the team and external?
Joining a new team or becoming a new manager is daunting and stressful. We often prioritise the one thing that seems to be the easiest to measure: Productivity.
But if we want to establish a sustainably high performing team, we need to think about the health of it first.
