Creating High Performing Teams: Why Some Teams Fail to Get Off the Ground Before They Start and What You Can Do to Prevent that From Happening

Have you ever given an assignment to a team only to have it fail to achieve the full results that you were seeking? I have. I have witnessed teams that seem to have been doomed from inception while others have blown the doors off of expectations. Why do some teams seem to never get off the ground?Recently a colleague asked me for help with a team he was working at a major utility. The senior managers had:Created teams by selecting team members that represented a cross-section of the utility,Given them specific assignments,Provided them time away from their regularly assigned duties so that the teams could meet,Required routine progress reports, andSwore commitment to support them.So why were they struggling?From my experience, I've learned that, if not handled properly, the things that make teams successful are the same things that can lead them to failure. Some of these include:Defining the objectiveSetting realistic expectationsIdentifying the teams' and members' roles and responsibilities, and decision-making authorityIdentifying the right composition of the teamCommunicating what's going on to others throughout the organizationChoosing the right place to start workIn this paper I will discuss how to make sure that you have the right players on the team. Obviously, if you don't get that right you may never accomplish what you originally set out to achieve, and I will also share some tough lessons learned derived from some very unpleasant experiences that I've had the misfortune of creating.