I once attended an executive team meeting where the HR manager was complaining about a particular form. Seemed people were consistently making mistakes on the form. She quickly launched the idea that we needed training on how to fill out the form and all 1300 employees needed to be trained. Within a nano second two others at the table agreed.
As the Chief Learning Officer, my staff would have been tasked with training 1300 people — on a form. This moment is etched in my memory. The ridiculous train was headed straight at us. I dove in front of it. “What if we redesign the form and make it more understandable?”
I propose to you - the team concept or at least how it is applied can be a ridiculous train. Instead of investing good training dollars in teaching people how to survive the “forming, storming and norming” stages of a team, let's ask another question. Why do we "storm" on teams? Why is it so difficult? Maybe instead of asking how we train people to get along, we should ask — is the concept flawed?
If you have ever been part of a team and struggled with just how inefficient they can be at getting anything done, this article is for you. I propose to you, it is not the people. We have a sequencing problem. We put everyone on the field at the same time, regardless of what position they play.
The decision to form a team usually goes something like this, “Put Sam on there. He always gets things done. We will need diversity, a gender mix, different personalities and we need people who like details and oh yeah a couple big picture thinkers. Oh, and let’s put Susie on there. She will be good at helping everyone get along….”
I propose to you - teams struggle because we do not consider what is known as “time frame orientation.” Some people are naturally creative, envision new things and can think ten years out. They do what I call, “hologram-ing.” They can see a picture in their head -- of a product, event, or service that has never before existed. With this ability they can also communicate the hologram to each other. It is as if a cloud forms over someone’s head and then fellow visionaries see it and start modifying it in their respective thought clouds. They enjoy what is known as divergent thinking. It is represented in blue on the adjacent diagram.
Now the problem comes when others who don’t have the ability (no cloud) are witnessing the process and start getting nervous. They can’t see the cloud and don't realize it's just a cloud at this stage. They start asking questions or put up objections. They say things like, “I don’t see how it will work. We don’t have the money. That won’t work here….” I wonder how many good ideas vanished because the cloud vanished before it could form. They are represented in the diagram in red. They enjoy convergent thinking.
As a side note, you can detail your way up to big picture but it takes a gazillion times longer than big picture down to detail. The increased time is because thousands upon thousands of different details are discussed, developed and ultimately rejected along the way.
What if instead of teaching team members how to get along, we let them work from their "time frame" strengths? What if other members got off the field when it wasn't their time to play? What if we started with a concept, formed the team and then sent 2/3rds of them back to work while the one third who are actually good at creative process ran through a few scenarios and settled on one or two. What if we next engaged those with more “strategic” minds who can easily come up with steps for achieving the vision? They are represented in the center of the diagram. They are the handoff people. They can move from vision to strategy. What if the strategy was then handed to those who are superb at detail and implementation? And what if all three groups (blue, red and mixed) appreciated each stage and let go?
I believe with a good understanding of "time frame orientation," natural abilities, and proper sequencing of talent, we could get so much more done without the pain of forming, storming and norming. If we rightly sequenced talent hours, in 24 hours the next great idea would be well on its way to reality.
Then the “team” could go to the local watering hole. Where, come to think of it, everyone gets along just fine.