All Star “Teams”
I often speak to charity leaders who are very excited about their latest hires.
They enthusiastically tell me about the qualifications, experience, and character of people who are joining their organization. These are moments of great promise.
Adding the right person can have an exponential impact. When the fit is just right, and the moment comes together, even the most optimistic expectations can be surpassed.
But more often, even these outstanding additions result in just minor advances.
Why?
Part of it surely is expectations: we get excited about the potential that comes with new people.
But another factor is the way we understand organizational leadership. As much as we talk about the importance of team, many leadership groups are more like a group of all stars thrown together for a fan friendly exhibition game than a cohesive and collaborative team.
Team doesn’t just happen. It takes work.
Healthy organizations invest time and resources in developing team mindsets and team behaviours. They prioritize shared goals over individual or departmental ones. And they reward those who make others better more than those who have great solo efforts.
Building this kind of team takes consistency. From the questions asked during hiring interviews, to the way we schedule our days/weeks/months/years, to the types of training we do.
It’s good to invest in the development of your senior leaders individually. Higher education, conferences, courses, and coaches all have a place. But we rarely see enough return on investment from those things for the team.
Two specific suggestions:
Every time a senior leader receives training they should prepare and deliver a summary or key learnings report and share it with the executive team.
Commit time and budget to intentional team learning. Whether it’s a book study, attending a conference together, facilitated retreats, or enrolling in the new Executive Team Program I’m offering; find something to do that is focused on growing together.
Talented individuals drawn together will do a lot. A truly healthy team will do more, and have more fun doing it.
Subscribe to Catalyst Content for monthly insights and opportunities for charity leaders.