2011 Program Management Challenge

Developing High Performance Teams

Presenters:

Bobby Watkins NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center

Izella M. Dornell U.S. Department of Commerce

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Agenda

Overview

Program/Project Problem Resolution

Anatomy of a High Performance Team– The Importance of Teams– Team Building Components– Team Leadership– Team Membership– Obtaining Balance

10 Reasons to Use Teams2

High Performance TeamsOverview

• Developing strong teams and relationships within the team are major components that enable mission success

• Optimizing team performance should be a high priority for an organization’s leadership

• A team’s functionality can mean the difference between having the appropriate resources made available or landing on a “high risk” cancellation list 3

1. Identify/SelectProblem

2. Analyzethe Problem

3. GeneratePotentialSolutions

4. Select &Plan Solution

5. Implement the Solution

6. Evaluatethe Solution

Plan

DoCheck

Act

Six Step Problem Solving Process

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Blue Print Tools

• Team Building–Fostering collaboration through “team

building” is the key component for effective execution of the organization’s mission, programs and projects

–Must realize that people are the foundation for building and nurturing high performing teams

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Team Building Components

• Purpose• Structure• Motivation• Dynamics• Communication• Respect for members• Feedback• Closure

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High Performance TeamsLeadership

• Effective leaders first gain an understanding of the context of their organization

• Mission• Stakeholders• Constraints• Political environment• Culture

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High Performance TeamsLeadership

• Characteristics– Use different leadership styles– Define and focus on goals and objectives– Articulate a strategy for moving forward– Engage employees/team members– Put customers first– Involve key stakeholders– Seize the moment– Communicate, communicate and communicate– Create alignment– Expect the unexpected– Stick with it

Who Touches the Process?

• Process Owner• Professional staff who do the work• Technical staff who do the work• IT representative• HR representative• Finance representative• Customers & other stakeholders• Suppliers• Benchmarking partner• Somebody with facilitation skills• Somebody who has done a process improvement

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For Team Effectiveness…….

A Team Facilitator Who:– Consults (Knows when to shut up)– Focuses the Team– Encourages Initiative– Shares Tasks & Leadership– Trains & Develops– Cultivates Honesty– Cultivates Respect– Coordinates Activities– Motivates the Team– Measures, Measures, Measures– Cultivates Creativity– Runs Interference

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Team Members Who:• Care• Take Responsibility• Freely Offer Ideas & Talents• Encourage the Ideas & Talents of Others• Focus• Think (till it hurts)• Are Positive• Appreciate & Utilize Diversity• Helps the Leader

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Meeting Ground Rules• 1. Respect Each Other• 2. Share Responsibility• 3. Criticize Ideas Not People• 4. Keep An Open Mind• 5. Question & Participate• 6. Attend All Meetings• 7. Listen Constructively & Carefully• 8. Be On Time• 9. Make All Points At Meetings

– (Not In Parking Lot)• 10. Be Candid & Diplomatic

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High Performance Teams Balanced Results

Processes implemented to maximize program and project

efficiency with the “active cooperation” and “buy-in” from the

TEAM

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Obtaining Team Balance

• What do you need to be able to do?

– Create a Blue Print– Know the Environment– Determine the Leadership– Establish organizational goals/mission focus– Build a functional team

• Build relationships• Establish alliances and coalitions• Beware of organizational “land mines” i.e. politics/culture

Ten Reasons to Use Teams

(Besides getting the boss off the hook on tough

decisions)

1. Reduces Stress and Politics

• Boss does not have to be all knowing• Vastly increases the data used for decision

making• Process less personal (in good ways)• Personal status and “histories” not part of

the process• More objective

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2. Reduces Bureaucracy

• Communication among units immediate• Assignments made and completed outside

of “chain of command”• No need for sequential “clearance” for

permission to take next steps

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3. Creates Fun and Energy

• Group commitment to each other pushes things forward

• People bond when on a well defined mission

• Brainstorming, creativity and innovation are invigorating

• Learning is invigorating• A good facilitator will make sure there is

fun

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4. Consensus Can Happen

• Solutions moves forward without sabotage – Majority rule causes sabotage– Unilateral decisions cause insurrection– Consensus causes the group to “dig deeper”

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5. Makes Your Diversity A Resource

• Produces tangible experience of the advantage of differences

• Infects the organizations culture

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6. Creates Continuously Improving Systems

• Systematic approaches used by teams produced systems – Systems have monitoring devises – Systems have means of calibrating to

changing customer requirements– Systems have input, in-process and output

measures– Systems are deployed to standards– Systems can be compared and benchmarked

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7. Not Constrained by the Organization Chart

• Include Suppliers• Include Partners• Include Customers• Include the Customer you want

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8. Learning Happens

• Transfer of skills, knowledge and point of view

• Innovation results when concepts from unrelated fields meet

• There are development opportunities even in a “flat” organization

• Hidden talents emerge• Personal growth inevitable

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9. Puts the “We” in Your Organization

• Builds relationships across silos• Communication channels outlive project• Credit and pride goes far and wide• Supports empowerment• Encourages matrix management

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10. Produces Better Solutions That Actually Get Implemented

• All the right egos invested• Every “gift” can be in the room• All bases have been touched• Everyone pulling for success• Everyone adapting for success• Lots of folks get credit for success• No put downs

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Discussion