To Improve Your Team, First Work on Yourself

puzzle pieces

Originally published Jan. 29, 2019 on HBR.org.

A colleague and I were recently meeting with a CEO and his leadership team, observing them as they discussed how to improve their annual planning process. As the team of ten explored their current process, the conversation got heated. The team had been talking for 45 minutes, but it wasn’t clear who was leading the discussion or what their objectives were. Many comments were off-topic, and they were not getting closer to answers.

We paused the meeting and posed this question: How are you reacting to this conversation and what in you is causing your reaction?

We were met with blank stares. They asked us to repeat the question, seemingly surprised that we had asked them to take responsibility for their reactions. Surely, we had meant to ask them what everyone else was doing wrong in the conversation, right?

Leaders and teammates often tell us that their team is “dysfunctional” (their word, not ours) and ask us to help identify and fix the issue. When we dig deeper and ask them to describe what they are observing in detail, we typically hear that certain team members are problematic and need to change their behavior. We also hear vague statements about “them” (everyone else) not knowing how to operate effectively. As experienced team development practitioners, we know that these are not accurate or helpful assessments of the situation.

Teams are complex systems of individuals with different preferences, skills, experiences, perspectives, and habits. The odds of improving that complex system in a meaningful and sustainable way are higher if every team member — including the leader — learns to master these three foundational capabilities: internal self-awareness, external self-awareness, and personal accountability. Continue reading at HBR.org…

Jennifer L. Porter Jennifer Porter is the Managing Partner of The Boda Group. She is a graduate of Bates College and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and an experienced operations executive. As an executive and team coach, Jennifer bridges the art and science of leadership to help leaders become more self-aware, authentic, and effective. Her significant and growing understanding of how great leaders think, behave, and change help her clients transform their leadership. Learn more about Jennifer or get in touch.