Why this matters
In a world of dynamic teams, we often have to come together fast and be in different teams at different stages at the same time. This requires an ability and a toolkit to form and bond that team in a quick but still real way so you can trust each other and outperform your competition.
These are some of the tips and tricks successful remote team leaders have employed to increase or sharpen their Teaming skills, fast. We talk about [the connection between Psychologically Safe teams and the real teamwork](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLmQyUqTmsY) often but here are a few things to do right away to bring you up to speed.
How to run it
- 1
Take the team through the Fast Team Startup Briefing (newly forming team or new ish team needs to bond)
- 2
Below is a 5-30 minute (depending on the size of the team) briefing that has been used for pre op clinical teams, which help increase check ins, reduce error rates and can be used and adapted across many other teams and for many other scenarios.
- 3
General Guidelines:
- Privacy - the space for briefing must be private
- Presence - only start when the whole team is convened
- Faces - masks off and everyone remains standing (CoVid masks clearly allowed, cameras on in virtual)
- Fast - Each step takes one minute or less
- Facilitation - one person is responsible for facilitation and time keeping
- 4
The Fast Team Briefing Process
- Minute 1 \- Reaffirming Purpose Ask: What’s our primary objective for what we’re doing right now? Does anyone have any questions or elaborations about that purpose?
- Minute 2 \- People and Resources Every person gives their name and briefly describes any special skills that could help the team achieve its purpose in this particular setting
- Minute 3 \- Roles and Norms What are the roles of each person on the team? What must we always do as we work together today? What should we be careful not to do?
- Minute 4 \- Are there special circumstances in the context? Are there any complexities, any constraints that we need to attend to and how do we need to deal with them?
- Minute 5 \- Any Uncertainties or Concerns? What is the remaining question or concern that we need to address before we begin?
- 5
If a team uses this approach it now knows it is bounded, interdependent, has collective purpose, has a sense of capabilities, some situation specific norms and a much better chance they will act the same way when they run into the unpredictable.
What next
Keep an eye on the behavioural Norms (What must we always do as we work together today? What should we be careful not to do?) agreed to maintain team bonds and do the extended version.
Related resources
- To Team or Not to Team (article)
- 5 Things You Can Do Today to Build Up Your Team (video)