BUILDING AND LEADING HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS

Click to download

• Module presentation slides (pdf)
• Module Briefing Sheet (docx)

MATERIALS

• HBR, “The New Science of Building Great Teams” (Alex Pentland) (https://hbr.org/2012/04/the-new-science-of-building-great-teams)
• Corentus, “The Team Wheel” (Alexander Caillet) (https://accncrleadershipacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/corentus-the-team-wheel.pdf)
• Corentus, “The Team Life Cycle” (Alexander Caillet) (https://accncrleadershipacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/corentus-the-team-life-cycle.pdf)
• Mobius Strip, “The Team Adaptability Advantage” (Alexander Caillet & Amy Yeager) (https://accncrleadershipacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/mobius-strip-the-team-adaptability-advantage.pdf)
• HBR, “How Your State of Mind Affects Your Performance” (Alexander Caillet, Jeremy Hirshberg & Stefano Petti) (https://hbr.org/2014/12/how-your-state-of-mind-affects-your-performance)

TASKS

• Read all of the articles and complete the Personal Reflection Questions below.
• Prepare a copy of or draw your legal department’s “organizational chart.” If you are also managing a team, include a separate org chart of that team.
• Meet with your cohort and complete the assignment below.

PERSONAL REFLECTION:

• Based on your Organization Chart(s), how would you describe your department and/or team’s structure? (ex. Hierarchy? Flat? Hybrid? Other?) How would you describe its culture and team environment?
• How would you describe your legal department’s team energy? Engagement?
• Pentland (The New Science of Building Great Teams) identifies “Defining characteristics” of successful teams on page 7. How do you experience these in your legal department? Your own team?
• Reflect on Caillet’s Team Wheel Key Ideas (p.3). How would you evaluate your team and legal department through the lens of these key ideas?
• Reflect on Caillet’s Team Life Cycle. In which phase(s) would you place your team and legal department through the lens of this material?
• What do you believe are the key ingredients that create a high performing legal team/department?
• Consider Caillet’s “How Your State of Mind Affects Your Performance.” What best practices do you engage to help create higher states of mind?

COHORT MEETING (Meet to discuss the following BEFORE Classroom Session)

• Share your “organizational chart” with your cohort members and your reflections on your team culture and environment.
• If you are managing a team of people, how does your team reflect the culture and environment of the broader legal department? How is it similar? Different?
• Share your key takeaways from any of the pre-reading
• Based on personal preference or agreed upon by your Cohort, discuss your responses to Personal Reflection questions

LEARNING GOALS

• Learn the dynamics of a team’s life cycle and why each is important.
• Learn the various Operating Modes groups and teams can work from and the competitive advantage that is born out of being able to move back-and-forth across these modes.
• Learn the four essential components of high performing teams: 1) Common Purpose and Goals; 2) Roles and Competencies; 3) Collaboration; and 4) Mutual Accountability and your role in developing these as a team leader.
• Learn and practice a set of methods and tools to help teams generate a powerful sense of Common Purpose and Common Goals.
• Learn and practice a set of methods and tools to create and sustain high levels of group and team Mutual Accountability.
• Learn about the impact of State of Mind on team Buoyancy, Safety and Performance and explore a suite of tools and techniques to achieve the optimal states of mind for your groups and/or teams.