Page 97 - HBR Leader's Handbook: Make an Impact, Inspire Your Organization, and Get to the Next Level

Getting Great People on Board 87

years of research into team performance, Martine Haas and Mark Mor-
tensen suggest four key steps in their HBR article “The Secrets of Great
Teamwork”:

1. Ensure that your team has one or more common and compelling
goals that require everyone to contribute in some way. At the Ford
Foundation, the senior team was collectively responsible for driving
a digital mindset into every program and aspect of the foundation’s
work. To make that happen, all of the senior leaders had to not only
take action within their own areas, but also look at the implications
across programs and functions, and act as an overall steering group
for the transition to digital.

2. Create an agreed-on structure for how the team will work together,
including norms of behavior, sharing information, when and how to
hold meetings, communication patterns, and clarity of assignments.
This doesn’t mean that you dictate to everyone how the team will
work, but rather that you discuss these issues with your team explic-
itly so that the structure becomes solidified.

3. Provide the support needed for the team to succeed, such as edu-
cation, access to resources, budgets, coaching, and the like. At the
Ford Foundation, the provision of digital fellows to senior team
members is a good example. Support, however, also means psycho-
logical support so that your team members feel that they can get
help and constructive feedback from each other rather than attacks
and put-downs.

4. Foster a shared mindset and sense of identity with the team. Par-
ticularly in organizations where team members may be dispersed,
traveling frequently, and connecting virtually, you need to encour-
age people to develop personal relationships and get to know each
other beyond just the immediate tasks and roles. Find time for off-
site sessions, unstructured discussions, dinners, and occasional fun
activities, sometimes including spouses and significant others—all
of which can help bring your team together.