Teams need to know how to work together and have conversations which help the process of understanding and optimising the knowledge, skills and attitudes available within the group. "Six Conversations for Team Success" is a framework to help teams structure their conversations so that the most important and relevant topics are addressed. But for these conversations to fulfil their potential, teams must learn some of the skills and disciplines which make conversations intelligent and their outputs valuable.
The "Six Conversations for Team Success" topics are about both the vital external relationships and the internal processes which together help the team thrive in today's turbulent markets and economies:-
Success Criteria - The value judgments the customers and stakeholders use when investing time, energy and money in the team's work and products. Stakeholder Management - The practices that engage the outside world in the team's work, successes and challenges so that they feel part of the action. Delivering on Promises - The reputation and record the team has for fulfilling expectations of them, their work and their outputs Structure and Organisation - The way that the team is organised and the processes it uses to reliably and easily perform its work and deliver its products. Working for Each Other - The interdependence which ensures that team members support each other in delivering value. Continuous Learning - The need for change and updates to knowledge, skills and attitudes to meet new challenges and opportunities.
Intelligent conversations challenge people's thinking, build understanding and extend possibilities. They are not designed to shut down differences but to explore them without judgment so that new thinking emerges. This means employing a disciplined approach which distinguishes these conversations from the everyday agenda items and any other business.
Desired End Results - All should be clear why the topic is being discussed and, more importantly, what should exist when the discussions end - what will actually be on the table. It might only be a shared understanding of feedback data, it might be proposals to consider or it might be an action plan. This must be clear to everyone or the conversation is doomed from the start.
Vertical and Visible - Using flip-charts, whiteboards, visuals and vertical surfaces to make sure everyone can see and contribute is essential. Most group meetings fail because everyone's head is down and absorbed in their horizontal, invisible notes - and the real power of combined group brainpower is lost.
Time Discipline - One or two topics fully explored is a vastly superior approach to overloading the agenda with six items which seem to drag on as energy and interest wane. So no more than two of the six conversations should be attempted in one meeting and thirty minutes per topic should be the maximum before a break.
The "Six Conversations for Success" help teams focus on what's really important. Using a disciplined approach to talking with each other helps make for intelligent conversations where ideas occur, new thinking emerges and great things happen.
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Clive is co-owner of ClearWorth http://www.clearworth.com , a company specialising in bespoke manager, leader and team development for major organisations around the world. Clive lives in the UK and France and works all over the world from Ohio to Oman, London to Lagos, Surrey to Syria. Clive thinks, teaches and writes about teams, groups, leaders, negotiation, influence, interpersonal relationships and cross cultural communication.
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