Much has been written on how to upgrade team performance. Not rehashing that here, but rather underlining the usefulness of asking REALLY tough questions, and providing several specific suggestions for you along those lines.
When evaluating a group that thinks it wants to be a higher performing team, I always ask three “raise the stakes” types of questions. If you work with teams or lead a team, try these on for size, customizing to your situation, of course:
1. What are you avoiding or reluctant to say to one or more of your teammates? That thing no one wants to say, but it’s about time, and needs to be said? (If I’m the asker, I will go so far as: What don’t you want me to know / what are you holding back about this team?)
2. What patterns of action by individuals or the group are not working well, yet your team seems to hold onto as a sacred cow, or tends to let itself off the hook about?
3. How is this team getting in its own way, or being its own worst enemy?
I work with teams regularly, and have developed these questions over many, many interviews. They work: if you really lean into these, you’ll likely find some things that are well worth addressing. All you have to do is brace yourself for stronger / better teamwork.
David Peck
Principal
Goodstone Group, LLC
