ACEC Texas Building and Leading High-Performance Teams

1. ACEC Texas Building and Leading High-Performance Teams

2. What is a team? A team is a group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

3. What is a HIGH PERFORMANCE team? • Environment built on trust • Guidelines— defined business objectives • Core Values • Accepted norms and behavior • A “way” of working • “Plugged-in” team members • Momentum • Work-life balance • Right DNA

4. Environment Built on Trust Source: Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Peter Lencioni

5. Defined Business Objectives Create Alignment • What road are we taking? • How are we going to get there?

6. Core Values • Honesty/Integrity • Loyalty • Determination/Perseverance • Mutual Respect • Limited Distractions • Ego • Turf • Career

7. Accepted Norms and Behavior • Healthy debate commonplace— status quo continuously challenged • Positive reinforcement vs. public displays of dissatisfaction • Non performance confronted constructively, in real time • Negativity stamped out • Full participation at meetings • Rapid response to internal clients— minutes vs. days (or not at all)

8. A “Way” of Working • Well-designed standards that are used • Mechanisms for continuous improvement

9. Empowered Team Members • Context is understood • Challenged to take on more • Control over resources— accountable for results • Plugged into firm-wide strategies and changes • Open lines of communication with internal support resources • Access to market intelligence

10. Sense of Urgency • Serious about deadlines • Serious about not letting their teammates down • Experiment and brainstorm when the heat is on— resulting in group learning and innovation

11. Momentum • They build on ideas with “and” • They never use the term “Devil’s Advocate” • They are penny- AND pound-wise • Over, under, around, through obstacles

12. Work-Life Balance • Team members put things in perspective • They have fun at work and away from work • They have success at work and away from work

13. The Right DNA • Can park egos • Great communicators • Positive energy • Passion for excellence • Eager to learn • Great work ethic • Willingness to develop their own skills

14. No Bad Apples! • Support publicly, undermine privately • “That’s not my job” • Individual agenda overrides group goals • Unreliable

15. Other Building Blocks • Access to talent • Ability to sell the firm’s vision and values • Up-to-date tools • Training and development

16. How to Build Something Special • Get out of the “doer” mode • Do a whole lot of learning • Do a whole lot of practicing • Do a whole lot of supporting

17. Meet Charles (Chuck) McKenna, P.E. • Runs a Transportation Group at Luncaster, Adams, Marris & Edwards • 47 years old • Married, 3 Kids • All-around good guy • Feels overworked, a bit burned-out • Favorite phrase: “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”

18. L.A.M.E.’s Mindset

19. Chuck’s Leadership Philosophy

20. Chuck’s Thoughts on Delegation

21. But Chuck’s Team Was Floundering • Revenue and profitability kept sliding • Quality was dropping • Bickering • Lousy meetings (or at least that’s what he heard) • Turnover • Not so much fun anymore

22. Chuck Realizes His “Doer” Took Over • Chuck’s job is to get the right pieces in the right places • Accomplish things through others • Mentor and delegate

23. Chuck is Drinking the Cool-Aid • Sending and Receiving • Influencing and Directing the Team • Counseling and Coaching • Delegation • Learning

24. Chuck is Mastering Sending and Receiving • He controls his impulse to immediately answer questions • He stops himself from arguing mentally • He puts all of his energy into listening • He ask a lot of questions • He speaks clearly, uses language everyone understands • He varies tone and pace • He keeps verbal and non-verbal communication in sync • He gives undivided attention • He uses the person’s name, smiles, relaxes, is friendly • He move from general to the specific

25. Chuck is Building Reliability The elements of a promise The elements of reliability Determining sincerity

26. Elements of a Promise • Clear customer • Clear performer • Clear conditions of satisfaction • Finish line • Takes place in the future

27. Elements of Reliability • Conditions of satisfaction are understood and acceptable to the performer • The performer has the competency or access to the competency • The performer knows how long it will take • The performer has the time to do it • The performer has allocated capacity to the task

28. Determining Sincerity • What unspoken conversation are you having about the commitment you just made?

29. Chuck is Influencing and Directing the Team! • He is doing his own job well • Whatever the rules are, he is following them • He puts out a solid effort every time • He shows maturity and dignity • He shows a positive attitude • He sells his own position

30. Chuck is getting to know the Team • He’s learning their strengths • He’s getting a read on their personality types • He’s pushing the right buttons

31. Coach Chuck? • Chuck is starting to help team members arrive at their own conclusions • He’s listening intently, asking more questions, and avoiding giving advice right away • He’s getting better results by offering encouragement

32. Chuck is Dishing Off • He’s determining the task • He’s matching it to his team’s strengths • He communicates authority, responsibility, objectives, deadlines, and other specific parameters • He monitors periodically • He gives feedback in real time • He rewards/acknowledges performance

33. Chuck Brings the Outside World Inside • He’s looking outside of the industry for ideas and inspiration • He set up a “mastermind” for individual and group learning

34. Bringing Unity to the Organization • What do our clients need, and do we leverage all that we have under our roof? • Look for opportunities to work together that create value • Create the communication mechanisms • Knock down the barriers to team performance • Shift focus to company-wide performance • Measure value delivered as an organization

35. What Are You Going to Change? • What are you good at? • What are you learning to do better? • What are you dissatisfied with? • What needs more of your attention?

36. 3 Must-Do’s for High Performance • Build and share your knowledge • Build and share your network • Share your compassion