Team Closure

Quick reference

• 00:04 Hello, I'm Ray Sheen.
• 00:05 Sometimes teams come to an end.
• 00:08 When they do, the team leader plays an important role for ending the team well.
• 00:14 Let's start by considering project teams.
• 00:17 These teams will definitely have an end point because the project has
• 00:21 an end point.
• 00:22 Now it's interesting to note that as a project winds down, some of the team
• 00:26 members may start to leave before the project is totally complete.
• 00:30 The team leader needs to be applying these principles as soon as the team starts to
• 00:34 disband.
• 00:36 Project teams often disband with mixed emotions.
• 00:39 On the one hand there are the project results that can be celebrated,
• 00:42 the team achieved its goal.
• 00:44 But on the other hand, there are relationships that may be severed.
• 00:48 People who've been close working associates and friends for months or
• 00:50 even years are likely be going in different directions.
• 00:54 The team leader needs to make sure that the two types of activates are being
• 00:58 accomplished.
• 00:59 One of those is project closer activities.
• 01:02 This includes completing the project archives, disposing of project resources,
• 01:06 closing project contracts or charge numbers in the finance system.
• 01:10 Just a lot of administrative work that is not hard but is necessary.
• 01:15 The other type of activity is team closure activity.
• 01:18 This is dealing with the individuals rather than the project deliverables.
• 01:22 Recognition of contribution by team members and
• 01:24 celebration of team success are two vital elements in this activity.
• 01:28 The recognition should be more than just a t-shirt or a pizza lunch.
• 01:32 For those core team members, there needs to be input for
• 01:35 their performance appraisal or
• 01:36 reference if they're leaving the organization when the project completes.
• 01:41 We contrast the closing of a project team with the closing
• 01:44 of a functional business team.
• 01:46 This is often much more upsetting to team members,
• 01:48 because it is not scheduled like a project end date.
• 01:51 This usually happens as part of an organizational change or
• 01:55 when a functional team is disbanded or absorbed into another team.
• 01:59 These often come as a surprise to the organization, so
• 02:02 the team members are not prepared for the upcoming change.
• 02:05 That means that there's often a great deal of uncertainty accompanying
• 02:08 the team change.
• 02:09 Team members don't know if they still have a job,
• 02:11 what that job might entail, who they'll report to or who they'll be working with.
• 02:16 This sudden uncertainty often leads to fear.
• 02:19 A team leader must strive during this time to be supportive and encouraging for
• 02:23 team members, and to watch out for the team members' best interests.
• 02:27 Of course, there are functional closure activities.
• 02:30 Documents and systems need to be brought up to date, and there may be resources or
• 02:34 assets that must be properly reallocated.
• 02:37 But normally, the more difficult task for
• 02:39 the team leader is to look after the future of the team members.
• 02:42 I strongly recommend that the team leader meet with each individual and
• 02:45 thank them for their contribution for the team, find out their plans and
• 02:49 facilitate those plans.
• 02:51 This may mean helping them find a position in a new organization or
• 02:54 it may mean ensuring that they get access to job placement resources.
• 02:58 What can make this work doubly challenging is that the team leader
• 03:01 must also be thinking about their future.
• 03:04 I'm reminded of a friend of mine who'd been leading a small unit for a company.
• 03:08 Company decided to shut down the business unit.
• 03:11 He shared with me that his last official document he signed
• 03:14 was the one where he laid himself off from the company.
• 03:18 He had helped all of his people find new jobs, and
• 03:20 now he had to go looking for one.
• 03:23 Another way of thinking about team closure is the change of a team leader.
• 03:27 This is especially true with business teams.
• 03:30 Often people will describe their job as, I'm on this person's team.
• 03:34 With the change of leader, the whole complexion of the team will often change.
• 03:39 Sometimes this change can be difficult,
• 03:41 especially if the team had a great working relationship with the former leader and
• 03:45 they resentful or suspicious of the new leader.
• 03:49 A technique that I have participated with on several occasions,
• 03:52 as a team member, new team leader, and a facilitator, is a new leader assimilation.
• 03:57 This technique speeds the process and
• 03:59 quickly clears the air about any unrealistic assumptions on anyone's part.
• 04:05 A new leader assimilation is a facilitated meeting between the new leader
• 04:09 and the team.
• 04:10 In this session, the facilitator speaks for the team so
• 04:14 that their concerns or fears can be articulated without them
• 04:17 feeling that they have personally got off on the wrong foot with the new leader.
• 04:21 The facilitator can also help the new leader explain their
• 04:24 personal leadership philosophy to the team.
• 04:26 They can assure that both sides really hear what the other's trying to say.
• 04:31 The facilitator will normally meet with the team before the session with the new
• 04:35 leader in order to understand their issues, concerns, and perspectives.
• 04:39 The facilitator then shares with the new leader the team's strengths and
• 04:43 weaknesses, and their views in the role of the leader.
• 04:46 Essentially, they are letting the leader know who they are and
• 04:50 what they think they need from the leader in order for the team to succeed.
• 04:54 The new leader can also take this time to present their perspective on
• 04:58 how the team should run and their leadership style.
• 05:01 The facilitator can ask the leader questions on behalf of the team and
• 05:05 the team can hear and understand the leader's point of view.
• 05:08 When I've participated in these, I've also had the leaders share their strengths,
• 05:12 their weaknesses, and their hot button issues.
• 05:15 At the end of these sessions, both the existing team and the team leader
• 05:19 have a much better understanding of each other and their expectations.
• 05:23 Team closure is an important aspect in the life cycle of a team.
• 05:29 Managing closure well will position the team leader and the team members for
• 05:33 future success.

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