Inattention to Results

Quick reference

• 00:03 Hi, I'm Ray Sheen.
• 00:05 Let's look at the last of the five team dysfunctions, inattention to results.
• 00:10 So let's start by discussing what it means for a team to be results-focused.
• 00:15 Of course the team has goals.
• 00:18 We've talked in an earlier session about setting goals.
• 00:20 A results-focused team puts those team goals
• 00:23 ahead of each member's personal goals.
• 00:26 And we're not talking about squishy, feel good goals, we mean solid,
• 00:29 measurable performance goals.
• 00:31 The team results will then normally be a combination of several elements of
• 00:35 business impact for which the team is responsible.
• 00:39 It might be financial goals tied to sales and revenue or profit, rates of return.
• 00:43 It might be customer-focused goals such as market share, customer satisfaction,
• 00:47 or project deliverables.
• 00:49 it could be tied to team efficiency measures, such as cost, cycle time, or
• 00:53 quality aspects like scrap or returns.
• 00:55 And it could be organizational impact, such as hiring and firing to achieve
• 00:59 the desired headcount or ensuring that everyone is trained and certified.
• 01:03 Whatever the goals, the point is that there is a measurable metric and
• 01:07 all team members are working together to achieve that target.
• 01:10 It's important to understand that this dysfunction is one of degrees.
• 01:15 Everyone on the team will tell you, that they want it to succeed.
• 01:18 But the key here is that the team members are willing to set aside their
• 01:22 personal goals and objectives to ensure that the team is successful.
• 01:26 Some team members seek out team membership because it affords them status.
• 01:31 Others seek it out in order to enhance a resume or
• 01:34 achieve some other personal goals.
• 01:36 This dysfunction occurs when those reasons are more important to an individual than
• 01:40 team success.
• 01:42 What this is really getting down to is whether the person is willing to sacrifice
• 01:45 something for the team.
• 01:47 Once again, to bring this dysfunction of inattention to results into sharper
• 01:51 clarity, let me contrast the teams that focus on results with those that do not,
• 01:56 at least in terms of team characteristics.
• 01:59 When focus is on results, the teams will attract and
• 02:02 retain team members who want to be part of a team that achieves big things.
• 02:07 The team members are truly team players who work with each other
• 02:10 to make the team stronger.
• 02:12 The team members generally enjoy it when the team is succeeding and
• 02:15 they genuinely are pained when the team is not succeeding.
• 02:19 Another thing about these team members is that they're willing to sacrifice some
• 02:23 personal goals or pleasure for the good of the team.
• 02:26 Also, they maintain their focus on the goals despite distractions.
• 02:31 There are always potential distractions for a team.
• 02:34 But those who keep their attention on results know the team's goals and
• 02:37 stay focused on those.
• 02:40 Now let's contrast that list with a list associated with teams where there is not
• 02:44 a focus on team results.
• 02:46 In this case,
• 02:47 achievement oriented individuals will soon vote with their feet.
• 02:50 They will leave the team to go to find one where they are doing big things.
• 02:55 In part, that's because this team is not winning.
• 02:58 If it is a business team, the competition is outperforming them.
• 03:01 If it is a project team, they're missing milestones and deliverables.
• 03:05 Rarely do these teams ever achieve anything significant.
• 03:08 That's because no one on the team really cares.
• 03:11 The team is just a holding spot, it's where you can rest or, even worse,
• 03:15 stagnate.
• 03:16 Because of this,
• 03:17 the team members soon turn inside and look to see what is in it for them.
• 03:21 Their personal goals and objectives become paramount and determine what they do and
• 03:26 how they do it.
• 03:27 Also, since there is no focus on achieving team goals and results, the team can be
• 03:31 easily distracted by whatever new fad or interesting phenomena is occurring.
• 03:36 Well, obviously the picture I painted about the inattention to results is
• 03:40 not good.
• 03:40 So what can be done to overcome this problem?
• 03:44 Several things are obvious.
• 03:45 One of them is there needs to be clear, measurable goals.
• 03:49 Results imply a goal.
• 03:50 Without a goal, the concept of results is meaningless.
• 03:55 Another key is that any reward or recognition needs to be team-based.
• 03:59 Individual rewards will lead to individually focused behavior.
• 04:03 Team rewards are needed to maintain focus on team results.
• 04:07 We've mentioned this one before.
• 04:09 There are also a few tools to help to overcome this dysfunction.
• 04:12 One is to publicly guarantee team performance against a target goal.
• 04:16 With that public declaration, now all the team members will be evaluated against it.
• 04:21 By publicly predicting future performance, the expected results are clear.
• 04:27 Sports teams will sometimes do this to motivate their teams.
• 04:31 Another technique is to ensure all rewards for
• 04:34 team performance are team rewards that are tied directly to the team results.
• 04:39 If this reward and recognition system is understood by the team,
• 04:43 it both maintains focus and motivation for the team members.
• 04:47 Teams that are characterized by inattention to results are never able
• 04:52 to reach sustained high performance.
• 04:54 Fortunately, there are several tools to encourage focus on team results.
• 05:00 When this is your team's dysfunction, start using some of those tools.

Lesson notes are only available for subscribers.