Team Leadership, Team Diversity, Team Power: Part 3

This is part 3 of a 3 part series on transforming your team into an efficient and effective part of your organization. The power of a team starts with leadership, is emboldened and boosted by team diversity, and the impact is felt when those two work together for a common mission. This post is about the power they bring if they have a shared vision.

Leading in today’s healthcare environment is tough. Third time in this series we have said that statement. In Part 1 we discussed the importance of selecting a leader who is prepared and understands the importance of teamwork and its impact on leadership. This vital first step of selecting the “correct” leader for leading at team demonstrates an organizations understanding of the importance and impact a team can produce in mission accomplishment.

Adding to selecting the correct leader, we highlighted in Part 2 the power and benefits of having a diverse team. It was discussed that diversity in team selection boosts the creative focus of a team, brings better ideas for consideration, and overall produces better outcomes. The caveat on this diversity selection is to realize it is much more than gender and race. Diversity comes in thoughts, education, background, professions, and generational. Selecting the correct leader and having a diverse team helps in mission accomplishment, enhances talent management, and produces a loyal workforce.

So the last thing we need is for our team to understand the power they would have if they have a shared vision.

Ok, that doesn’t sound too hard does it? Trust me it is. In many of the teams I’ve been a part of, it has been shocking how many of the team members have little understanding of what the actual mission or goal the team was to accomplish. In fact, stealing this from my Continuous Process Improvement hat, without understanding the problem, you can’t find a solution; too many teams have no idea what the vision is for the team.

Again, it starts with leadership. Teams are successful when they know where they are going and share the same vision. Trust me when I say, not everyone on your team has the same vision for the outcome. If you are working on a particularly challenging problem in your organization and every section that has equity in the problem send a representative, then I guarantee not everyone shares a common vision. This will be a mammoth challenge for the leader…but the leader can make it work!

The accomplishment of gaining a shared vision for the team means the power they gain to move the mission forward is immense. Teams provide for organizations if done correctly, the collective efforts of the workforce. It builds trust among workers, fosters creativity, takes the best of all involved and makes good use for the organization. The use of teams also helps grows conflict resolution skills and assists in building network opportunities among professionals who may never work together normally. Lastly teamwork helps build unity and buy-in for solutions for challenges impacting the organization.

The change they can invoke and the impact they make when working towards a shared vision means everyone wins from the workers to the organization. Leaders need to take control when groups are formed or when they take over an existing team. Not solidifying the vision for everyone means there is confusion and not everyone fully understands the direction.

This is even more important if your team is the executive team of the organization or a team which is responsible for operations. With the constant flux in demand, the multiple changes in requirements, the vision can change and morph to meet needs. Leaders need to ensure they set for the vision as it evolves which means it is a constant workload. To “fire and forget” the vision talk means your team may not be working towards the same goal.

Team work gets a bad rap sometimes. But if organizations ensure there are properly selected and trained leaders in teamwork, then there is potential. Leaders and organizations need to value and implement diversity selection when teams are being formed for maximum impact. Lastly, if teams are lead and formed correctly, the workers, leaders, and organizations blossom. It’s time to give them a new look and a reboot if your missing one of these 3 steps!

Leading with you!

Dean

Sharing positive thoughts with one another means we all win.

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