Unlock Team Potential by cultivating these performance attributes
Well-functioning teams can solve complex and critical corporate problems and provide valuable cultural cache. But to effectively conquer challenges and seize opportunities, teams must harness their collective power.
What sets high-performing teams apart? At Amplio Games, we typically evaluate teams on eight teamwork attributes; but we have found that four specific super-attributes are almost always present within the highest performing teams. It's not just about having talented individuals, it's about possessing a unique blend of superpowers that enable them to achieve extraordinary results.
Let’s first make clear that these superpowers aren’t necessarily personified by individuals; they aren’t personas or archetypes or superheroes. The same trait can be exemplified by multiple team members; one team member can exhibit multiple traits. They are characteristics that any individual can
manifest, and when a team has each of these traits, they perform exceptionally well together.
The Lifelining superpower provides an anchor for the team, ensuring everyone stays connected and informed. During a project, teammates can fall behind, be it from absences, personnel changes, or challenging concepts not in their skillset or experience. Identifying these situations and activating the superpower extends a metaphorical lifeline to bring those lagging back on par with the team. This superpower fosters cohesion, builds a sense of unity, and reinforces the idea that the team's success hinges on collective effort.
Defining is power that guides the team's compass, providing clarity and direction. When invoked, a player immediately tries to understand the constraints of the problem, from resources and details available to rules and guardrails. It allows the team to quickly grasp the essence of a problem, analyze the landscape, and establish the rules of engagement. This superpower brings order to chaos, ensuring the team understands the objectives, constraints, and available resources.
Aligning is the maestro superpower, ensuring everyone is in harmony. It’s the ability to say, “Hey everyone, stop!” in the middle of problem solving to reign in the chaos and coordinate the full efforts of the team. It ensures everyone is positively complementing each other’s efforts and synchronized on the problem. This superpower is crucial for coordinating efforts, resolving conflicts, and maintaining momentum.
Outlining is key to keeping goals in focus. Activating this superpower allows the team to step back, analyze the overall progress, and identify areas for improvement. This attribute safeguards the team from getting lost in the details and ensures it stays on course towards its ultimate objective. Teams that are highly task-oriented can struggle to activate this power, and they spend more time than is necessary focused on the details of a project.
To reiterate an earlier point, anyone can exhibit any of the superpowers at any time. While an individual may be generally better suited to activate a certain ability, there are times when someone else needs to do so. Consider a situation where the typical Lifeliner has been on PTO for a week, and she missed some of the progress of the project. A new teammate must bring her up to speed by playing her typical Lifeliner role – if he doesn’t, then she will get left behind. This is why these superpowers should not be attributed to individuals but learned and cultivated across the team.
The first step to optimizing teamwork and problem solving is educating employees on the existence and value of the four superpowers. This blog post is a good starting place, and Amplio Games has additional materials we can provide.
This step in the process also creates buy-in, which is important as growth requires a level of self-interest from the employee and a willingness to take constructive feedback and learn.
Although superpowers are not individualized, we can still take what we know of a teammate’s personality to understand tendencies, comfort, and fit. Becoming aware of our strengths, opportunities, interpersonal dynamics, and teamwork skills helps us know what we’re working with. We are invoking the Defining superpower in our process!
It’s good to take stock in whatever resources you currently have at your disposal, if applicable. For example, if the team has done the DISC assessment, we can use the definitions to understand which DISC personalities are more likely to exhibit each superpower. Those with strong Dominance tend to evoke the Outlining superpower. Conversely, if a Dominance teammate doesn’t often Outline, then it’s possible that they are misclassified, or they aren’t maximizing their strengths and are thus in a great position to train the superpower.
Leveraging what we know of ourselves and our teammates, whether through personality assessments, team self-assessments, reviews, etc., helps define our pathway forward.
Amplio Games also has simulations that are specifically designed to uncover the four superpowers.
While individuals might naturally gravitate toward certain superpowers, it's essential to remember that these abilities aren't fixed. With the right training and development, any team member can learn to harness and activate any of the four superpowers when the situation calls for it.
Cross-training ensures that your team isn't reliant on a single individual for a specific superpower. It empowers everyone to contribute effectively, even when someone is absent or a new challenge arises. It also fosters a deeper understanding of each other's roles and responsibilities, leading to smoother collaboration.
The first step in training is raising awareness. Help team members understand the four superpowers, their importance, and how they contribute to overall team success. Encourage them to identify their own strengths and areas for development.
Next, emphasize adaptability. Help your team recognize that different situations might call for different superpowers. By cross-training and developing a versatile skill set, they'll be equipped to handle any challenge that comes their way.
Remember: The goal is not to create a team of specialists, but a team of well-rounded individuals who can seamlessly adapt and collaborate, leveraging their collective superpowers to achieve extraordinary outcomes.
By investing in the development of these superpowers and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning, you'll create a super team that's not only highly effective but also resilient, adaptable, and ready to tackle any challenge that comes its way. When individuals feel empowered to contribute their unique strengths, support each other, and adapt to challenges together, the cultural benefits ripple throughout the organization.
