“Today’s teams are different from the teams of the past,” write Martine Haas and Mark Mortensen in their very good article called “The Secrets of Great Teamwork” in the Harvard Business Review, June 2016. As a result, these “new” teams are called 4-D teams. 4-D teams are more project based, i.e. they are organizing the work as a series of projects. And as a result, the 4-D teams are expected to rapidly adapt and make course corrections as the problem, the team, and the environment change.
However, after nearly two years of visiting with senior leaders, I have found five unique problems within the 4-D team world. First, their success is based on multidirectional feedback. For example, upward feedback from employees to leaders is essential along with downward feedback from leaders to employees. But sideways feedback from peer to peer is not working well at all. Second, people on 4-D teams often work in isolation and are not co-located with their teammates. Third, with digital communication as the primary form of communication, 4-D teams routinely encounter technological barriers to their work. Fourth, most team leaders have not established clear communication norms so many issues get blown out of proportion or completely missed. Finally, there is a clear lack of clarity about frontline decision-making rights. The outcome overall is that many 4-D teams and their leaders are struggling.
Given the above, I will dedicate the entire Fall 2018 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable to a discussion about teamwork in the digital era. This will be the culmination of 2 years of listening to senior leaders, visiting with a diverse collection of teams, and observing what is and is not working. I am very excited to share this information with all of you.
Here is the agenda for your review:
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
- 8:30 am - Arrival & Visiting Time
- 9:00 am - 10:15 am - What is the foundation for long term, successful teamwork?
- 10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break
- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm - How do leaders build successful teams?
- 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Lunch & Networking
- 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm - How do leaders maintain successful teams?
- 2:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Break
- 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - How do leaders improve team performance?
- 4:30 pm - Adjourn
Thursday, September 20, 2018
- 9:00 am - 10:15 am -What are the keys to being a successful team leader?
- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Integration and Application
- 12:00 pm - Adjourn
The registration price for this unique event is $ 295.00 for the two days and $ 195.00 for a single day.
Here is the link to the registration form:
So, sign up today and be prepared for this unique opportunity to explore in-depth the subject of teamwork in the digital era.
