SEARCH tel. +44 (0)203 031 2900 CHALLENGE US MY FAVOURITES ACCOUNT LOG OUT HOME ABOUT IDEAS LIBRARY IDEAS BY INSTITUTIONS Home Ideas Library Leading Dynamic Teams: Alignment, Capability, Autonomy 10.13007/301 Ideas for Leaders #301 Leading Dynamic Teams: Alignment, Capability, Autonomy Key Concept This Idea offers insights from a round-the-world yacht race to reveal several key behaviours that make a real difference to team performance. Using sports teams as a metaphor for understanding team dynamics in organizations and the associated leadership challenges can be useful. However sports teams generally seek short-term black or white goals; whereas in business, and life, the time horizons are longer and the outcomes much more graded. Trans- ocean sailing teams provide a more realistic environment for leadership analysis. Idea Summary Trans-ocean sailing fits the organizational team/leadership metaphor well, as in order to achieve the basic goal of getting from A to B, the team needs to function effectively in handling the boat as well as navigating successfully. Furthermore the unpredictable element of weather conditions simulates the unpredictable nature of business environments, requiring team focus to be rapidly changed from the planned activity to a critical survival one. This situation rarely occurs in standard sports events. Ashridge Business School studied the 2013 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race to identify what behaviours and skills proved to be most effective in achieving success in the event. Lead researcher, Trudi West, conducted 77 interviews with 42 crew and skippers at four key stop-overs during the 12-months of the race to understand the leadership lessons that the adverse weather, over-whelming tiredness, close contact and the general unpredictability of life at sea wrought on the teams. West's report identifies three key behaviours that made a real difference to the performance of the teams: Alignment - the ability to meet multiple expectations and draw people together in pursuit of common objectives; Capability - the ability to develop clear and consistent processes that reduce friction and uncertainty and enable people to work and learn together; Autonomy - the ability to build trust and give people the discretion to organise themselves appropriately within a broad framework. West observed that "when these three behaviours were applied in relation to each other, teams were inspired to put in an 'awesome effort'. When they were over or under-developed teams experienced 'friction', which impaired their overall agility and slowed them down and led to 'fraction' or teams-within- teams.” Authors Millar, Roddy West, Trudi Institutions Ashridge Business School Source Developing Leaders Idea conceived November 2013 Idea posted January 2014 DOI number Subject Leadership Team Building and Teamwork
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Leading Dynamic Teams: Alignment, Capability, Autonomy · Leading Dynamic Teams: Alignment, Capability, Autonomy Key Concept This Idea offers insights from a round-the-world yacht
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HOME ABOUT IDEAS LIBRARY IDEAS BY INSTITUTIONS
Home Ideas Library Leading Dynamic Teams: Alignment, Capability, Autonomy
10.13007/301
Ideas for Leaders #301
Leading Dynamic Teams: Alignment,
Capability, Autonomy
Key Concept
This Idea offers insights from a round-the-world yacht race to reveal several
key behaviours that make a real difference to team performance. Using sports
teams as a metaphor for understanding team dynamics in organizations and
the associated leadership challenges can be useful. However sports teams
generally seek short-term black or white goals; whereas in business, and life,
the time horizons are longer and the outcomes much more graded. Trans-
ocean sailing teams provide a more realistic environment for leadership
analysis.
Idea Summary
Trans-ocean sailing fits the organizational team/leadership metaphor well, as
in order to achieve the basic goal of getting from A to B, the team needs to
function effectively in handling the boat as well as navigating successfully.
Furthermore the unpredictable element of weather conditions simulates the
unpredictable nature of business environments, requiring team focus to be
rapidly changed from the planned activity to a critical survival one. This
situation rarely occurs in standard sports events.
Ashridge Business School studied the 2013 Clipper Round the World Yacht
Race to identify what behaviours and skills proved to be most effective in
achieving success in the event.
Lead researcher, Trudi West, conducted 77 interviews with 42 crew and
skippers at four key stop-overs during the 12-months of the race to
understand the leadership lessons that the adverse weather, over-whelming
tiredness, close contact and the general unpredictability of life at sea wrought
on the teams. West's report identifies three key behaviours that made a real
difference to the performance of the teams:
Alignment - the ability to meet multiple expectations and draw people together in pursuit of
common objectives;
Capability - the ability to develop clear and consistent processes that reduce friction and
uncertainty and enable people to work and learn together;
Autonomy - the ability to build trust and give people the discretion to organise themselves
appropriately within a broad framework.
West observed that "when these three behaviours were applied in relation to
each other, teams were inspired to put in an 'awesome effort'. When they
were over or under-developed teams experienced 'friction', which impaired
their overall agility and slowed them down and led to 'fraction' or teams-within-