The Villains of a Great Team

THE VILLAINS OF A GREAT TEAM

Greg Thomashttp://www.rambli.com

Building a Great Team is the most important thing you will

ever do in your career as a leader.

What’s in a Great Team?• They work together in all aspects of work.• They pick up the slack of others who fall behind.• They balance each other’s skills.• They identify goals, commit to them, and make them a success.• Pass or fail – it is more important that they

do it together.

They resist……the temptation to put their own needs above the team’s.

Different members will take the lead and follow like an ebb and flow in the ocean, but all know…

They are more together, than they are apart.

It’s not easy

But where’s the fun in that?

FocusBut any Leader, who has lead teams before knows, there are traits that need, nay must, be avoided in order to ensure that the team has the potential for great success in the long-term.

Short-term success Is

easy…

Long-term success Is

magic

The following are the

character traits you need to be on the look for

in any team you are a part

of.

The whinerHow to Spot them?• Nothing is every right.• It is always someone else’s

problem.• There is ALWAYS a problem.• Always waiting for the

“authority” to be there before discussing an issue.How to Change them?

• Get them involved in the solution.

• Don’t take “No” for an answer.• Drag them to meetings and

continually ask them questions so they get involved.

• Challenge them!

It’s not about Top Down or

Bottom Up – it’s about – All

Around.

The DetractorHow to Spot them?• Constantly distracting the team

from the main goal.• Always “one last thing” after

everything has been decided.• Always talking about shiny new

things not related to the task at hand.

• Never focused.How to Change them?• Get them involved up front – get

them talking first.• Have them run meetings/SCRUMS

from beginning to end.

IF you can reign in the focus, the output might be

unstoppable.

The DoomsayerHow to Spot them?• This will never work, that API doesn’t

do this.• We’re all going to fail.• Mole hills become mountains.• They bring the team down before

they’ve even started.

How to Change them?• Why will it not work?• Why is it such a big problem?• When do you think this will happen?• What should we look out for?

There might be some good fire there, so don’t extinguish it –

but DIRECT it.

The backbencherHow to Spot them?• Sit at the back, behind their

laptop or phone, never looking up.

• They don’t contribute or offer suggestions.

• They wait, until the plan has been designed, developed and deployed to speak up when it is way too late.How to Change them?

• No device meetings.• Everyone signs off on ideas and

solutions.• Walkthrough scenarios of success

and failure to get them involved.

Patience is good, but not if the end goal is

“I told you so”

The NITPICKERHow to Spot them?• You don’t have to, you’ll know

it, they pick apart the entire plan, exposing problem after problem.

• Not to help, only because they can.

• They sit, not contributing to the plan, but happy to rip it apart when the moment arises.

How to Change them?• Leverage their skills, rip apart

the plan on Day 1.• Engage them on ownership of

problems that they find, if they can pick it, they can fix it.

If you can find a problem with

everything, then surely you must know where to

start?

See the

trend in

them all?

They aren’t all bad• If they don’t feel part of the team? MAKE THEM• If they aren’t asking questions? ASK THEM• If they don’t know where to start?

SHOW THEMAfterall, you’re the leader on the team. Not them.

So maybe they have some bad traits, maybe now isthe time to

Work with them.Engage them.Teach them.Learn from them.

And if they don’t want to change?

REMEMBERYou’re trying to build a GREAT team…

Not a mediocre team.Not a semi-good team.Not a decent team.

A GREAT TEAM!

T h e e n dGreg Thomas

http://www.rambli.com

Understanding RequirementsHow to write Great requirements.

Making Great Performance ReviewsHow to have great employee/employer reviews.

How to Build a Great TeamAll the traits you need for a great team.

My Other Prestos

How to Make Great EstimatesHow to understand and make great software estimates