Successful Teams
One of my favorite team sports is artistic gymnastics. It’s an unusual choice because technically gymnasts compete individually. But when the Olympics comes around, each gymnast not only competes for individual medals but also for team medals. All of the athletes need to do their best individually but during the team competition all of their difficulty and execution points goes toward the team total. It’s thrilling to watch because you really get to see the athletes shine in such a different way.
I think the work in higher education can be similar. Most people have their own projects or programs they are responsible for but it all collectively adds up to the overall work done by the office. In the same way that the gymnasts have their own specializations on the various apparatuses that contribute to the strength of their national team, each staff member has their own strengths and skills they bring to their office, department, and/or unit. When you’re getting to know a new office, you will want to know what makes them strong or successful. Not only to know where and how you can contribute your strengths and skills but also to better understand the nature of the team.
To develop this understanding, you can start by asking “what are some of the things that makes this team successful?” This question could be interpreted several different ways, but in this instance, let’s say you ultimately want to find out “how does work get done within the team?”, “what/who has value within the team?”, and “who/what is respected?” You may not get answers to these questions directly but you want to look for the answers within the responses you get.
In terms of green flags, you will want to see that success is brought on by people, not just processes or procedures. There is a shared/mutual respect for the efforts and contributions brought on by each member and that each person has a shared stake in progress toward the collective goals. You want to get a sense that everyone has their own individual work but they can all support each other and work together when needed. And all of this independent and team work helps achieve the overall goals and outcomes of the office.
In terms of red flags, a big one you will want to watch out for is difficulty to name any specific qualities or characteristics that make the team successful. This shows a clear strain on the team dynamic and is definitely something to be wary of. Another read flag would be if they describe a lot of individual work but never actually get back to the team. You want to have strong individuals, but if there’s no collective effort it may not be the best situation. The expectations around teamwork will vary based on the nature of the work at hand (ex. Student Activities in comparison to IT), but in a place that relies on connection you will want to know how the team operates and how collaboration is valued.
As a note, it’s interesting to ask this question because it not only assumes the team is successful but it assumes they think they are successful. I think this question helps break up some of the interrogation vibes that some of the other questions may have. It gives the team a chance to shine and share the positive aspects about their work as opposed to feeling like they’re under a spotlight. This doesn’t mean you should feel bad about putting them under a spotlight, but you can dim it slightly here and there.
Overall, look for teams that prioritize people and collective effort. Collaboration is key for institutional progress, so make sure you feel comfortable and confident with how the team operates.
TL/DR:
Ask: What are some of the main things that makes this team successful?
Meaning: How does work get done within the team? Who or what has value for/within the team? Who/what is respected?
Green Flags: Core values: people—not processes, shared/mutual respect, shared stake in progress toward goals. Individual work with collective effort.
Red Flags: Inability to name characteristics, over-reliance on individuals, limited collaboration
