Connected Teamwork

by James P. Sartain PH.D.

The Connected Teamwork Program provides a framework for leading high-performance teams. Using a case study, and the personal application of lessons learned, team leaders discover or confirm: the requirements for team membership, the team’s purpose, how to gain each team member’s commitment to that purpose, and how to ensure shared accountability for results.

"After this program I fully embraced my responsibility for defining and securing the competencies required for my team's success."

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Description

Connected Teamwork is a core component of the Connected Leadership program, an evidence-based approach to leadership development that is supported by over 30 years of research with thousands of leaders.  The approach has received extensive field-testing, having been applied in hundreds of individual, team, and organizational development programs and has consistently demonstrated positive and sustainable results.  A leader’s preparation is incomplete without a focused examination of how to create and lead teams.  Connected team leaders understand that leading a collective effort requires them to answer four questions:  Who is on the team?  What is the purpose of the team?  Where is the team going?  How will the team succeed?  The program is comprised of learning activities that are open-ended and interactive.  They are designed to foster the sharing of ideas and experiences of the participants rather than prescribing a narrow and specific range of predetermined team leader behaviors.  The program incorporates case studies to provoke discussions about how team leaders might best answer the four questions.

Select from the interactive model immediately below to explore each element of the Connected Teamwork Model.

Intention

Effective leaders have an understanding of what they want to accomplish and are driven to achieve their leadership purpose. Intention is the leadership accelerant that starts the journey of leadership and sustains leadership over time. Intention is the motivating spark that compels leaders to continually learn, grow, and take risks. It’s the part of the leader’s inner voice that says I must lead, I want to lead, and I can make a difference if I have the opportunity to lead.

Examination

Team Membership – Who is On the Team? Highly effective team leader recognizes whether they are building a team from scratch or inheriting a team from a previous leader, deliberate attention to team composition is critical for attaining high performance. They work to ensure have identified and secured the right talent and right mix of team members.

Identity

Effective leaders see themselves, first and foremost as leaders (self-construct); they hold positive self-appraisals about their leadership abilities (self-esteem), they are consistent in their beliefs, behaviors, and temperament around leadership (self-consistency), and they believe they can be successful in their leadership roles (self-efficacy). These self-views are among the most important predictors of leadership effectiveness. In addition, a leader’s effectiveness is also predicated on a clarity of the values and beliefs that he or she employs in the leadership domain.

Exploration

Team Purpose – What is the Team to Accomplish? Highly effective team leaders have a clear and compelling purpose – a reason why this team should and does exist. Integral to a high-performance team is the leader’s work to define the team’s purpose so that it is clear, energizing, important, and requiring of their best work.

Enlistment

Team Commitment – Where is the Team Going? Highly effective team leaders secure the commitment of each team member to their shared purpose. They act in ways that not only generate buy-in to that purpose but a shared accountability for achieving that purpose.

Execution

Team Performance – How Will the Team Succeed? Highly effective team leaders embrace accountability and focus on results.