Accelerating teams by building a Compelling Purpose

Members of high-performing teams share a common purpose. They are crystal clear about what the team’s work is and why it’s important. They are able and willing to describe a picture of what the team collectively attends on achieving. They have developed mutually agreed-upon and challenging goals that clearly relate to the team’s overall vision. Without a compelling purpose, discrepancies are more likely to arise leading to increased confusion and conflict. Coalitions can form, the team will be in competition with one another and there likely is a substantial gap between expectations and reality.

We’ve worked with hundreds of teams that struggle to find their team purpose and are experiencing conflict. Taking time to focus on team purpose will lead the team members to create an environment for others to feel empowered and deliver, it drives integration and collaboration and provides alignment on intent, priorities and outcomes. Teams are dynamic in nature and require regular attention based on changing environments. Not one approach works for all teams, given each have their own unique dynamics, but here are a few common suggestions.

• Conduct team assessment- get clear on why the team exists

• Determine what team development stage the team is currently in

• Ensure leadership style aligns with the stage of team development

• Develop a compelling team purpose & team charter

• Create an intentional team plan to move them to high performance

• Conduct a series of workshops that shift the team’s behaviours and mindsets