Discuss: Great teams start with shared values

Photo credit: Helloquence.

Shared (values + consciousness) = high performing teams

The above is roughly the formula that I see in great operational teams.

Great teams start with shared values. They have a similar framework on how they approach life, their purpose, and their work. They talk about those values, and more importantly, live those values. These are my values that I shared with my previous Ops lead.

Great teams add an additional layer called shared consciousness. Shared consciousness is a term I took from Stanley McChrystal‘s, Team of Teams, and it means that everyone on the team knows how each other thinks. There is almost utter transparency in the dialogue amongst the team. In my team, we have a shared WhatsApp group where the conversation is constant, fluxes between serious and not, and is our repository of group thinking.

When you have a team that starts with a similar value framework and has an up-to-date understanding of the world, every member of that team is empowered. They will be confident on making a decision that represents the group. That ability to make quick decisions and act is what separates good and great performing teams.

Let’s discuss:

• How do you keep your team on the same page?
• What do you think sets high performing teams apart?