A look at current
research led by Sandy Pentland at MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory reveals new
strategies for building high performing teams.
In the same organization some teams outperform similar teams who work
harder for fewer results. Pentland’s
article, The New Science of Building Great Teams, Harvard Business Review, claims high performing teams have one
thing in common - consistent communication practices.
We all know
what it’s like to work on a team that “clicks”.
The work is interesting, team members are engaged, and results are
superior. Why is it that similar types
of teams consistently struggle? Dramatic
differences in comparable teams encourage leaders to make false assumptions
about the importance of intelligence, skill and personality in team
performance.
Pentland and
his research team determined what causes teams to “click”. Data collected from
over 2,500 individuals from various industries was completed through the use of
wearable electronic sensors. Individual
communication behavior was more important in team building than the content of
what was said. Rigorous research
analysis validated that team communication behavior strategies resulted in
improved team performance.
Three key
communication dynamics that positively affect team performance are energy,
engagement, and exploration. Energy was observed by the nature and number of
exchanges among team members. Engagement
was measured by equal distribution of energy among team members. Exploration
was observed by seeking others outside their team for information and input to
bring back to their team.
Communication strategies of successful teams:
1.
Everyone
on the team talks and listens in roughly equal measure, keeping contributions
short.
2.
Members
face one another.
3.
Conversations
and gestures are energetic.
4.
Members
connect directly with one another – not just with the team leader.
5.
Members
carry on back channel or side conversations within the team.
6.
Members
periodically break, go exploring outside the team, and bring information
back.
Next time you are
tasked to select members for a high performing team, spend time learning how
each individual communicates. Then guide
your team to model successful communication strategies.
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