Current State: Our team is new.
Desired State: Rules, roles, and boundaries haven’t yet been established. Moving forward begins with building infrastructure. Clarify norms, expectations, mission, values, and goals.
Current State: Our team is in conflict.
Desired State: Set some ground rules for airing differences respectfully and professionally. Conflicting perspectives, in time, become fuel for innovation.
Current State: Our team isn’t held accountable.
Desired State: Both integrity and performance are dependent on every teammate holding themselves and each other accountable for behaving the organization’s mission, modeling its values, and sharing in the achievement of its vision.
Current State: Our team is not bonded by trust.
Desired State: Unless and until every teammate can be vulnerable, there will be a limit to the team’s ability to take risks. A safe environment supplies the nutrients for creativity and connection.
Current State: Our team lacks the time and resources to explore and experiment.
Desired State: Necessity is the mother of invention. The pinch of limits is often the spark that ignites new ideas. Rather than ramping up capacity, find a way to simplify complexity.
Current State: Our team has experienced significant change.
Desired State: Devote time to appropriately mourn what has been lost. Look back, say goodbye, and refocus on the challenges ahead. Embracing new circumstances replenishes energy when a team is depleted from constant change.
Which one of these reflects your team? Now or later, your team will face these challenges. Each one represents a necessary stage of development in the life cycle of any group. The trap is getting stuck when the discomfort of growth makes adapting difficult. The solution is to diagnose your current state, define your desired state, and keep moving.
