Consider the typical roles vital to most teams. Each of us owns one or more of these responsibilities:
Modeling team norms: Day-to-day practice of the way we treat our teammates.
Crafting team values: A moral compass guides teammates toward the mission.
Arbitrating team conflict: Protect the fuel for future innovation.
Ensuring team respect: Promote the worth of every contribution.
Tracking team accountability: Strengthen trust and catch problems early.
Promoting team connection: Teammates rise and fall together.
Harnessing team differences: Leverage the power of diversity to make change.
Leading team risk-taking: Willingness to manage the dangers of being out in front.
Adapting to team failure: Teammates who stay calm under pressure help others adjust.
Embracing team change: Recognize that ends are new beginnings.
Whether seated at the leadership table or being oriented as the group’s newest employee, we each play a part in steering the team in a healthy direction. At any given moment in the team’s lifespan, we are either investing in our future, building trust, stretching capacity, or navigating change. Rather than letting your title or job description determine your daily activities, decide what role you have in elevating your team.
