While the current trend in team building emphasizes a more democratically organized and managed team, instances still exist where teams are created and managed using the more traditional top-down approach. If it is your intention to actively lead the team (and you expect cooperation and successful outcomes as a result of that), pay special attention to the way in which you proceed. Contrary to what some managers believe, serving on your manager-directed team is not always as glorious an honor or as uplifting an experience as you might think. The words "we're forming a team to (fill in the blank)" have been known to clear a room faster than announcing free donuts in the cafeteria.

To ensure active participation and reasonable enthusiasm for a manager-directed team, consider these suggestions:

Define what you want the team to do in one concise sentence.

Objective: To define what you expect the team to achieve in a way that can be understood and acted upon by others.

Once you have captured this on paper, review your sentence and replace every word that ends in "ize" with a plain English equivalent. Replace every three-syllable word with a shorter version, and if you have used the words "leverage," "paradigm," "action bias," or "grow the business," start over. When you are satisfied that the sentence clearly communicates the team goal (in plain English), read it to several people who will not be involved on the team and who you know will give you a straight answer. Ask them: "If you were on this team, would you understand what the team is supposed to do and what the end-product will be?"

Identify the skills and knowledge needed on the team to achieve the defined goal.

Objective: To further refine your understanding of what is needed for a successful outcome and to provide a guide for identifying the roles needed for the team.

Once you can state what the team has to accomplish, you can begin to address the composition of the team. Make a list of the skills and knowledge that are needed to achieve the goal. Don't think in terms of individuals at this stage; think only in terms of the goal. This will enable you to build a team structure where every member of the team will be contributing valuable expertise to achieve the goal.

Identify the individuals in your organization who have the skills and knowledge needed for the team.

Objective: To recruit individuals for the team who can directly contribute to the team goal.

Match up your list of needed skills and knowledge with individuals in your organization who have those attributes. Don't know? Then get out and do some legwork. Ask at least two different people to identify an individual for each category. If you get the same answer from both, you're probably on the right track. If not, keep asking. Ask people at different levels within the company. Often the most knowledgeable people are the ones who either work directly with the individual on a daily basis or who work for him or her. Their insights can be invaluable.

Don't depend on job titles or areas of responsibility to ensure that you have the right person for your team. Teams are made up of individuals working together, not job titles competing for recognition. Enlist the right people—those whose expertise is accepted and respected by the team—and competition within the team dissolves into cooperation.

Look for more tips for leading effective teams in upcoming issues of this newsletter.

2002 Copyright Marian Schickling. Printed with Permission.

About the Author
Marian Schickling is a freelance instructional designer/developer and writer with over 20 years' experience. Her articles have appeared in Communication Briefings, The Professional Skier, AAA Going Places, and the Sunshine Press. She has also collaborated on numerous American Society for Training and Development Info-Lines and ghostwritten a book entitled "Identifying Targeted Training Needs." Marian can be emailed at Mschicklin@aol.com.

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