The 20 minute course in...

teamwork - The Marketer magazine

http://www.themarketer.co.uk/articles/professional-development/fast-la...

Fastlane The 20 minute course in... teamwork

Many of us know our team could do with a bit of a boost yet we cringe at the thought of paintballing trips and bootcamps but teamwork neednt descend into David Brent-esque navel gazing Occupational psychologists often liken teams to orchestras. But when it comes to marketing, thats a bad analogy: A good marketing team is more like a jazz band where the leader offers direction but also allows some freedom and creativity, says marketing author Robert Craven. If it never occurred to you to wonder just what makes your marketing team tick, youre missing an opportunity to hone a secret weapon, Craven explains. Marketers tend to stick two fingers up at processes and systems. But if a marketing campaign is to work really well, it needs a lot of thought about the mechanics of teamwork, he says. Why now? Never has the issue of teamworking been more timely. Until recently, marketing roles were fairly well defined. But higher customer expectations, more complex markets and channels and increased pressure from competition all call for a combination of skills, experiences and judgments that no single marketer can deliver. Marketers are increasingly expected to work outside their immediate teams across departments and even organisations, in project teams, virtual teams and cross-functional teams. But teams are not just something that appear on a structure chart. Teamworking has been found to improve productivity and customer focus, to speed up the spread of ideas, increase employee motivation and even help to develop multiskilling and employee flexibility. Fuzzy thinking All too often teams fail to live up to the old adage the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. So why is this? Julia Payne, CEO of the Leadership Development consultancys Centre for High Performance Development, believes a big part of the problem is that proper research into what makes teams successful is thin on the ground. This has resulted in the science of teams becoming fuzzy, she says. Her own research has found that there are several requirements for setting the right context and climate for your team. Crucially, the teams work must be interdependent and everyone must be united by a common and specific purpose. In other words, a group isnt inevitably a team. The team must also feel free from externally imposed control and receive support for being open and honest with their thoughts, feelings and perspectives. Team members must be ready to state any hidden agendas openly and be able to talk about ideas that conflict with the status quo, she adds. Among other requirements are ensuring mutual respect among team members both as individuals and for the contribution each makes to the team and valuing members strengths while respecting their weaknesses. The size of the team has got to be right, too. Payne believes five or six is optimal most commentators believe between five and eight is ideal. Craven, however,

"Marketers tend to stick two fingers up at processes and systems, but if a campaign is to work really well then it needs teamwork"

Dos and donts

Do ensure equality. Team members should

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The 20 minute course in... teamwork - The Marketer magazine

http://www.themarketer.co.uk/articles/professional-development/fast-la...

says that if absolutely necessary, teams within the marketing sector can stretch to 10 or 11 staff. Its at that point that it can start getting unwieldy, he says. At Virgin, for example, every time a team gets to 20, they chop it in two. Critically, teams need to be large enough to incorporate the appropriate range of expertise and to represent the interested parties, but not so large that peoples participation, and hence their interest and motivation, is limited. Picking your side If you find yourself thinking, but Ive got extroverts and introverts and specialists and generalists all working together how will they ever get on? fear not. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says every team should have a variety of personal styles among members and that should include a range of the necessary technical and specialist skills. The best known theorist on team roles is Dr Meredith Belbin. He lists nine roles plant (creative); resource investigator (exploratory); co-ordinator (decisionmaker); shaper (dynamic); monitor-evaluator (strategic); teamworker (co-operative); implementer (disciplined); completer (conscientious); and specialist (provides knowledge and skill in rare supply). Belbins work has been criticised on the grounds that individuals rarely fit neatly into these categories, says the CIPD. Most fit into more than one, and arguably the best team workers will adapt their behaviour to fill different roles as circumstances require. But knowing roughly which profile fits you can help you to understand your own and others strengths and weaknesses. Jo Kerr, account director at marketing agency Avvio, agrees. Doing a Belbin analysis can help massively with self awareness and that definitely helps to strengthen a team, she says. But I never use it to try to get all nine categories in one team. In marketing, for instance, everyone tends to be a resource investigator. There are now plenty of psychometric tests to choose from if you want to learn more about the roles people play in your team. But it may be simpler to look at peoples behaviours in previous teams and consider appraisal records. The bottom line is that team selection is not an exact science and instinct counts for a good deal. Whatever your method, you want to end up with a good mix of skills and types. And remember dont make anyone indispensable, advises Jon Preston, marketing and business development director at law firm Martineau Johnson. Like minds Marketing is about touching emotions, so if you have someone in your team who doesnt believe in your project, it will all come tumbling down, says Kerr. You dont necessarily need like-minded people, but you do need people who all feel driven towards the same result. Marketing differs from other areas of work in that the leader doesnt need to come up with all the ideas or make the ultimate decisions, she says. Rather, they need to inspire and bring out the best in the team. Team leaders have their own personal styles some are more directive, others more democratic. Whatever your style, you should remember three things: listen to team members, question them to understand their points of view and be responsive to feedback. As such, youll be acting as a coach to get the best out of team members and to encourage learning and creativity. Try not to rely on traditional appraisal systems as the only form of motivation because these can give insufficient weight to individuals contributions to a team. Conversely, its important to remember that not everyone in a team will be

have equal status in the team, regardless of the level of status in the organisation. A failure to acknowledge this is one of the main reasons that teams fail to reach their potential. Do breed a culture of empowerment. Team members must be empowered so they can implement the decisions they make. Linked to this is their belief that they can make things happen and effect change. Do make the teams objectives clear. The goal of the team must be specific and should require an individual and clearly outlined contribution from everyone in the team. Don't close ranks. Teams suffer when they make it difficult for newcomers to get in. Don't be too inwardlooking. If you spend too long looking inwards, you will fail to see whats happening in the outside world where you are ultimately expected to deliver your results. Don't stifle individual styles. A range of personal styles will enhance any teams output.

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The 20 minute course in... teamwork - The Marketer magazine

http://www.themarketer.co.uk/articles/professional-development/fast-la...

motivated by the same thing, says Paul Spittle, a marketer at Astra Zeneca. Its worth actually asking people what support they want to help drive them forward. Robin Lodge, director at the People Development Team, which runs a certificate course in team leading, advises the occasional use of quirky motivational methods. We use the six-thinking hat strategy, as identified by psychologist Edward de Bono. Everyone wears green hats to think creatively, then yellow hats symbolising optimism to think about the benefits of an idea or project. Then we might get everyone to wear black hats to think about the potential downsides. It helps keep up team spirit and gets the best out of everyone. Megan Butler, a strategist at Rise Communications agency, adds, Try offering team members new challenges, giving them more responsibility and dont ever let them lose sight of how valuable their contribution is to the overall marketing strategy. On a couple of occasions, weve considered team pay systems. Getting up to scratch Chris Howe, chief executive of ChangeMaker International, suggests creating a set of measures that can be simply managed and that reflect the overall purpose of the team. For example, innovation, or the number of new ideas the team creates; relationships within the team and with others; learning and development; and financial performance. Dont make measurement a management thing or people will just comply to prove that all is well. Put it in the hands of the team, Howe says. Measurement is absolutely vital. A team that doesnt measure and celebrate its success will over time start to think that it is not being successful and then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Its often difficult to find the time to review progress before the teams work is completed. But, says Ian Fleming, author of The Teamworking Pocketbook, if you want to be successful, its vital to make time to examine the finer detail, like co-operation, communication, meetings, conflict, skills and talents. Are the real issues being tackled or avoided and what lessons can be learned? Try to take time out to reflect it will pay dividends in the long run, he says. Virtual teams There is little doubt that working as a team is much easier if youre all in the same place. Marketers are often physically separated by departments, regions and even countries. The potential dangers, says Fleming, are people feeling isolated, no team spirit, poor communication, lack of trust and failure to deliver on time. Virtual and cross-departmental teams present different challenges: Dont simply transfer what you know about teams to this new way of working. says Fleming. Be aware that success will depend even more than usual on inspirational leadership, blending skills, encouraging participation and accountability. Dont fall into the trap of getting obsessed with technology, he adds. Your contact with each other may be remote, but always remember you are dealing with human beings. You each have feelings, needs, hopes and aspirations that you want to meet. The greater the distance, the more you have to work at communicating, stresses Megan Butler, who regularly works with nine agency partners. We find that face-to-face discussions where possible count for a lot. But they have to be well managed we used to find that every agency brought two or three people along and it became a nonsense. Now we ask for one person per agency, which brings a greater sense of responsibility and more clarity to the discussion. Dont underestimate the value of a thank you, adds Fleming. In virtual or crossdepartmental teams, its easy to feel your efforts are ignored.

Tips from the top

Archie Mundegar, managing director and trainer at You Unlimited, offers teambuilding ideas Place yourself. Take a fresh perspective on how your behaviour affects your team. Reality check. Find out what others think instead of simply letting them know how you see it. Communicate. Think about how you can minimise misunderstanding. Define roles. Make sure all team players are sure of their exact roles and try to avoid overlaps of authority. Expect. Clearly state your expectations for the teams performance. Spend time. One-on-one time is fundamental to a team members feeling of inclusion and motivation. Socialise. Getting together more than the standard annual Christmas party will translate into a happier workplace. Show appreciation. Reward your team, even if its just a few words of praise. SWOT. Find time to sit down with your team and assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

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The 20 minute course in... teamwork - The Marketer magazine

http://www.themarketer.co.uk/articles/professional-development/fast-la...

Finally, he says, enjoy it. Virtual team working is here to stay.

Are you ready to work as a team?

You think you need a team when: (a) A new challenge has arisen. Lets pull together a team seems the logical answer; (b) There is uncertainty about the task in hand; (c) The project would benefit from a range of skills and styles in an environment where people work closely together. When you put together a team, you: (a) Are so used to working with a level of healthy competition that team members cant seem to co-operate; (b) Encourage things like brainstorming sessions, where everyone pitches in; (c) Go through a series of well-thought through stages forming (the team); storming (passing through a stage of conflict); norming (consolidating); performing (speaks for itself); and mourning (when the team disbands). You find it difficult: (a) To organise people. You prefer managing individuals to leading groups; (b) To promote unity. You arent very good at picking up the vibes in a group situation; (c) Not to worry about schedules, deadlines and what might go wrong. When it comes to performance, you: (a) Dont always recognise if its good you have come to expect it to be good; (b) Dont spend time getting people to recognise their strengths and weaknesses; (c) Think carefully about addressing team and individual performance issues. If you answer: Mostly (a) It doesnt sound as if you even need a team. But if the occasion ever arises when you do, work on creating the right culture and on your leadership techniques before you expect a team to get you the results you want. Mostly (b) It sounds as if you could need a team, but its still not entirely clear why. You could do with learning a bit more about creating team cohesion and ensuring everyone has the chance to contribute their full potential. Mostly (c) Youre ready. You know what you want your team to achieve and the best and quickest way to get them to do it. If you get anxious about schedules, deadlines and potential downsides, dont worry it means you ensure nothing is overlooked and jobs are delivered on time.

Be successful. Think about the characteristics of your teams success and how these can be maximised.

Kate Hilpern writes on coaching and management for Coaching at Work

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