How to maximize your team’s talents

I (inputs)

This concerns the composition of your team. Broadly speaking, organizations mirror top management. For example, if the C-suite and board are both filled with financial minds, the organization looks only at numbers. If it’s all marketing at the top, the company will be heavily advertising-focused. Instead, you want your top talent to come from different disciplines with different skills so that, together, they can innovate more successfully and take more informed decisions.

With major issues relating to sustainability, AI, and geopolitical concerns dominating boardrooms, ambidextrous thinking is critical: it’s essential that the team as a whole can produce transformative ideas, while ensuring ongoing performance. Not everyone is going to stand out; rather it’s the combination of talents that makes the magic happen.

P (processes )

Ideally, the objective is to curate the optimal blend of talent in a team, but practical constraints frequently make this challenging. Here, team processes are critical. You need to train the team to become better at relating to and collaborating with each other. This means focusing on three types of team process:

• Task processes 

First, you need to establish task processes through which team members’ roles and responsibilities are defined, clarified, and agreed.

• Relational processes  

Second, a significant portion of team endeavors should be dedicated to nurturing relationships and managing interpersonal conflicts. Fostering psychological safety is a cornerstone for team performance here.

• Emotional processes

Teamwork involves emotional labor (and frequently involves conflict). High-performing teams often excel in emotional processes, with leaders cultivating a positive team climate characterized by rapport, inclusion, collaboration and hope.

O (outcomes)

Desirable as they are, psychological safety and contagious positivity do not guarantee that everything else magically falls into place – you also need accountability. Leaders must hold team members accountable for achieving and staying focused on outcomes. This means performing, learning, adapting, and innovating.