Taking action to step up Team V's game Published June 24, 2010 By Lt. Col. Brady Hauboldt 4th Space Launch Squadron commander VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Many books will attempt to teach us what it takes to be great leaders, supervisors, managers, mentors, or experts in our fields. Few tell us what it takes to intentionally replicate high-performing teams. I'm not referring to good, effective teams. I'm talking about the knock your socks off, record-setting teams. They are evident among our most famous sports teams, businesses, and successful military operations. They can be established in every corner of Team Vandenberg's missions. Each member of Team Vandenberg can probably claim membership on several teams in their workspaces, units, and associations. Every one of us can make a difference on every one of those teams. It's a responsibility that doesn't just reside with the team's anointed leader; it falls upon us all to push the team to new levels. This becomes particularly important as we face an upcoming inspection, preparations for launch operations, or crisis response operations at Vandenberg. High-performance teams rarely just happen, they are products of deliberate development designed to leverage rather than tax the team's time. So how can we turn a good team into a high-performing team? High-performing teams typically exhibit some of the same characteristics that separate them from the rest. These teams have an established clear, compelling, and common purpose. They leverage the best of individual capabilities into clear roles. High-performing teams need competent and accepted leaders. Next, clearly defined and effective processes help keep the team focused on core tasks. Great teams build solid relationships amongst a diverse composition. Finally, these teams move quickly in large part to their ability to communicate well. Each of these should be considered in the establishment of the team, through formation, and throughout execution. Common purpose is a vital ingredient in any team's success. Poorly-defined objectives can lead to mediocre results. When forming a team, has success been defined? A clear, compelling purpose binds a team together and focuses results. With a relevant purpose established, the team can better align member roles and move forward toward success. Further, a sense of urgency drives the team to quickly coalesce around the objective and achieve results. Without a team purpose, there is little more than just a group of people and little likelihood of a high level of results. Given a clear objective, the team must have clear roles for team members. A gathering of subject matter experts does not make up a team. Each member must understand their portion of the process or effort. This interdependence makes for some risk in accomplishing individual tasks, but the result is a much more effective, collaborative team. Whether by instruction, charter, or consensus, a high-performing team relies upon defined roles for members to produce to. Without a competent team leader, there can be little incentive for members to execute their roles at the highest level. The leader frames the team's purpose and facilitates understanding of member roles and tasks, but also injects energy into the processing of accomplishing the objectives. These leaders should appreciate the collective skills of the team, believe in the team's purpose, and share in the process of achieving success. Leaders of high-performing teams are quick to earn acceptance and supportive of members' successes. One early key task for the leader is to ensure the team establishes effective processes and encourages continual, critical assessment of the processes. Regardless of whether the playing a sport, running a business, or managing a launch campaign, asking "why?" is inevitably a key ingredient of turning the average team into a high-performing team. A diverse team, one in which the problems and processes are viewed through multiple lenses, has the best chance at achieving the highest level of performance. After building solid relationships upon this diversity, the team will have the best chance at increasing their collective intelligence and capability. The relationships permit open collaboration based upon trust, acceptance, and respect. Finally, communication is the means for high-performing teams to achieve the greatest cooperation and results. Teams can move much more quickly than their members' parent organizations because they are comprised of members who are knowledgeable and empowered to solve the specific objectives at hand. Energies are wasted when communication isn't flowing and directed at the core problem. While I've listed just six key characteristics, there may be others that can be added to the recipe for success. As we prepare for an upcoming inspection and a very busy year of launch operations at Vandenberg, all team members should take a few moments to reflect upon their own teams' characteristics and what makes them good - and what can make them great.