It helps to be able to have operating guide lines in place before you get to that time of conflict. It gives you something back to say, we'll wait a minute. We all agreed we were going to listen to one another and look at what's happening in this meeting. And so necked back. If you can create that early in the life of a team then you really do have something to go back to.
Susan Gerke: GO Team Resources
Susan Gerke has been the president of Gerke Consulting & Development. She has worked with global teams and has certified facilitators around the world to deliver management, leadership, and team offerings. Susan is co-creator of GO Team, a training suite for organizations to power team performance.
Key Points
Don’t create guidelines yourself and give them to the team.
A starting point for how to create team guidelines is what did not work well on a previous team.
The interpersonal dynamics that emerge are more critical than the guidelines themselves.
Aim to create no more than 8 guidelines.
Disagreement is the sign of a healthy team.
Continue to revisit guidelines in future meetings and milestones (new members join, change of team composition or purpose)
Resources Mentioned
GO Team Resources
Related Episodes
The Four Unique Types of Teams, with Susan Gerke (episode 138)
How Great Teams Find Purpose, with David Burkus (episode 481)
How to Engage Remote Teams, with Tsedal Neeley (episode 537)
How Top Leaders Influence Great Teamwork, with Scott Keller (episode 585)
How to Help Team Members Find the Right Work, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 610)
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