In this engaging conversation, bestselling author and leadership expert David Burkus shares his insights on enhancing team performance through clarity. He emphasizes the importance of clearly defined roles and responsibilities for maximizing team efficiency. Burkus advocates for structured 'huddles' where team members share what they've completed, what they're focusing on next, and any obstacles they're facing. He draws on examples from various industries, including a fast food chain and the International Space Station, showcasing how clarity fosters empathy and effective communication.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Chris Hatfield's Team Leadership
Chris Hatfield, astronaut and ISS commander, prioritized shared understanding within his diverse team.
He fostered empathy by having the team learn about each other's families and even role-play emotional responses to potential crises.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Pal's Sudden Service: A Culture of Clarity
Pal's Sudden Service, a fast-food chain, achieves incredibly low error rates through rigorous training and clarity.
Employees spend 100 hours training before working and are regularly "calibrated" with pop quizzes to reinforce learning.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Team Huddles for Clarity
Hold regular team huddles to enhance clarity and collaboration.
Each member should answer three questions: "What did I complete?", "What am I focused on next?", and "What's blocking my progress?"
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In this book, Chris Hadfield recounts his extraordinary career as an astronaut, including his missions to the Mir space station and the International Space Station. He shares dramatic anecdotes about his experiences, such as going blind during a spacewalk and docking with the Mir space station when laser tracking systems failed. Hadfield emphasizes the unique mindset and skills developed through astronaut training, such as preparing for the worst, paying attention to details, and considering the opinions of others. The book is written with humor, humility, and optimism, offering readers insights into how to apply these principles to their own lives and pursue their dreams.
Best Team Ever
David Burkus
In "Best Team Ever," David Burkus explores the dynamics of high-performing teams, challenging conventional wisdom. He delves into the factors that contribute to team success, emphasizing the importance of culture, collaboration, and shared purpose. The book offers practical strategies for building cohesive and engaged teams, focusing on creating a sense of common understanding, psychological safety, and pro-social purpose. Burkus uses real-world examples and research to illustrate his points, providing actionable insights for leaders seeking to improve team performance. The book's insights are relevant to organizations of all sizes and industries.
David Burkus: Best Team Ever!
David Burkus is the bestselling author of four books about business and leadership which have won multiple awards and been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, and many other media outlets.
Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over two million times. He has worked with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Clorox, Adobe, and NASA. He's the author of Best Team Ever!: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams*.
There are many things that help teams work well together, but perhaps you haven’t thought of this one: clarity. Knowing what is being done and who’s doing it often helps a team achieve more. In this conversation, David and I discuss the practical steps to surface more clarity and drive better performance.
Key Points
Casting a leadership vision is important, but insufficient. It’s not helpful to expect a team to figure out roles and responsibilities on their own.
Teams work best when they understand how each individual works best. Clarity increased performance.
Hold huddles using these three questions: (1) What did I just complete? (2) What am I focused on next? and (3) What is blocking my progress?
Consider communicating in bursts to allow for people to retreat into less interrupted time for deeper work.
Establish priorities and consistently make those priorities clear so they are obvious and apparent to the team.
Resources Mentioned
Best Team Ever!: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams* by David Burkus
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life On Earth, with Chris Hadfield (episode 149)
How to Make Deep Work Happen, with Cal Newport (episode 233)
How Great Teams Find Purpose, with David Burkus (episode 481)
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