Building Real Teams with Real Feedback
Date last updated 10:44 am Sep 25th, 2007
This article was published in the September 2006 issue of ProjectBestPractices.
Building Real Teams With Real Feedback
No project can succeed without a project team. More likely than not, your project will require a number of participants from different areas within your organization. In today's environment, it is also highly likely you will need to involve parties from external agencies, whether they are consultants or vendors. Regardless of who and how many you have on your project team, you cannot succeed in meeting your deliverables and deadlines unless you act as a high-functioning team.
How do you create a successful team?
In recognition of the value of cross-functional teamwork, Harvard Pilgrim reinforces a set of Expected Behaviors to guide "how" we operate and achieve results through our team-based orientation. In 2004, we launched a project to support good teamwork. The project goal was "to create an infrastructure for both the awareness and accountability for expected behaviors that is adopted and practiced throughout the organization resulting in improved decisions, efficiency, and business results."
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care believes all staff should view these as corporate standards for everyone:
HPHC Expected Behaviors
- Treat others with dignity and respect
- Support and promote intra- and inter-departmental teamwork
- Understand and consider the needs and impacts of your own work on others
- Demonstrate an ability to problem solve and make timely decisions
- Actively seek and receive feedback for improvement
- Consistently share knowledge and information
The scope of the initiative was set in phases. First, we introduced performance management activities in support of Expected Behaviors to all management staff. During the annual performance cycle, staff is given the opportunity to give and receive feedback relative to Expected Behaviors. On a scale of 1 to 5, staff is rated by their peers, supervisors and teammates on each of the Expected Behaviors. It is a good way to build staff awareness to our behaviors and identify areas of strengths and weaknesses for each behavior. The feedback is used to develop staff performance plans.
In addition to an annual check on staff adherence to Expected Behaviors, we are now moving toward having project team members evaluated within 30 days of project closure. This allows project teams to evaluate one another, in real time, rather than wait until the end of the calendar year. This provides project-related feedback while the experience is still fresh. Project team members are evaluated on both project delivery as well as Expected Behaviors. The idea is to present performance feedback to project team members before they are assigned to their next project. The goal is to give staff the opportunity to take the feedback to heart before their next project experience, so opportunities for improvement are realistically set.
Giving and receiving feedback is not a comfortable practice for most people. Our experience to date shows a gradual improvement in the sharing of feedback. Much of the feedback is received anonymously, and often does not have supporting documentation to support the ratings. Without specific examples, the receiver of the information is at a disadvantage - real examples provide information that is actionable. Although we require formal feedback during the annual performance management cycle, we highly encourage it on a more frequent basis. A mid-year check in encouraged as part of a quarterly or semi-annual update of performance plans.
The way in which you solicit feedback does not need to be complex. In fact, the simpler, the better. Folks are busy with their own work and daily stresses; asking them to take the time to provide feedback on their co-workers takes some cajoling. The incentive is usually self-serving; if you want feedback on yourself, be willing to provide it for others.
Our experience to date suggests one size does not fit all. We know that minimum conditions of success include leadership buy-in, stable team membership and a commitment to purpose. Success also relies on early engagement. Project teams that introduce Expected Behaviors early in team development are more successful. Teams who use a couple of quick and simple tools, are not overly prescriptive in their approach, and have mentors available to them as needed are the teams who succeed.
Written by: Lisa DiTullio (Harvard Pilgrim Health Care)