Go Beyond Team Agreements - Design a Team Alliance!
I'm lucky - I've had the pleasure of working on teams with many bright, well-intentioned people, eager to succeed. When things went well, life was great. And when things went sideways, people usually pitched in to help make things right. Then there were the handful of times when things went sideways and a full-blown battle ensued.
What I wish we had back then was a Designed Team Alliance (DTA), a set of commitments around who and how we want to be in our work together. The DTA puts contours around team relationships and dynamics. It helps the team maintain respect and trust, giving them a chance to recover more quickly from setbacks. And it lands the dream of what the team could be into a set of explicit commitments.
How To Create A Designed Team Alliance
The DTA was created by CRR Global for their Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC) training (Mo and I are certified ORSC coaches). There are four questions that make up the DTA that the team answers together and documents:
What Mood or Atmosphere Do We Want to Create?
Every team has a unique energetic and emotional tone that naturally emerges and hopefully fosters cohesion and collaboration. This question helps remove the guesswork and creates an intention for how team members want their experience of working together to be. It creates the emotional goal post the team can aspire to.What Will Help Our Team Thrive?
Teams inherently know what they need to do their best work together (outside of money and resources). Some teams thrive by making time to connect and align regularly. Some thrive with clarity around goals and expectations. By making what helps the team thrive explicit, you create resources to fall back on when the way forward gets foggy.How do we want to be together when challenges arise or when there is conflict in the team?
We often design our team agreements around best case scenarios, and not around bumps in the road. When things get tough, especially between team members, a clear conflict protocol helps the team preserve trust and respect, ensuring the team stays cohesive and productive. Conflict will arise and how we deal with it matters.What can you count on me for to help the team succeed?
The first three questions help the team define what successful collaboration looks like. This last question creates ownership and accountability for that success at the team member level. It asks each person to bring their gifts in service to the team, connecting the individual to the collective.
Here are some tips for getting started:
Dedicate at least an hour for the DTA. 90 minutes is ideal.
Make space for all voices to be heard.
Keep the process light and interactive.
Summarize themes into commitment statements.
Revisit your DTA regularly.
The DTA creation process is straightforward but can be tricky, especially if things are a little crunchy between team members. Get a gauge on the team's dynamics and consider bringing in a team coach or facilitator if needed (I know a guy...😉).
Final Thoughts
The best time to create a DTA is when your team is forming, either structurally or around a new charter. The second best time is now. Let's face it, things change. People leave, new people join. And every time these or other events impact the team, it's a great idea to revisit or re-create your DTA. It's a great way to level-set your commitments.
The DTA sets a team up for healthy relationships and more productive collaboration. Introduce your team to the DTA and watch your connection and collaboration flourish!
