The 3 Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
I finished the fifth and last book on February’s reading list when I completed Daniel Coyle’s, The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups.
If building culture is on your radar, put this book on your list.
Favorite quotes:
“We presume skilled individuals will combine to produce skilled performance in the same way we presume two plus two will combine to produce four. … We focus on what we can see, individual skills. But individual skills are not what matters. What matters is the interaction.”
“Culture is a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal. It’s not something you are. It’s something you do.”
3 skills for building highly successful groups:
#1. Build safety.
Great group chemistry isn’t luck; it’s about sending super-clear, continuous signals: we share a future, you have a voice.
#2. Share vulnerability.
Strong cultures don’t hide their weaknesses; they make a habit of sharing them, so they can improve together.
- Leaders go first when it comes to vulnerability.
- Do the hard stuff in person. Don’t have tough conversation over email.
#3. Establish purpose: tell your story.
Create vivid narratives that work like GPS signals, guiding your group toward its goal.
- Name and rank your group‘s priorities.
- Use shared language. Catch phrases may be inadequate but they’re enough.
The trick to building effective catch phrases is to keep them simple, action-oriented, and forthright: “Create fun and a little weirdness” (Zappos).
How might leaders build highly successful groups?
Other books on February’s reading list:
Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well-Being by Shawn Achor. (Done)
Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility by Patty McCord. (Done)
When: The Scientific Secret to Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink. (Done)
Talent Magnet: How to Attract and Keep the Best People by Mark Miller. See yesterday’s post for a chance to win a copy of Talent Magnet. (Done)
It starts with having an effective team leader.
Effective team leaders work both with the team and on the team.
–With the team—team leaders work with team members in establishing goals, developing plans, problem solving, making decisions, etc.
–On the team—team leaders use their diagnostic skills to determine if team members have the right skills and share the team’s goals and values. The leader also determines whether the team processes are working efficiently (no wasted time) and effectively (focused on the right things).
Working on the team means taking steps to create alignment through discussion and team development activities. In addition, it means addressing team members who may not be the right fit for the team.
Thankyou sir…
I’m learning from this web…
Nice post 🙂
Dan,
I like this a lot. Will be something I’ll be sharing with a group Monday, with recommendations they subscribe. At the same time, regarding your lead quote by Coyle. I don’t think one can “do” without having some “are” firmly in place. What one “does” is in concert with what one “be” es. It may be an uncommon “do” for the individual, but a “do-ing” that is allowed by what one “be -es”.
And, for a touch of humor, I am reminded of the great quotes (with various assignations):
To do is to be Plato
To be is to do. Aristotle
Do be do be do. Sinatra
Embracing differences.
You really would think that scientific organisations would understand that you grow a culture. If you ask the leaders what happens in a Petri dish they can tell you that’s where you “grow a culture”.
However, once you get to organisational culture, they seem to believe you buy it ready-made: it comes out of a book or a box and you plug it in and it works…