“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.” Halford E Luccock

And just like an orchestra, teams need to work together effectively to create that symphony.

As a creative producer, Mark Westerby's role is to bring people together with a common purpose - to make a kick-ass project that will excite, inspire and engage others.

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.” Halford E Luccock

And just like an orchestra, teams need to work together effectively to create that symphony.

As a creative producer, Mark Westerby's role is to bring people together with a common purpose - to make a kick-ass project that will excite, inspire and engage others.

In this month's Generator he explores some tips about how teams are formed, team dynamics, the difference between leading and managing, and the attributes of a winning team.

Forming a team

Teams come together for many different purposes; it may be for a short-term project (such as a theatre show or an event) or for longer periods (to build a business or govern an organisation).

The important thing here is to first establish a clear purpose for coming together. It should be a shared purpose and the desired outcome should be understood and agreed upon at the outset. It is this shared purpose or vision that will provide you with the building blocks for your project, so it is important that collectively you have absolute clarity about what you want to achieve, and that you all genuinely buy into this.

Start by discussing:

• What does success look like to us?
• How are you going to measure progress?
• Are members individually and/or jointly accountable and for which elements?
• What are the major hurdles in front of us, and what will help us combat them?
• If we need to, when should we pull the plug?

Teams do not often address this last point. Of course, we should all go into a project expecting nothing but victory, but it always pays to have a Plan B – without it a team can waste time and energy flogging a horse that’s long been dead.

Setting up a project system online is an effective way of ensuring everyone is on the same page. Google Docs is a brilliant (and free) way of sharing and contributing to group documents and spreadsheets. There are other great online project and task programmes specifically designed for creatives - Basecamp and Action Method are two I would recommend and for the geeks you can even access these from your smartphone so you can stay on top of your projects while on the go. Other low-cost options like a Facebook group page or a private blog provide simple ways to create a group ‘hub’ and a way to pool creative ideas, discussion, and brainstorming

Along the way, be sure to celebrate your successes (not just at the end), and at the conclusion of the project, be sure to gather feedback from the team members about the process, it will be of great help to you for the next one.

Team dynamics

Everybody is unique, and in a team situation, we each have a different set of skills that can contribute to the realisation of the project at hand. The trick lies in recognising each of these skills or talents and ensuring there is a positive outlet for them that enhances the team and project as a whole.

Making sure that all of the following skills are represented within the team is a good idea:

• Functional/technical knowledge
• Problem solving/decision-making
• Interpersonal

Also, assess the level of skills in the team - it is good practice to ask if this is adequate for the teams’ goals. If not, what are the critical skills missing or under-represented? Is the team willing and able to invest time to develop the needed skills or is it best to introduce new team members as needed?

Specialist skills can be built or bought-in as required, however, everyone in your team should share these attributes:

• Culture-fit (be comfortable working in this environment and share the ethos of the team)
• Talent (have something to offer)
• Drive (the will and the energy to get the job done)

Leading vs Managing

To be honest, I think these labels are mostly semantics. There are thousands of books written on this subject, with each author attempting to sum up the differences between these two.

Here’s some of the more pithy ones:

• “Managers do things right. Leaders do the right thing.” J. Rafter
• “Leaders lead people. Managers manage tasks.” D. Hughes
• “Management is a profession... Leadership is a calling!” R. A. Johnson

You get the idea.

Basically it comes down to using the tools in your arsenal to get the best out of the team and to achieve the end result. A good way to aid this is by assessing which team members will respond best to what – some will need leadership, inspiration, reflection, whereas others will benefit more from intensive management and active checking-in. You would be well advised to keep your team happy, it’s a small industry and you may want them back!

How would you describe a strong leader?

"Research clearly shows that transformational leaders - leaders who are positive, inspiring, and who empower and develop followers - are better leaders," explains psychologist and leadership expert Ronald E. Riggio.

"They are more valued by followers and have higher performing teams."

A good manager/leader is also aware of when to pass the baton. Perhaps there is someone in your team who may be better suited to be the organiser, the frontperson, or to look after some of the core responsibilities. Doing everything yourself is not an option - learning the art of delegation is a godsend. Again, this is best done by assessing which person with what strengths is right for the task – if you have a master at relationships, use them! A leader will see the potential and hidden talent in people, that builds their confidence and strengthens the team as a whole.

Attributes of a winning team

Most winning teams have worked together for a while so they have a ‘sixth sense’ about working together. Even so, all teams at some point will need to be conscious and at times explicit about what culture and processes they want to develop – these things don’t always happen perfectly on their own. This is where a clear vision and a shared understanding, discussed upfront (as above) are invaluable.

The key tools and attributes to a winning team are:

• Tackle each project expecting to win
• Develop a group synergy
• Develop energy to withstand adversity
• Create a winning atmosphere
• Make winning contagious so new team members soon acquire the team’s magic

Pixar is one creative company I admire that employs a great working team culture (If you haven’t seen the documentary ‘The Pixar Story’ it is well worth checking out).

Great winning teams often include:

• Creator: High-level thinker, extremely “wacky” ideas
• Catalyst: A ‘connector’ who recognises those ideas and connects them to solutions
• Champion: Paves through the nay-sayers to get the idea to the market

A team which succeeds and endures is one that can balance the needs of whole and the individual in equal parts. The ‘whole’ of a team relies on having a clear vision, direction, and goals - something that underpins it and drives it. Yet to really achieve this, every individual in the team needs to be inspired and supported to bring their a-game to the table. This is what elevates a project from ‘something that happened’ to something truly rewarding and lasting.

The most important thing is to have a shared belief system - something everyone believes in!

Overall, remember that teamwork is an organic process and success can mean more than financial reward. Just make sure you enjoy the ride as well!

“Teamwork makes the dream work”
Malcolm Gladwell