Learning teams and learning teams
It is helpful to think about "learning teams" in two distinct but complementary ways. Photo by Evangeline Shaw on Unsplash
For the 2020s, it is vital to have learning teams and to continue learning teams. That's not a typo, that's me making the point that it is helpful to think about "learning teams" in two distinct but complementary ways.
Firstly, as individuals, we can all add more value by learning more about teams.
The more that we are able to observe the ways in which our teams operate, when they are useful, when they are not, what drives that effectiveness (or not), to run experiments. The people who are most at risk of being left behind in terms of team performance are those who believe that they know it all. As I recently heard (and what appears to be a paraphrase of Aristotle), "the more you know, the less you see". My challenge to you is to set a goal that is not about knowing more about teams - rather about learning more about teams.
Secondly, our teams are able to perform better if we are learning in teams.
A central point of high performing teams is that they adapt, respond and grow as the needs of their environment change. There is no way to do that if they are not learning. The faster that teams learn, the better they are able to deliver high levels of performance both now and as the world changes. Being able to operate in teams that are suited to the demands that we are facing now and knowing that those things are likely to change is going to put you, your teams and your organisation in the best position to make a positive contribution to all the people that matter.
It is hard and challenging work. It challenges many of our existing assumptions and may require us to leave behind old ways of work in order to shift to the demands of the 2020s and beyond.
Here are some questions to reflect on this week:
How can you learn more about teams - and what it takes for teams to be successful in a range of contexts?
What can you do to support learning in your teams?