I spearheaded a project with a team full of highly experienced, high-ranking SMEs. Despite their expertise, the team struggled to meet objectives, even after multiple attempts to overcome challenges. Within eight months, we not only met our goals but exceeded expectations, yielding a highly engaged team as a bonus.

Five takeaways from a turn-around project:

1. Tailor Your Team for Each Phase of the Project: During the problem verification phase, recruit creative thinkers who can shift easily from abstract to detailed thinking. Bring in opportunistic individuals who generate fresh ideas as they deepen their understanding of the issue at hand.
2. Cultivate Authentic Relationships and Ongoing Dialogue: Keep an open line of communication to grasp the bigger picture and to understand the underlying mechanisms at work. Treat team conversations as an avenue for change management. When you involve the team in planning changes, the transition becomes far less disruptive.
3. Be there for your team members: Your team members will have all sorts of problems, both personal and professional. Be there for them and help them in any way you can. For example, if a team member is struggling to get enough sleep due to a family situation, help them to adjust their working hours. Be a flexible team lead who is willing to adapt the resources to meet the needs of the team.
4. Instill a Culture of Mutual Accountability: Promote a respectful work environment where everyone is responsible for both their actions and the team's performance. Accountability is a two-way street.
5. Master the Art of Delegation: I realized that making myself "less essential" empowers the team. For instance, when a team member is on leave, others willingly take up the slack, resulting in fewer delayed meetings and more self-sufficiency. Delegation aligns well with another principle I use on most things in life:

You build fantastic teams/companies/products with being just OK (perfect often cost too much in relation to value creation)

Petter Stordalen

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Conclusion
As a team lead or product owner, you need to focus on being a change catalyst and a product owner who hangs out with the user. Spend less time on administrative duties and more time on building relationships, having conversations, and empowering your team.

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Note: We did not sack any team members, but rather moved them into other teams where their skill sets were more valuable. This distinction is crucial, not only for placing the right people in the right roles but also for promoting a broader organizational culture that values inclusivity and security

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PS. I cannot stop being amazed by Andrew Huberman's research in his podcast DS.

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Chris ⚡️
Intra-entrepreneur with a just-do-it-innovatively mentality. I make teams & products excel by taking action.
Unleash Digital Team Excellence for Volvo Cars, Polestar, Molnlycke, SAP, together with Apple

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