STEP 3:
IDENTIFY CHANGES THAT COULD IMPROVE DIRECTION, ALIGNMENT, OR COMMITMENT.
Once you’ve identified possible factors contributing to low levels of direction, alignment, or commitment in your group, you can begin to mitigate the factors and improve these outcomes. As to what specific changes your group should make, the answer will vary depending on a whole host of factors that distinguish it from other groups, including its size, the work it is engaged in, the degree of task interdependency in doing the work, what its members value, the organization it is embedded in, and the constraints and expectations imposed by that organization. A process for creating a clearer direction in one group might not work in another. The same is true for producing more highly coordinated work or for generating a stronger sense of responsibility for the group. There are no formulas for strengthening DAC; in fact, there are an infinite number of ways that DAC might be enhanced. You have to discover what works in your context.
INVOLVE GROUP MEMBERS
To maximize the probability of improving DAC, we recommend engaging group members in the process. Doing so not only provides a broader understanding of the dynamics of the situation but also makes their insights available for use in forming improvement strategies. You sought the group’s input in Steps 1 and 2, and you can continue to involve group members by asking such questions as:
• What do we as a group see as the factors contributing to our DAC problem?
• What can we do to reduce or eliminate these factors?
• Which of these are most important to tackle first? What steps might we take to improve the situation?
• How might we evaluate the effectiveness of the actions we take?
• How often should we continue to assess the levels of DAC we are achieving?
For any of the DAC issues that you uncover, there is a wealth of existing knowledge about how the issue can be addressed. For example, there are well-documented processes for articulating a shared vision, resolving conflicts within groups, coordinating work, creating clear accountability, building a strong team culture, and fostering a sense of responsibility for the group’s success. We’ve included references at the end of this guidebook that will help you tap into that expertise. At the same time, don’t discount the expertise that you’ve developed from your own experience. Reflect on what’s worked in similar situations that could be applied to the current group. And look for benchmarking opportunities. Are there similar groups in the organization or community that have effectively dealt with the issue? What can you learn from them?
TAKE A SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE
Keep in mind that direction, alignment, and commitment are group-level outcomes. Any aspect of the group can impact those outcomes. To enhance DAC, you might need to change the quality or frequency of interactions among group members, the relationships among particular members, the formal or informal processes for making decisions or getting work accomplished, the skills and motivation of individual group members, or the shared assumptions and cultural beliefs of the group as a whole. You should view the group as a DAC-producing system and examine all aspects of that system when exploring potential changes. Use the DAC system element list that follows to help determine what changes you need to make.
Are changes in one or more of these system elements needed to enhance direction, alignment, or commitment in your group?
1. INDIVIDUAL GROUP MEMBERS’ SKILLS AND MOTIVATION
a. Knowledge, skills, and abilities represented in the group
b. Personal values of group members
c. Extent to which individuals identify with the group
d. Engagement of individuals in the work of the group
e. Individual motivation to contribute to the group
2. GROUP COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE
a. Size of group
b. Diversity of group members
c. Stability of group membership
d. Organization of the group into subgroups
e. Reporting relationships
3. INTERACTIONS AMONG GROUP MEMBERS
a. Communication patterns (i.e., who communicates with whom, about what, how frequently)
b. Type of access group members have to one another
c. Frequency and quality of group meetings
d. Customary ways of treating one another
e. Typical strategies for dealing with conflict
4. RELATIONSHIPS IN THE GROUP
a. How well group members know each other
b. Level of trust among group members
c. Structure of informal networks in the groups
d. Presence of any strained relationships in the group
e. Relationship of formal leader with group members
a. Planning processes
b. How work is assigned
c. How work is accomplished
d. Performance management processes
e. Decision-making processes
f. Information-sharing practices
g. Processes for developing group members
h. Reward systems
6. GROUP CULTURE
a. Shared beliefs about what’s important
b. Informal rules of behavior in the group
c. Assumptions about what is right or true
d. Values that group members aspire to
e. Traditions maintained by the group
7. RELATIONSHIP WITH EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
a. Quality of relationships with key stakeholders
b. Degree of isolation or connection with larger community
c. External processes and regulations governing the group
d. Openness to external influence
e. Reputation of group in larger organization or community
ENGAGE IN A CONTINUOUS LEARNING PROCESS
You won’t know if a change is going to yield the desired outcomes until you try it. You’ll benefit the most from these change experiments if you are clear about what you expect to improve as a result of the change, regularly evaluate whether those improvements are achieved (and monitor any unintended effects of the changes), and make adjustments based on what you learn. The After-Action Review activity below is one tool that can help you monitor the impact of changes made to the leadership process.
AFTER-ACTION REVIEW
After-Action Reviews can help a group reflect on whether a change they are attempting is improving their leadership process in desired ways, what they are learning from their efforts to improve, and what additional changes they may need to make.
STEP 1
After the group has experimented with an intentional change in some aspect of their leadership process, recreate the following chart on a flip chart, white board, or piece of paper:
INTENDED |
ACTUAL |
LESSONS |
DO SAME/DO DIFFERENTLY |
Through a facilitated discussion, invite team members to reflect on their work and consider
• What did we intend to do? (Intended)
• What actually happened? (Actual)
• What did we learn? (Lessons)
• What will we do the same or differently to be more effective in the future? (Do Same/Do Differently)
STEP 3
Capture the ideas that emerge from the group on the chart.
OPTIONS
• An alternative approach is to ask team members to reflect on these questions privately, and jot their responses on a sticky-note—one note per question.
• The facilitator then talks through what is on the notes and encourages discussion among group or team members.