Is This Still the Team You Need?

Things change. During the life of a team that is expected to take one to three years to accomplish its mission, change is inevitable. The market, the economy, the competition, the leadership and strategic direction of the organization, and the composition of the team itself may undergo dramatic change. New information systems or other technology may upset the usual way the team goes about its business, for example.

Any time there is a significant external or internal change that has an impact on the team is an excellent time to reassess and to ask, Is this still the team we need? The new realities may dictate a shift in purpose, personnel, or structure. You may see a need to revise the timetable or modify the goals. This kind of overall assessment takes maintaining and monitoring to a higher level, but it’s a necessary step in ensuring that teams remain effective performers.

Teams can be the best tool an organization has for seeking the next new thing, solving the complex challenge, and bringing the future into the present. But they are not without risk and certainly not without expense. All the more reason to periodically assess their performance, to diagnose evident problems, and to remove obstacles they face. Even if that means forming a new team better suited to the task at hand.