From Red to Green
How to Strengthen Your Team
by Katri Auvinen, Tommi Gustafsson
Only strong teams can drive change
When we are low on energy it is difficult to change old habits, even if we want to or when we know we should. For organizational change to happen, every individual, every team, every part of the organization needs to do something differently: alter, modify, transform, replace the old with something newer and better. Individuals and teams need to be proactive, participate, innovate, brainstorm. And leaders need to to set direction, inspire, empower, shape the future. All of these activities require energy. So, if we are low on energy in a stable situation, how do we deal with change which is likely to bring all kinds of new challenges? What kinds of teams can embrace change, and how are they built?
The internal service team, that was not really a team but a group of individuals working on their separate tasks, had gathered for a meeting. The team leader pointed to a poster of a three-colored battery on the wall and said, "I'm in the red here and I'm almost out of charge, about 27% out of 100%. As you know, it hasn't been easy lately, and I admit I'm tired from all the pressure from above and our internal customers. Plus, our kids have been sick a lot lately, I've been lying awake at night and working from home has not been easy. How are you doing?" Encouraged by his candor, the other colleagues shared their difficulties and problems. No one was in the "green zone", all were lacking some energy. But sharing their feelings brought a kind of relief; paradoxically, everyone felt better. "I think we should change something. I will make a proposal at the next meeting on how we can do this. I want to hear your feedback before we talk with the big bosses," the leader continued.
At the next meeting, they elaborated on the plan by first collecting everyone's positive and negative comments before talking about alternative or complementary ideas. Some jokes were made. "Would you dare suggest this to the vice president? She might not like it," one of the team members asked. The leader said yes and not to worry.
Within a month, the makeup of the team had changed. Two members had moved to another team that they had worked more with earlier anyway. Much-needed reinforcements were about to arrive from India. Most importantly, the team had changed its processes to work more collaboratively in small groups and they had planned together how to best integrate the skilled newcomers.
Months later, the team gathered around the battery poster once more. This time, nearly everyone placed themselves in the green area, sharing personal anecdotes about their most significant changes in the past six months. Laughter and jokes filled the air, fostering a stronger sense of camaraderie. Collaboration among team members increased, leading to a greater sense of unity. The newcomers said that they felt appreciated, that they were able to be productive from the start; they were happy for the seamless integration into such a cohesive and welcoming team.
Energize teams for organisational change
The evolution of the team was remarkable. Even more remarkable is the impact such a change can have on the entire organization. Especially when large organizational changes are made, we need teams that take on a proactive role and invest a lot of energy in the new. As we can see from the starting point of this story, this is not always the case for all teams.
As we break down this team's change process, some key elements of a strong, resilient, change-ready team become apparent: collaboration, psychological safety, and autonomy.
Collaboration and teamwork
Strengthening and developing the collaboration within teams depends on the background.
Psychological safety
Psychological safety begins with the team leader opening up about his challenges and lack of energy.
Autonomy
Being be strong and change-proof team requires both - empowerment to and engagement from the team.
The leader of our story's internal services team was subsequently promoted to a higher position in another country. As a result, the responsibilities were divided among the remaining members based on a plan they had developed with the support of the vice president. They now regularly evaluate how things are going in their meetings and adjust responsibilities and processes as needed. Feedback from internal customers has been positive. They also play a key role in internal restructuring that the entire organization is undergoing, giving teams more responsibility for their work.
One of the last things the outgoing manager said to the team was that "A team is only great if everyone has the opportunity to learn and grow. And a great manager is one who is interested in the development of each team member. You now have the chance to be that team and that manager for each other. If you can do that, your results will be amazing."
Challenges for remote and hybrid teams
The issues of "all speaking up" and being present in a hybrid setting.
In retrospect, we see that the team in its original state could not have supported the change so productively. The sense of frustration, fatigue, and being overwhelmed with their own feelings was too strong. However, the moment they took on a collaborative and productive role and felt they could influence their future, they found that they even had extra energy to support others.
How could you help charge the batteries of the teams in your organisation?