Anyone whose been part of a great team remembers the experience and thinks of it often. What do great teams have that other teams don't? If we knew these ingredients we may be able to repeat the recipe and create not only memorable experiences but produce great results.
It's from this perspective of studying what has to go right that Carl Larson & Frank LaFasto conducted their seminal research over twenty years ago, and it's this perspective that makes their research no less relevant all these years later.
We Can Help.
Our consulting, coaching, and training service's approach to Teamwork is from the same perspective as Larson & LaFasto. We can help you:
- Understand the ingredients for creating high performing teams
- Check the health of your team and get it on a performing path
- Leverage styles and strengths of you and your team members
Let us bring together just the right combination of study, workshops, practice, and coaching to help you create high performing successful teams!
The Ingredients of a High-Performing Team
Carl Larson & Frank LaFasto published the results of their seminal research on teams in 1989. (Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong, 1989, Sage Publications). In their research they discovered a surprising consistency in the characteristics of effective teams, and they concluded that these characteristics explain how and why effective teams develop. The 8 characteristics are:
In our years of using Larson & LaFasto's research, we have found it appealing, accessible and applicable to people striving to create teams at any level in any organization.
Team Development & Performance
Teams don't become high-performing overnight, they develop over time. Unfortunately most teams don't have a lot of time. In today's fast-paced, highly volatile world of competing priorities it's easy for a team to get on a non-productive path.
We can help your team accelerate their development, get on a path to high-performance, and stay on it! Using our Team Development & Performance Check your team will work together to see their strengths, and what is likely to limit their success.
Your team may enjoy getting off-site and using our Experience Center to focus on it's new path. Alternatively, we can visit you or even help you remotely.
Learn more about our Teamwork Assessment and Coaching Services.
Workshops
Many of our workshops incorporate the Larson & LaFasto model:
- Leading Lean Six Sigma Projects™ - Download workshop details
- Succeeding with Programs™ - Download workshop details
- Managing by Project® - Download workshop details
- Leveraging Type - Download workshop details
Understanding Your Team
As a team leader, the more you can understand about people and their differing characteristics, the more equipped you will be to lead them in the pursuit of their goals. Many of our Assessments can guide you in this understanding, but here are a few that are particularly helpful in understanding and leading teams:
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®
- The Clifton StrengthsFinder®
- Leadership Practices Inventory®
Learn more about our Assessment Services.