Groundwork: Building Foundations for High-Performing Teams - Generate 2019

Groundwork
@aaroni
Design Director, Capital One
Building foundations for high performing design teams
Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

Technology is advancing at pace that is hard to keep up with,
and as a result, users are getting more advanced, developing
higher expectations for the products they use.
@aaroni
Photo by Rikki Chan on Unsplash
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“For all the dollars spent by American companies on R&D,
there often remains a persistent and troubling gap between
the inherent value of the technology they develop and their
ability to put it to work eﬀectively.”  
- Dorothy Leonard & Barton & William A. Kraus
@aaroni
https://hbr.org/1985/11/implementing-new-technology
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While the use of leading technologies and tech stacks paired with talented teams is deﬁnitely
a step in the right direction, it is not enough for us to rest our laurels on. Everyone is doing it.
@aaroni
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While the use of leading technologies and tech stacks paired with talented teams is deﬁnitely
a step in the right direction, it is not enough for us to rest our laurels on. Everyone is doing it.
We need a new diﬀerentiator, something not dependent on ever
evolving tech, or landing talent in a saturated market.
@aaroni
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Foundations built on creating a culture that enables teams to do their best work
aren’t as aﬀected by a shift in technology, or staﬃng logistics.
@aaroni
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Foundations built on creating a culture that enables teams to do their best work
aren’t as aﬀected by a shift in technology, or staﬃng logistics.
In fact, tech becomes irrelevant, and retention rates are higher, when the right
culture is fostered, allowing teams/orgs to focus on the task at hand.
@aaroni
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How can we go about creating a foundation
for our teams to do their best work?
@aaroni
Photo by Fleur Treurniet on Unsplash
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Successful leaders allow their teams to take informed
risks, make honest mistakes and learn from them,  
thus encouraging creativity and innovation.
@aaroni
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Data indicates that psychological safety, more than anything else, 
is critical to making a team work.
@aaroni
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html
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Those who are poorly led, micromanaged, not challenged,
or held to low standards, will underperform.
@aaroni
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• 74% less stress.
• 106% more energy at work.
• 50% higher productivity.
• 13% fewer sick days.
• 76% more engagement.
• 29% more satisfaction with
their lives.
• 40% less burnout.
@aaroni
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Compared with
people at low-trust
companies, people  
at high-trust
companies report…
The Neuroscience of Trust - Paul J. Zak

Group emotional intelligence
@aaroni
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Trust, identity, eﬃcacy
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Participation, cooperation, collaboration
@aaroni
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Participation, cooperation, collaboration
Better decisions, more creative solutions, higher productivity
@aaroni
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Being an emotionally intelligent leader is  
eﬀ-ing good for business!
@aaroni
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Create a shared vision that supports team member
autonomy in decision-making and execution.
@aaroni
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Our teams need to understand our expectations, the
importance of those expectations, and the fact that we
welcome mistakes in pursuit of meeting them.
@aaroni
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By providing clear objectives for our teams, and setting guardrails for how
they get there, we set them on the path to successful outcomes.
@aaroni
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Position leads and teams to be connected to a singular, guiding,
purpose, that allows them to make decisions on their own.
@aaroni
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Teach your team how to think, instead of
telling them what to do, empower them to
do their best work. - Chris Fussell
@aaroni
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With a shared vision it becomes much easier to
Increase team communication and collaboration.
@aaroni
Photo by Benjamin Schneider on Unsplash
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We want work from a position of trust,
and seek to build trust within our team.
@aaroni
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and seek to build trust within our team.
We do this by assuming positive intent, and engaging others
in a way that makes it easy for them to do the same.
@aaroni
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When we have established strong internal relationships, it then becomes
easier to build strong partnerships with cross-functional teams.
@aaroni
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and seek to build trust with our partners.
@aaroni
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and seek to build trust with our partners.
We do this by assuming positive intent, and engaging others
in a way that makes it easy for them to do the same.
@aaroni
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Level the playing ﬁeld.
@aaroni
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Find a common purpose.
@aaroni
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Unite under one mission.
@aaroni
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Be willing to step outside the norm to support success.
Unite under one mission.
@aaroni
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“If you want maximal productivity, and if you want work that gets the
best results, you want the people doing that work to be in the optimal
brain state for the work.
You are a person who can evict them from the zone of optimal
performance by slothfully handling your own interactions with them.
So it's up to you to take responsibility for your impact on their ability
to work at their best.” ~ Daniel Goleman
@aaroni
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Dealing with conﬂict within our teams and with our
partners, aka… navigating “negative” workplace politics.
Photo by Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash
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“Inspire each other to achieve our dreams
and do the best work of our  
lives in a fearless, candid, and  
supportive environment.”
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• Create a psychologically safe environment
where radical candor, diﬀering points of view,
and openness / vulnerability are the norm.
• Value diversity of opinion and experience. 
• Encourage and reward thoughtful risk-taking.
• Celebrate wins and failures.
• Establish team > me mindset.
Leaders will… Team members can…
• Be open and vulnerable
• Provide meaningful, timely, caring
feedback
• Share candidly, challenge directly
• Care deeply about one another’s success,
elevate each other.
• Take risks to help advance team goals
So that
Here’s what we expect team members at every
level to be able to do, to enable the mission.
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Right… But how?Performance Management: 
Explicitly start to use mission in discussion and ratings. 
(safe environment, etc)
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Making resources easily available:  
Heavily encourage engaging in training materials. 
(see resources slide)
@aaroni
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Making resources easily available:  
Heavily encourage engaging in training materials. 
(see resources slide)
Team Member Development Plans:  
Explicitly start to use mission as line item in dev plans. 
(ie. What is every individual’s plan for living and being part of the mission?)
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Easier said than done.
@aaroni
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Easier said than done.
Be ready to be tired, but not ready to give up.  
So many times when we feel like hope is lost,
there is a breakthrough.
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“Leaders must change their role from that of an arbiter
and a decision-maker to that of a gardener, setting the
conditions for your team to grow and be successful and
nurturing them on their journey.” ~ Chris Fussell
Photo by Jakub Kriz on Unsplash
@aaroni
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Thank you.
@aaroni

We’re Hiring!
@aaroni

We’re Hiring!
@aaroni
Holy mother
forking shirt
balls!!!

Resources
McChrystal Group
Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Managing Humans
Ego Free Leadership
Leaders Eat Last
The 5 Marks of Eﬀective Leadership
Photo by Susan Yin on Unsplash
@aaroni
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Resources (cont) - Character Traits of Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
On Emotrional Intelligence
Emotional Awareness Component Definition Hallmarks
Self-Awareness The ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions,
and drives, as well as their effect on others.
• Self-confidence.
• Realistic self-assessment.
• Self deprecating sense of humor/not taking one’s self
to seriously.
Self-Regulation The ability to control or re-direct disruptive impulses and
moods.
The propensity to suspend judgement - to think before acting.
• Trustworthiness and integrity.
• Comfort with ambiguity.
• Openness to change.
Motivation A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status.
A propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence.
• Strong drive to achieve.
• Optimism in the face of failure.
• Organizational commitment.
Empathy The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other
people.
Skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions.
• Expertise in building and retaining talent.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity.
• Service to team, business partners, and customers.
Social Skills Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks.
An ability to find common ground.
• Effectiveness in leading change.
• Persuasiveness.
• Expertise in building and leading teams.

Groundwork: Building Foundations for High-Performing Teams - Generate 2019

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Groundwork: Building Foundations for High-Performing Teams - Generate 2019