Tough love and networking

The most powerful piece of networking training I ever attended was an intensive three-day course called "Working with the C-suite." We were put through a wringer of challenges by a panel of CEOs, CIOs and CFOs. Opening day consisted of introductions, where I took a friendly, chatty and humor-filled approach to meeting my peers, as I do to relax a crowd.

We were thrust into small groups and introduced ourselves to a mentoring CxO to establish a connection and understand their challenges. My mentor was a gruff looking older bloke of asian background. I introduced myself "Hi Goutam, my name is Pierre Nunns, I'd like a moment of your time to ..." He interrupted me. "Do we know each other? I responded in the negative. "Then why presume to use my first name without asking how I would like to be addressed?" - it threw my natural ease for the rest of the session, unbalanced and upset at my clumsiness. 

Subsequent sessions were a blur, noting pecking orders and other activities. I was distracted by previous events.

That evening, we grouped over a black-tie dinner. Each table had a CxO. After a couple of glasses of wine I relaxed. I spoke about the amazing work my company was doing in big data to improve the climate, food sustainability and livable cities. I was excited, finally working toward a cause I believed in. I brought others into the conversation, asking others by name for comment or input. It was energising and a much-needed positive experience. 

The following days were gruelling and my perceptions continued to take a beating - my grumpy CFO enjoying the sport of being a hard nut to crack. The morning of day three, after an all-nighter team proposal build, I was visibly nervous. It was then the CIO who sat at our dinner table took me aside and asked if he could offer feedback.

"Yes please!" He said; "Pierre, when I first saw you at the course opening, I saw your joviality and thought "lightweight. Does not take these things seriously." I was ready to dismiss you there and then. That evening, however, I saw a different man. I heard you speak with passion and knowledge about your company initiatives, how it could change the world. I saw fire in your eyes and purpose. You drew others into the vision and engaged their contribution. I saw the real Pierre and his leadership. If you want, I would welcome working with you. If you are in Singapore my door is open." He explained the challenges laid at us were to deliberately disrupt our mindsets, open us up to challenge and to think strategically. 

In the end it was that dinner and the feedback that stuck in my mind. Such is the power of networking - such is the power of being true to who you are. I finished the course a lot stronger and more aware than I started. I learned to ask questions but to also see the need to clearly articulate who I am and what I stand for. It is our true self and the way we share it that attracts others to us.

Applying personality type to teams

How often have you watched your team leave a development event or training with high ambition, expanded awareness and enthusiasm, only to wane as forces maintain the status quo? I’m often asked about the value of personality type in team development. After watching the euphoria of a course diminish, leaders often conclude development events may give insight and inspiration, but are light on sustained outcomes. They are right to be sceptical.

Driving change is not easy. There is no silver bullet or attitude adjustment pill to create high performance. The forces that maintain mediocre performance do not change with the completion of a development course. Team members naturally need a compelling imperative to change behaviour and apply new behaviours.

That imperative is here and present. Global and technology disruption is a reality. Globalisation shifted an estimated 25% of US manufacturing jobs to China. Since 2007 an estimated 25% of manufacturing jobs in China have disappeared with robotics. Artificial intelligence is decimating white collar jobs globally. Remaining competitive means teams need to create higher value and adapt.

Our teams need to quickly assemble, execute well, then evolve to meet further change. The skills we traditionally use and available time are no longer appropriate. If these events and their consequences are not compelling enough for a leader to connect effective development and high performance, why should they expect their team to change? As Simon Sinek says, people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

So how does a leader build teams that perform in this millennium? Tom Peters painted it clearly thirty years ago in his bestseller "Thriving on Chaos." Teams, he says, will be structured like movie production houses. Producers assemble teams of professionals, best of breed, who know how to work with each other and form teams quickly. They are excellent in their field. Quality is excellent and integrated guidance of a director. When the movie is over, this band of professionals take their skills onto the next opportunity, developing their skills and technology along the way.

Similarly, Charles Handy, author of "The age of unreason" in 1980 prophetically spoke about the need to create teams using a portfolio of individual strengths, provided by core and non-core team members. These teams anticipate change through scenario based thinking, challenging the norm and shifting to meet new demands.

Leaders need to operate in paradox and ambiguity. They face relentless pressure to meet short term demands to fuel strategic investment. In certain areas, leaders are being asked to fund the demise of their existing positions, while likewise investing in their next opportunity.
Great leaders enable their teams to do the same.

High performing teams operate with clear goals and measures, they manage their collective strengths and gaps, are accountable to each other and communicate effectively. They are flexible, they trust each other to deliver and they are emotionally involved in the outcome.
Each of these attributes are learned skills. The programs and tools that develop this in teams need similar clarity of objective, method of execution and sustained focus to embed into habit. 

Understanding personality may be interesting for individual development but, in isolation, does not drive team success. When teams learn the application of personality type as part of a high performance culture and framework, it acts as a performance multiplier. Let's examine the elements of high performance and look at how simple tools like the MBTI support these. The key is trust

Goal Clarity
As much as clear goals are a minimum requirement, and good teams contribute to them, great teams own their goals. They articulate their role, they believe it is achievable, failure is personal.  Teams that achieve this clarity and ownership are not developed overnight. A team needs to believe that each member is committed, is capable, and has each other's back. If the goal is important enough, trust and clarity is essential.

Clear Measures
How often do you hear "if you don't measure it you can't manage it" or "If you don't know the score, you don't know whether you are winning." Most measures are retrospective, which limits a team's ability to react and adjust. Few organisations identify predictive indicators that enable teams to adapt and change in advance of the result. Rather than looking at cost or revenue at month end, measures as simple as "making 5 calls a day to existing customers to ask them what else we could be doing (annuity services)" or requests for future weekend support (overtime cost future indicator) can make a difference.

How does personality awareness contribute to setting relevant measures? Teams will typically conform to norms. Organisations do require P&L progress reporting and high performing teams relish meeting commitments. When predictive indicators are sought, traditional norms tend to struggle. A team that understands diverse thinking will create a culture that both seeks ideas and forms them into concrete measures.

Playing strengths and augmenting gaps
Leaders of high performing teams understand the skills and attributes needed to achieve their objectives. They understand their team's strength profile and gaps. When they recruit, or outsource, they augment their strengths intelligently. They understand the natural strengths and interests of each team member, and place them in roles that exploit or develop these strengths.  Personality tools such as MBTI and Standout Strengths programs give individuals and teams the ability and framework to predict and develop natural strengths and address gaps.

Mutual Accountability
Mutual accountability is built on trust. Trust is built on behaviours consistent with commitments. Teams rarely commit wholeheartedly if there is doubt individuals and leaders will not follow through on commitments. Trust is not built on large commitments and achievements. It grows from multiple, small transactions consistently delivered. There are often misconceptions that personality tools lend nothing to this. This is not true. If you understand how I process information, and provide the information I need to make a decision; If you know I make decisions based on logic, or how it affects people, then you can reasonably trust I will respond in kind. If you know I prefer to have a detailed schedule and drive to closure, or am more open ended, able to spot problems earlier and give you options to address, you may be able to avoid problems. It adds up to maximising ability to do what we say, consistently. This builds trust, and trust strengthens accountability.

Communication
Teams regularly experience unnecessary conflict due to mismatching communications. If a customer needs specific data based on current facts to make a decision, then presenting a future oriented, trend-based proposal without supporting data will limit success. When teams read other's needs to receive information in their preferred way, success rates increase. Communication mismatch is the first basis of conflict.  It is not enough to learn one's own personal type. Understanding and applying other's types can raise team effectiveness significantly.

The case for personality types and teams

Tools such as the MBTI, create a reference language and method for team members. Using a tool to understand how to use other's preference styles to communicate and influence is a skill. Once learned, it is invaluable in influencing positively.
The combination of member types creates a “team type”  - a group personality. Knowing this can help predict how well a team will retain and encourage individual performance, work with other teams and connect with customers.

A team that invests in type understanding can take steps to develop and exploit strengths while identifying gaps and tactics to minimise weaknesses. A personality tool is one aspect of a process and should be applied as a part of strengths-based team development program by a leader, ably supported with an experienced coach.  Application should be practical, relevant and include checkpoints to re-inforce the skills learned. Outcomes can be significan and material if a disciplined and committed approach is taken. Intangible benefits include improved individual and team confidence, constructive use of conflict, accountability and increased performance.

Want to know more about practical application of MBTI and team development techniques. Contact Pierre Nunns at pierre.nunns@immercom.com