CHAPTER 3
Implementing
Supporting Behaviors

The quality of our expectations determines the quality of our actions.

—Andre Godin

Determining the “right” set of behaviors to support productive teamwork in never easy because team dynamics are intricate and difficult. Ideally, a set of behaviors to best support teamwork must be articulated in a universal language because these behaviors need to be owned by the entire organization, not just project teams. When team behaviors are set at the enterprise level, their introduction sets the framework for ensuring the behaviors are a means of conducting business, not just a set of words hung along corporate walls. Ideally, the entire organization must believe in the power of teamwork to experience improvements in project outcomes and operational performance as a result of strong teamwork.

To successfully define team behaviors, create a set of team behaviors that use simple language, apply to the organizational culture, and can be easily understood and practiced. No matter how large or small the organization, all team behaviors must be clear and comprehensible to all staff, regardless of position or title. Organizations are more likely to realize results if they establish straightforward behaviors directly related to improving team dynamics.

Create measurable behaviors so staff can easily be held accountable. Accountability can be achieved when team leaders (and ultimately team members) are held accountable in a valid way. This can be achieved through specific performance targets when expressed in measurable ways.

In recognition of the value of cross-functional teamwork, organizations should reinforce a set of team behaviors that can be adopted by all teams in the organization regardless of size, purpose, or duration. The behaviors should be derived to guide how teams operate and achieve successful team results. Ultimately, organizations that create a standard set of behaviors to support team dynamics will improve decision-making, enhance efficiencies, and promote better business results.

To establish an organizational culture in support of teamwork, the behaviors should ideally be created by the Chief Executive Officer. At the very least, the behaviors must be endorsed by the CEO in order to achieve sustained existence. If team behaviors have not been established as part of the corporate culture, you, as the project manager, may set the tone among your project team members. This is not ideal, but it can be done.

In 2002, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) CEO Charlie Baker recommended a set of expected behaviors for management and staff. This was right around the time the dust had begun to settle after the organization’s turnaround. Up until this point, Baker hadn’t spent any time at all thinking about appropriate standards of behavior—the company had been in crisis, focused on staying in business.

The behaviors were designed according to Baker’s own views about what constitutes appropriate behavior and team interactions; they were designed to help facilitate cross-functional teamwork. The set of behaviors was introduced to HPHC staff as a means of transitioning staff from an open culture to a synchronous culture. The behaviors reinforced a very simple, yet compelling theory: Organizations do much of their work through groups; groups tend to be complex challenges from a management and communications view; and if the company could come up with some ways to improve team dynamics, it could enhance group performance.