{"id":15336,"date":"2022-09-14T19:45:15","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T19:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/abstracta.us\/blog\/?p=15336"},"modified":"2025-05-05T21:19:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T21:19:57","slug":"the-everything-else-the-one-about-teamwork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abstracta.us\/blog\/software-testing\/the-everything-else-the-one-about-teamwork\/","title":{"rendered":"The Everything Else | The One About Teamwork"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Working with others is no easy task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes the magic flows (insert team cliches here) but there are (many) times when you\u2019re working in teams, and the teamwork is just not there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this episode,\u00a0Vera\u00a0and\u00a0Mer\u00a0unpack the complexity of teamwork, what we need to be aware of, and the essential ingredients for a high-functioning team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Listen_Here\"><\/span>Listen Here<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1343889124&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-917044551\" title=\"the everything else podcast\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the everything else podcast<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-917044551\/s3e3-the-one-about-teamwork\" title=\"S3E3: The One About Teamwork\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">S3E3: The One About Teamwork<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Episode_Script\"><\/span>Episode Script<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Hello hello, welcome to another episode of The Everything Else, I\u2019m Mer<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>I\u2019m Vera.. and today we\u2019re talking about a long-awaited topic\u2026 Teamwork<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>That\u2019s right, teamwork makes the dream work<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>It\u2019s gonna be full of cliches today, I can feel it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>It is, and I\u2019m not ashamed to admit it \u2014 there\u2019s a reason why they\u2019re cliches.. coz they\u2019re universal truths that we\u2019ve managed to suck meaning out of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>You have a point there! alright, so today we are talking about people, doing things together, it can be working together, in short: people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>That\u2019s right, listeners are warned\u2026 this episode contains high doses of humanness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Today we are going to refer to those moments when as Pichon Riviere mentioned a group of people \u2014 it can be 2 or more humans<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Humans, we need humans for this \u2014 or do we? can AI do teamwork? I suspect they can, or will, we\u2019ll leave that for another discussion. go ahead, 2 or more humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Ok! so two or more people who spend some time and share space to attend a task, whatever it is they want or need to do, to address a common goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>That\u2019s your definition of teamwork, right? I\u2019m going to play devil\u2019s advocate here, I think that\u2019s not enough. I\u2019ve been in situations with all the defined characteristics, where teamwork doesn\u2019t happen, we\u2019re working in teams, but the teamwork doesn\u2019t happen\u2026 I got you there, didn\u2019t I?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Haha, no, I\u2019ve been there too. But hang onnnnn.. we\u2019re going to get to that part in a bit. sit tight. Let\u2019s get back to the more basic aspects. Like, can we have teamwork in a virtual world?.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>I thought about that when you said space\u2026Depending on the day and the team I\u2019m working with, I oscillate from of course it can to suppressing a potential tantrum in meetings because I desperately want to jump through the screen in meetings to touch people, and move things around. I suppose it\u2019s a question of having the right people with the right tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Well&#8230; We are going through a historical moment&#8230; I think it can&#8230; It can happen.. but, even if it\u2019s virtual .but the team needs to \u201cmeet\u201d to affect one another, coordinate roles,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>I can\u2019t do teamwork without some type of synchronous work. I physically need to see people live even if it\u2019s through a screen. You?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>I\u2019d go a bit further&#8230; I would say I actually need to see the humanness in the other to do the work&#8230; Putting the camera on is great, but if the other person is typing frantically, or you feel they are not paying attention it doesn\u2019t do the trick, you know?\u2026 I need to connect on some level, and, though it\u2019s rare, I know it can even happen without the camera on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Alright, I have some burning questions on this topic. But first a very big disclaimer. We\u2019re talking about teams, but we\u2019re not only talking about work. So please listen to this episode thinking about all potential teams, like a life partner, your siblings, a sports team, and of course, your work buddies. Back to the burning questions&#8230;&nbsp;<strong>Are we all team players? Are we all cut out to work well in teams?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Mmmm I\u2019d say Potentially yes. We are all social beings and we all need others&#8230; we are with others&#8230;However, big however here\u2026Our society has promoted a lot of behaviors that do not go in this line of collaboration. Of seeing others as someone who can potentially compliment me. This is what is referred to as the scarcity mindset, it\u2019s a very straightforward understanding of Darwin\u2019s theory, of the survival of the fittest. When things are challenging, we even call them competitive as we are all fighting for our own survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>In the business world, the terminology has been historically violent when talking about existing with others -dog eat dog, cut-throat, the law of the jungle, it does feel a bit defensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>And this is not just at work. We do this in all relationships. Like we get hurt, and then it becomes harder to trust others. Relationships (of all kinds) become very transactional when we do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>humans.. particularly westerners, we are very used to this idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>But this is a worldview. It hasn\u2019t always been like this. Communities used to be the only important thing. As a reaction to that, we\u2019ve put stress on the importance of the individual. And so with this, we have lost that sense of power groups have. Like we\u2019ve gone from one extreme to the other. And actually, if I may say it, I know for many it can seem quite radical, but we need to face the truth that, although we have achieved much, the consequences have been very high too.. and our planet is showing us that we need to reconsider it asap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>And there are other options<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Definitely so! When we take perspective, we can see options. Sure there are. And I think many people are looking for their version of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, since we were talking about nature&#8230; Nature does not work like that, and visions that are more attuned to an abundance model than the one the natural world has, imply a whole different outlook. Professionals of all fields who teach, mentor, and help others, people who offer and share openly what they know, and what they create.. we can see amazing things coming out of collaboration and teamwork in the world of art and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>There are even companies that are run understanding their role in a bigger picture. Now.. we\u2019ve established that potentially we\u2019re all wired to work in groups, but.. let\u2019s face it, there are some people who work better in teams than others, it\u2019s a skill that we need to work on and that we can improve&#8230; if I may&#8230; I\u2019d like to call Vera the shrink. why is it that some people work well in groups and others don\u2019t \u2014 I have a feeling the word Ego might come up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Mmm.. not so sure it&#8217;s ego. Ego is a word that is overused, and many times we change the meaning. We all need our egos, it\u2019s what negotiates between what is in your mind and what isn\u2019t&#8230; I think the word self-esteem needs to come up&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Go on<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>A healthy self-esteem would be one that is not distorted by your own thoughts&#8230; People oftentimes have distorted visions of themselves, they either think too much of themselves, or too little of themselves.. (and many times this happens to the same person). So, it\u2019s not rare that it\u2019s difficult to be realistic -sharing a realistic view- of the role you can play in the team. When you know yourself, you appreciate what you bring to the table and you\u2019ve come to terms with your own limitations, you have a deep understanding of your difficulties, and you can see what others do and what they add to the equation in a non-threatening way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>because you understand that your limitations don\u2019t make you weak. they make you human. This may be one of the biggest challenges in life<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Challenging indeed but totally worth it. When you accept your own humanness, you also get to see what others bring as ways to enrich your own stuff.. compliment your ideas, you can learn from them, you can even lean on them and ask them when you need help. It\u2019s that level of humbleness that makes you a good team player. Know thyself team edition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>We could summarize all the seasons with know thyself, right? So, how can people explore this, apart from therapy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Mmm.. like all life skills.. we learn them living, so it starts shaping when you are interacting with your siblings, sharing with your cousins and friends from early childhood onwards&#8230; Playing sports, at school, All these things exposes us to opportunities where you learn about this.. so if you did sports in a very competitive environment, it exposes you to certain worldviews.. certain experiences. If you see your high school classmates as winners and losers if you\u2019ve attended a school where people were frequently bullied&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>All these early experiences of how we deal with others are going to shape our performance and views regarding teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now.. we\u2019ve spoken a bit about the individual, and the work you have to do as a human to improve your performance in a team \u2014 let\u2019s talk a little more about the actual team. Is it always possible to make teamwork work? Sometimes it feels forced.. and sometimes it flows so easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>We\u2019ve discussed this, and actually talked about our own relationship. And sometimes the connection runs deep and it feels like magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Well, running the risk of being yelled get a room, this podcast and how we started working together has been so easy \u2014 not perfect of course, but it has always flowed as we\u2019ve always understood what each one brings to the table, and how we benefit from each other, and there has been such an openness to adapt to our individual ways of working. It\u2019s a rare thing, I\u2019ve only been in a couple of team situations where this has happened&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>It\u2019s not the most common thing, what usually happens is that you have to work a lot on making it work &#8211;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>And sometimes no matter what you do it doesn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Sometimes it doesn\u2019t happen. And maybe we should normalize giving up on a team when it doesn\u2019t flow, and you\u2019ve tried everything, it might be time to rethink the roles, or even changing the people..Sometimes the magic doesn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like our friend Susan David says: There\u2019s a time to grit and a time to quit. And this does not mean, you try once, twice, and if it wasn\u2019t magical forget about it. I totally see the value in perseverance.. but I cannot help feeling that sometimes we insist on certain relationships without seriously asking why\u2026 because what is seen as perseverance from a perspective many times looks like stubbornness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>ok so, Make the grit purposeful, not just to avoid the sunken cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>So.. what does this mean in practice<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Alright, I love that prompt; it\u2019s like, let\u2019s get to the nitty gritty part of actually functioning in teams. Bruce Tuckman talks about the stages of teams and he has a model that simplifies the phases of a team- it\u2019s nice and simple to remember and anyone who has worked as a team will recognize them \u2014 and even in the best of teams, these stages are inevitable for a team to grow, and face challenges. He mentions FORM, STORM NORM PERFORM. Nice and marketingy huh? so, of course, Tuckman goes into each one in detail and explains, and we\u2019re not going to do that, but I\u2019d like to briefly mention the stages because I think a major mistake in teams is sometimes jumping to the performance part.. and that\u2019s where everything goes pear-shaped. So&#8230; first, you FORM the team, who are you, select, what each person brings to the table \u2014 and Tuckman didn\u2019t speak about this but.. this is when diversity comes in \u2014 in a very broad sense. We\u2019re talking about different people and worldviews, different skill sets but also roles \u2014 some who lead, some who follow, some who think, others who execute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Ha! the classical case of too many chiefs, not enough Indians. The opposite can happen too when nobody leads, and everyone is awaiting instructions. That\u2019s also a challenge, and for teams to function, we need to balance it out, depending of course on the task or goals ahead. Knowing what you need is the key here. Hiring, you know, is not just about finding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s about knowing what it is you\u2019re looking for. And for that you need to know your team deeply to understand its needs, not just what they\u2019ll do but also how they interact, their strengths and weaknesses to see if the new person brings one of those to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Next stage was STORM. This comes after the initial honeymoon, if there is one\u2026 where you\u2019re blinded by the love or excitement of having found the fit for your team\u2026 we\u2019re talking about the period of clashing, figuring out how to work together, interacting with other people\u2019s chaos, and worldviews and weaknesses understanding other norms, and then ahhhhhh the magic NORM when you figure out how you\u2019re going to make this work<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Yeah, you\u2019ve sorted out differences, you\u2019ve figured out everybody\u2019s role, what people bring, what tools work best, and then, finally you\u2019re ready to perform. Sometimes these stages take nothing \u2014 but sometimes this takes longer.. and sometimes, as we said before, it just won\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>we\u2019ve repeated this a lot, is there something you want to share?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Ha no you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>nope, love all my teams \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Let\u2019s get to the hacks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Now.. before you go forward or pull the plug on your team \u2014 we have to take into account that in any successful team, for the magic to happen, some ingredients have to be present. There are some elements without which teamwork is just not possible. researching for this we found many lists and pyramids and charts for perfect teams, and we felt there were some elements missing\u2026 so we made our own list of ingredients \u2026 We\u2019re not just going to just hand out the tips, don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re going to discuss these elements in depth because well, it\u2019s The Everything Else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>That\u2019s right, if you just want a list then google it, right? So, let\u2019s visualize this as a pyramid, we\u2019re going to add layers, but if the bottom layers aren\u2019t solid\u2026 it\u2019s all going to fall sooner or later, the foundations are what we will build the rest on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Here goes The Everything Else\u2019s Teamwork Pyramid model (WHat ? yes. I gave it a name)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Wow, it has a name, and layers, Each of these layers is super rich, and focusing on them is totally worth it. It is a constant work in progress in the pursuit of this sweet spot\u2026 they are the basis for any team that wants to be memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><strong>Number one, the one upon which we build everything else. Acceptance of otherness.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>This is not accepting anything from others.. this is accepting that others are different and embracing that notion. This is the key to accepting what others bring to the table, how they can compliment me, and how we can make each other flourish and shine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Not how they can be more like me\u2026 This is when a team works well when together we are greater than the sum of all parts. there\u2019s another cliche for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a great scene in Bohemian Rhapsody, the movie when Freddy allegedly tells the band after their first break up, and trying to convince them to get back together, that the experience with another band was awful, because he told them what to do, and they did exactly that. This is acceptance at its core, Accepting others means that we are going to accept the way others do things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>I love that depiction, because it portrays that concept of enriching others, even if you know more about the topic, others can add to your concept, in idea or in execution, they can ask the right questions, or prompt new ideas or insight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Or interpret what you\u2019re saying \u2014 I can catch the intention or the general idea of what you\u2019re trying to say, and I put all that through my own filter \u2014 adding to your idea, to create a new one \u2014 a hybrid of our ideas<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that is what sometimes makes an idea viable. Because without that filter it wouldn\u2019t be \u2014 and you know, making a team member do something YOUR way, is a path to no success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>I agree&#8230; And I have to say.. it takes courage and vulnerability to understand that your view is not the only valid one, and we have to get past our own biases and prejudices, and there has to be a degree of admiration in others, knowing that you can learn or benefit from others&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Second layer of the pyramid. Trust&nbsp;<\/strong>\u2014 Trust that everyone is going to do their part, that nobody is hiding information, or has other motives or objectives, or cannot be depended on.. Trust that others have the capacity to do their jobs &#8211;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>We don\u2019t all have to be good at everything, but all parts have to contribute, or else the chain breaks at the weakest link. If this trust is not present, then we can\u2019t move on as a team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And here comes a strong conviction in collaboration. In that, all parts will aim at the greater good. Not focusing only on their own stuff.. not having power struggles, rather than that, trusting each other and that each of them is doing their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>And Trust that if we\u2019re all aligned, and everyone is doing their part to their best intention, then if mistakes are made, we\u2019ve got each other\u2019s backs. If fear is part of the equation, then there is no teamwork possible because everyone is out for themselves, this scarcity mindset you talked about before, kicks in \u2014 so there has to be trust that somebody will catch you if you fall. basic degrees of psychological safety \u2014 that you won\u2019t be reprimanded if you make mistakes, are humiliated or will be forced to do things you don\u2019t agree with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Can I just add Some people have a distrusting outlook on life and have to work extra on this: lack of trust is a defense mechanism \u2014 we could say it\u2019s paranoid. And as the word says it.. a defense mechanism to defend ourselves from things that have hurt us or potentially could. So, if you are distrusting by nature, be aware of this and your thinking patterns, and if you\u2019re not, but someone in your team is \u2014 accept it and don\u2019t take it personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Layer 3 Healthy communication.<\/strong>&nbsp;The more we understand what is happening, the more we\u2019ll be able to regulate what happens and communicate more effectively and clearly what happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>This is always a work in progress, The important thing here is not to focus on mastering it \u2014 but to make sure you keep the elements in mind to see where you have to put some more work in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Communication is complex, and we many times take it for granted.. which means we have to be explicit and make very explicit agreements, about what we need, how we can help each other, how we need to do things, about where you\u2019re at, about what\u2019s going on for you..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:<\/strong>&nbsp;As teams grow bigger and bigger, the map of relationships becomes more complex, and it takes more time to adapt as a whole. So, having these clear and EXPLICIT agreements that we have all helped build, and we have all had the real chance to express our voice is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Every team has its own particular agreed contract, and all parties need to commit to these agreements. And if you don\u2019t commit, you are breaking the deal. and this will affect trust, it\u2019s a major roadblock. Now.. this doesn\u2019t mean that it\u2019s all a walk in the park. Good healthy communication is also about pushback, not just agreeing to anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>That\u2019s why I mentioned a real chance to chip in, good conflict, respectfully, watching out for tones that are adequate for each situation, the power dynamics, being aware of other people, how they feel,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and putting in the time and strategizing on how best to get your point across&#8230; You can check out our episode on communication for more details and help on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alright. Let\u2019s move on to the next level in the pyramid, we\u2019re getting close to the tip<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera: Number 4. A clear and common goal everyone can get behind<\/strong>&#8211; Essential right, if we don\u2019t have a road map, it\u2019s difficult to understand what the plan is, and what the objective is, what are we aiming for. if we\u2019re not aligned here\u2026 well\u2026 it\u2019s complicated&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Here we have to look at the Simon Sinek side of it \u2014 and be explicit about our why- not just where we\u2019re going, like hit this objective, sell this amount, get this NPS, win this award, improve our family routine for our kids, whatever our goal is ( and we can investigate how to set smart goals right) if we want everyone to get behind it\u2026 we have to understand why we\u2019re doing it, in the most basic sense &#8211;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>And then we\u2019ll have a commitment towards that goal. This is extremely important, also to connect on an emotional level to what it is that we are doing and not get caught up in the little differences<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Pat Lencioni- you know him? he wrote a best seller called the 5 dysfunctions of teams \u2014 he says if people don\u2019t weigh on \u2014 they can\u2019t buy in. If you want people to get behind your goal, everyone has to have a say. A quick disclaimer though \u2014 having a voice doesn\u2019t mean having veto power. and this is about knowing your role, In a team, everyone has a voice, or an opportunity to express it, then some people have an actual vote and then one or two people have veto power, or ultimately make the actual decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>This is not about power \u2014 it\u2019s about accountability and actually making things happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alright, we\u2019re gonna have to pick up the pace here, hit me with the next pyramid level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>So, it\u2019s not just having the answer of why you are doing it, it is also about checking in with yourself what that why means to you, and why it is relevant to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Number 5. Accountability:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:<\/strong>It\u2019s interesting that in Spanish there is no direct translation of accountability \u2014 which to some extent I think is reflected many times culturally in teams, in the services we provide, and the quality of our work\u2026 we can leave this for another episode maybe, but let\u2019s take a second to define accountability<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>No wonder in IT we use many of words directly in English.. Ok! so accountability is not interchangable with responsibility, it\u2019s similar but it goes beyond that, it means that you are not only responsible for the task, but also for the results or the outcome \u2014 it\u2019s about ownership of the task, I am liable twice (Re-liable) for its success, and for carrying it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>Do your part, and then stand by it, make sure that it\u2019s been done and done well\u2026so, this concept of accountability in teams is essential, because when you define the norm or the process, then each piece of the puzzle MUST do their part, and when they can\u2019t then they have to be clear about it \u2014 that\u2019s why trust and communication go before this, because true accountability is not possible without the other two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>And then we get to the tip of the pyramid, only possible after all the other layers &#8211;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>number 5. Evaluate results<\/strong>&#8211; Because the bottom line is.. we have a goal.. and it\u2019s great that we all get along, and that we\u2019re building bonds and helping each other shine and flourish.. but.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:<\/strong>&nbsp;But a good team also gets results. The desired results, and if they don\u2019t then they work on what has to change \u2014 this might not be friendly.. but it\u2019s a fact. It\u2019s not a high-performing team if we don\u2019t get the desired results, if that doesn\u2019t happen then we\u2019re just people who get along and have fun together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Haha. I\u2019d like to add that the focus on results is important because seeing what we have achieved makes us feel proud and helps us build our self-esteem. Celebrating is important. Celebrating the team\u2019s achievements as a whole, and also the individual aspect. Making visible how what we achieved is thanks to the input of each person that makes the team, but also that there is something that emerges in the interactions of all these individuals that is greater than the individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>There\u2019s no I in team<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>You had to say it<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>I\u2019ve been waiting since the start of the episode to say that, that and to quote Michael Jordan \u201cthe great Talent wins games;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/topic\/teamwork\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">teamwork<\/a>&nbsp;wins championships.\u201d, so .. now I\u2019ve added all my Pinterest quotes I think that\u2019s a wrap<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vera:&nbsp;<\/strong>Alright then, thanks for tuning in, go out and make wonderful teams, or at least try<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mercedes:&nbsp;<\/strong>And if all else fails, don\u2019t forget to focus on The Everything Else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Everything Else is powered by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/abstracta.us\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Abstracta<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/a>and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/learninc.app\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>LearnInc<\/strong><\/a><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Working with others is no easy task. Sometimes the magic flows (insert team cliches here) but there are (many) times when you\u2019re working in teams, and the teamwork is just not there. In this episode,\u00a0Vera\u00a0and\u00a0Mer\u00a0unpack the complexity of teamwork, what we need to be aware&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[531,489,553],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v14.0.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Everything Else Podcast | The One About Teamwork<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this episode, Vera and Mer unpack the complexity of teamwork, what we need to be aware of, and the essential ingredients for a high-functioning team.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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