Team Effectiveness

Thus the man who is responsive to artistic stimuli reacts to the reality of dreams as does the philosopher to the reality of existence.

— Friedrich Nietzsche

If throwing spaghetti against the wall is Step 3—Ideation, seeing what sticks is Step 4, your feelings about the idea. A positive emotional reaction is like the emotional glue that makes the spaghetti stick to the wall.  In practice, your reaction happens instantaneously upon hearing the idea… That idea is fantastic! Or, that’s a terrible idea! Every idea runs through an emotional filter, the output of which are the positive ideas that your team will have the emotional energy to pursue.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

What is the first thing that happens when you hear a new idea? You have an emotional reaction. That idea is great! Or, that idea sucks! People inevitably have an emotional reaction to any idea. This emotional reaction corresponds to the dynamic of Enneagram Type 4. The reaction happens subconsciously and instantaneously, and can guide much of our thinking thereafter. These first reactions are important to problem solving, and the team needs to pay attention to them.

At the beginning of the ideation session (Step 3), I explain the first-reaction phenomenon to the participants and acknowledge that they will likely experience this. I instruct them that if they have a positive reaction to an idea it is OK to express that. On the other hand, if they have a negative reaction to an idea, then I ask that they hold their thought and think about why they are having that negative reaction. Once they understand why, then I suggest that they redirect that negative energy in a positive direction and imagine an idea more suitable to them. I encourage them to simply share their new idea with the group without objecting to the previous idea.

Think of this technique as idea jujitsu. In other words, have team members re-channel the negative energy from their reaction into a positive idea they can share with the group. This technique is related to the spirit of “Yes, and…” described above, and will maintain the flow of fresh, new ideas. In this way, the team can maintain a high energy level and a positive tone for the duration of the ideation session.

Since emotional reactions to ideas are instantaneous, in practice I find it necessary to conduct Steps 3 and 4 (Ideation and Emotional Reaction) simultaneously. By having team members process their emotional reactions during the ideation session, I find that the group will naturally migrate towards the promising ideas, those ideas with a positive emotional response. The group will tend to elaborate on the ideas that generate the most positive energy. That positive energy will carry into Step 5, in which the team carefully scrutinizes the most promising ideas.

How do feelings about ideas play into your decision making? Do you assess the positive or negative emotional energy associated with each idea?  Do you ensure that that there is enough positive energy behind the ideas you want your team to pursue?

[Video Transcript]

Anytime anyone expresses an idea, you’ll have a reaction. That idea is great or that idea sucks. You can’t help yourself, it happens naturally and instantaneously. Enneagram Type 4 is sometimes called The Artist. They are the type most in tune with the emotional impact of any idea. In step 4, you want to determine the set of ideas that are most favorable to the team. These are the ideas that have the most positive emotional energy, energy your team will need to carry the project through to successful completion. I usually use a simple vote on each idea to make this determination. The combination of the idea, step 3 and reaction, step 4 reminds me of the saying, Throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks.” It’s this combination that allows your team to come up with the ideas that they want to pursue.

Thanks for watching. If you found this helpful, click on the thumbs up button, subscribe to the channel and get notifications of future episodes. If you have a question, please leave it in the comment section, and I’ll get to it as soon as possible. Thanks again.

Thus the man who is responsive to artistic stimuli reacts to the reality of dreams as does the philosopher to the reality of existence.

— Friedrich Nietzsche

If throwing spaghetti against the wall is Step 3—Ideation, seeing what sticks is Step 4, your feelings about the idea. A positive emotional reaction is like the emotional glue that makes the spaghetti stick to the wall.  In practice, your reaction happens instantaneously upon hearing the idea… That idea is fantastic! Or, that’s a terrible idea! Every idea runs through an emotional filter, the output of which are the positive ideas that your team will have the emotional energy to pursue.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

What is the first thing that happens when you hear a new idea? You have an emotional reaction. That idea is great! Or, that idea sucks! People inevitably have an emotional reaction to any idea. This emotional reaction corresponds to the dynamic of Enneagram Type 4. The reaction happens subconsciously and instantaneously, and can guide much of our thinking thereafter. These first reactions are important to problem solving, and the team needs to pay attention to them.

At the beginning of the ideation session (Step 3), I explain the first-reaction phenomenon to the participants and acknowledge that they will likely experience this. I instruct them that if they have a positive reaction to an idea it is OK to express that. On the other hand, if they have a negative reaction to an idea, then I ask that they hold their thought and think about why they are having that negative reaction. Once they understand why, then I suggest that they redirect that negative energy in a positive direction and imagine an idea more suitable to them. I encourage them to simply share their new idea with the group without objecting to the previous idea.

Think of this technique as idea jujitsu. In other words, have team members re-channel the negative energy from their reaction into a positive idea they can share with the group. This technique is related to the spirit of “Yes, and…” described above, and will maintain the flow of fresh, new ideas. In this way, the team can maintain a high energy level and a positive tone for the duration of the ideation session.

Since emotional reactions to ideas are instantaneous, in practice I find it necessary to conduct Steps 3 and 4 (Ideation and Emotional Reaction) simultaneously. By having team members process their emotional reactions during the ideation session, I find that the group will naturally migrate towards the promising ideas, those ideas with a positive emotional response. The group will tend to elaborate on the ideas that generate the most positive energy. That positive energy will carry into Step 5, in which the team carefully scrutinizes the most promising ideas.

How do feelings about ideas play into your decision making? Do you assess the positive or negative emotional energy associated with each idea?  Do you ensure that that there is enough positive energy behind the ideas you want your team to pursue?

[Video Transcript]

Anytime anyone expresses an idea, you’ll have a reaction. That idea is great or that idea sucks. You can’t help yourself, it happens naturally and instantaneously. Enneagram Type 4 is sometimes called The Artist. They are the type most in tune with the emotional impact of any idea. In step 4, you want to determine the set of ideas that are most favorable to the team. These are the ideas that have the most positive emotional energy, energy your team will need to carry the project through to successful completion. I usually use a simple vote on each idea to make this determination. The combination of the idea, step 3 and reaction, step 4 reminds me of the saying, Throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks.” It’s this combination that allows your team to come up with the ideas that they want to pursue.

Thanks for watching. If you found this helpful, click on the thumbs up button, subscribe to the channel and get notifications of future episodes. If you have a question, please leave it in the comment section, and I’ll get to it as soon as possible. Thanks again.

The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.

— Linus Pauling

With your committed team assembled, it’s likely everyone is bubbling with ideas about how to solve the problem.  When tackling a big problem, it serves your effort to have the richest possible set of ideas to explore and consider. Include a diverse set of contributors who will approach the problem from as many angles as possible. Step 3 in Enneagram change management is ideation. Making your ideation session fun — perhaps fueling it with caffeinated drinks and sweet pastries — you can generate a lot of ideas in a short time.  I encourage participants to withhold any judgement and negativity, and use improv techniques like “Yes, and…” to generate as many ideas as possible. If your problem is the elephant in the room, one idea is to eat the elephant. How do you do that? One bite at a time!  Keep all ideas—big, small, funny, serious, practical and incredible—there will be time for sorting through them all later.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

Now that you have described your problem in detail, envisioned your goal, and assembled your committed team, you are ready to explore ideas for solving the problem.

By the time you arrive at this point in the process, your team members will likely already have begun chiming in with ideas about how to solve the problem; that is one natural indication that you have arrived at Step 3, the Ideation phase of problem solving. In this step you capture briefly as many ideas as possible in what I call the Ideathon, described below. No idea is “bad” or “impossible.” An idea is just an idea. In practice, I find that the more generous you are in allowing and capturing ideas, the more it inspires your team to generate even more ideas. So be a generous listener and capture them all.

Everyone has ideas, so what makes the Enneagram Type 3 dynamic particularly suited for this step? Remember, the 3 is the core type of the Heart-Feeling-Emotion center, and so suppresses emotion. For those of us who do not suppress emotion, our emotions act as filters on our thoughts. We judge emotionally whether an idea is “good” or “bad.” Our emotional connection with others might inhibit the expression of an idea for fear of how they may respond.

Imagine if you had no emotional baggage associated with any particular idea. Imagine if your ideas weren’t influenced by what others think or how they might respond. Imagine a space where you could express any idea that came to mind, without inhibitions. This is exactly what’s required at this point in problem solving, and that is the space of the Type 3 dynamic.

When generating ideas to solve a problem, what techniques do you use?  How do ensure a rich, diverse set of ideas from which to consider and choose?  Do you include all stakeholders when generating ideas?

[Video Transcript]

Your team will have many ideas for how to solve the problem. Step 3 is when you capture all the ideas. Enneagram Type 3 is called the achiever. They’re constantly looking for ideas that will lead to success. Each team member may have a different idea of what success looks like. You’ll want to understand each member’s perspective. It’s important in this step, not to react negatively to any idea. You want to create a positive environment and encourage everyone to contribute and capture all ideas.

Thanks for watching. If you found this helpful, click on the thumbs up button, subscribe to the channel and get notifications of future episodes. If you have a question, please leave it in the comment section, and I’ll get to it as soon as possible. Thanks again.

When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.

— Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks

The word commitment comes from the Latin committere – “com” meaning with or together, and “mittere” relating to the word “mission” and meaning to release or to send.  In other words, commitment speaks directly to a team on a mission with common cause. Often overlooked in problem solving and change management is the emotional aspects – Who cares about solving the problem? Who cares about making transformational change? Step 2 in change management is developing your team of problem solvers emotionally and passionately committed to the shared future envisioned in Step 1.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

The next step in your problem-solving initiative is to pull together the team of people committed to solving the problem and realizing the vision of the beautiful world. Enneagram Type 2s are attuned to understanding the emotional connections that people have with the problem and with one another. They intuitively know who will benefit by eliminating the problem and thereby who will have an emotional stake in the problem-solving effort. Step 2 in the problem-solving process involves tapping into Type 2’s dynamic and recruiting team members who are passionate about solving the problem.

A few days after the Step 1 kickoff meetings, I hold a Step 2 meeting. I review the goals the team formulated and ensure that everyone is satisfied with the scope and wording. This process can take a little time; I wait for the team to get it just right.

Next, press your team to think through who they need to accomplish the goals. This activity is the heart of Step 2. Who needs to be involved in the initiative, from beginning to end? Were other people identified during the Step 1 meetings who are impacted by the problem in some way? If so, you should consider including them on the team. Is certain expertise required to solve the problem? If so, you should enlist the help of those experts. Will there be an impact on the workflow of any group or groups while solving the problem? If so, make sure those groups are represented. How about a need for systems or IT infrastructure? If yes, include an IT representative as part of your group.

Simply put, ensure that the people who need to be involved in both designing the solution and living with the results are represented on your team. These people are your stakeholders.

When building your change management team, do you consider the emotional connection each team member has to the problem and the mission? Do you consider the emotional impact of the problem on all stakeholders? How do you create impassioned commitment on your team?

[Video Transcript]

So who cares about the problem? Step 2 is where you identify the people who have an emotional connection to the problem. Enneagram Type 2 is often called The Helper. They understand the emotional desire to solve problems and want to chip in and help. In Step 2, you establish your team of committed stakeholders, those that will help solve the problem. This is your problem solving team.

Thanks so much for listening. If you like this, please leave a comment and share it with others. And please subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks again.

A problem well stated is a problem half-solved.

— Charles Kettering, inventor and head of research for GM

Not everyone perceives a problem similarly.  Like the elephant in the room, each person may experience the symptoms as distinct problems.  By having people realize that they in fact share the same problem – it’s the elephant in the room(!) – the group transforms into a team with a shared purpose to solve the problem.  The first step in any transformational change management process is clearly describing the shared problem and visualizing the world in which the problem is solved.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

A large problem can seem like an elephant. Some people will describe the smell. Some will describe the noise. Some feel like they are being crushed or squeezed. People focus on the symptoms and effects—how they personally experience the problem. At some point, your team members begin to appreciate that although the symptoms they personally experience may be different, the root cause of the various symptoms is the same—there is an elephant in the room. Once the team recognizes that they all share a common problem—a common enemy, so to speak—the team shifts from focusing on one another to focusing on that common enemy.

The flip side of the terrible world in which everyone is suffering from their big common problem is the beautiful world that they imagine is possible once the problem is vanquished. Once everyone has had a chance to describe the problem in the first meeting, I adjourn the group and reconvene on the following day. At the second meeting, I ask every stakeholder in turn to describe that beautiful world and how it will improve their situation. This technique is called visualizing, and it creates a focal point for the group as they work through the subsequent steps in the problem-solving process.

How do you instill mission and purpose into a group of people to solve a shared problem?  Do you carefully solicit the perspective of each team member? Do you collectively create a vision of the world once the problem is solved?

[Video Transcript]

What’s the first step in problem solving? It’s realizing that you have a problem. Enneagram Type One is often called the perfectionist. They’re often the first type to point out that things aren’t right, aren’t as they should be. They also have a clear vision for how things should be. In problem solving, describing how things shouldn’t and should be corresponds to problem definition and goal. Problems and goals are two sides of the same coin and the first step in problem solving.

Thanks so much for listening. If you like this, please leave a comment and share it with others. And please subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks again.