Great teams get the right balance of decision makers, drivers and deliverers. Decision makers set the strategy. Drivers act as the gears and translate the strategy into action. Deliverers produce the goods.
People may move between all these roles at times but it is important to get the right balance in your team. Let’s explore these different roles.
Decision Makers
Decision makers set the compass and communicate the team’s direction. Different people communicate this to their people in different ways. Some describe the following themes.
Good teams frequently have two or three people at the centre who take responsibility for setting the overall direction. They often involve other key people, however, to ensure they have a real sense of ownership in terms of setting and implementing the strategy.
Imagine you are applying some of these ideas to the team in which you work at the moment. Ask yourself the following questions.
Who are the good strategic decision makers in the team at the moment? How can they continue to make good decisions and, when appropriate, communicate these clearly to the whole team?
Who are the people in the team who could become good strategic decision makers? How can we help them to continue to develop their decision making skills?
Will we at any point need to add any more strategic decision makers? Where might we find such people? What could we then do to ensure they embody the team’s spirit and also add to the team?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe the good strategic decision makers you already have in the team – write their names. Describe the specific things you can do to, if appropriate, develop or add more good strategic decision makers.
Drivers
Drivers are the gears of the team. They act as positive models and often lead smaller teams within the whole team. They translate the strategy into action and ensure their people deliver results.
Such a driver approaches the leader and says something like the following.
“As far as I understand it, the strategy of the overall team is: To …
“My team’s part in making the strategy happen is: To …
“Is that correct? Right, I will go and make it happen.”
Leaders must make sure that all their direct reports embody these qualities. Otherwise they will leapfrog them and micro-manage the deliverers.
Great sports teams, for example, recruit drivers to form the spine of the team. Spurring-on their teammates, they ensure the strategy is translated into action. How does this work in your team?
Good drivers act as positive models. They keep reminding their people of the team’s purpose and principles. They then manage by outcomes and enable their people to deliver the desired picture of success.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to do the following things.
Describe the good drivers you already have in the team – write their names. Describe the specific things you can do to, if appropriate, develop or add more good drivers.
Deliverers
Deliverers are often doers who take responsibility. They make clear working contracts, do superb work and keep others informed about their progress. Good finishers in their areas of expertise, they make sure that things get done.
Some deliverers go on to become drivers, but this calls for adding to their repertoire of skills. They need to act as positive models and develop their skills as coordinators.
Some deliverers therefore prefer to remain as brilliant niche providers. This is okay: providing they have a positive attitude, do good work and contribute to helping the team reach its goals.
Good leaders know the strengths of their people. They know where each person is likely to deliver As rather than Bs or Cs. They therefore aim to put the right people in the right places. This makes it more likely that people will deliver the goods.
Great teams get the right balance of decision makers, drivers and deliverers. As mentioned earlier, however, sometimes each person may play each of these roles when doing certain kinds of work.
If you wish, try tackling the final exercise on this theme. This invites you to do the following things.
Describe the good deliverers you already have in the team – write their names. Describe the specific things you can do to, if appropriate, develop or add more good deliverers.
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