What I fix first when I join a struggling team

I do not start with tools.

Or processes.

Or more meetings.

I start with the design.

Because not every group is actually a team.

So I look at a few simple things:

– Do we have shared goals?

– Are they clear to everyone?

– Do people actually want to work together?

– Do they feel safe to speak up?

Or…

Are we just a group of individuals working next to each other?

Sometimes, what I see is closer to a group of mercenaries.

Everyone does their job.

But no one really owns the outcome.

And in that setup, engagement will always be limited.

You cannot “fix” performance if the team is not designed to work as a team.

That is where I start.

—Engaged teams.

By design.