Congruence Blog

The concept of Mind Your How emphasizes the importance of understanding the complex elements and connections that underpin our work. Team congruence is often linked to how well team members understand their roles and the collective practices that guide their interactions. When teams are congruent, there is a shared understanding of how decisions are made and how tasks are accomplished. This alignment is cultivated through intentional habits and practices. For example, a team that regularly reviews its decision-making processes can adapt and evolve these practices over time, ensuring they remain relevant within the organization’s cultural context.

Learn from Consumer Practices

In the product world, innovators study consumer practices to understand how they carry out tasks and why they do things the way they do. Consumers are smart and creative – if a product or solution does not exist (either through availability or affordability), they will come up with compensating behaviors to accomplish their goals.  Once at an in-home visit, I observed a consumer manually stirring a load of laundry before starting the machine cycle. Why? Because she has been failed before by laundry powder that did not completely dissolve, requiring a rewash that would cause her money and time.   The job of the brand would be to come up with an elegant or efficient solution to reduce or eliminate the need of those compensations.

One on One of Possibilities

One of most valuable practices for new hires to people managers to executives is one on one conversations. It can take place on a weekly, monthly or ad-hoc basis, you can cover topics from priorities for the week to long term career discussions. Depending on the nature of your role and relationship with the other person, they can take place in many forms.

• With your manager - weekly: share your priorities and show your work to get feedback
• With your peers in other departments - monthly: connect to check in on current initiatives and how you can support your respective teams
• With your mentor - quarterly: brainstorm opportunities to get experiences beyond your current role for your development
• With a new contact met at an event - one time: explore each others' paths and interest and the possibilities to help each other or work together

There is no one best way to do this, and you can mix and match to suit your goal. As you become more experienced, it will be second nature for you to apply a helpful practice for the occasion.

Team Decision Making

Teams form practices out of the reality and options they have.  Take Decision Making as an example. Unless formally structured, each company / team has slight variations on how they make decisions. Who’s involved in the process? What inputs do they consider? How do they bring ideas to the table? Who gets the final say when there are differences in opinions? These are all elements of our team culture – while some practices are more helpful than others given the circumstances. Sometimes we hear stories about teams taking too long to make a decision, but that may turn out to be a wrong question. Why? Imagine two different scenarios:

• A strategic, billion-dollar decision involving multiple businesses and functions
• An operational issue where speed is of the essence and we already have the team closest to the matter at the table

Should we apply the same discipline and vigor to both situations? Our practices should reflect the goals and constraints at hand and be flexible.

Once we understand how our practices were established, we will make an important recognition that this is not a discussion about right or wrong. It is a journey on applying and adjusting more helpful ways to achieve our goals.  Improving Team Congruence requires Commitment to the cause, Curiosity to level up our craft, and practices happen to be how they come to life.   We can often improve performance by making our practices more relevant and effective.

What practices on your team do you find helpful that should be shared more broadly?

Have you ever felt like your team is pulling in different directions? Or maybe you've noticed a lack of enthusiasm or engagement among your team members? You are not alone. Many leaders struggle with the challenge of Team Congruence.

But what exactly is Team Congruence, and how can you achieve it within your team? Let us explore the five stages of progression: commitment, curiosity, competence, collaboration and culture.

Commitment: Setting The Foundation

Commitment is the foundation of team congruence. It's the individual and collective dedication to the team's shared goals and values. When team members are truly committed, they're willing to take ownership and carry the team and mission to extra miles.

Here are some ways to foster commitment within your team:

• Set clear and inspiring goals: Make sure everyone understands the team's goals and why they're important.
• Communicate effectively: Keep your team informed about progress and challenges.
• Empower your team: Give your team members the authority and resources they need to succeed.
• Lead by example: Be a role model for commitment and hard work.

Curiosity: Sparking Interest and Exploration

Curiosity involves both individual and collective eagerness to explore new ideas and understand the business and market more deeply. This encompasses a desire for learning, innovative thinking, and the capacity to question and discover alongside others.

Here are some strategies to cultivate curiosity within your team:

• Attract inquisitive minds: Ensure your team includes individuals who are naturally curious and open to learning.
• Encourage exploration and questioning: Inspire your team members to ask questions that lead to new insights.
• Create a climate for curiosity: Foster an environment where team members feel safe to share their ideas and explore broader perspectives. Often it is helpful to assign a team member to role play a customer or other stakeholder to identify blind spots.
• Provide diverse experiences: Offer opportunities for your team members to cross train or shadow work so they can gain richer understanding of end to end processes that they may not have exposure to regularly.

Capability: Building the Skills and Knowledge

Capability refers to the individual and collective skills and knowledge needed to achieve the team's goals. This includes technical expertise, leadership skills, and the ability to work effectively with others.

Here are some ways to build capability within your team:

• Provide training and development opportunities: Help your team members develop the skills they need to succeed.
• Staff the right people: Ensure the necessary skills and experiences are represented on the team for the opportunity at hand.
• Delegate effectively: Give your team members the space to apply their skills and grow their knowledge.
• Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing: Create practices where team members can learn from each other, both on the "how to do x" and the thought process behind decisions.

Collaboration: Leveraging our Superpower

Collaboration thrives when teams put their hearts and minds together to do the hard work of solving a problem. It demands a collective commitment to interdependence, holistic thinking, and ownership mindset.

To nurture collaboration within your team, consider these approaches:

• Define and Translate Common Goals: Create clear goals for the team, then connect the inputs (data, skills, experiences, tools, etc.) required to make achieve them. Translate the goals to each members' roles so they are clear on the impact they are about to make.
• Establish Operating Protocols: Seek to understand each member's work preferences, then establish practices that will keep everyone on the same page while maximize the team's effectiveness.
• Help each other win: Own our success together and Create the conditions for supporting each other. 
• Build Feedback Mechanism: Periodically check in with the team and provide opportunities for reflection on how to plan, communicate, and work better together

Culture: The Glue that Holds It All Together

Culture is the shared set of values, beliefs, and behaviors that guide a team's interactions everyday. A strong culture of trust, respect, and collaboration is essential for high performance.

Here are some ways to cultivate a positive team culture:

• Start with awareness: Leverage assessments tools to learn as much as possible about the team's operating norms and preferences.
• Build common language: Express our values, believes and practices in a way that enable team members to share their ideas and concerns with intention to learn.
• Leverage diversity: Seek and incorporate the unique perspectives and experiences of each team member and function.
• Recognize and reward positive behaviors: Align your recognition criteria to team first, then individual in context to the team and mission. 

Let's Build a High-Performing Team

To level up Team Congruence, you can work with the team on developing commitment, curiosity, competence, collaboration and culture.  You will foster an environment where team members are aligned in their goals, engaged in their work, and empowered to achieve outstanding results together. Now, it's time to take action. Assess where your team currently stands in each of these areas and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. Implement the strategies discussed to elevate your team dynamics and create a supportive and high-performing team environment. 

What is Team Congruence

Team Congruence refers to the harmonious alignment of team members' goals, values, and efforts towards a common objective. It’s about creating an environment where everyone is on the same page, working together seamlessly. This synchronicity is crucial for achieving high performance and realizing the full potential of the team.

The journey to Team Congruence is not instantaneous; it involves navigating through different stages of growth including Commitment, Curiosity, Capability, Collaboration, and ultimately, Culture. Each stage builds on the previous one, fostering a cohesive and high-functioning team.

The Importance of Commitment in Building High-Performance Teams

Commitment is the foundational stage of Team Congruence. It involves team members dedicating themselves to the team's mission and goals. This dedication fosters a sense of responsibility and accountability, which are essential for high performance.

Without commitment, even the most talented individuals can struggle to work effectively as a team. Leaders play a critical role in instilling this commitment by clearly communicating the team's vision and demonstrating their own dedication to the cause.

Fostering Curiosity to Drive Team Innovation

Curiosity is the engine that drives innovation within a team. When team members are encouraged to ask questions, explore new ideas, and challenge the status quo, they are more likely to come up with innovative solutions to problems.

Leaders can foster curiosity by creating a safe environment where team members feel comfortable taking risks and expressing their ideas. This not only leads to creative breakthroughs but also keeps the team engaged and motivated.

Enhancing Capability for Superior Team Performance

Competence is about ensuring that each team member has the skills and knowledge necessary to perform their tasks effectively. Continuous learning and development are key to enhancing competence within the team.

Leaders should invest in training and development programs, provide constructive feedback, and create opportunities for team members to apply their skills in challenging situations. This not only improves individual performance but also boosts the overall competence of the team.

The Power of Collaboration: Uniting Talents for a Common Goal

Collaboration is the stage where the collective talents of the team are united towards a common goal. Effective collaboration leverages the diverse skills and perspectives of team members, leading to more robust solutions and higher productivity.

Leaders can facilitate collaboration by promoting open communication, fostering trust, and encouraging teamwork. Tools and technologies that enhance communication and project management can also play a significant role in improving collaboration.

Creating a Culture of Excellence: The Ultimate Goal of Team Congruence

A Culture of Excellence is the culmination of the journey towards Team Congruence. It’s an environment where high standards are the norm, and continuous improvement is ingrained in the team’s DNA.

Leaders can cultivate this culture by recognizing and rewarding excellence, promoting a growth mindset, and ensuring that the team’s values align with their actions. A Culture of Excellence not only drives superior performance but also attracts and retains top talent.

The Action Plan. Start with an Assessment to know where you are

The first step in the journey towards Team Congruence is to assess the current state of your team. This involves evaluating the levels of commitment, curiosity, competence, collaboration, and culture within the team.

Leaders should use surveys, feedback sessions, and performance metrics to gain insights into these areas. Based on the assessment, they can develop a tailored action plan to address gaps and leverage strengths, paving the way for a cohesive and high-performing team.