1. Teams that lead
IA Institute Leadership
Workshop
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Second level
11th April 2008
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Fourth level
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Web Technology Group

2. Introduction
• Mags Hanley
• Head of Consultancy
WTG in London
• Manager and leader
of teams for 10 years

3. Example - PIPs

4. Aim of this session
• Discussion about developing teams as
opposed to individuals
• What are leading teams?
• What contributes to making a leading
team?
• Where are we providing leadership?

5. Aims of this session
• Understand how you develop and manage
leading teams
• Create the right conditions for leading
teams
• Understand the pitfalls

6. An exercise

7. Definition of a leading team
1. Teams that develop leading products,
services or concepts
2. Teams that lead organisationally – work
well together, have a cohesiveness and
are highly functioning

8. Conditions
Skunk works - Under the radar
Vs.
High-priority projects
Strongly defined pieces of work
Vs.
Ill-defined pieces of work

9. Conditions
Autonomy vs. Highly structured
OR
Why do Agile methodologies get such great
press?

10. Length of time
• Project vs. Operational
• Project teams
– Quick project
– Ongoing long term project

11. Motivation
• Status
– Inside the organisation
– Outside the organisation
• Intellectual exercise
• Pride of the products, ownership

12. Reward and recognition
• Money
• Status
• More interesting projects vs. operational
work
• Intellectual freedom

13. Two models
Team of equals
Leader-based team

14. Team of equals
• Needs a nominal leader – final
responsibility to the client or stakeholder
• Usually made up a multi-disciplinary team,
each well-thought of in their area
• Works well with clear definition of roles
• The team like and respect each other,
therefore work well

15. Leader-based team
• One strong leader able to communicate
vision and drive the project
• Charismatic leaders
• Can go wrong so easily if there are
problems with the leader

16. Team mix and dynamics
How do you work out the right one?
Can you plan for these successful teams?

17. Team properties
• Each person feels they are contributing
• Each person is respected for their part in
the team
• There is leadership – of the team; of the
idea
• BUT each person is recognised for their
contribution
• They do something outstanding

18. Team personalities
• The Agitator - Questions the status quo, outspoken
• The Wild Card - Skill and dedication, if you can find the
key to motivating him
• The Leader - Execution, ability to get team on board and
invested in new ideas
• The Workhorse - Focus, work ethic, dogged
determination
• The Glue - Communication — the glue that brings the
team together, especially in difficult times
• The Expert - Vast knowledge of a subject area, its major
players, and its most useful sources of information
http://www.bnet.com/2403-13059_23-185372.html

19. Case study
• Go to your worksheet

20. Discussion
• What team structure would you develop
for this team?
• How would you run it?
• What are the possible pitfalls for this
project?
• How would you mitigate those pitfalls?

21. Exercise
• Think of a new project at work that has
potential to be leading
• Using the checklist consider:
– Why does it have potential?
– Who would you put on it?
– What’s the shape of the team?
– How can you put the environment in place to
make it leading?

22. Discussion
Are there two people willing to talk about
their project?
Places where you want some help and
discussion from the group

23. Questions and discussion
Any more burning questions?
Contact details
Mags Hanley
mairead@yahoo.com