A team of action is a concept that I have implemented at the last four organizations I have worked for. Think of this as a small team within your team, one that you can laser focus on solving complex or challenging issues. Every worker is not a go-getter, problem solver, or tenaciously reliable, yet they do have potential, and we want to mentor all of them. This does not mean they are bad workers. There is something to be said however for harnessing the work ethic and intellectual curiosity of a collective group of individuals that share the same traits. Traits such as:
- Work a problem until a solution is developed
- Not afraid of investing time. Willing to work something that may take six months of nub work
- Intellectually curious. Willing to pull “the thread” on something and follow it down a path
- Understand that failure is a temporary setback and part of the process
- Maintains high standards on quality of work
- Does not stop working on an issue due to obstacles or challenges, works around, under, over or through to achieve results or a solution
- Is consistently reliable
- Willing to teach others
Now imagine if you could harness the brain power of a group of these like-minded individuals collectively on the same problem set. I like to think of this as tapping into "the Avengers for GIS". Over time this attracts talent from within and elevates everyone to “pick up their game” a bit. This team should be used sparingly (think calling 911) when trying to work through or solve wicked problems or no-fail tasks. A side benefit to this group is how it starts to transfer knowledge and expertise over time. Not just amongst themselves but throughout the organization. If you are interested in learning more about this method then listen to the audio recording of Napoleon Hill, the author who wrote Think Rich, Grow Rich. That is where I got the idea 20 years ago and it has never failed me. Lastly, this is easier to accomplish if you have a larger team, say 15-20 people versus a smaller team of five. For smaller teams use the same concept that involves the entire team.
