The Proven Approach for Existing and New Teams
Our ATP Success Factors
ATP is our virtual workshop that focuses on assessing and executing the five core strategies for successful teams, based on over 20 years of marketing results. Each strategy is taught in a blended, on-demand course + live workshop format.
During the ATP planning process, you will meet with an ATP coach to assess the team's current state in each area of focus. ATP solutions will then be targeted, as well as timing and delivery format.
Learn more about the ATP Experience below.
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Team Purpose
The Team Purpose is a single statement that describes why the team exists. It answers the question, “How does this team serve the business?” It is a joint creation that's developed as a result of the team’s collaborative effort. As such, it gives the team an identity. It is also memorable, and motivational. For both new and existing teams, alignment on team purpose is crucial. Without it, teams fall victim to a host of debilitating setbacks.
During the ATP online course and live session, team members jointly create, modify or edit their team purpose statement. The result is clear alignment among the team, and its stakeholders, on how why the team exists and how it serves the business.
Team Goals
The Team Goals are 5-7 statements that describe the specific end results that must be accomplished in order to achieve the team’s purpose and be regarded as successful. A team’s purpose and goals go together - in fact, without them a true team fails to exist. The team’s short and long term performance goals must always relate directly to its purpose. If the linkage between purpose and goals is weak, members become confused, frustrated, and will resist commitment to the team.
During the ATP online course and live session, team members jointly create, modify or edit their team’s major goals. The result is clear alignment among the team, and its stakeholders, on what they need to accomplish, and how success will be measured.
Team Scope
Clarity around what the team does collaboratively – together – is essential for success. Think of it as the job description of the team.
Lack of clarity around scope leads to:
Redundancies or omissions of key team tasks and deliverables.
Delays in making key decisions due to team role conflict.
Lack of accountability for task completion.
One very effective way to define scope and role of the team is to define the boundaries of what the team's scope is, and what it is not.
During ATP, the team will define these boundaries. We’ll address key scope questions:
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What activities and tasks is this team expected to perform?
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What areas fall into our collective responsibility?
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What expertise is this team expected to bring to the business?
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What related activities and tasks is this team not expected to perform?
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What related areas do not fall into our collective responsibility?
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Where does our role end and another team’s role begin?
Team Member Roles
Clarity of each person’s role on the team is essential for success. Lack of clarity leads to:
Redundancy or omission of tasks and/or responsibilities.
Conflicts between team members over roles and responsibilities.
Delay of the team’s progress.
Just like with the Team’s Scope, the "is" vs "is not" process is used to clarify member roles. We define what each team member's role is, and what it is not. These "is" vs "is not" statements are very constructive because:
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They identify the specific purpose for each member of the team.
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They identify detailed areas of responsibility, with respect to the team.
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The ‘'is not’' forms the boundary of each person’s role – what they are not responsible to do.
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The ‘'is not’' also helps define where one role ends and another begins.
During the ATP process, team members will address key questions relating their role, such as:
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What is my explicit reason for being on this team?
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Why did my team leader select me for this role?
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What skills, background, expertise do I bring to this team and to my role?
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What related responsibilities are not within my role?
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What team-related tasks do I hand off to others?
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When does my role end and another team member’s role begin?
Processes, Tools and Norms
Every team needs to establish operating procedures for its work processes, team "thinking" process, and its behavioral norms. Successful teams take the time to discuss and agree on these practices and define what is and is not appropriate. During the ATP process, team members will address key norms that are applicable in two categories: task & process norms, and behavioral norms.
Task & Process Norms
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Defined and accepted roles for important decisions (eg. RAPID or RACI).
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Defined and accepted processes for decisions made within the team, and decision recommendations to sponsors and stakeholders.
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Standards and procedures for risk prevention and mitigation.
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Defined and accepted roles for project execution.
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Standards and procedures around best practices for managing projects.
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Communication norms – what is the minimum this team should communicate – to whom and how often?
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Visible process to handle disagreements among team members.
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Defined and accepted process for defining and analyzing difficult and complex problems.
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Other Task & Process Norms unique to this team.
Behavioral Norms
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How do we communicate among the team? When is it appropriate to use email vs texts/DM's? When do we meet on Zoom or MS Teams?
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Are certain times "off limits" for texting? For emails? For phone calls?
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Expected attendance at team meetings and how to provide coverage for missed meetings.
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Promptness, and the definition of “on time” vs. “late”, in terms of arrival at virtual meetings.
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What metrics determine whether completion of a task is late vs. on time?
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Frequency of team meetings.
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Use and practices for using virtual meeting technology (Zoom, MS Teams etc.). Example: cameras on, cameras off?
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Assignments between meetings – accountability, what to do if you can’t complete a task.
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Who is the meeting facilitator, who creates the meeting agendas/meeting summary notes and other routine duties?
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Courtesy, politeness and other acceptable team behavior, such as effective listening behaviors, creating a safe environment for open discussions, etc.
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Other team norms for acceptable vs unacceptable behaviors.
Relationships
Positive, respectful, and trusting relationships are the hallmark of all successful teams. Without these, the team becomes disabled and can no longer function at a level that will allow them to accomplish their objectives. Here are a few negative effects of poor team relationships that can derail even the most well-equipped team:
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Unwillingness to be accountable to one another
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Lack of trust
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Inability to engage in open and direct communication on issues and decisions
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Individual focus vs team focus
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Aversion to any risk, which may expose an individual or the team as a whole.
We believe the first step to forming positive and collaborative relationships is a core understanding of human behavioral styles. While several tools are available for this purpose, the Everything DiSC assessment and workshop was selected for ATP. Why? Because it's perfectly suited for team application. It is easy to learn and apply, and provides a common understanding and vocabulary around behavioral styles.
In our work with teams, every ATP project begin with a DiSC assessment and workshop. Here's why:
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Building positive relationships must begin with an understanding and appreciation for our behavioral style and the behavior styles of other team members.
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DiSC helps us become more self‐aware - because it allows us to see ourselves as others see us. And self-awareness is a must for those seeking to form positive and respectful relationships.
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DiSC teaches us that even though we differ, we can still work effectively together by applying a few key principles. These principles are embedded in the DiSC training process.
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DiSC gives us a blueprint that can be applied in almost all workplace interactions to become more effective.
When a team builds a foundation of positive relationships through their DiSC experience, they become much better equipped to productively engage in the other elements of the ATP process.
