There are several steps that individuals, organizations, and communities can follow when forming or joining teams:
Establish your Purpose and Values: Before forming or joining a team, it is important to have a clear understanding of the Why behind forming a team, and the Values that will guide your progress towards your goals and objectives.
Identify your Goals and Objectives: Before forming or joining a team, it is important to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and what your individual or collective goals and objectives are. This will help ensure that you are forming or joining a team that aligns with your values and priorities, and that the values and priorities of the team align with and contribute to the larger ecosystem.
Assess your skills and strengths: Take stock of your skills, strengths, and areas of expertise, and consider how these can contribute to a team. This will help you identify the types of teams that you would be best suited to join, and the roles that you would be best suited to play within a team.
Identify potential team members: Look for individuals who share your goals and objectives, and who have complementary skills and strengths. This will help ensure that the team has the broad and balanced skills and expertise necessary to achieve its goals.
Establish clear Roles and Responsibilities: Once the team is formed, it is important to establish clear roles and responsibilities for each team member. This will help ensure that everyone understands what is expected of them, and will help to prevent confusion and duplication of effort. Roles and responsibilities should be defined for the individual in the context of the team, and for the team in the context of the Team of Teams.
Establish a basic system of Governance, such as the Lionsberg System of Governance, through which the team can navigate towards its goals and values.
Define your Organizational Boundary and Rules of Participation.
Foster open communication: Encourage open and transparent communication within the team, and establish channels for regular feedback and performance review. This will help to build trust and ensure that the team is working together effectively.
Establish systems and processes: Set up systems and processes for how the team will work together, including how decisions will be made, how tasks will be assigned and tracked, and how progress will be reported. The Lionsberg System, Lionsberg System of Governance, and Lionsberg System of Work include tools and recommendations for each of these elements.
Establish a basic set of Agreements that govern internal and external relationships. These can be formal or informal.
Continuously evaluate, learn, and improve: Regularly evaluate the team's performance and identify areas for improvement. Encourage the team to make changes and improvements as needed, and celebrate successes and milestones along the way. A consistent rhythm of Retrospectives is an effective way to do this.
By following these basic steps, individuals, organizations, and communities can effectively form or join teams, and work together towards shared goals and objectives.