How Improving Team Habits Improves Results, Teamwork, and Worklife

Entrepreneurs on Fire Podcast Episode with John Lee Dumas

I joined John Lee Dumas on his podcast, Entrepreneurs on Fire, a few months back to discuss the writing and creation of Team Habits. We dove more deeply into how exactly the idea of the eight categories of team habits can, in practical terms, help with achieving better performance and results, teamwork, and worklife for teams. I hope you’ll find the conversation helpful in these areas both to you and your team.

Topics We Explored

• Becoming successful is not rocket science. It doesn’t have to be complicated. All it requires is consistency, hard work, and showing up regularly.

• Improving team dynamics can lead to a significant overall performance boost compared to expecting someone to work significantly harder or more intelligently.

• Enhancing teamwork within this small group can improve 80% of your work. While you may not solve every issue, making things better collectively is a valuable achievement.

Episode Timestamps

[1:24] – Becoming successful is not rocket science; it is not super complicated.

It requires consistency, hard work, and showing up regularly. Some people may think it is a silver bullet or just luck, but it’s about persistence, consistently providing value, and doing it for the long term. It’s not hard to understand but can be challenging to execute.

[2:42] – What are the eight categories of team habits?

Charlie arrived at these categories by observing over almost two decades the qualities that make a great team. The eight categories include habits of belonging, goal setting, prioritization, communication, meetings, decision-making, planning, collaboration, and core team habits for personal effectiveness. These habits are based on common tactics used by successful teams, focusing on improving habits in these areas for better team performance.

[4:18] – Focusing on individuals is less effective than focusing on team habits; many think the opposite.

People generally resist external changes, and a team’s habits greatly influence performance. The team’s habits determine its productivity more than the individual potential of its members.

Changing team habits is more effective than changing individuals. Improving team habits creates a standard operating system, reducing anxiety and frustration in working together. The goal is to create a team environment where everyone can do their best work seamlessly.

[5:57] – Can team habits help everybody? Yes.

Your team consists of four to eight people with whom you spend 80% of your working time, regardless of their employment status. While smaller teams of two or three still work, larger teams of four to eight require more attention, especially in meetings. In an extensive department with 50 people, they form a team of teams, not your core team.

Focus on the smaller group for effective teamwork. These are people you know well, allowing for better collaboration and the opportunity to personalize relationships for improved performance.

[7:54] – Do you have a favorite team communication tool, or is it not that crucial?

Start simple with team communication tools. While there are favorites like Teams and Slack, choosing between them is not crucial. Tools like Asana can be helpful but may complicate things.

Returning to basics with whiteboards, note cards, and simple Google slides can often be more effective, focusing on the fundamentals rather than getting lost in complex task management systems.

[12:45] – Does Team Habits work well for both small teams and those working with contractors, or is there an ideal team size for these concepts?

In a company with more than one person, the team is essential for getting things done. It is not just about individual performance, as you have witnessed cases where great personal work gets lost in the team dynamic or mediocre work turns excellent due to solid team habits.

Focusing solely on individuals might lead to underutilization of potential. Shifting the perspective to the team level allows us to address issues collectively rather than burdening individual team members or managers.

Improving team dynamics can lead to a significant overall performance boost compared to expecting one person to work significantly harder or more intelligently.

[14:42] – Many believe the team habits champion must be the owner, team leader, or manager.

Charlie shares his counter-opinion: If you notice a problem in your team, do not wait for the team leader to fix it. You can be the champion of change.

Many leaders are already overwhelmed, and waiting for them to solve everything might not be effective. Instead, gather your teammates, discuss the issue, and propose solutions. You might need approval from the manager, but you can take the lead in implementing changes.

Do not stay stuck — be proactive and address problems within your team.

[17:11] – Charlie believes that most change initiatives fail because people try to sell their team on solutions rather than the problem.

Do not jump straight to solutions when you see a problem in your team. Take a moment to check if everyone acknowledges the problem.

Ask your team if they agree that an issue needs fixing. For example, if you think meetings are too long, confirm if others feel the same. Once you collectively agree on the problem, discuss and propose solutions. Just presenting a solution without team consensus might not lead to meaningful change. Ensure that everyone recognizes the situation before introducing your ideas for improvement.

[19:30] –  In your team of four to eight people, you share a strong connection, and the ability to adapt.

Encourage everyone to collaborate and improve how you work together. Enhancing teamwork within this small group can improve 80% of your work. While you may not solve every issue, making things better collectively is a valuable achievement.