12 Jun Learning from Crisis: 5 Teaming Takeaways

In fast-paced cultures where change is the only constant, we frequently hear leaders bragging about how great their teams are in moments of crisis. And they should be proud—locking arms and achieving the unimaginable in the midst of adversity is no small feat.

But most miss the more important learning that comes out of that: how to inspire that level of performance and teaming all the time.

We recently worked with a global fintech client to help their leadership teams do just that. We designed, piloted, and codified a series of 2-3 hour workshops that their internal team could easily facilitate and integrate into existing meetings/offsites. Each workshop focused on creating the conditions for teams to thrive.

Below are some of the teaming areas that often shine in moments of survival. Although none requires a crisis, you can—and should— intentionally and regularly discuss them with your team. In moments of rapid change and complexity, it’s not a question of if your team will stray on these topics; it’s a matter of when and how far. Without these foundations, your team will struggle—crisis or not.

So, to get you started, we’ve included some prompts to help provoke these critical teaming conversations with your own team.

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1. Team Mission

Moments of crisis tend to crystallize our focus. A team that’s aligned around a common mission and vision can move faster because they have a destination and a shared responsibility for getting there. This allows them to focus their energy on what’s most important.

2. Teaming Norms

In a crisis, silos and titles dissipate. Instead, expertise, skillsets, and ideas are elevated. This creates the conditions for cross-functional collaboration to thrive. 

3. Risk Mitigation

How well we navigate a crisis tends to be a result of how well we’ve prepared for it. Teams that actively prioritize risks and troubleshoot challenges before they become problems are all the more resilient.

4. Decision Making

During a crisis, single-person decision making is too slow. When decision ownership is distributed across a team, not only are decisions made more quickly, but new leaders, voices, and ideas emerge. The burden is shared across more people and solved more efficiently and effectively.

5. Prioritization

In times of crisis, it’s easier to know what to prioritize. Teams must evaluate and make tradeoffs, often choosing between multiple “good” or “important” options. When tied to a clear mission, however, it becomes easier to identify boundaries—and differentiate when to hold them firm versus flex them. 

Your team isn’t “best” in moments of crisis. They’re at their best when the teaming conditions are created for them to thrive. You can turn those on any day—why not start now? (And if you need a hand, reach out.)