Teams That Work summary

Rob Hall and Scott Fischer had guided many teams up Mount Everest before. Yet, despite their experience, a 1996 expedition ended in tragedy. When they left base camp that morning with 16 clients, the plan was to turn around at 2:00 p.m., no matter how close they were to the summit.

But the team fell behind. And when 2:00 p.m. came, Hall made the unusual decision to keep going. Several team members turned back to base camp. The others followed their leaders to the summit, despite serious reservations. When a storm hit suddenly, the climbers ran out of oxygen and became disoriented. Five lives were lost.

Imagine you need a new outfit for an upcoming wedding. You’re sorting through a maze of racks at a large department store when an employee suddenly pops out and introduces herself. Kendra seems to sense something about your style, and she puts a few items in the changing room while you browse.

Later, a different salesperson, Bo, comes to your side. He says that Kendra’s been held up with another customer, but she’s explained what you’re looking for. Bo’s come with a few promising items in hand and they fit perfectly. You’re impressed.

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, a restaurant at Las Vegas's MGM Grand, is world-renowned and Michelin-starred. And if you ever get the privilege of sitting near the kitchen, you’ll notice something peculiar: it’s not very noisy.

In fact, conversation between the kitchen team is minimal. When something is spoken, it’s usually short and purposeful. Not what you’d expect from the kitchen in such a bustling and popular establishment. And yet this is precisely how the staff run a tight ship and maintain quality.

Imagine your team has been working for months to deliver a project. At last, the day has come to present the work, but halfway through the presentation your client is clearly unimpressed. It’s written all over her face. Something needs to be done, but does your team know what?

Its ability to adjust midway through might just depend on the team members’ “shared cognitions.” Does everyone on your team see the problem unfolding on your client’s face, and read it the same way? Does everyone know the contingency plan? Is it clear who should take the lead right now?

Let’s return for a moment to our department-store sales team, Kendra and Bo. Remember them from a few blinks back? They demonstrated savvy coordination when Bo stepped in for Kendra.

Now imagine a different scenario. This time, you’ve come to return an item. But when you approach the counter with your bag in hand, the previously helpful Bo picks up a phone that didn’t ring. He fakes a call, forcing Kendra to process your return.

And so, we’ve arrived at the final driver of effective teamwork: leadership. Notice that the focus here is not on leaders. And for good reason: any team member can, at times, take on leadership functions.

In this blink, we’ll explore seven essential functions of team leadership. Each will serve to highlight one of the drivers we’ve covered in a previous blink.