EXTRAORDINARY GROUPS: How Ordinary Teams Achieve Amazing Results with Kathleen Ryan 1c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Tonight Your own experience with an amazing group Key concepts from our field study Application of concepts to your role as a leader of teams 2c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Starting Questions  Why do some groups achieve amazing results while most others do not?  What do extraordinary groups have in common that sorts them from the rest?  How might we create these terrific results more often? 3c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

What’s Your Experience?  Think of an amazing group experience you have had.  Identify three things that enabled that experience to be so memorable. 4c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Our Field Study  Sixty groups of 2-20, incl. virtual  Work, volunteer, personal life  Self-identified as “amazing”  Interviews with 1-3 members  1.5 to 2 hour phone interviews  Open ended questions and stories 5c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

An Extraordinary Group… Achieves outstanding results while members, individually or collectively experience a profound shift in how they see their world. 6c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Exercise  Find a partner…someone at your table you know least well  Briefly describe the essence of your experience (2-3 sentences)  Discuss your answers to card #1. What factors do you have in common? 7c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Eight Performance Indicators 1.Compelling Purpose 2.Shared Leadership 3.Just-Enough Structure 4.Full Engagement 5.Embracing Difference 6.Unexpected Learning 7.Strengthened Relationships 8.Great Results 8c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Impact of Amazing Group Experiences  70% had great tangible results  Of the groups that sought tangible results, 39% saved or made significant amounts of money  All but two declared great intangible results and being positively changed  Ten people declared the experience “life changing” 9c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Tangible Results  200 lives saved through reduction of medical errors  Award winning library built  Breakthrough software developed  Micro-credit extended to 100M of the world’s poorest families  Millions $$$ saved  Market share dominated  Championships won by teams of “not brilliant” players  WMD facilities dismantled and equipment safely moved across continents 10c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Intangible Results  Learned about one’s self  Gained or deepened knowledge/skills  Applied to other parts of life  Built new or strengthened relationships  Increased pride of accomplishment  Heightened self confidence  Greater sense of community 11c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Groups in Human History  Thousands of years of living in groups  Survive together, perish alone  Genetically, instinctively informed to group  It’s easy to relate to a group; it’s hard to relate to a large organization  Groups are the way to get things done 12c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Table Discussion  What organizational benefits would you anticipate from creating more extraordinary groups…  At work?  In your community groups?  In your family?  Within TENS? 13c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

High Performance Levers for Extraordinary Groups Just-Enough Structure Compelling Purpose Shared Leadership Embracing Differences Full Engagement Unexpected Learning Strengthened Relationships Great Results 14c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

High Performance Levers for Extraordinary Groups c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009 Just-Enough Structure Compelling Purpose Shared Leadership Embracing Differences Full Engagement Unexpected Learning Strengthened Relationships Great Results 15

Four Feelings at the Heart of Transformation Energized ! Connected ! Hopeful ! Changed ! 16c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

An Extraordinary Group… Achieves outstanding results while members, individually or collectively experience a profound shift in how they see their world. 17c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Application  Think of a group you lead on a regular basis.  The next time you bring your group together, how might you lead this group differently if you intentionally applied:  Compelling Purpose  Shared Leadership  Embracing Differences  Just-enough Structure  What one thing will you do? 18c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

The Bottom Line  Especially during challenging times: – Our organizations need our best, most creative and collaborative work – We, as people, need our groups to be the place where we can contribute, achieve, connect, and grow.  Life is too short to spend time in groups that do not fulfill their promise. 19c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009

Visit our website,  Weekly Blog  Other useful materials  Copies of today’s slides 20c. Bellman and Ryan, 2009