Start Your Task Force on the High-Performance Track

By Michael Wright, Managing Partner, The Results Group

As organizations experiment with task forces, some swear by them and others at them. The difference between success and sorrow is often determined by two things: how the team is established and how the members work together.

What Is a Task Force?

A task force is a small group, usually three to twelve people, that brings together a specific set of skills to accomplish a short-term task. It may be called a "project team" or a "working group." By whatever name, a task force exists for a specific, time-limited purpose, usually lasting a few months to a year. Its members often come from different parts of a department - from various functional units and possibly different levels (from line staff to management). Individuals are selected for their expertise, their history in the organization, and their interest in the project. Drawing from this varied pool helps members understand what can and cannot realistically be accomplished.

It also enhances the project's chances for success because they:

• bring together different skills and ideas,

• become the project's advocates within the organization,

• squelch rumors about the project,

• foresee potential hurdles to implementation and build solutions into their recommendations.

When to Use a Task Force

Some projects benefit greatly from the advantages that a task force brings, while others may not justify the effort of a group. When the project involves complex or thorny issues, a task force is often essential to develop a workable solution and "grease" the process of implementation. The buy-in a task force generates can be especially valuable when the outcome affects people deeply, is emotionally charged, or impacts a large part of the organization. If, however, the decision has already been made and the task force only serves as a "blessing" or to share the blame if things go wrong, then save the time and energy.

Charting the Course for Success

In our experience, task forces often stumble because leadership overlooks two critical elements before the project gets started. The first is the need for a Team Charter. It can be as brief as a page or two, but should include:

• the purpose and objectives of the project,

• the roles and responsibilities of the task force, as well as others involved in the project (project manager, top management, consultants, etc.),

• a list of tasks and expected work products,

• the overall project timeline, and

• resources that will be made available.
  
  The second is making task force members available to do the work: ensuring that they have the time and, if necessary, their supervisor's support, to delegate some of their duties to others while they serve.

Avoiding the Start-Up Pitfalls

According to Bruce Tuckman, Ph.D., teams develop through the following four stages:

Forming: Team members identify their similarities, expectations, resources and skills. They agree on a common purpose.
Storming: The team wrestles with its direction, processes, roles, and resource needs. Members begin to deal with their differences and communication issues. Fundamental questions about the charter and the task force's purpose may surface, and a wave of cynicism or resistance often appears.
Norming: The team begins to collaborate in decision-making, give and receive feedback effectively, agree on direction and desired outcomes, and establish each member's role in achieving team goals.
Performing: The team develops customized methods for meeting its goals. It responds quickly to change and achieves effective and satisfying results.

We've found that the following items will accelerate the task force's progress through the forming and storming stages if the group will honestly discuss them during their first meeting or two:

1. Meeting Procedures: Ask "What meeting agreements will we follow?" "What tools will we use to stay on track and move

quickly?" "How will decisions be negotiated and finalized?" "Will we accept majority rule or go for consensus?"
 

2. Logistics: Define a process for distributing information and resources to team members.

3. Expectations of Members: Make agreements about attendance, completing assignments, etc.

4. Skills and Resources: Identify and mobilize the resources within the task force and those available from the outside.

5. Teamwork: Discuss and enhance teamwork, using one of many exercises (for example, an exercise in which members

identify their respective strengths and how they will support each other around the gaps).

6. Communication and Conflict Styles: Identify member's styles (it can help to use a communication style questionnaire),

then discuss the best ways to "get through" to each other and how the group will prevent and manage conflict.

7. Leadership: Fill roles such as chair, facilitator, recorder/note-taker, and research coordinator.

8. Workplan and Structure: Identify specific tasks, who will be responsible for them, target dates for completion, and a

budget, if necessary.

Task forces that take time at the beginning for these eight steps achieve better results, show success more quickly, and report a much more satisfying experience than those that do not. Members are much more likely to volunteer enthusiastically for the next project.

The Leap to High Performance

We are often asked, "What moves a task force to high performance?" Beyond getting off to a good start (the charter and making time for members), then accelerating the team through the first two stages, the following additional steps will help make the leap to a truly high-performance task force:

1. Select or hire a facilitator that can focus the group and surface difficult issues. This can turn the greatest barrier to progress into a breakthrough that propels the team forward.

2. Maintain the momentum by making clear "homework" assignments - make them explicit, including due dates, and list them in the meeting notes.

3. Since much of the work is best accomplished between meetings, it is important that the leader or facilitator:

keep in touch with members, verifying that assignments are on track,
ask them for their responses to decisions made at the last meeting or those coming up, and
prepare agendas and materials to make the most of each meeting minute.

4. Continuously improve the group's process - end each meeting by identifying three things the group could do to work together more efficiently or effectively.

5. Acknowledge and celebrate progress at each milestone. Don't wait until the end or you might never get there!

The ideas in this article have made our "short list" of keys to high-performance. We hope they will help your organization be among those using, and singing the praises of, task forces.