January DLT Monthly Meeting Summary - “Cultivating Team Performance"
On January 12th, the members of the Digital Leadership Trust came together to discuss the topic of cultivating team performance. We began with a discussion about why this topic has emerged for so many within the DLT. Following are some of the key takeaways:
Backdrop Conditions
There are emerging challenges around hybrid work and loneliness, impacts of AI on some tasks, tight labor markets and talent retention, upskilling requirements/ongoing training and education, generational differences and childcare needs were all mentioned as factors driving change in the workforce.
(The younger generation and how they communicate is vastly different (they don’t like to email or even chat as much; they are on Instagram!))
Furthermore, there seemed to be a palpable drive towards achieving more innovation with existing headcount given the “triple challenge” of faster pace of change, reduced budgets, and increase pressure from business partners.
So a major cultural transformation seems to be underway at many members organizations - to foster a more agile mindset, with clear objectives, consistent/regular performance management, and employee surveys to foster feedback and inclusivity and to gauge team satisfaction and to hold leaders accountable.
One member separately shared that they use the Gartner engagement survey pyramid (12 questions correlated to engagement and company performance) and they focus on:
1) I know what is expected of me at work,
2) My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person,
3) There is someone at work who encourages my development, and
4) The mission of purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
There seemed to be a common sense belief that when people are connected, feel valued, and are contributing to a larger goal - that engagement goes up.
Member Sharing
Team activities
Cross-functional engagement: One member shared how they implemented Spark, a training program for leaders, and focused on cross-functional understanding within the company. They even adjusted social events to recognize and accommodate the different schedules and needs of different workers (both locally and globally).
Members shared some of their practices for socializing remotely - such as "sip and sees” (so depending on time of day/part of globe coming from - might be coffee or an adult beverage).
Innovation: Another member shared his intent to foster collaboration and utilized hackathons as a way to spur innovation and cross-functional thinking. In response, another member shared how they have a “TrendSpark” program where they go through new trends in the industry and invite teams to have a “start-up pitch” to senior leadership of how to solve problems with technology. It combines one’s technology mindset with learning more about the business and operations.
Another member shared on the chat about their “Team Ambassador” program where a volunteer from every functional team across the business is included in monthly brainstorming meetings with product owners and senior management to create cross-functional relationships and mentoring. They are also funding training and courses unrelated to the business (e.g., on hobbies), and it’s made people feel like the company is interested in them as human beings, and that their personal development is valued as much as their professional development.
One member launched LinkedIn learning for the entire organization and the personal development courses have been amazing.
Career pathing: One member shared how career pathing has been a critical need, esp. with junior developers, and that having non manager roles is increasingly important (some noted that HR tends to struggle with this though, so it has to be pushed hard).
High Performance Concepts/Guest Speaker
Tackling crises of employee well-being: We included an expert from the Samudra ecosystem, Amanda Carlson-Phillips, from Exos - a company specializing in performance enhancement for athletes and businesses. She shared a few key points (and more in subnotes below):
They focus on supporting individuals to cope with the pressure and pace of work, and are looking at the human element in high-performance settings.
They have relied on data from 35,000 individuals with some surprising and somewhat disheartening data (see post-meeting notes below) on the number of workers who lack energy to complete the day, struggle with negative thought patterns, and fail to achieve flow state.
Holistic health leads to performance: Exos focuses on movement, training, nutrition, reflection, regulation, and sleep as key factors to drive performance; as well as the critical dimension of recovery with ideas such as:
Shorter meetings (25 minutes instead of 30 or 50 minutes instead of 60) - quick polling from the group suggests that is still a tough battle, but some have implemented meetings starting 5 minutes after scheduled start time.
Proactive micro breaks and walking
One member schedules thinking time to prevent his calendar from getting overbooked.
One member has been changing the culture, by making it OK for someone to not attend a meeting. Another member commented that their theme for the year is JOMO: The Joy of Missing Out! ;)
Breath cadences
Exposure to light
Team Dynamics is a factor: Amanda also shared the importance of team dynamics - emphasizing the need for belonging and psychological safety - as well as the space for dissent to drive innovation.
One member shared their use of “Thrive Conversations” to go deep on what really motivates and drives individuals - since manager motivations tend to be VERY different.
Another member shared that the monthly town halls are when they give business updates, shine the light on a superstar performer, and have a team member present who they are outside the workplace (done in a fun way).
Another member is practicing “presence with a purpose” - where they had good attendance around planned events (could be for strategy, updates, or fun events). But noted that set days in the office don’t seem to stick as well (more travel occurring and teams are distributed more).
Another member shared their use of quarterly fireside chats with a key business leader to get the team thinking in business terms (not technology).
Breaking away from past cultures: For companies with a long-standing culture, adapting to a hybrid work model and some of the ideas Amanda shared has been a challenge, but it has reinforced the importance of training and education, making it OK to leave the office early (for example).
Breaking away from past cultures: For companies with a long-standing culture, adapting to a hybrid work model and some of the ideas Amanda shared has been a challenge, but it has reinforced the importance of training and education, making it OK to leave the office early (for example).
There is also research coming out with Wharton involving quantifying and analyzing workload data, using wearables to understand changes in sleep, activity, and other lifestyle factors.
So there was a ton of conversation and sharing across many fronts. Ther will surely be more on this topic in the months and years ahead, so we look forward to continuing with all of you!
More shared from Amanda post-meeting:
(1) The Exos Framework: Our approach is to coach individuals, teams, and organizations to be ready for the moments that matter most. We have built our approach to human workplace performance from decades of work with high-performing athletes and military operators. Load management matters, but this shouldn't be confused with doing less. It is about matching the work with the right type of recovery - so you can be ready for the next bout. We think of this as readiness - meaning that individuals and teams can do the work (at the expected feverish pace) and are recovered enough to tap into that capacity when the moment comes. When we think about optimizing an individual's capacity, we consider six areas: daily movement, training, fueling (nutrition), sleep, reflection, and regulation. When we think about optimizing a team's capacity, we consider four areas: belonging, recovery, flow state, and dissent. When we think about an organization, we consider the environment and systems in place to support the individual and team.
(2) Stats and Data Shared: We have programming deployed at over 130 companies and can peer into the data we collect. Last year - our cohort of about 34,000 employees - presented with the following opportunities at baseline. This data showcases that there is immense opportunity to support individuals.
49% did not have enough energy to get through the day
58% could not break negative thought patterns
71% cannot find "flow state."
(3) Flow State. The concept of "Flow State" resonates with the companies we are working with because being able to help people do the best work of their lives is one of the most critical elements of performance for the future of work. I wanted to include our Finding Flow white paper, which you can find here.
(4) Research that we did with Hofstra University. This research was profiled here. The study involved approximately 150 Exos employees, half participating in a flow-based intervention while the other half served as controls. The flow-based intervention involved teaching participants about flow and structuring intentional recovery throughout the workday. Those who participated in the intervention were 2-3x more likely to experience flow at work, reported less stress at the end of the day, and, over time, maintained a higher Heart Rate Variability (a physiologic marker of stress - the higher it is, the better), which means their body was better "metabolizing" the stress of their lives.
(5) Lastly - I hinted at the fact that, as a company, we deployed a 4d work week as a part of our broader approach to creating a more robust Readiness Culture. We will complete our data analysis this quarter with Adam Grant and Wharton Business School and look forward to sharing our results related to our Readiness Culture Code deployment. Here are some of the tactics that we discussed on the call:
We are prioritizing individual recovery.
Micro Breaks: We educate around and encourage intentional recovery throughout the day. We utilize movement, sunlight, breathwork, and meditation tactics in between meetings or within longer sessions to give the body and the brain the refresh they need.
Shorter Meetings: The data shows that back-to-back meetings wreak havoc on the brain. We changed our calendar settings and are disciplined about meeting times. 25-minute and 50-minute meetings are the norms. If you host a meeting longer than 90 minutes - each 90-minute block requires a 20-minute break.
You-Do-You Fridays: Some will call it a four-day work week - we call it You Do You Friday. Our expectation on Fridays is that individuals use it as they see fit. There are no meetings, and unless there is a critical matter to address, there is no expectation of a response from a co-worker. Individuals can use this day to unplug entirely, do independent work, or a blend of the 2.
We are supporting teams with flow triggers.
Recharge Breaks: Our best work cannot be done in a state of brain fatigue. As mentioned above - specific recharge breaks are paired with the type and duration of work.
Meeting Intentions: Flow follows focus. Part of our meeting standards now requires any meeting host to clearly articulate the goal of the meeting at the start of the meeting. Each year, we take this to the extreme. We declare meeting bankruptcy at the end of each year. Our leaders cancel all meetings and start fresh. This ensures that the meetings are needed, have a suitable duration, and include the right people.
Protected Work Time: We encourage our team to block their calendars accordingly to support their ability to get into intensely focused work. We use calendar transparency tools to ensure their team knows when they seek Flow State.
