Richard Hackman was a social and organizational psychologist who developed a model called the “Conditions That Sustain Effective Teamwork”. This model identifies five key factors that are critical for teams to work effectively together.
Conditions That Sustain Effective Teamwork
The five factors are:
Richard Hackman was a social and organizational psychologist who developed a model called the “Conditions That Sustain Effective Teamwork”. This model identifies five key factors that are critical for teams to work effectively together. The five factors are:
Being a Real Team
A “real team” is a group of people who work together to achieve a common goal and who hold themselves mutually accountable for the team’s success.
In order to create a real team, it is important to establish a clear purpose and sense of identity, as well as a strong sense of interdependence among team members.
Compelling Direction
Teams need a clear and compelling direction in order to know where they are headed and how to get there. This involves setting clear and challenging goals that are aligned with the team’s purpose, as well as ensuring that team members are committed to those goals and are regularly receiving feedback on their progress.
Enabling Structure
An enabling structure refers to the resources, skills, and authority that teams need in order to achieve their goals. This includes developing clear roles and responsibilities for team members, fostering a sense of shared leadership and accountability, and ensuring that the team has the necessary resources to carry out its work.
Supportive Context
The context in which a team operates is critical to its success. This includes the organizational culture, physical environment, and access to information and resources that the team needs to carry out its work effectively.
A supportive context is one that fosters a positive and collaborative culture, provides a physical environment that enables effective communication and collaboration, and ensures that the team has access to the information and resources it needs to succeed.
Expert Coaching
Expert coaching involves providing team members with the guidance and support they need to perform at their best. This includes not only providing training and development opportunities, but also fostering a culture of continuous learning and development, encouraging team members to reflect on their own performance and that of the team as a whole, and providing regular feedback and support to help team members improve their performance.
Conclusion
Hackman’s “Conditions That Sustain Effective Teamwork” model is a useful framework for understanding the key factors that contribute to effective teamwork.
By focusing on these five factors – being a real team, having a compelling direction, creating an enabling structure, fostering a supportive context, and providing expert coaching – teams can improve their performance, collaboration, and satisfaction.
By implementing these conditions in a structured and effective way, teams can work together more effectively and achieve their goals more successfully.
Template to practice and implement – Hackman’s “Conditions That Sustain Effective Teamwork” model
Here is a reference template to practice and implement Hackman’s “Conditions That Sustain Effective Teamwork” model:
- Being a Real Team:
- Ensure that the team has a clear and compelling purpose
- Foster a sense of identity and shared commitment among team members
- Develop a strong sense of interdependence among team members
- Compelling Direction:
- Establish clear and challenging goals that are aligned with the team’s purpose
- Ensure that team members understand and are committed to these goals
- Provide regular feedback on progress toward goals
- Enabling Structure:
- Ensure that the team has the necessary resources, skills, and authority to achieve its goals
- Develop clear roles and responsibilities for team members
- Foster a sense of shared leadership and accountability among team members
- Supportive Context:
- Foster a positive and supportive organizational culture that values teamwork and collaboration
- Provide a supportive physical environment that allows for effective communication and collaboration
- Ensure that the team has access to necessary information and resources
- Expert Coaching:
- Provide expert coaching and support to team members
- Foster a culture of continuous learning and development
- Encourage team members to reflect on their own performance and that of the team as a whole
By following this template, teams can implement Hackman’s “Conditions That Sustain Effective Teamwork” model in a structured and effective way, which can help to improve team performance, collaboration, and satisfaction.
- Hackman, J. R. (2002). Leading teams: Setting the stage for great performances. Harvard Business Press.
- Hackman, J. R., & Wageman, R. (2005). A theory of team coaching. Academy of Management Review, 30(2), 269-287.
- Salas, E., Dickinson, T. L., Converse, S. A., & Tannenbaum, S. I. (1992). Toward an understanding of team performance and training. In Teams: Their training and performance (pp. 3-29). Ablex Publishing.
- Mathieu, J. E., Maynard, M. T., Rapp, T., & Gilson, L. (2008). Team effectiveness 1997-2007: A review of recent advancements and a glimpse into the future. Journal of management, 34(3), 410-476.
- Klein, C., DiazGranados, D., Salas, E., Le, H., Burke, C. S., Lyons, R., & Goodwin, G. F. (2009). Does team building work?. Small Group Research, 40(2), 181-222.
