Taking the plunge. . .

[jwfoss]

Originally Posted by MysterE

Or for my Tribal Leadership folks, what changed your team from a stage 2 or 3 into a stage 4 team?

It's interesting that you reference Tribal Leadership as I am currently reading this book. So far it has been a great resource and I now better understand the transformation that 2168 has gone through in the last two years.

When I began working with the team they were a acting like a Stage 2 organization, which is common among many teams. They had dedicated mentors, students, and a teacher. They even had resources some teams could only wish they had, yet they were not properly utilizing them. The team operated with and understanding that there were really great teams out there, but believed that they were not capable of performing at that level. (The "My life stinks" stage.)

The 2011 season saw an increase in experienced mentors, and more dedicated students to the point where we began to see specialized members of the team. Specifically in programming, mechanical design, and the driveteam. Thankfully the team pushed though the "I'm great and your not" stage quickly, as the team began to organically foster striving for greatness and positive growth.

The 2012 season found the team operating squarely in the Stage 4 region as internal motivation took over and the students began teaching each other the critical skills and instilling the cultural norms and expectations of the team to the newest members. I have never been on a team operating at this level before and it has been an awesome experience. As we continue to move forward, I see the team maintaining at Stage 4. This however does not mean that there are times when the team falls back to acting as a Stage 3 however.

What pushed these changes? Experienced Mentors. Positive results from reaching set goals. Setting goals that are both a challenge and reachable. (For 2011 it was being competitive and always playing in eliminations, for 2012 it was being an alliance captain at every competition). When the goals are clear, you can define the steps to get there.