The Team’s Way

This week I had a conversation with my team about the ways we are different.

Teams are different, designers are different, and humans are different. I work with two very different, yet very skilled, senior designers. One embraces documentation, process definition, and systematic steps as their way of working. The other falls into a flow of ideas, curiosity with some structure, and prefers get into drawing as quickly as possible once the base understanding is there.

Both are right. Both are doing just fine with the way they approach solving problems. Both are unique.

In school I learned there is a specific way we tackle a problem, the professor’s way. At some of my first design jobs I learned there was a specific way we worked together, the boss’s way. Today I’ve learned there are many ways to get things done, the team’s way.

No matter how you like to work, it’s important that you are explicit about it. You communicate your intentions to your team, and you certify that it will work for your teammates. Every healthy team finds a groove, a synchronized way in which they achieve greatness, but that harmony only comes when the team openly communicates how they like to work, who should own what tasks, and what is expected of each other.

I will not be rigid about how my team’s work together, instead I will focus on the impact and outcomes of their efforts and grade their abilities to work efficiently and smart. I believe it’s this autonomy that allows for creativity, innovative ideas, and the ability to grow a diverse and inclusive team over time. It helps attract the best people as well.

What do you think? I’d love to hear about your experiences with diverse and unique teams.