Creating and fostering a culture of teamwork requires trust, collaboration, and accountability. Forty exceptional employees, six short months, and the responsibility to one reputable Fortune 100 company: That is what Darci Kleindl was handed when she accepted a job as the general manager of sales excellence and sales enablement for the Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) group. 

She inherited a global team of customer support managers, all of whom work with diverse clientele, including engineers, marketing organisations, consultants, and external customers. She also manages a team of leaders who drive worldwide standards for sales basics, internal and external readiness, and the business rhythm and communications to accelerate the MBS group. To add to the chaos, this group, which had operated autonomously within Microsoft, faced a large organisational shift when she started. The enterprise and small business teams integrated the CRM solutions into the overall business strategy and execution, which took the work from a priority state of 4 to 9 overnight. As daunting as her situation seemed, Kleindl was not new to managing dynamic groups or governing complex situations. Her career often has included strategizing on the higher executive level. 

This time, however, would be different. She planned to implement a comprehensive leadership and team development program that would transform her work culture and provide a foundational structure for her team. Kleindl was resolute in making a lasting impact. Her vision involved stabilising a culture of trust, collaboration, and accountability—one that would resonate beyond just her direct reports. To do this, she sought the help of a trusted advisor —Bruce Leamon, an authorised partner of The Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team—who jumped at the opportunity. Leamon recommended use of the The Five Behaviors. The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team is a comprehensive team development programme based on the work of Patrick Lencioni. It helps both team members and leaders understand how their unique group dynamic can work together to build a more effective team and achieve sustainable results.

 The facilitated sessions help teams to comprehend where they fall within five distinct pillars of teamwork: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results. With The Five Behaviors as the foundation, Kleindl and Leamon quickly developed the Organisational Capital Program. The six-month program establishes a common language for the team to communicate, standardise expectations to improve accountability, strengthen leadership abilities, and create an emotionally intelligent culture. Thirty-six tentative colleagues participated in the two-day, off-site training session. Leamon started by establishing conversation based on vulnerability-based trust. Before they could get into discussions on dealing with conflict, their collective idea of commitment, or holding one another accountable, the team needed to trust that what they were saying would be respected and heard. They shared personal backgrounds to learn about one another’s perspectives and how they might relate to their colleagues in ways beyond work. They spoke candidly on what makes them 

comfortable and uncomfortable in a work environment. They discussed their team’s core values and their vision for themselves and the company. The Organisational Capital Program is built on the lessons learned from that initial The Five Behaviors session. The impact seen within the MBS group has been multifaceted. Kleindl sums up the impact as follows: “I think this team has increased in visibility substantially as far as what they do and the impact. Our relationship network has grown, systems have been put in place to help with productivity, our planning is more succinct, and the team is connecting more one-on-one with people to explain their roles. ”In terms of accountability, there was a notable shift. “They’ve come to understand that they don’t always have to say ‘yes.’ … They trust each other and understand how to have healthy conflict when situations are off-loaded to us that really should not be our job in the first place. We’re clear on what we’re accountable for.” The Five Behaviours is a reliable tool that helped lay the foundation for further development, but a large reason why it was successful was because people felt heard. Kleindl said that she got emails from people saying, ‘No one has ever invested in me in this way. It’s fantastic!’” That sort of investment in individuals served well for Kleindl, her team, and also the network beyond her team. The MBS group now has a reputation for sustaining an enviable culture of trust, collaboration, and accountability.

Answer ALL the questions in this section.

Question 1 

From the extract, it is evident that Darci Kleindl was able to transform the team into a high performance one. With reference to the extract and drawing from your knowledge of building high performance teams, discuss the strategies that were used to improve the team’s performance.

Question 2 

With reference to the extract and with relevant examples, elaborate on the characteristics of an effective team.

Question 3 

Darci Kleindl has successfully established a high performance team. However, the team or group members may need to be motivated occasionally. Elaborate on motivational strategies that can be used to motivate the team.

Question 4 

It is evident that Darci Kleindl has leadership qualities. Provide an informed opinion on the type of contemporary leadership approaches she employs. Substantiate your answer with relevant examples.

Question 5 

Kehindll states in the extract that her team has come to understand each other and how to have healthy conflict when situations are off-loaded to them. There may be times however when conflicts might not be so healthy. Comment on FIVE (5) factors that could cause conflict in the organisations and FIVE (5) way in which conflict can be managed in the organisation.