Teamership: Support, accountability and challenge in your network

We all need to have a network to help us bring our best more often. Photo by fran innocenti on Unsplash

All of us are better off as part of a network. We are social creatures who don’t function well in isolation. In fact, isolation is often the punishment we reserve for the most serious crimes and misdemeanours. There has also been an increasing awareness through the events of the past couple of years to realise that human connection is essential for our high levels of functioning. Loneliness is increasingly being cited as a factor that decreases physical and psychological health matters.

We all need connections, but not all connections are created equal. Importantly, getting the right mix and not relying on one person to always provide all of these types of assistance is a way to develop our personal resilience.

The three types of assistance that we all need are:

• Support

• Accountability

• Challenge

Support

Whether personally or professionally, we all need people in our corner that help the load to feel shared. Support could be in the form of moral support, emotional support or far more practical logistical or technical support. None of us has all of the answers or infinite resources of energy, attention and time.

Make sure your network includes people who can provide you with the support you need.

Accountability

My favourite quote around accountability comes from Joe Dumars - an NBA basketballer from the late 80s and early 90s. He says that…

“On good teams, coaches keep players accountable. On great teams, players keep players accountable.”

So good! In the context of modern organisations, where 75% of teams don’t exist on the org chart, relying on “coaches” (the hierarchical leader) to keep us accountable is a risk at best and more like a liability. We need to be able to keep ourselves and others to the high standards we want.

Make sure your network has people that help remind you of the way you want to turn up.

Challenge

It’s great (and necessary) to have people who support and encourage you to be your best. As Adam Grant says in his book, Think Again, a challenge network is crucial. Our best work needs us to be aware of and minimise our blindspots. We need to be able to identify the assumptions that we hold and consider new perspectives.

Make sure your network has people who stretch your thinking.

When we have a network that includes support, accountability and challenge we are better positioned to do great work more often. There are a couple of traps that are easy to fall into, so I’ll mention them quickly.

1. Getting the mix wrong

2. Not only do you need support, accountability and challenge but you also need the right balance. Too much support can make us too comfortable, too much accountability from the wrong people can make us anxious, and too much challenge can make us indecisive.

3. Relying on one person to do it all

4. It’s a lot to ask one person to be all things to you. It’s risky for you and draining for them. For the sustainability of your relationships, be clear on what you need from each person in your network and don’t overload any one person.

A few questions for you to consider this week:

1. What is the support that you need to do your best work?

2. Who are the people that help you stay accountable?

3. Is your thinking being challenged enough?

4. How well balanced is your network?