Great Business Teams

About the Author

Howard M. Guttman, a principal of Guttman Development Strategies, Inc., has spent decades working with some of the world’s leading corporations. His expertise in building high-performance teams, executive coaching, strategic alignment, and project implementation has positioned him as a thought leader in the field of organizational development. Guttman's work is not just theoretical; it's rooted in practical experience and successful transformations within diverse industries.

Main Idea

"Great Business Teams: Cracking the Code for Standout Performance" by Howard M. Guttman delves into the essence of high-performance teams and the horizontal organization model. Guttman argues that exceptional teams are the cornerstone of successful organizations. The horizontal organization model promotes a structure where decision-making protocols are clear, accountability is paramount, and every employee operates with a leader’s mindset. This shift not only drives performance but continuously raises the bar for what high performance means within an organization.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The Five Key Characteristics of Great Business Teams
• The High-Performance Leader
• Aligning Teams for Success
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing Meetings Efficiently
• Communication Strategies
• Building a Great Organization
• Challenges and Responses
• Conclusion

The Five Key Characteristics of Great Business Teams

Guttman outlines five key characteristics that define great business teams. These include high-performance leadership, a focus on team accountability, clear decision-making protocols, a continuous drive for improvement, and a supportive performance management system. These teams are led by visionary leaders who inspire change and build authentic relationships.

"Great business teams are led by high-performance leaders who create a 'burning platform' for change, are visionaries and architects, build authentic relationships, and model expected behaviors." - Howard M. Guttman

High-performance leaders understand that they cannot achieve greatness alone. They foster an environment where every team member is encouraged to take ownership of their role and contribute to the team's success. This collaborative approach ensures that no individual's performance, not even the leader's, is exempt from scrutiny and feedback.

Characteristics of High-Performance Leaders

• Creating an energizing principle for fundamental change
• Acting as visionaries and architects
• Building authentic relationships
• Modeling the behaviors expected from their team
• Redefining the fundamentals of leadership

Accountability and Decision-Making Protocols

Ambiguity in decision-making can cripple a team's effectiveness. Great business teams establish specific protocols that clarify what decisions need to be made, who will make them, and how they will be made. This clarity reduces wasted time and enhances decision quality.

"Great business teams play by protocols. Ambiguity kills effective decision making. It also wastes precious time." - Howard M. Guttman

These protocols are essential in maintaining a high level of accountability within the team. Each member knows their responsibilities and is held accountable for their performance, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and self-evaluation.

The High-Performance Leader

Guttman emphasizes that high-performance leaders are essential in driving the horizontal organization model. These leaders are responsible for developing and driving a horizontal vision, creating the right mindset, providing necessary skills, and maintaining ground rules.

Developing and Driving the Horizontal Vision

In the competitive dairy industry of Australia, Robert Gordon exemplified high-performance leadership when he took over Dairy Farmers. Faced with declining performance, he implemented a horizontal organization model that empowered employees at all levels to take action and ownership of their results.