Managing High Performing Team - Experiential Learning in the BC Tradition

by Matt

When the term “High Performing Teams” is used, the initial thought that jumps to the mind of many people may be a SWAT team storming a building or a championship sports team taking the field. While these examples certainly apply, high performing teams exist in many areas of this business world as well. From the innovations at Apple to the successes of the world’s largest financial institutions, skilled, well-orchestrated teams are often the driving force behind these achievements.

I was lucky this semester to take part in one of the most interesting classes I have taken in my MBA career, Managing High Performing Teams, taught by Professor Scott McDermott. This class seeks to explore not only how these high performing teams are created, but how we as future MBA’s can leverage their traits in the everyday work place. Through the course of the semester we were lucky to have a wide variety of speakers and out of classroom experiences in addition to our case studies and group presentations, giving us a real world look at how these groups operate.

As we explored what components made up these high performing teams, we were lucky to have some excellent speakers come to share their experiences and explain how they apply what we were learning to real life situations. From mountain climbers to the crew of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, to members of a jazz band, all these individuals had one thing in common: commitment to a shared goal and the willingness to do whatever it took to get there.

Outside the classroom, we experienced some of these adept teams in action. A night at the Improv Asylum in the North End of Boston gave us a quick tutorial in improvisational comedy and the nuances of how four people take random situations and create comedy on the spot. We were then treated to a full show to see it happen for real. Pete Brock of the 1985 New England Patriots Super Bowl team hosted us at Gillette Stadium and showed us how a championship caliber football team comes together.

Looking back on the semester, I’ve realized a few things. Although I will likely never climb Mount Everest or take the field as a pro football player, the key attributes that bring these teams together can be applied across the business world. Possessing a common goal and collecting dedicated individuals devoted to reaching it will always produce a successful outcome.