Design and implementation of any moderate or major process change requires the skills, talents, and experience of a wide variety of people. Many times, this is an unusual collaboration that includes staff and management from a variety of departments that do not work together on a daily basis. What are some of the behaviors and roles that must be embraced to form the teams required to make these kinds of efforts successful?

A typical process change is made up of three key phases: discovery, design, and implementation. The discovery phase is usually business-unit-centered in that current processes, technologies, and metrics are documented to identify key opportunities for improvement. The design phase often includes design workshops, with participants from the business, IT, and supporting departments such as administrative services and finance. Depending on the type of change implemented, the implementation phase may involve an even broader set of skills.

For this type of change to be successful, each participant must understand his or her role, the areas in which leadership is required, and equally as important, when being a good team player is essential.

What defines a good team player? A good team player understands when to lead, when to follow, and when to lend support (moral and otherwise) to the effort. Good team players put the interests of the project ahead of their personal needs. Good team players measure achievement based on the success of the project rather than the benefits it creates for them personally. And finally, a good team player does not need to be in charge in order to contribute.

An organization's departments need to display similar characteristics in supporting process and technology improvements. In most cases, the business unit should take the lead in making the changes because they have the most at stake if the change is not successful. To be a good team player, however, the business unit must take into account the capabilities, talents, and constraints of the other units involved.

In a similar fashion, IT must recognize that while technology may be the center of focus in a particular change, the department might not be the dominant player in the overall implementation. It is a difficult but nonetheless essential requirement that IT understand the steps in a project where they should take the lead and the aspects for which they should support the leadership and activities of others. For example, in installing a new policy administration system, IT would take a lead role in organizing and conducting requirements sessions, but it would need to be a team player when it comes to supporting the implementation of the change and its process implications to the business unit.

It is often difficult to be a team player. It means substituting group for individual goals. At the level of the organization, it means supporting initiatives and dedicating resources while giving up some elements of control. All business units must recognize that understanding team roles, supporting team/organizational objectives, adapting to changing needs within the project, and performing the actual work required are all critical to achieving the goals of the team.

Good team players, both individuals and departments, are highly valued by all organizations. Their willingness to do whatever it takes for the sake of the project ensures that implementation efforts succeed and the expected improvement is attained.

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