Summary:
Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!
On this episode, hosts Matthew Ward, Caleb Talley, and Jeff Amerine sit down with Dr. Adam Stoverink, the director of the Sam M. Walton College of Business MBA program at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Stoverink is the author of the book Unbreakable, a resource for leaders on how to build resilient teams, and has also been featured in twelve other notable publications. Additionally, Dr. Stoverink is an associate professor of management, teaching leadership and teamwork to graduate, undergraduate, and executive audiences. Throughout this episode, Dr. Stovering discusses the four essential pillars of resilient teams, how to create adaptability, and what character traits define a satisfactory team member.
Show Notes:
(1:12) Introduction to Dr. Stoverink
(2:16) About Unbreakable
(6:19) The Process of Writing a Book
(8:23) Advice on Building Psychological Safety
(13:16) The Walton MBA Do Good Project
(19:24) Learning from Failure
(22:21) The Four Pillars of Resilient Teams
(28:13) Hard Work vs. Lucky Timing
(30:14) Attributes of Good Team Members
(32:49) Advice to Younger Self
(35:56) Closing Thoughts
Links:
Quotes:
“We have to feel safe in that environment to speak up. Innovation is a big part of what you all do, and if you want to be innovative, you simply have to have all the perspectives on the table. And if people don’t feel safe to go against the grain, your innovation is cut.” – Dr. Adam Stoverink, (7:31)
“We don’t really have one another’s back. We do what we have to do to accomplish our goals, but we don’t go beyond that. I think that is what really separates the outstanding teams from the mediocre teams.” – Dr. Adam Stoverink, (12:50)
“You have to have a moderately high, above average confidence, but it can’t be too high. Otherwise, you’re going to run into the situation where hubris takes over and you’re not on the lookout for possible adversities because you think you’re untouchable.” – Dr. Adam Stoverink, (23:12)
“Part of building a resilient team is being very clear about what components are needed to be successful. Part of that is personality. You want a mix of personalities, but most important is diversity of thought that often comes from diversity of backgrounds, which correlates with diversity of demographics.” – Dr. Adam Stoverink, (31:25)
Building a Resilient Team with Dr. Adam Stoverink
On this episode, hosts Matthew Ward, Caleb Talley, and Jeff Amerine sit down with Dr. Adam Stoverink, the director of the Sam M. Walton College of Business MBA program at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Stoverink is the author of the book Unbreakable, a resource for leaders on how to build resilient teams, and has also been featured in twelve other notable publications. Additionally, Dr. Stoverink is an associate professor of management, teaching leadership and teamwork to graduate, undergraduate, and executive audiences. Throughout this episode, Dr. Stovering discusses the four essential pillars of resilient teams, how to create adaptability, and what character traits define a satisfactory team member.
Understanding Psychological Safety
Four pillars create the framework for resilient teams: psychological safety, team confidence, the capacity to improvise, and team roadmaps. However, psychological safety is the one that allows the other three to be effective. Therefore, when building a resilient team, psychological safety should be the number one priority.
“We have to feel safe in that environment to speak up. Innovation is a big part of what you all do and if you want to be innovative, you simply have to have all the perspectives on the table. And if people don’t feel safe to go against the grain, your innovation is cut.” – Dr. Adam Stoverink, (7:31)
Psychological safety is the shared belief amongst team members that they’re safe to take interpersonal risks and be authentic. Successful psychological safety ensures all team members feel confident to speak up and share their ideas and opinions even if they are unpopular or challenge another member’s ideas or opinions. Moreover, psychological safety does not happen until team members connect on a human level instead of only seeing each other as a way to accomplish a common goal.
“We don’t really have one another’s back. We do what we have to do to accomplish our goals, but we don’t go beyond that. I think that is what really separates the outstanding teams from the mediocre teams.” – Dr. Adam Stoverink, (12:50)
The Foundation of a Resilient Team
The second critical pillar of a resilient team’s foundation is a moderately high level of team confidence. Moderately high is specified because the team must be able to pick itself up and keep moving forward when adversity presents itself. But at the same time, it’s disadvantageous to the team to be overconfident. The innate nature of a resilient team is bouncing back from adversity, but if a team is overconfident, it’s either going to think there aren’t any adversities or that it’s immune to them.
“You have to have a moderately high, above average confidence, but it can’t be too high. Otherwise, you’re going to run into the situation where hubris takes over and you’re not on the lookout for possible adversities because you think you’re untouchable.” – Dr. Adam Stoverink, (23:12)
Overcoming adversity and adapting brings us to the third pillar, which is the capacity to improvise. This means that as a team, you must be able to pivot quickly and make decisions on the fly. And lastly, the fourth pillar is a teamwork roadmap, which is an understanding of each individual’s role on the team and how it fits into the larger picture. This provides a safeguard so that when adversity emerges, there is no confusion about everyone’s roles.
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