Starting a new project with a freshly formed team can be both exciting and challenging, especially in a dynamic industry like gaming. As a producer, I had to ensure that our team had a great start, and I found the Management 3.0 practices incredibly helpful in building a solid foundation. These practices foster collaboration, improve communication, and ensure that every team member is aligned with the project goals from the beginning.

Here’s how I used these practices to set my team up for success.

1. Personal Map: Building Relationships Early On

When a team comes together for the first time, it’s crucial to break the ice and understand one another on a deeper level. I used the Personal Map practice, where each member created a mind map about their personal and professional life, including interests, family, education, and hobbies. This helped us build empathy and form stronger bonds, which is essential for smooth collaboration in the future. Knowing each other’s backgrounds made us more connected and cohesive.

2. Collab Cards: Setting the Foundation for How We Work

The next step was using Collab Cards to understand how each person preferred to work. The cards allowed us to explore questions like how we give and receive feedback, deal with conflicts, and communicate during stressful times. By sharing these preferences upfront, we ensured smoother collaboration and avoided misunderstandings that could slow down our progress.

3. Moving Motivators: Tapping into What Drives Us

Understanding what motivates each team member was crucial for maintaining high engagement throughout the project. I introduced Moving Motivators, a game-like exercise where everyone ranked what motivates them the most in their work. This insight helped me align tasks and responsibilities with personal motivators, ensuring the team stayed driven and enthusiastic. This also allowed me to address potential demotivators early on, minimizing frustration.

4. Value Stories: Aligning on What Matters

A critical part of starting any project is defining the values that will guide the team. I used the Value Stories practice, where each member shared personal stories about when they experienced the company’s core values in action. These stories helped us understand what values resonated with us and how we could incorporate them into our work. It created a shared sense of purpose and aligned us with the company’s larger mission.

5. Team Identity: Creating Our Name, Logo, and Sentence

To build team spirit and identity, we came up with a team name, logo, and a sentence that represented us. This was more than just a fun activity—it reinforced our unity and gave us something to rally behind. A strong team identity helped us feel like a cohesive unit working toward a shared goal. It was also something we could proudly present to other teams and stakeholders.

6. Team Agreements: Setting the Ground Rules

We needed to establish how we would work together to avoid conflicts and confusion down the line. The Team Agreements practice helped us create a set of rules around communication, decision-making, and collaboration. These agreements ensured everyone was on the same page and reduced friction as we moved forward with the project. It was crucial for maintaining harmony and productivity.

7. Our Calendar: Scheduling Our Meetings Based on Collaboration Preferences

After understanding each other’s collaboration preferences through Collab Cards, we designed our project calendar. We decided on the best times during the week to meet and discuss our progress and allocated certain tasks to be handled asynchronously. This flexible approach allowed us to stay productive without overwhelming anyone with unnecessary meetings. We focused on key discussions during our synchronous meetings and handled updates and smaller tasks asynchronously.

8. Competency Matrix: Understanding Our Strengths and Areas for Growth

To ensure that everyone could contribute effectively, we created a Competency Matrix. This tool allowed us to map out the skills and experience of each team member, highlighting our strengths and areas where we needed to improve. With this matrix, We were able to assign tasks to those best suited for them and identify where we needed additional training or support. It also helped us track our growth as the project progressed.

I will not share this since is pretty confidential but I am showing you an example how it could look like:

9. Happiness Door: Gathering Feedback to Improve Continuously

At the end of our workshop, I used the Happiness Door to collect feedback on how the team felt about the process and our initial work. Each person rated their happiness on a scale, and we had a brief discussion about what we could improve. This practice gave me valuable insight into any lingering concerns, which I later addressed in one-on-one meetings. Continuous feedback is essential for team growth and improvement.

Conclusion: A Strong Foundation for Success

By using Management 3.0 practices, I was able to create an environment where my new team felt connected, motivated, and aligned. We started the project on the right foot, with clear communication, strong team identity, and a focus on collaboration. These practices not only helped us start the project successfully but also ensured we had a roadmap for overcoming challenges as we moved forward. For any producer, manager or leader, these tools are invaluable in setting up a team for long-term success.

If you want to learn more about these practices, join us at our Management 3.0 Foundation Workshop.