Dan Hogan

First, let's start with what it is. I created this high-level definition in 2005.

Right-Minded Teamwork (RMT) is a business-oriented, psychological approach to team building where acceptance, forgiveness, and adjustment are teammate characteristics, and 100% customer satisfaction is the team's result.

Furthermore, Right-Minded Teamwork is practical. It produces positive business results by getting real work done. And above all, it naturally motivates teammates to grow.

The process framework consists of 5 continuous improvement performance elements that are guided by this vital philosophy of…

"Do No Harm. Get Work Done."

It advocates and supports Right-Minded Teammates in being firm and direct while being gentle and compassionate at the same time.

Essentially, these teammates do not blame themselves or others.

Instead, they accept, forgive, and adjust their attitudes and behaviors. They seek solutions to team mistakes and look for ways to improve difficult situations.

Right-Minded Teammates simply - do no harm, and they get work done.

As for your second question about “why” it works, I’ve actually just answered that.

But to elaborate a little, think for a moment about any high-performing team you have experienced in the past.

When a team mistake happened or when a difficult situation occurred either with a customer or even with another teammate, what did you and your fellow teammates do?

You collaborated. You looked at the problem without blaming. You brainstormed solutions. You decided how to recover by either changing a work process or creating a work agreement that will collectively adjust teammate work behavior.

When you did that, you were “doing no harm, and you were getting work done.”

And when you did that, Right-Minded Teamwork – worked!

The method’s framework consists of several essential components or elements.

Once you understand each element, it will be clear how applying Right-Minded Teamwork will benefit you, your team, and your team’s customers.

Your team may be struggling with issues that feel insurmountable, but with Right-Minded Teamwork (RMT), smoothly navigating rough waters is possible.

The framework’s 5 Elements include two goals and three methods:

1. Team Business Goal
2. Team Psychological Goal
3. Team Work Agreements
4. Team Operating System
5. Right-Minded Teammates

Goal setting is the very first step of the Right-Minded Teamwork process. The first two elements provide goal setting direction and a way to measure progress and success.

According to RMT, there are two types of goals every team should consider: Business goals and Psychological goals.

Without a clear goal on both fronts, team members may falter, become distracted, or fail to fulfill their role on the team.

In addition to two goal-setting elements, RMT also provides three specific tools:

Work Agreements, a Team Operating System, and Right-Minded Teammate Development.

Together, these tools create a strong, flexible, high-performing team ready to achieve team goals.

Here’s an overarching view of how the 5 Elements work together.

For a team to succeed, each team member must first know, understand, and choose to align with the team’s overarching performance goal (their business goal).

All team members must also remember, understand, and choose to align with the team’s interpersonal, behavioral, and communication objectives (their psychological goals).

Recognizing the value of each team member as part of the whole allows everyone to contribute fully and willingly, no matter their role. By clarifying and communicating both business and psychological goals, all team members are given a level playing field.

With clear goals in place, RMT’s three tools can now be effectively applied.

Firstly, Work Agreements, created collectively by all team members, ensure everyone operates under a single set of performance and behavioral expectations. Work Agreements are powerfully effective at resolving interpersonal issues and conflicts.

Just as Work Agreements guide team behavior, the Team Operating System defines (or redefines) the team’s structure. The Team Operating System includes roles, responsibilities, and team processes and procedures.

Lastly, Right-Minded Teammate Development offers teams a way forward by encouraging team members to focus on collective success. Right-Minded Teammates support and encourage one another to reach new heights.

These 5 elements are set into a six-to-twelve month continuous improvement process that ensures teammates address each element at least once per year and sometimes twice per year. You will find in some of my books one specific implementation plan that I successfully used in many teams around the world.