Six interoperability principles to build multi-disciplinary, rapid-response teams

The sight of flashing blue lights is rarely welcome, but the emergency services’ use of interoperability principles offers plenty of lessons for consultants. 

Interoperability is used to rapidly assemble multi-disciplinary teams for urgent problems or opportunities. So how can you bring together experts from diverse fields to work cohesively at pace? Nikki Power and Melanie Franklin MCMI ChMC, experts in team dynamics and interoperability, have six tips to offer.

1. Start with the right people

Selecting the correct personnel is essential, says Melanie, who is chief executive of Capability for Change and director of Agile Change Management. 

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“Make sure they have the time to take part in a rapid-response team,” she stresses.

Once potentials have been identified, Melanie advises getting everyone involved in a discussion to clearly define the scope of the task, work out what skills are needed and assign responsibilities. This self-selection of roles will help create a collaborative environment that leverages individual strengths, she says.

2. Build trust and shared identity

Nikki is senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Liverpool. She researches crisis decision-making, extreme teamwork and interoperability – the ability of emergency responders to work together seamlessly. 

“There are five important, core components: trust, shared identities, goals, communication and flexibility,” she says. 

Trust allows team members to be vulnerable and rely on each other. Shared identity fosters a feeling of unity, rather than everyone seeing themselves as individuals from different backgrounds or agencies.

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Goals must be clear and aligned, not only across the team, but also within each individual’s role. “Orienting behaviour around common objectives, while being clear about role-specific ones, is key,” Nikki explains. 

In fast-paced environments, communication needs to be crisp and concise, so avoid unnecessary jargon or acronyms that slow down progress. And flexibility is crucial: team members must be ready to back each other up when someone becomes overloaded.