Building effective teams is an issue almost every manager has to face at some point. And it is an issue that is relevant not only to business, but to many different human activities.
What Makes a Team?
Not any collection of people make a team. Often, the term is used glibly in the corporate environment to describe any random group of people as a team. Only once a set of people works purposely towards a common goal, can we describe it as a team. For instance, you may have a corporate team looking are an assignment, a research team trying to develop a new product, or a sporting team playing for club or country.
Another essential feature of a team, is that its members possess complementary skills or qualities, that enables the team to be more effective than its individual members can be. We all have strengths and weaknesses, but in effective teams one person’s strengths will neutralize another’s weaknesses. Each person in the team is able to contribute a unique or particular skill towards achieving the common goal.
Every team has a leader who acts as the cohesive force that keeps the team working together. The team leader keeps the focus of the team on the the achievement of the common goal, allocates tasks, and resolves conflicts in the team. The job of team leader is an essential to the effective operation and success of a team.
Qualities of Successful Teams
There are a number of characteristics that all successful teams have in common. These qualities ensure that a team operates effectively in achieving its objectives.
Clearly defined objectives. Without a clearly defined purpose or goals, the team will veer off course. Everyone in the team should be aware of these objectives and work toward their achievement.
Allocation of duties. Though a team operates as a single mobilized unit, every member of the team contributes in his or her way to the overall functioning of the team. The allocation of duties to the individuals in the team is done up front, when a member is inducted into the team.
Interaction among team members. There should be a healthy amount of communication among the team members, and their interaction should aim to assist the team in fulfilling its purpose. A lack of communication in the team can quickly lead to dissatisfaction and conflicts within a team.
Rational thinking. Team members should be able think through issues rationally and logically. Unrealistic, biased or unsystematic approaches to problem solving will inevitably cause divisions within the team. The role of the team leader becomes important in keeping the team on track.
Accepting the majority decision. You would expect opinions will differ in a team comprising members from diverse backgrounds. However, decisions need to be taken, and effective teams will adhere to the decisions taken by majority vote.
Compatibility. No team can progress without team members working together amicably and resolving conflicts in a civilized manner in the interest of the team. Common interests and information communication should serve to enhance team members’ sense of their compatibility.
Operating as a unit. Team members should act in unison, and remain loyal to the team. That doesn’t mean individual members cannot disagree, but once a majority decision is made, all team members should accept is and support the actions to be taken.
Regular assessment. Teams must meet regularly to assess their achievements, identify potential obstacles, determine their shortcomings, and how to improve on their performance. Teams should keep adapting to changing circumstances.
Motivating Your Team With Results
No team will survive a sustained lack of progress. When a team does not show results, it is either dissolved or reconstituted. The perception that the team has failed, will inevitably result in despondency and lack of confidence in the team, which will in turn negatively impact on its performance. This is true of all teams, whether it be in business or sport.
To keep the sense of achievement alive in the team, it should not solely focus on the end goal, but also celebrate its milestones or smaller achievements along the way. Individual performance that contribute to the achievements of the team deserve acknowledgement and praise, in the presence of other team members. Recognizing individual achievement also motivates other team members to perform, in expectation of the acknowledgement they will receive.
Major achievements by a team, and the attainment of its objective, should be celebrated in a memorable manner. For example, cities do this when their sports teams are given open-bus parades after winning major competitions. Celebrating major achievements by a team is not a waste of time and money. More than a pat on the back for the team, the expectation of a memorable celebration motivates team members. The acknowledgement of the team in this fashion raises the status of the team and attracts ambitious high-performers to the team.
Seeking Commitment from Your Team
An effective team is driven by the commitment of its team members to the team and the achievement of its goal. The commitment of team members manifests itself, for instance, in their participation in team events, their attendance of team meetings, workshops, and training sessions, and the time they are willing to devote to the work of the team.
The less obvious elements of team members’ commitment are getting along with the other members of the team, being loyal to the team, being innovative and creative in pursuing team accomplishments, and suggesting and implementing improvements for the benefit of the team. Without the commitment of individual team members to the work of the team, it will flounder.
Each team member should have is or her own goals and objectives. These should be spelled out from the beginning. New inductees to the team need to be made aware of the commitment expected from them. Some teams even incorporate some type of swearing-in ceremony into their first meeting. Individual team members could also be requested to read out loud the list of commitments expected from them. The team leader should not shy away from regularly reminding team members of the commitment expected from them.
Using Team Building Activities
Team building activities and events are popular, particularly in the corporate world, to bring team members closer to each other and foster trust and co-operation amongst team members. Such team building activities are arranged to have team members interact with one another outside of their normal activities, and are always participative in nature.
Team building activities should be chosen to be as inclusive as possible, that is they should be possible for everyone in the team to perform. The should include ‘ice breaking’ activities, particularly where team members are not familiar with each other, or are from diverse backgrounds. Team building activities which are inappropriate for some members of the team, or which are a source of potential conflict among team members, can become counter-productive.
Often, the help of professionals are called upon to choose team building activities which could address perceived shortcomings in the group, such as to foster trust among team members, improve communication and leadership skills, or to engender confidence in tackling challenging tasks.
Hiring Professional Help to Manage Your Team
For many types of teams, the role of a professional expert is indispensable. For instance, a sports team cannot do without a coach, or a corporate project team drawn from different departments would find it difficult to meet its target dates without the direction of a project manager. However, in general, hiring a professional to assist in the running of the team is not a panacea and cannot replace the role of the team leader.
Outside professionals do not guarantee success and will not miraculously transform your team into a high-performance unit. For one, they do not know the team as well as you do. Hence, your efforts to bring the team closer together and to show their commitment towards achieving the objectives of the team, may be more fruitful than the intervention of a professional expert in team building.
Introducing New Members Into the Team
Bringing in new team members into the team can keep a team from stagnating, by the infusion of new energy into the team. New members bring new ideas with them, which is positive for the creativity of the team. Often, it inspires and motivates existing team members to do better. It adds an element of competition to the team.
However, there are also some pitfalls to introducing new members into the team. You may have to deal with the existing members’ distrust of the new person. which is the natural defensive instinct we show towards anything unfamiliar in our environment. Adding new team members or replacing existing team members may increase the sense of insecurity of the team. Existing members may not be receptive to the ideas that new members bring with them, and differences of opinion can arise, placing additional pressure on the team.
But it is up to the team leader to ensure that the new member proves to be an asset for the team. Be certain to convey clearly to you team why you are bringing in a new member. Valid and sensible reasons for the addition to the team will minimize and potential mistrust. Spell out the new member’s role and objectives in a team meeting to ensure all team members are aware of the new functionality in the team.
You should avoid laying off an existing member of a team to make way for a new person, as this could prove disruptive to team performance. It would be preferable to add the new member first and let the existing member go some time after.
The Role of the Team Leader
In most cases, a team is only as good as its leader. The team leader is the one person that has the capacity to keep the team afloat and on course to achieve its objectives. Hence, if you want your team to succeed, you have to take your role as team leader seriously.
Practice what you preach. Teams want a leader that leads by example, rather than talk down at them. And a disinterested leader will inevitably result in a directionless under-performing team,
Trust. A team leader needs to be trusted. One way to do that is by remaining true to your goals and ideals. Wavering, and continuously changing your mind and not sticking to decisions, will lead to distrust. Also, it is important for you to trust your members. Trust begets trust.
Confidence. The team leader needs to be confident, or at least project himself or herself to be so. A weak, apprehensive leader will not be effective in providing the team with direction. and lead to distrust and uncertainty in the team.
Inspiring and Motivational. The team leader should be able to inspire the team to move toward its goals. This role is all the more crucial when the team is going through a bad patch. It is a good idea to learn how other leaders inspire their teams and emulate some of the good concepts.
Being Receptive. A team leader who is not open to ideas and suggestions, will quickly kill off the willingness of the team to innovate and come up with new ideas. The ability to accept risk under appropriate circumstances is one of the characteristics of successful leaders.
Fostering the Exchange of Ideas
Effective teams depend on the exchange of ideas among team members. Teams are made up of diverse individuals, each ideating in a different way. By exchanging ideas, the team finds the optimal solution that are mutually acceptable to all and also the most viable. In fact, it is the congregation of ideas that teams superior to individuals working independently from each other.
One of the priorities of the team leader, is to foster the exchange of ideas. In this manner, you get a solution that works for all. The majority decision will often turn out to be the optimal solution. By inviting ideas from team members, you are stimulating creating thinking and active participation in solving problems. At the same time, your get to know what team members are thinking.
Whenever there is a situation that warrants discussion, let the team members them put their heads together. Not only will you come up with a viable solution, but you will also end up with a stronger team.
Handling Team Failures
Even effective teams will sometimes fail to meet its objectives, or be unable to meet a deadline or come up with workable solutions. A sporting team may suffer a string of defeats. Care should be taken in identifying the reason for the failure. In practice, the failure of a team can often be attributed to individual failures in the team. But id could also be the result of a lack of co-operation or planning within the team.
Neither blaming all the members of the team, or seeking out culprits and singling them out, will necessarily provide a solution. The emphasis should be in identifying the underlying issue, and finding a team solution to the problem. Blaming the whole team will be unfair to the team members who did their best. But addressing individual members’ problems, and finding solutions to these problems, will improve the effectiveness of the team as a whole.
Building effective teams is often crucial in almost any human endeavor where multiple people are involved, in almost any field you care to imagine. And it is a skill that can be learned.
