Build successful teams that are cohesive and self-improving.
It’s rare for significant results to be achieved by individuals in today’s economy; teams have substantially greater success. What do good ones have in common?
- One clear purpose – Typically, a team has one purpose since it’s formed specifically for that purpose. However, is your purpose or reason for being clear? The best teams are crystal clear on where they are going and why.
- One objective – A foundational element of a team is that there is an overarching objective -what do you expect to accomplish? If each person has a different objective, you don’t have a team; you have a committee.
- One measuring system – Can one person succeed while another fails? If so, you have a committee. Instead, a true team will succeed or fail together with common metrics.
- Accountability – Your team should share accountability for achieving your objective. Who is responsible for which action items? The best teams are self-selecting – if someone isn’t holding up their share, it is addressed (often the person improves with peer pressure or self-selects out).
- Rewards – Certainly, one of the best aspects of having a team is to celebrate success and to create a feeling that you are “in it together”. Thus, it is critical to celebrate progress and success.