To have a successful team, you need to have a team. Not just a team of professionals but a team of people who share the same drive, energy and goals.
Entrepreneurs always talk about teams. Either about having a good team or building a good team but in reality very few of them actually know how to build a great team.
In every business you will need a team of individuals who handles different aspect and departments of your company while you focus on developing the business and the difficult part of this is finding the right group of people to do this with.
It should however be noted that there is no such thing as a perfect team. It is the duty of the leader to harness the qualities of each staff so that they can be productive. The leader should understand that people are different and what motivates them differs too. So basically, building a great team depends on the people management skills of the leader.
Here are tips for building successful work teams in your organization.
LEADERSHIP
The first and most important rule in building a successful team is effective leadership on the part of the leader of the team. A leader should be able to lead effectively and also to instill his leadership, ideas, believes and vision on the rest of the team. The leader should be able to do this with loyalty and trust and not from fear and threats. Once the team genuinely respects and shares the vision of the leader, the stage is now set for the building of a robust team spirit.
ENCOURAGE TEAM PARTICIPATION.
Every team member should be encourage to have an idea and contribute to topics and issues affecting the organization. This gives them a sense of belonging. And this doesn’t necessarily mean all decisions from team members should be implemented. However, sharing ideas and debating them can lead to good ideas eventually and this whole process fosters unity amongst the team and remember there is no such thing as a stupid idea.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Lack of clear communication from both the leader to the team or from among the team members can be tiring and frustrating and can eventually affect productivity of the team.
Communication should be clear and precise. This doesn’t mean meetings should be held all the time but you should be open to questions and suggestions and doing all you can to make sure your team understands your message and directives at all time.
ACT AS A HARMONIZING INFLUENCE.
With the coming together of different people with different ideas, disagreements and clashes are going to occur. It is important as a leader to mediate and resolve minor disputes and to continually point continually toward the team’s higher goals.
BE AWARE OF EMPLOYEES’ FEELINGS.
Sometimes, your employees may be undergoing a difficult moment in their personal life and this may be in their family, relationships or health which may affect their performance at work. Being sensitive to their moods and feelings can go a long way in fostering a tight bond between you and your team. It’s important to set an example by being open and showing genuine concern to their moods and feelings. Occasionally ask after their family, health or relationship. Check up on your team once in a while.
SET RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE TEAM
In order for a team to stay focused and stay on course in its pursuit of its goals and objectives, it’s necessary for the team to be guided by norms. They can be simple guidelines like punctuality or general guidelines like meeting specific targets but you should make sure that the team creates these ground rules by consensus and commits to them.
APPRECIATE YOUR TEAM
Entrepreneurs may have the business ideas but it the team that helps achieve them. Your team should never be taken for granted and they should be appreciated when they perform well. Appreciation can be from recognition to bonuses. Treat them well and they will treat your business well.