Teamwork is an ART. Yes, it takes practice and intuition, and each team is different however there are many similarities on how to build a successful team.
Many people believe that teamwork is something that just naturally happens over time when you get a group of individuals together. This is so far from the truth.
If, like many leaders, you are struggling to build your team then you may want to start thinking about HOW and WHAT you need to do to change this. Teamwork is the foundation of all great results. Teamwork is not just about getting along and cooperation. It is way more than that.
Teamwork starts with building team trust.
There are a few things you need to ask the team before you start the journey of building your team.
- What are they willing to do for the team? This is a good question because it asks team members do they think about the team versus their own performance. Most people are naturally selfish. They think about what their own needs are first. But building a team really starts with each member putting the best interests of each team member first.
- Is each member clear on their strengths and deficiencies? And have they shared them with each other? Everyone has different talents and the most successful teams don’t try and negate them; they actually look towards each team member with no insecurities in themselves.
- Can each member feel successful without individual recognition for their talent? Ego will kill a team. Because there is no room for EGO in a team environment everyone needs to know that they don’t win unless the team wins.
- Is each member willing to let the other lead? In each team there will always be a leader, and their should be depending on the project that the team is assigned to. Again different people have different talents and skills so wouldn’t it make sense that the person with the most knowledge lead a certain project?
- Does the team communicate together weekly? In this day and age lots of teams are working virtually and away from a normal office environment. It’s easy to have virtual calls and video session now with google hangouts and Zoom or FaceTime. By using these tools to keep everyone connected it will build relationships and in turn help the team.
So next time you are racking your brain around how to build your dream team, ask yourself and your team these questions and see what you come up with together!
