What makes a great team

What makes a great team?

We have all heard the saying a champion team will beat a team of champions and in sport as well as business this is true. Below are a few tips on improving your team.

1) Keep decision making teams small, groups of 6 or more reduces the decision making process and most meetings end up as a talk feast.

2) Basic Needs Met. That is, Physical comfort, security, safety, and maintenance of an environment that supports these. If lower order needs are neglected, higher group function is unlikely.

3) Mutual Trust. Trust is developed and maintained to the extent required to accomplish the tasks at hand. Members are honest and transparent with one another, expressing their personal interests clearly and directly. Mutual trust is essential to complete communication.

4) Mutual Respect. Individuals act with civility toward one another. Honest, respectful, and complete communication maintains healthy levels of energy, motivation, and commitment to the group. Mutual respect makes it safe to look at and improve on weaknesses. The words “You should” or “you must” should not be used. Far better to say; “From my experience, I would consider doing”. Pointing the finger and saying “YOU” will only increase tension and reduce respect.

5) Committed to Growth. Periodic reviews of process, status of individual members, accomplishments, corrective action plans, etc. assure group corrects problems and continues to improve.

6) Shared Responsibility. All group members are willing and able to contribute to the group vision. This means that they have the skills required and desire to apply them to the problems of the group. Each member assumes 100% responsibility for the group's mission and sees to it that they assume their fair share of the work. This perspective supports a sharing of the leadership burden.

7) Shared Leadership. Group leadership shows up organically as needed. An individual leader may emerge or may not. Everyone in the group assumes responsibility for the emergence of effective leadership. The leadership role may be taken up by different individuals at different times, shifting as the situation warrants and as individuals are internally called to take it on. Comprehensive understanding of leadership responsibilities and burdens cultivates a group's ability to work toward consensus. Regular changing the chairperson can help ensure everyone improves their responsibility.

8) Shared Vision. The group maintains a desire to find and pursue a common goal or vision. A shared vision rallies group energy and commitment to a purpose higher than any one individual. A fully functional group pursuing a shared vision has the best chance of producing their desired results.

9) Produces Desired Results. The group's "product" meets or exceeds the standards of its customer. A clear measure of a group's effectiveness relies on the answer to this question, "Did the group produce results as good or better than required by those who will use them?"
This is a powerful question that should be asked after every meeting.