Why is it that some teams stay together, flourish and exceed their objectives whilst others have a never ending turnover of staff and make little progress towards achieving their goals?
Having experienced a number of different teams close up I would like to share with you my observations on the common traits of teams that perform.
If you want your team to flourish you may want to consider the points below. Facilitated Strategic Planning sessions can play a key role in delivering many of these points.
Clear goals – everyone in the team has a clear understanding of what is to be achieved in terms of quantifiable targets and the benefit of achieving those targets i.e. what achieving the targets will mean for them and their organisation
Clear strategy – the team has a clear strategy for achieving its goals and each team member knows what is expected of them in terms of their role in implementing the strategy
Regular reviews – regular reviews are undertaken to evaluate performance in implementing the strategy
Leadership by example – the leader of the team has a genuine desire for achieving the goals of the organisation and sets the standard for the required performance
Commitment to improvement – the leader believes in personal development; there is a genuine interest in the personal development of team members and assisting them to achieve their career goals
Opinions are sought and valued – opinions of team members are sought, valued and acted upon through formal and informal team planning sessions
Investment reaps rewards – investing in training and coaching for team members is seen as an investment not a cost
Delegated responsibility – the leader manages the team and lets the team members get on with their job rather than undertaking and duplicating the work they have employed the team member to do
They play together – they take time out to interact, bond and get to know each other as people rather than operate simply as fellow employees.
The benefits to the organisation of a team having these traits
Team members stay longer which means that their experience, knowledge and relationships stay within the organisation and can be built upon
The consequences of not having these traits
There is a never ending cycle of recruitment costs and non productive periods where new team members are brought ‘up to speed’ and rebuild internal and external relationships
So how does your team rate?
What are the areas that your team could improve on?