Secrets of Successful Teams

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

To be a success is not always to be a success individually. In fact, most of the time we achieve our successes as part of a team. That is why I want to devote this issue to the secrets of successful team.

We are all part of teams. Our family is a team. Our place of work is a team. The community groups we belong to are teams. Sometimes we are the team leader or "coach," while other times we fulfill the role of follower, or "player." It is so important then for us to understand teams and how they work, especially those who achieve success - the achievement of their desired goal.

In my life I have been on some successful teams, and some not so successful teams. This includes both athletically as well as professionally. When I was growing up, I worked for seven years with the Seattle Supersonics, our local National Basketball Association team. They were at times unsuccessful, and, in 1979, my second year working there, the most successful team in the league, winning the World Championship. I have been able to see firsthand what makes the difference between the unsuccessful teams and the successful ones.

Here are some principles that I know, when implemented on a regular basis, can turn any lackluster team into an outstanding one! These principles can be applied to your family, your business, your organization, and yes, your sports team. Enjoy.

1. Communication/Leader

The leader needs to communicate the vision. If they are setting the pace, they need to let people know where they are going so that the team can follow. The coach always does a pre-game talk, laying out the vision.

The leader communicates the vision frequently, so as to always be updating the team as to where they are at and what changes need to be made. The coach doesn't relegate the direction he gives to the pre-game, he coaches and communicates all the way through the game.

2. Team

Watch a good basketball team. They are talking to each other all of the time. Helping one another out, encouraging one another, praising one another, and telling each other how they can make changes so the same mistakes aren't made again. The same is true of successful teams in the professional world and in life in general.

3. Excellence

The truly great teams are teams that are committed to excellence. In everything they do, their goal is to achieve at the highest level. And this commitment is held throughout the team and at every level. A successful team cannot have members who are not committed to excellence because in the end they will become the weak link.

4. Followership

If you want a fascinating read, pick up The Power of Followership, by Robert Kelley. The author basically makes the point that the secret to getting things done lies not only in great leadership, but in how well the rest of the people, 99% of the team, follows the leadership. Good teams are filled with people who are committed to following and getting the job done.

5. Understanding Roles

Pardon the Chicago Bulls analogy, but it is so clear. When the game was on the line, with only one shot left, everyone, the coaches, the players, the 20,000 people watching in the stadium, and millions watching on TV, knew who would shoot the last shot. That was Michael Jordan's role.

Every team works best when the members of the team have clearly defined and understood roles. Some do one thing, others do another. One isn't better or more important than the other, just different. When teams operate out of their strengths and their roles, they win.

6. Strengths and Weaknesses

This brings me to strengths and weaknesses. Every team member has strengths and weaknesses. The successful teams are those who on a regular and consistent basis enable the members to operate out of their strengths and not out of their weaknesses. And what is one person's strengths will cover another's weakness. This is teamwork, enabling all of the bases to be covered.

7. Fun

The team that plays together stays together. Is your team all work and no play? If you're smart, that will change. Get your team out of the office once a month and go have some fun. Enjoy one another. Enjoy life. It will bring a sense of bonding that can't be made even in "winning."

8. Common Goals and Vision

I have found that these need to have three aspects. Short, simple and clear.
Can you say it in less than 30 seconds? Is it simple? Can you and others understand it? Does the team all know what they are working together for?

9. Appreciation

All through the "game," successful teams appreciate one another and show it in a variety of ways. The coach shows it to the players, the players show it to the coach, and the players show it to one another

source : www.sourceofarticles.com

Building a Successful Team

Once you've set a goal for yourself as a leader - whether it is to create your own enterprise, energize your organization, build a church, or excel in sports - the challenge is to find good people to help you accomplish that goal. Gathering a successful team of people is not only helpful, it's necessary.

So to guide you in this daunting task of picking the right people, I'm going to share with you a four-part checklist.

Number One: Check each candidate's history. Seek out available information regarding the individual's qualifications to do the job. That's the most obvious step.

Number Two: Check the person's interest level. If they are interested, they are probably a good prospect. Sometimes people can fake their interest, but if you've been a leader for a while, you will be a capable judge of whether somebody is merely pretending. Arrange face-to-face conversation, and try to gauge his or her sincerity to the best of your ability. You won't hit the bull's-eye every time, but you can get pretty good at spotting what I call true interest.

Number Three: Check the prospect's responses. A response tells you a lot about someone's integrity, character, and skills. Listen for responses like these: "You want me to get there that early?" "You want me to stay that late?" "The break is only ten minutes?" "I'll have to work two evenings a week and Saturdays?" You can't ignore these clues. A person's responses are a good indication of his or her character and of how hard he or she will work. Our attitudes reflect our inner selves, so even if we can fool others for a while, eventually, our true selves will emerge.

And Number Four: Check results. The name of the game is results. How else can we effectively judge an individual's performance? The final judge must be results.

There are two types of results to look for. The first is activity results. Specific results are a reflection of an individual's productivity. Sometimes we don't ask for this type of result right away, but it's pretty easy to check activity. If you work for a sales organization and you've asked your new salesman, John, to make ten calls in the first week, it's simple to check his results on Friday. You say, "John, how many calls did you make?" John says, "Well..." and starts telling a story, making an excuse. You respond, "John, I just need a number from one to ten." If his results that first week are not good, it is a definite sign. You might try another week, but if that lack of precise activity continues, you'll soon realize that John isn't capable of becoming a member of your team.

The second area you need to monitor is productivity. The ultimate test of a quality team is measurable progress in a reasonable amount of time. And here's one of the skills of leadership: be up front with your team as to what you expect them to produce. Don't let the surprises come later.

When you're following this four-part checklist, your instincts obviously play a major role. And your instincts will improve every time you go through the process. Remember, building a good team will be one of your most challenging tasks as a leader. It will reap you multiple rewards for a long time to come.

source : http://www.sourceofarticles.com

The Top Ten Methods to Create a Successful Work Team

Teams are often useful in situations where the task cannot be completed individually or if the task requires working interdependently. However, a successful team requires thought and planning. Too often, a group of individuals is simply thrown together, given a mandate, "marching orders" and then told, "Now go make us proud!"

To create an effective work team, defined outcomes, common goals and correct skills are keys to success. Here are ten methods to create a successful work team.

1. Create a common, shared (team) goal.

There must be a central focus that the team is moving towards and it must also include a strong task orientation that translates into each person knowing how to move towards that goal.

2. Have measurable outcomes.

Team execution is usually more effective if you can measure what the team produces. Standards of excellence should be established so that the team understands what the target is and ongoing measurement (milestones) towards the desired outcome should also be implemented.

3. Promote interdependency.

Each person needs to know what he or she is going to contribute and also how what they contribute fits into the "big picture". Discourage personal (individual) competition in favor of the team's agenda and purpose.

4. Help the team to understand and appreciate differences.

Teamwork is an individual skill and each individual brings unique talent, value, communication needs, strengths and limitations to the team. Building an effective, unified team requires each person first understands their own "style" and is then able to recognize and appreciate the "styles" of others.

5. Make sure team members have the right skills.

Technical (hard) skills as well as interpersonal, problem solving (soft) skills are equally important to the team's success. Don't neglect one for the other. Discover where the needs are and then provide the right training to meet those skill needs.

6. Train and then follow up on training.

Long-term retention of newly learned training skills requires ongoing coaching and assistance from immediate supervisors and coaches. Frequent inquiries into how recently trained team members are progressing and feedback will help them continue practicing what they have learned.

7. Spell out lines of communication.

It's important to know how to communicate with one another as well as the "flow" of communication.

8. Continually stress the team's purpose.

It may seem simplistic, but frequently reminding team members of the "what" and the "why" is critical to ensuring the vision and mission stay fresh and that the team remains focused on the desired outcome. Revisit the team's mission as well as the desired outcome often.

9. Provide detailed agendas for team meetings.

Meetings are not always the most effective or efficient use of the team's time, but if a meeting is necessary, make sure it is structured so that the time is well spent. Outcome agendas are particularly effective. More than simply a list of items to be discussed, these will spell out exactly what outcomes will occur during and following the meeting.

10. Be a model.

People will respond according to the actions - not the words of their leaders. If you want effective teamwork, model it first and foremost. Performance advisor and author, Darcy Hitchcock, puts it this way: "employees are professional 'boss watchers'. That is, what managers say means nothing unless their actions model what they say." Leading is the act of influencing others to act, which is difficult if you have one set of standards for yourself and another for everybody else.

source : http://www.sourceofarticles.com