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“Teamwork” has become one of those buzzwords that makes many of us shudder. Often times, team members work with conflicting purposes and the team, instead of being a productivity aid, becomes their biggest obstacle.
It does not have to be this way. Working with a team can improve morale, decrease frustration, and increase productivity without overwhelming team members. Whether your “team” is a soccer team, a project focused group, or the board of directors, better teamwork benefits the entire organization. The question is, how do you build a better team? Here are a couple of steps that can make your team a winner.
Step 1: put all your players on the same page
Start with achievable goals and clearly defined roles. Everyone on your team must understand what they are working for and what role each team member plays in achieving goals (Maddux, 2003). For many of us, it is extremely frustrating to be on a team without a clear direction and purpose. We attend a few meetings, eat too many donuts, try not to fall asleep, and then return to our desks to look at the pile of work that still awaits us. There is a better way. If you lead the team, be clear about the group’s goals (Simmons, 1998). Put goals in writing and make sure each team member has a copy (Baker, 2003). Be specific. Include all project details and deadlines. Identify obstacles and limitations that the team may face and work with the team to decide how the group as a whole can overcome them.
If you are not leading the team, you can still ask for clarification of goals and objectives (Covey, 2004). Keep lines of communication clear with teammates. Make sure you understand your role on the team and that you have the resources to do your job. Gain an understanding of the roles of your teammates to avoid duplication of effort.
Step 2: train the team
The second step to building a better team is to practice comprehensive team building from the beginning. In an ideal world, each team would be made up of perfectly complementary personalities and everyone would always get along as best friends. The ideal world is a nice place, but we live in the real world. Teams are made up of people, each of whom has unique personality traits and some of whom hardly know each other. Good teamwork doesn’t necessarily require intricate interpersonal relationships or friendships. What it does require is effective team building (Willcocks, 1997) from the start. Team building sessions, where members’ concerns, problems, and problems can be resolved, are a healthy way to prevent problems.
Team building should have two parts, one that focuses on group skills and one that focuses on project-specific skills or training. The whole team should come together to encourage communication and ensure that everyone is moving in the same direction.
Developing group skills can be a daunting task. How are adults trained to get along and work as a team? The best place to start is with profiling and assessment tools. Individual behavioral assessments such as DiSC® are specifically designed for use in a business setting. They are invaluable in team building (Boydell, 2005) because they provide a clear picture of your team members, specifically what kinds of tasks they do best. Unlike generic personality tests, behavioral assessments assess team members for job-related skills and styles. By comparing reports, team members gain a better understanding of the resources they have on their teammates. Since these types of assessments focus on work behaviors and not personal problems, they provide a constructive tool for the work environment without making people feel vulnerable or specific.
Team-specific process tools, such as the Team Dimension Profile, published by Inscape Publishing, help identify individual roles within a team to create a cohesive unit and avoid energy-wasting overlaps in effort. Even if you are not in charge of the team, some of these tools can help you. Behavior profiles help identify strengths and weaknesses at work. Team process tools can help you identify the tasks that would be best suited for each team member. Some people are great at brainstorming, but lack the skills to move projects forward. Others are not creative at all, but when they are assigned tasks, they make sure they are completed before deadlines. There are other roles on the team and balancing them all makes for an effective workgroup. Recognizing personal traits and understanding the traits of others improves communication and helps the team function more efficiently.
Project specific skills involve training the team in the tools they will use. An overview of the necessary tools and skills, such as project-specific software and analysis tools, should be part of the basic team-building process. After the initial overview, project-specific skills are often best delivered on an as-needed basis, bringing training as close to the actual need as possible. If the project involves the use of new equipment that will not arrive for another six months, it is best to wait until closer to the actual arrival date to train those who will use the equipment. Giving team members an overview of the tools and skills they will need will allow everyone involved to work effectively.
Get to the goal line and score
The final key to good team building is to remember that it is an evolving process. Continuous evaluation of progress and goals ensures that the group is on track and continues to function efficiently. If you provided clear direction and purpose, identified team roles, trained the team in project-specific skills, and set deadlines, you should be well on your way to working well as a team. Teamwork is truly a dynamic exercise and the ability to adapt is essential.
Many of us operate in a competitive environment where a focus on effective team processes can give us an advantage. Building a better team requires defining the goals and roles of your team members, incorporating effective team building tools, and remembering that team building is an ongoing dynamic process.