Teamwork comes up a lot in my work, and I often get asked to help simplify the creation and development of teams for my business clients. So much has been written about teamwork and how to make it work, and how to build great teams. It’s easy to understand why business leaders get overwhelmed or confused by the prospect of building great teamwork in their businesses. In the final analysis, however, there are some very elegant and simple core elements that if followed will ensure your success. Here are some bullet points to check off that will ensure you can build exceptional high-performance teams.
- Talented People On The Team: Your business MUST have humble, coachable, people with great attitudes who have been well-trained on how the business operates and how it makes money while serving your customers. If each one of those people identify strongly with the larger company team and believes in the company’s values, mission, and vision, then they will work diligently to support the cause. It is nearly impossible to achieve a high performing team with a lack of talented people to do the work, so recruiting, hiring and training well are prerequisites that MUST be prioritized and MUST be executed on.
- Teammates Possess Finely-Honed Skills: Your business MUST have experts who know your business better than your competitors, and they have to work consistently to perfect their skills. They also need to be committed to the idea of continuous improvement to sharpen those skills over time. If your team is skilled in researching problems and solutions, in engaging in dialogue about how to solve problems, and is able to lead one another to resolve conflict productively, your business will begin to move forward quickly and consistently.
- Everyone Identifies With The Team: Your business MUST establish a culture of teamwork where individuals know that the objectives of the team supersede those of individuals. Your teammates must believe the BEST in one another and expect the best for one another and for your customers. When a strong sense of community exists in your business, your teams will remain highly cohesive and will maintain a very high level of motivation and commitment to the cause.
How do you get started in making your organization more conducive to high-performance teamwork? First, figure out where you’re starting from and where you want to go. Analyze the competence of your current team in terms of talent, attitude and skill. If you need more talent or more skills, address those gaps immediately and aggressively. Set an example for your teams by highlighting the company’s values, and showing how teamwork will lead to success over time. Demand that all teammates treat one another with respect and believe the best in one another, while holding one another accountable for delivering results. Then keep your eyes on the horizon and watch the level of the team rise.
Michael is a frequent blogger, public speaker, and writer on business best practices. His business serves Business Executives all over the globe from his offices in Minnesota’s Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. If you’d like to arrange for Michael to speak to your audience about Business Best Practices, Teamwork, or Culture, send an email to info@michaelbeachcoach.com.
