Good teamwork is vital for any successful enterprise. Employees want to feel part of a cohesive team where their efforts can make a difference.
Do you have your ‘dream team’ working happily and productively in your business or your department?
Perhaps you feel there’s still room for improvement. If so, you’re not alone!
Below are seven questions to help you identify the gaps in your team’s effectiveness, with best practice tips for your consideration.
Does everyone on your team understand the strategic plan and how the team’s successes (and failures) impact achieving the organisation’s goals? How involved were they in setting the goals of your team? Could they explain the goals to others?
Include the team in planning and communicate how the team’s performance will contribute to the organisational goals.
You will know the answer to this question through observation and questioning. Having a common goal is not enough in itself to ensure success. Commitment is also required. Sometimes lack of commitment can be due to a clash between the goal and the individual’s expectations.
Check with your team members that the goals are consistent with their values and aspirations.
Do you have the best combination of competencies for what you’re trying to achieve? If not, how will you add these resources – through training, outsourcing or hiring? Have you set clear expectations for both work performance and teamwork?
Build teams for future as well as current needs.
In detail, do you know each team member’s experience, skills and talents? Are they respected for their specialist knowledge? Do they get an opportunity to use their strengths?
Delegate tasks and responsibilities to individuals in their fields of expertise to give them a chance to shine.
Does the team leader effectively and appropriately share relevant information promptly? Does every team member get to express their opinion in an environment of respect and openness?
Introduce practices, such as meeting agendas, that allow all team members to contribute without feeling threatened.
Is there a spirit of cooperation, with team members going out of their way (and outside their designated roles) to get the work done to achieve your team objectives? Are team members happy to collaborate and share information and resources?
As with communication, a good team leader will model the expected behaviour from the rest of the team.
Work is work and can’t always be a party, but if people genuinely enjoy their work and the company of their team, you will achieve a lot more.
Celebrate your successes and when things go wrong, avoid blaming others.
Reflecting on these questions may have prompted some thoughts about how to improve your team. Don’t let them be lost!
Your next step is to decide on what actions you can take and plan how you will implement those actions. Write it down, share your ideas and ask for help from inside and outside your team.
Read more on better teamwork. A free report will teach you how your people management practices might impact your team. Find out more about The H Factor.
Need more help, but not sure where to start? Get in touch – we’re always happy to set you in the right direction!
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
Susan Rochester has been managing director of Balance at Work since 2006. Susan has a natural tendency to balance analytical thinking with an optimistic outlook to set direction and solve problems. She is an effective facilitator and constantly creates new and more effective ways of doing things, motivated by helping others to achieve their goals.