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Have you ever heard the saying “teamwork makes the dream work”? How true is this? What makes a dream team?
Take, for example, a basketball team. The players all have the same common goal. However, they need to help and support one another to achieve this goal.
The skills and experience of your team matter. Having a strong team will help you achieve your common goal.
The Importance of a Strong Team
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Even the most innovative entrepreneurs can only scale from an idea to actualized success with the help of a team.
As a leader, your team members are often the foundation for your and the organization's success. Team members feel valued, supported, and respected when they're part of a team built on a solid foundation.
[Start with] hiring individuals who have the necessary experience and training for the job, and providing ongoing opportunities for learning and development.
1. Establish Rules and Guidelines
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Setting ground rules from day one allows team members to understand what is expected of them. Let team members know the kind of team atmosphere you want to create.
Outline the team's mission, values, and goals and clearly define performance expectations, including the quality of work, deadlines, time off expectations, communication guidelines, and expected behavior within the team and those external to it.
Expectations and rules help create a goal-oriented team motivated to work towards a shared common goal.
2. Show Respect
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Understand your team members' obligations and respect their unique talents, gifts, and abilities to boost their confidence and well-being.
Take time to understand individual team members' unique talents and strengths. Empower team members to take the lead in areas where they excel.
For example, assign the team member who is good at troubleshooting to handle tasks requiring technical support and delegate customer service tasks to the one with expertise in that area.
Remember that a team with a diverse skill set with a wide range of expertise to solve complex problems often produces better results.
3. Delegate Tasks and Duties
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Every team member should know their responsibilities and understand how their role fits within the team.
Align tasks suited to the role. For instance, marketing strategists are responsible for developing marketing plans, content creators generate campaign content, graphic designers create visual materials, and data analysts provide insights through data analysis.
Equal and fairly distributed tasks between team members will make them feel valued and encourage collaboration.
Quiz
You're a team lead on a software development project. What roles would you assign your administrative assistant? Select all that apply.
Tasks such as scheduling team meetings and managing the team calendar are part of an administrative assistant’s role. When tasks are correctly aligned to roles, there is a greater chance of team success.
4. Communicate and Build Connections
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Meet team members individually and as a team to provide support, guidance, and suggestions.
Provide specific feedback and suggestions tailored to individual team members' behaviour to provide support, guidance, and suggestions in a one-on-one meeting. Use team meetings to discuss their concerns, frustrations, and suggestions openly.
Allowing team members to discuss matters privately and in a group allows for better information flow, reduces misunderstandings, and improves productivity.
5. Collaborate
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Give team members the autonomy to make decisions, take initiative, and be creative to solve problems using their skills, expertise, and strengths.
When problems or challenges arise, encourage team members to collaborate and brainstorm solutions. Meet as a team to discuss the issues, propose ideas, and collectively decide on the best course of action.
This helps to create a supportive environment that boosts morale and problem-solving capabilities.
Quiz
One of your team members is struggling to write a project document. What is the most effective way to support them? Select all that apply.
As a leader, sometimes, you may need to step in or take over to support your team members with tasks and projects they might be struggling with. However, encouraging them to find solutions independently is a more effective way for them to learn and grow.
6. Motivate and Reward
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Give positive feedback and praise that highlights your appreciation for their hard work. Use positive reinforcement when mistakes are made.
Regularly praise team members for their hard work, dedication, and accomplishments. Point out individual and team achievements, reinforcing the importance of their hard work and dedication.
This builds an environment of effective leadership that leads to a more successful team through direction and inspiration.
Quiz
Your team just completed a huge project. What can you do to recognize this achievement? Select all that apply.
Celebrating and praising team members in meetings, announcing achievements in the company newsletter, and providing customized certificates of achievement are great ways to celebrate completing a huge project. Assigning additional tasks fails to acknowledge team members' dedication, making them feel undervalued and unappreciated.
Take Action
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Take the time to understand your team, what they need, and how you can support their growth and development. As a leader, having a foundation built on a strong team empowers you and your team to achieve individual, collective, and organizational success.
To begin, follow these action items
This Byte has been authored by
Shalini Sadana
Learning & Development Professional