Look on Brightside when developing a team

Team development is a topic that many organisations wrestle with. So how do you create a high performing team where the results occur and the members are motivated?

There are lots of different ways to approach team development, says Karran Bonner, who runs Dundee-based Brightside, an organisation specialising in training and coaching to help people and companies develop.

Here she discusses her approach to team development and provides you with three simple ways to do this.

Clarity of team strategy To perform at your highest level, you need to know what you are aiming for. With your team it is no different. Having a firm grasp on your team purpose, values, vision and a plan to implement it all is vital.

The most crucial part of setting the strategy up for success is to engage the team in this, don’t create it all on your own as the leader, get ideas and buy in from your team.

They will come up with a different perspective and solutions, whilst at the same time will feel heard and motivated to help bring the team strategy to fruition. So often I hear people say that they don’t have a clear direction or purpose in their team or job, it’s so important to get this step right early on in team formation.

Yerkes-Dodson human performance curve Often when teams are either too quiet or too busy they are not performing at their optimum levels. You need to give your team enough challenge so that they will reach their peak – you will notice in the Yerkes-Dodson performance curve that it shows we are at our best when we are stretched.

Find out what motivates and stretches your team, don’t guess or assume, have the development conversations with your team that are so crucial. A project that challenges and stretches your team will see them perform more effectively in all areas of their work, so make time to challenge your team.

Recognition If you have read any of my articles before you may have heard me talk about positive mindset and recognition. It is the single biggest factor that keeps someone in a job or wanting to start a new job search. If your team feel valued for the contribution they are making, they are much more likely to want to stay in your organisation.

Find out how your team like to be recognised – for some it’s low key, an email or a simple thank you. While some are motivated by recognition in the company awards or on the company intranet. There is no right or wrong – it’s about tailoring the type of recognition to your team.

For more information, see brightsideinspiration.com

If your team members feel valued they are much more likely to want to stay in your organisation, says Karran Bonner.