Team building is not just a series of fun events

In an effective teamwork culture, people understand and believe that

thinking, planning, decisions and actions are better when done cooperatively. People recognize, and even assimilate the belief that “none of us

is as good as all of us”

Teamwork has become an important and crucial part of our working culture today. The corporate sector has come to the realization that when using effective teamwork, better results are achieved. No task is too small or large when there is a team willing to set aside self-seeking goals and unite as one to accomplish the final goal.

Organisations that survive the 21st century will undoubtedly be characterized by teamwork. Organisations that are characterized by teamwork eliminate the ‘us vs. them’ way of thinking. This type of change creates a platform for new and fresh ideas which will help any organisation to realize its full potential.

High performance

If you are a team leader, the first thing you must understand is high-performance teams rarely come about naturally. They must be created, developed and managed. And second, the hierarchy needs to introduce an effective and friendly working atmosphere to systemically build teamwork within their organisation. What is needed is an organisation culture that encompasses all aspects of organisational life, from creating the strategic vision and winning customers, to implementing and executing the processes to support the strategic vision.

In an effective teamwork culture, people understand and believe that thinking, planning, decisions and actions are better when done cooperatively. People recognize, and even assimilate the belief that “none of us is as good as all of us.” A teamwork culture can be created by doing just a few things right. Admittedly, they’re the hard things, but with commitment and appreciation for the value, an overall sense of teamwork in an organisation could be brought into existence.

Common goal

Let me give you a simple example of a trading organisation selling bath ware. From the definition of a team, we first have to define the common goal of the sales team before we can define who is in it. Let us suppose that the goal is ‘to increase the sales of the company by 20% this year’.

Who contributes to that goal? There are many people: Sales team that undertakes selling to clients Sales manager, who ensures the sales people are equipped to sell properly Accounts team that controls the costs of the product to keep it competitively priced and maximize the return on the client’s investment, making the product more attractive to buy Administrators, who process the sales orders quickly so that the client does not lose patience and move to a competitor company Human resources team that recruits high performing sales people, and provide training to maximize sales Customer care team that provides marketing literature that looks professional and makes the product seem attractive and handles after sales service Maintenance staff that keeps sales offices looking attractive, so that clients and prospects feel comfortable visiting the showroom Stores team that efficiently packs and delivers the order in time Back office team that faithfully attends to documentation In this simple example, it is easy to see the need for a corporate culture that recognizes and values the contribution that everyone makes to the sales process. The whole organisation is truly a team, and working together towards a set of common goals.

Guidelines

To design, develop and support a highly effective team, let me give you a few guidelines: To lead a team effectively, the team leader must first establish his/her leadership with each team member. This is the golden rule. Remember that the most effective team leaders build their relationships of trust and loyalty, rather than fear or the power of their positions.

The team leader has the following responsibilities: Consider each team member’s ideas as valuable. There is no such thing as a stupid idea. Be aware of team members’ unspoken feel- ings. Set an example to team members by being open and sensitive to their moods and feelings. Act as a harmonizing influence. Look for chances to mediate and resolve minor disputes; point continually toward the team’s higher goals. Be clear when communicating. Be careful to clarify directives. Encourage trust and cooperation among your team members. The relationships team members establish among themselves are every bit as important as those you establish with them. As the team begins to take shape, pay close attention to the ways in which team members work together and take steps to improve communication, trust, and respect in those relationships. Encourage team members to share information. Emphasize the importance of each team member’s contribution and demonstrate how all of their jobs operate together to move the entire team closer to its goal. Delegate problem-solving tasks to the team. Let the team work on creative solutions together. Facilitate communication. This does not mean holding meetings all the time. Instead it means setting an example by remaining open to suggestions and concerns, by asking questions and offering help, and by doing everything you can to avoid confusion in your own communication. Evaluate team performance. Talk with your team members about the progress they are making toward established goals so that team members get a sense both of their success and of the challenges that lie ahead. Discuss with your team: Do we really care about in performing our job? What does the word success mean to this team? What additional actions can we take to live up to our stated values? Make sure that you have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish. Understand what your standards for success are going to be; check whether you have established clear time frames, and that team members understand their responsibilities. Use consensus. Set objectives, solve problems, and plan for action. While it takes much longer to establish consensus, this method ultimately provides better decisions and greater productivity. Set ground rules for the team. These are the norms that you and the team establish to ensure efficiency and success. They can be simple directives (team members are to be punctual for meetings) or general guidelines (every team member has the right to offer ideas and suggestions), but you should make sure that the team creates these ground rules by consensus and commits to them, both as a group and as individuals. Establish a method for arriving at a consensus. Select whether you want to conduct an open debate about the pros and cons of proposals, or establish research committees to investigate issues and deliver reports. Encourage brainstorming. Create consensus by stimulating debate. Generally, team members are often afraid to disagree with one another and that this fear can lead the team to make mediocre decisions. By encouraging debate creativity can be inspired.

Team destroyers

Here are some of the problems that can rip the team-building process apart: Be on guard for jealousy whenever a new member is recruited into the group. Go out of your way to tell other team members how much their work is appreciated. Some people are just negative by nature. They might feel the organisation cannot pos- sibly prosper. Emphasize the company’s positive achievements to the group as a whole. And don’t hesitate to confront any openly cynical individual and demand his behaviour change at once. Some team members may lack self-confidence and view any constructive criticism on their opinions as personal attacks. Help him/her to develop self-confidence. By counseling or with outside help, the mental edge needed to reach his/her potential can be resurrected. It is the team leader’s responsibility.

Perfect leader

In practice, no one is a perfect leader. There are, therefore, two main ways to maintain effective and fulfilling leadership.

The first solution is to find a leadership role that provides a good match between the individual’s preferences and the demands of the context. Sometimes that might involve moving from one department or company to another. Someone who is a poor leader in an accountancy environment may be a good leader in a marketing environment.

The second solution is to be realistic about what an individual can achieve, and allow a degree of compromise based on ‘good enough’ leadership. For example, responsibilities could be shared by a leadership team in which a variety of preferences and skills are represented. The allowable weaknesses of each leader can then be complemented by the strengths of other members of the leadership team.