Great Teams Balance Smart Leadership with Strong Strategy
There is no other force in business quite as powerful as a winning team, but building a winning team can be a tricky business. It’s part art and part science. In fact, trying to wrangle the varied personalities and skillsets within a team can often feel like you’re trying to solve a constantly-changing puzzle.
Self-development guru Brian Tracy said, “Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it.” These 6 team-building tips are presented to help you become “very good at it.”
1. Winning teams are solutions-based.
Winning teams are committed to focusing on the end game while being authentic and brutally honest with each other. They face the truth and look for the innovation to achieve the desired outcome. If you make your teams goals clear, then they’ll in turn be clear about what they need to achieve.
2. Understand your impact as a leader.
Much like a thermostat, leaders of high-performance teams set the temperature for the team. It’s not enough to reflect the temperature of a team like a thermometer. The leader sets the pace and creates the energy that the team follows.
3. Invest in people.
Tracy advises, “Invest 10% back into yourself and team.” Great people and teams invest in themselves. For example, you might try fostering thought leadership among your team; it will create greater opportunities and credibility for everyone in your organization.
4. Before filling a team role, be clear about the role you want to fill and the ideal candidate for it.
Getting clarity about the role and person before interviewing will keep your eye on the ball and keep you from falling into the curve ball trap. Start with your outcome, then take action to achieve your outcome.
5. Know the difference between judging and evaluating.
Moving from judgement to facts is key when finding talent. It’s easy to bring in our past beliefs and judgements. To avoid the judgement trap, separate bias, beliefs, past stories, and references by pausing to take a step back to uncover the truth. Consider information from lateral sources, direct reports and superiors, and utilize unbiased assessment tools.
6. Value your team enough to continuously improve yourself.
Being an example for your team seems fundamental; it is, however, absolutely paramount. Find ways to always work on yourself to be the best you can become. The more you sharpen yourself, the better the team becomes.