What Makes a Great Team?

A team comprises two or more people who partner their skills and talents to achieve some common goal. Not all teams are created equal of course. A team can easily become dysfunctional with the result that achievement of goals is problematic.

When we recognise what sets a good team apart from one that flounders, we’re in a better place to set up a team that’s bound for success.

So, before we identify what makes a successful team, let’s look first at…

Why Teams Fail

Environmental Influences:

• Physical separation prevents members from meeting frequently
• The team is not given adequate resources to do the job
• There is no recognition of team effort
• There is a lack of recognition by the organisation or its leaders that a team exists

Goals:

• Members do not participate in setting goals
• Goals are unclear
• Goals are not communicated
• Everyone is doing their own thing without attention to team goals

Roles:

• Responsibilities are poorly defined
• No clear leader is identified
• There is buck-passing of responsibility
• Members engage in power plays for authority and control
• Members refuse to recognize their interdependence and act as if they were independent

Processes:

• Decisions are always a crisis situation
• Decision-making is dominated by one person
• Communications are one way, top down and channeled through the leader
• Minor points are debated endlessly
• Meetings are unproductive with the issues unresolved
• Meetings cover trivia versus significant issues
• Actions are taken without planning
• Members work individually without reference to one another
• Members are late for meetings or do not attend

Relationships:

• Members are unwilling to be identified with the team
• There is disguised conflict between members
• There are severe personality conflicts
• Relationships are competitive

With that said, now let’s look at…

What Makes an Effective Team

Highly effective teams have:

• A clear, elevating goal
• A results-driven structure
• Competent members
• Unified commitment
• A collaborative climate
• Standards of excellence
• External support and recognition
• Principled leadership

Want to learn more about Coaching & Leading a Team? Feel free to contact us for more info.