It’s one thing to have a staff of qualified employees. Getting them to work together as a team is quite another.
In order for a team to function effectively, team members must share a common strategy for reaching goals, according to Kristin Arnold, president of Quality Process Consultants Inc. in Stouffville, Ont.
Here are some steps to turn your staff into an effective team:
> Set clear objectives
Create a vision statement outlining common goals. Such a statement is the cornerstone in creating a strong and efficient team. Discuss as a team what goals you must meet to be successful.
“What do you want to achieve this year? What are some of your major goals?” says Jennifer Britton, president of Potentials Realized in Toronto. “What are the things you as a team want to be known for — within your client group or your organization?”
> Create a strategy
Once you have set goals you need a strategy to reach them. The strategy, Arnold says, should have three categories: the results, the process and the relationships.
The results are the milestones you use to track success or failure of a project. The process outlines how you will reach those milestones. The relationship is how you will go through that process and meet the goals and still want to work together on the next project.
“How do you want the relationships to be,” says Arnold. “What’s the team ambience, are we collegial or do we just we come into work and get it done?”
> Connect people to the plan
Engage team members by explaining how their work contributes to the overall plan.
“Rather than just being prescriptive and saying, ‘Let’s do it,’ have a conversation about what [the project] is going to look like,” says Britton. “Do you understand what your role involves in general? How does your role and what you do every day link to these bigger goals?”
> Know your team
Having intimate knowledge about team members individually helps build a stronger group. Everyone works differently; understanding those individual work habits will enhance teamwork, says Britton. “Get to know what they need in terms of their job performance, their questions about the goals or the visions, and what can they offer the team.”
> Be clear about rules
If a team has been together for some time there may be many implicit rules. To make the group healthier, try making those items more explicit. Those unwritten rules can be “all of those things we take for granted,” says Arnold, such as protocols about punctuality, deadlines, and even the use of profanity.
Clarifying those rules makes it easier for newcomers and helps the team leader indentify potential problems, Arnold says.
> Have regular team check-ups
With the ground rules understood and a strategy in place, it’s easy for a team to slide into “cruise control.” Make your team stronger and more aware by creating a “check-up” framework. Set a regular time to check on the status of projects or goals — such as at monthly team meetings, Britton say.
This is the first in a three-part series on team building. Up next: Team Communication.
IE