Effective teams and groups deliver more results quicker than any individual ever could. So what do you need to do as a manager or leader to bring out the best in teams?
1. Give them a clear purpose
The best teams know why they exist and what issue or issues they are tackling. In other words they have a very clear purpose. If you want to get the best from teams give them a clear and unambiguous purpose.
2. Get the right people on the team
If teams are to prosper they need to have people on the team with the right mix of skills, knowledge and personal attributes to deliver results. Ask yourself what’s missing on a team and then look for ways of getting people on the team to address these gaps.
3. Set expectations
You don’t want to micro manage teams but at the same time you need to be willing to set some expectations of the team. These expectations will include areas such as what is to be delivered, ways of behaving and ways of interacting to name just a few.
4. Encourage innovation
Have you ever noticed that when you get a group of people together, whole range of ideas and possibilities are created? Encourage teams to innovate and translate these ideas and possibilities into solutions that result in a step change in performance and results achieved.
5. Support risk taking
When teams are taking risk they are more than likely moving towards action. Encourage and support teams to take balanced risks having weighed up the benefits and drawbacks.
Bottom Line – Bringing out the best in teams can lead to significant change in organisational performance. So what do you need to do differently to bring out the best in your teams?
