Somewhere along the way you made a decision, you took control of the things under your control, got to know yourself, your dreams and desires and you paid the price to make your dream a reality by mastering self-discipline and personal leadership. That is what a leader needs to build effective team. Are you a team builder?
This isn't always the case with most team leaders - they don't know how to build teams, because they themselves have not yet built themselves. Many team leaders are not in control of themselves, they are not motivated, inspiring or results-oriented.
Team leaders may not be aware of the fact that to lead, inspire or to motivate others they must first lead inspire and motivate themselves. How can you give something to somebody else if you first don't have it yourself to give? Effective team building is from the inside - out.
You need to take an inside-out approach and take inventory. You need to go to work on yourself for yourself before you can get into team building.
You are the # 1 person in the world. If you can't do it for yourself, how can you do it for anyone else? These disciplines must first be mastered before you could master anything else, and only then can you demonstrate it in team building.
Before you create and build a team you must know why you are creating one and the expected outcomes. But, are you the team leader? If you are, you best understand the job description, roles and behaviors of being a leader and how to increase leadership effectiveness.
A leader no longer directs people but develops self-motivated individuals. They don't manage on a one-on-one basis but build teams that manage more of their own work.
A leader also performs many tasks - from being an administrator to being a psychologist, not to mention being the guardian of the bottom-line. A leader is an enthusiast, a team builder, a good listener and gives credit to others through recognition and praise, while maintaining and demonstrating an outcome orientation.
To build an effective team requires many characteristics. A team must have a purpose. A team's purpose is defined by its mission. The team mission is something that the team intends to do. It is the object for which the team exists as determined by the team leaders and team members.
It is a clearly stated purpose that serves to direct and motivate the team in pursuit of its goals. This is a team building discipline needed in order to inspire a motivated and results oriented team.
The team's mission is driven by the organization's vision. The organization's vision provides a "big picture" perspective that serves to align people, ideas, and attitudes. It must, however, be communicated to team members in such a way that they are inspired to be part of it. To be successful, the team must align its purpose or mission to the organization's vision.
Each member must have a clear understanding of the team goals and what is expected of them. A team goal is an end that the team strives to reach; it directly supports both the mission of the team and the organization's vision. Teams that agree on their agendas can direct their energies towards task accomplishment.
All team members determine effective team goals. When everyone takes part in establishing the overall goals of the team, individuals on the team have a clear understanding of what is expected and can develop a commitment to working with one another in pursuit of team goals. This is a team building discipline needed in order to inspire a motivated and results oriented team.
Within the team you must establish a high degree of communications, trust, support and cohesiveness between members. The team needs to operate under flexible procedures using effective problem solving and decision-making methods. Use of authority in decision making by a team leader in no longer effective.
Using a consultative or still better, a consensus approach where everyone has say, to decision making allows for a greater freedom for team members. This is a team building discipline needed in order to inspire a motivated and results oriented team.
But, there has to be more than just freedom. There has to be an element of fun. Fun is part of the team culture and can be created in many ways. One way could be for the team to create a team name and identity that is reflective of the team's mission and/or it's members. This is a team building discipline needed in order to inspire a motivated and results oriented team.
Team members must know how to run effective meetings through the use of an agenda, ground rules, objective setting procedures, roles and responsibilities. Effective methods for action planning, monitoring, communications, evaluations and follow up should also be reviewed and established.
Each member should also demonstrate appropriate personal, interpersonal and group task behaviors. These are a team building disciplines needed in order to inspire a motivated and results oriented team.
Team members need to be empowered and trusted that they will do the job to the best of their ability. If they are, they are more action-oriented and committed to the implementation of the plan. Be there to coach them, not to direct them. Allow for failures and lessons learned.
The Bottom Line: Demonstrate the appropriate behaviors for team building and the team will follow, but also give them all a chance to participate and to lead.
Somewhere in the world this afternoon, a group of office mates are strapping on safety equipment and preparing to scale the side of a cliff together. In another city, another group of mates is engaged in a retreat designed to foster their sense of teamwork. Late at night in yet another town, six men who usually compete in the office are cooperating on building a robot. What do they all have in common?
The phrase is team building, and it has come to represent a way of doing business that takes into account the strengths and weaknesses of each member of a workgroup. The basic concept of team building weekends is to bring a group of coworkers together and, by subjecting them to various hardships, events and activities, cement them into a team that supports each other and works together toward a common goal.
The only problem with that scenario is that all too often, it doesn't work. Once the group is back at the office, they fall back into the old ways of working and the team building weekend is no more than a fond memory. The problem is not in the concept of team building, but in the notion that it can be accomplished in a weekend, no matter what that weekend entails. It's not that team building weekends are a bad idea - it's that they're expected to do a job that should be undertaken in your office, every workday of the year. The purpose of a team building event should be to introduce, reinforce and reward, not to single-handedly forge a group of coworkers into a team. If it's used to replace the work your company (or you as a manager) should be doing every day, then you're missing out on some important points - and the major benefits of dragging everyone out of the office for a weekend of exhilirating and challenging activities.
So how do you forge the bonds of a team if not by dipping them into the crucible of a team building weekend? In simple street terms, you can't just talk the talk - you have to walk the walk. If you want your staff to believe they're a team and function as a team, then you have to treat them as a team - and yourself as an important member of it.
- Communication is the key to building a team. o- The single biggest mistake that 'management' makes is failure to communicate. Your company doesn't have to be an open book to all employees, but sharing goals and intentions gives employees a sense that they are a part of a larger team working toward a specific purpose.
- Build teamwork into the work flow. o- In order to work as a team, people need to be treated as one. Start each project with a team conference to define and refine goals. Create a central 'lounge' area where team members are comfortable grabbing coffee in the morning - and taking a few moments to catch up on things together. Hold regular team meetings where team members can report progress and delays so that no one feels left out of the loop.
- Make recognition of achievement a priority. o- Recognizing achievement is important to reinforcing the team feeling. It needn't be formal - in fact, informal and unexpected recognition can be very potent. A word in passing in the hallway, a moment taken to pass on praise from a client while having a cup of coffee, a casual 'great work on that proposal, guys' at the end of a meeting are all part of the teamwork frame.
- Make time to play as a team, too. o- Whether the play is a softball team, a bowling league or a semi-annual weekend where the team members can really stretch their wings, teams work best when they have something in common besides their work. A trek up a snowy mountainside builds shared memories that help cement the bonds that have formed throughout the year.
Both Bob Urichuck & Brett Danielson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Bob Urichuck has sinced written about articles on various topics from self improvement and motivation, Fitness and Self Esteem. is an International Speaker, Trainer and Best-Selling Author. Learn personally from Bob in the areas of Sales, Motivation, Leadership and Team Skills. Bob presents. Bob Urichuck's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
Brett Danielson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Wedding Bells, Team Building and Marriage. Brett Danielson is a copy writer working for , an company specialising in. Brett Danielson's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.