The Best Handful of Tips 78 –

Building a Winning Team

People with the skills to set up effective teams are winning the top jobs.

            Good results can be achieved when you design and select a balanced working team.   Team members  should  be given freedom to operate in their own way  and should not be pressured into making hasty decisions.

            It’s hard to operate these days without teams.

            A strong team needs a good leader.

The five best tips on ways to build a winning team                    

1. What sort of team?

Teams  take many different forms. Different tasks require different types of teams. Always analyse the work first.

            Decide on the type of team you want. Do you require a work team, a management team, a research team or a problem-solving team? Are you forming a sports team, a committee, an audit team or a virtual team?

            Work teams must be given specific responsibilities.                 

2. Select competent people with the necessary skills

Team members should be balanced in knowledge and skills.

            Choose people who are motivated and compatible with the other team members.

            You will get greater synergy if you select teams of both men and women. They contribute different outlooks and skills

3. Give clear instructions

Set goals that all team members understand.  

            Roles and rules must be clearly spelt out. They must be realistic and negotiable.

            Give instructions verbally and in writing.

            Teams should be empowered to do things their way and not be heavily supervised.

            Few companies are skilled at making teams work with other teams. Management must work at bringing teams together to focus on  single targets.

4. Appoint an enthusiastic leader

Make the job challenging, rewarding and enjoyable.

            An enthusiastic leader, admired and acceptable to the rest of the team, will encourage the team to do their best work. Enthusiasm is contagious. 

            Don’t be in a hurry. Allow time for teams to build and develop. You need to coach and encourage work teams just as you would a sports team.     

5. Make the team experience educational and rewarding

Members should be allowed to express their own ideas freely. They should be co-operative and enjoy the company of other members.

            Friendly competition between teams can stimulate people to increase their efforts while developing a strong team spirit.

            The only way to judge a team is by performance.

-Geoffrey Moss

“Team work should be more ‘we’ and less ‘me’.”