Your team is the backbone of your business. How it works together and how you lead it can make or break the success of your company. Team building can be a challenge. Each member of the team brings different strengths and weakness to the table. You as the team leader also have strengths and even weaknesses that come into play when building a successful team. Learning how to connect the puzzle pieces of a successful team is essential in today's competitive marketplace. Sekou McHenry shared five tips to help you build a successful team.
Know How You Work
First, you must recognize how you work. What is your leadership style? Do you communicate well with others and are you an effective leader? Give yourself a critical evaluation just like you would an employee and be open with room for improvement. Perhaps you need to learn to communicate more effectively, or lead by example. Perhaps sales training or leadership training would help you with your management style, and helps you build a successful team.
Know Your Team
Your team members are more than just bodies in desk chairs. They are people with different personalities and each one brings a different aspect of the team to the group. Get to know your team members. Block out time each week for the team to get together and relax and get to know one another. This sense of camaraderie will develop strong bonds between team members and help the team work better as a whole. Additionally, if each team member feels important and valued your team will be more effective because everyone feel appreciated and knows their opinions and skills are recognized.
Have Clearly Defined Roles and Responsibilities
Once you get to know each team member and recognize their strengths and weaknesses you can define roles and responsibilities of each team member. Perhaps one team member is not that good at his or her job, but has a talent for keeping the team on track. This person will be a valuable team member by keeping the team moving and save you money by preventing bad decisions or letting the team stagnate. Another team member may have excellent communication skills and be able to relate to several different types of people. This person is valuable because they can clearly define the goals of the team and communicate them effectively to the members.
Your team is like a puzzle with lots of different pieces. You need to recognize how they all fit together and what role each one plays in the team. You can then tap into their talents and abilities and define their role in the team so that it works together smoothly.
Realize Feedback is a Two Way Communication
Feedback is an invaluable tool. It lets you know how your team is working and the areas in which they need to improve. You can have a formal feedback system, or an informal one. If you are proactive with feedback you can help your team improve each day and help to prevent major problems. Don't be a reactive manager, be proactive by listening to the team's feedback and then delivering your own constructive feedback.
Reward, Respect, and Celebrate
Everyone likes to be rewarded, and everyone appreciates respect. Recognize a team member who is going above and beyond, and treat each team member with respect. This will show your team you value them and they will put forth a greater effort toward their goal. Take the time to celebrate successes. Even small goals met deserve some type of celebration even it is as small has having box lunches catered one day. Positive feedback and recognition will help to motivate and keep your team motivated and working well together.
As a team leader and manager it is your job to build an effective team and keep them on track. Use these five tips to build a successful team and get the job done. When you recognize your own strengths and weaknesses as well as your team's you can work together to build an effective and successful team which will not only meet, but exceed your company's goals.
