In today’s workplace, being as efficient as possible is of the utmost importance. By utilizing employees to their maximum potential yields greater results and makes companies more valuable. Strong workforce teams give companies that competitive edge and makes for a good corporate culture. In essence, the best teams work towards the “greater good”, where team members put the organization first.
There are two main components that are often confused and that lead to ineffective teams. The team leaders need to outline what kind of focus they want their teams to have and how they want to operate (horizontal chain of command, etc…). The other important aspect is building a strong sense of involvement amongst team members. Settings goals and deadlines are key to achieving any form of success.
When a team is starting out they must set clear expectations. Members need to know what they are doing and why they are doing it. They must also understand their role within the organization and how to best apply their individual skills within their team. People should play to their strengths and have others help out their weaknesses. There needs to be a sense of importance so that everyone stays motivated and committed to accomplishing the task at hand.
Having the right team members for the right projects is just as important. They should have trust in each other and be given the proper resources so that they feel adequately equipped to succeed.
To stay on track of objectives, teams should set deadlines and follow their progression by use of timelines. The team’s vision shouldn’t stray from what they set out to accomplish. As mentioned before, being focused is tremendously important to staying objective and being successful.
Employees need to be given some slack in order to feel a sense of empowerment; this leads to greater sense of involvement and overall better work. Collaboration amongst members allows for brainstorming and creation of fresh ideas. Members should receive praise for good work and team rewards to help with bonding.
Throughout this process, the team leader should still remain in control and it is up to him to delegate tasks and bring out the best in all of his team members. Consequences for unacceptable work need to be discussed at the beginning so that the repercussions are clear.
As you can see there are many factors that help create successful work teams. Having a good corporate culture has being proven time and again to translate into higher profits and happier and more motivated employees.
Jonathan Proulx-Jones
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