Build your Elite Team with these Concepts

How to build an Elite Efficient Team

Based on:

Harvard Business Review on Teams That Succeed

http://www.amazon.com/Harvard-Business-Review-Succeed-Paperback/dp/159139502X

There are three (3) types of teams:

Teams that:

1)    Recommend things (task force or project group)

2)    Make or do things (operations or marketing)

3)    Run things (oversee functional activity)

Leadership must Link teams to performance & Don’t let these terms (Teams & Performance) become a cliché.

Needed team skills

Technical or functional expertise to handle specific tasks

Problem solving & decision making skills

Interpersonal skills:

1. Effective communication
2. Constructive conflict
3. Objectivity
4. Active listening
5. Recognizing interests
6. Achievement of others

We need to be accountable as a team (mutual accountability)

“We hold ourselves accountable”

“When teams work together toward a common objective trust and commitment follow”

1. Achievement must be mutually shared
2. Teams need to have a common purpose
3. Shared leadership

How do we get Individual and mutual accountability?

1. Open ended communications and active problem solving meetings
2. Need to establish performance goals that relate to overall purpose
3. Objective measureable goals

Failed teams rarely develop a common purpose

How do we get higher levels of productivity?

Groups are more creative and productive when:

1. They achieve high levels of participation, cooperation, and collaboration
2. Real time learning is important for teams to develop faster
3. Continuity of team members builds familiarity
4. Clearly express urgency and worthwhile purposes
5. Clearly express expectations to new team members

Build group emotional intelligence = enhances overall effectiveness

EQ Factors:

Trust among members, sense of group identity, and sense of group efficacy (effectiveness)

Attitude and behavior need to support above factors

1. Leaders need to admit fault when they are wrong
2. Leaders must be available
3. Leaders need to ask for input
4. Open-mindedness, enthusiasm
5. Ability to introduce new methods so team can learn from trial and error

Teams where members feel comfortable making suggestions

New members can:

1. Try things that might not work
2. Point out potential problems

Leadership:

1. Leadership needs to reassure this is safe
2. Essence of a team is shared commitment

Decision Making

1. Not a singular event – It is a process
2. Inquiry process (getting everyone involved)
3. Provide Constructive feedback
4. Variety of options
5. Serious consideration to all view points
6. Know when to bring deliberations to a close

Leaders and managers need to make sure they keep contact with teams to see what is going on and that everything is okay because if contact is lost then teams feel disengaged from management and create their own rules which lead to failure.

The best teams lull their leaders and managers to sleep.

Ways to prevent

1. Performance measures
2. Reward structure
3. Hands on presence from leadership

Keith Miller | The Elite Coach | The Million Dollar Coaching Company | www.EliteProCoach.com | (855) My-Pro-Coach