We want every team to achieve its potential, so what should you be doing?
If you have experienced working in a great team, there is a significant chance that these three things were happening.
· You Stayed Connected
· You Complimented and Complemented each other
· You Kept Learning Together
If your only experience so far has been working in bad teams or teams that underperformed, you will probably recognise the absence of these three crucial elements.
Our team development programmes, and our online toolkit called Muster™ are designed to help teams develop these habits and practices.
1. Staying Connected is challenging for teams that are geographically dispersed. And with remote working patterns becoming more prevalent, casual and informal exchanges are harder to replicate. The rise in communications technology should, in theory, mean that we feel permanently connected, but can be a barrier to relaxed conversation among colleagues. It is as if the technology forces us to have a clear business reason to contact each other, rather than ‘dropping in for a chat’.
Relationships are forged by casual encounters, informal exchanges, fleeting moments of shared experience that have little or nothing to do with work. And great teams know this. So, just as when you are away from your family, you make an effort to stay in touch, team members in great teams never lose sight of each other. They don’t feel embarrassed about contacting each other for no reason other than a natter. They see it as important that they make time for each other, over and above the necessary transactional exchanges. Staying connected means staying important to each other.
2. Compliment and Complement. Great teams know how to make colleagues feel good. They do this by giving great feedback and encouragement; and by bringing to the table complementary strengths that act as a counterbalance to weaknesses within the team. They recognise the value of difference, embrace diversity and are fully inclusive. They recognise achievements and celebrate success. And they take steps to avoid duplication of roles and responsibilities.
3. Learning Together. Great teams know that life is a journey, and that progress isn’t inevitable. That’s why they set aside time to discuss, evaluate and learn from their experiences…together. They are not afraid to reflect critically on their achievements or failures. They are not complacent about their success. They move forward together, developing knowledge, skills and behaviours that help them become exceptional. Learning becomes a shared experience, where everyone in the team benefits from the insights of each other.
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