?Whether you have a startup or a well-established firm, team effectiveness is a must. But sometimes it is hard to get your entire team working well together.??
First, realize that while you will want your employees to work toward a shared goal and vision, they may have varying ideas on how to reach these goals. ?Accept that ?everyone? will probably never happen. It is a progressive process. It only works if you have a real team. In many companies, that is not the case,? says Greg Brooks, founder of Textbook Assault, who has learned a lot about team building through being an entrepreneur with various startups.??
And while team input should always be welcomed, there has to be a leader to make a decision on direction. ?When a leader decides on a strategy, after input from her team, she must use her inspirational skills to motivate all. The debate must end. The execution must begin,? advises marketing/management expert Mark Stevens, CEO of MSCO and bestselling author of “Your Marketing Sucks.”??
Once you have decided on the route, set goals and inform your staff. ?Set goals for every participant and do more than measure them. Point out to all those who are vastly exceeding expectations and explain how they are doing, in order that others may raise the bar,? Stevens.??
Team effectiveness will not happen overnight?it is an ongoing process. ?Sorry, no magic there. Team effectiveness comes with team trust. Trust had to be vertical as well as horizontal. Otherwise, energy is spent on activities that don’t produced the right results,? says Brooks.??
To start team building, you will need to take some steps. ?Listen, assess, adjust,? says Brooks. Stevens agrees. ?Inspire about the goal. Gather input. Declare the strategic and execution plan,? Stevens outlines. ?Demonstrate that you, as the leader, will tackle some of the most challenging tasks and will collaborate with others.???
So get started and build the best team for your company.
