Team building skills are necessary for everyone whether you are a leader, manager, entrepreneur or a sports team coach. This article will provide you with some of the ways how you can build a team that lasts.
Building an effective and highly performing team is not easy. Anyone can bring a team together, but creating a team that gels well, performs greatly and lasts long require exceptional team building skills. Or is it so? Sometimes we overlook some of the simple things that go into the making of a great team, that we think that it is more of a hidden art than an acquired skill. We have often seen underdog teams in sports performing like champions and teams built around stars failing to perform. This is all due to the team building skills of the coach or the manager who is associated with the team. Thus, we have seen lot of corporate houses providing leadership skills trainings for good team building. One famous example is the Leadership, Innovation and Growth training by GE India, which is based on the mission to develop present and future leaders.
In history, great teams that disintegrated into nothingness are all the result of wrong steps taken by management, which resulted in the falling out among team members. One should realise that members are the prime concern for leaders. If they know how to manage the different members to function as a single entity, it all becomes a success. Here are some of the ways through which you can learn to successfully build a strong and effective team:
- First, be aware of yourself
A good team builder is a good leader too; who understands his strengths and weaknesses. He knows where to focus and when to correct himself if a wrong step is made. A good team builder never builds his leadership foundations on ego and understands the importance of his personality affecting the morale of the team members.
- Be aware of the members
You should always remember that the team expects you to hold the reins and show them the path, but in doing so you must be aware which member needs the nudge and which needs the shove. Some of the members may be weaker than the others and needs proper guidance, so you have to be patient with them. While others need not be pestered incessantly because they know what they are doing once you give the person an objective.
- Be a clear communicator
Without proper communication, you cannot be a good leader or a good team builder. If the members cannot understand you properly, your ideas and thoughts will not be expressed clearly. This leaves space for misunderstanding, which is a big hurdle in successfully building a team.
- Earn the trust of the members
Earning the trust of your team members is never that easy. If you figured out the best way to handle a project, you need to be very specific and describe them why you think so. This will help them see the way you see and earn some trust in the long run.
- Give feedback and be open to receive feedback
Be open and not be biased while providing feedback to the members of your team. Do it in a professional way and not take anything personally. Feedback is very important for the growth of the team. You should be also open and comfortable to be on the receiving side of feedback.
- Make the team understand the importance of all members
Not only you but the whole team should understand the importance of each members present in the team. Without mutual respect among the members, it would be impossible for even an exemplary leader to get success out of that team. You should hold regular sessions that emphasizes on gaining the trust of the members on each other.
- Appreciate effort and celebrate success
Appreciate any team member who is making the extra effort or trying his best to achieve a common goal. Also, whenever your projects are successful or there is a team achievement, celebrate with the whole team. You can even give the whole team a treat for their success. This will surely lift the team spirit and morale to do better.