It is a well known fact that to run a successful project, teamwork is important. Research has shown that most successful entrepreneurs who have made a success of their business finance, and others who have made great names for themselves in their various fields, did so with a great team behind them.
How then does a team become successful? Whilst every team will have its own combination of personalities and qualities, here’s 12 features every successful team needs to have. Read on!
Great teams need to have;
Table of Contents
Great Leadership
More times than not when a team’s morale is low, it is because their leader is lukewarm and lacking drive. When team members realise this, it gives them little incentive to put in the hard work too.
A leader has to step up and be responsible in order for the members of their team to put in the required efforts for a successful mission.
A Clear Goal or Target
The team has to understand the aims and objectives of the project at hand. Once everyone in the team is carried along with a crystal clear goal in mind, it is easier to record success.
Diversity
There’s strength in diversity. Most great companies are multicultural ones, that have been able to bring together people from different backgrounds, experiences, personalities and cultures. This fuses different ways of thinking, and different ideas and perspectives are bound to come to the surface.
Collective and Individual Responsibilities
When you are a team, each member has a responsibility to the others. Letting yourself down is letting the whole team down and when you do this you are jeopardising the results of the whole project. However, beyond the collective responsibilities tied to being a team member, every individual needs to have personal responsibilities.
Without individual responsibilities, some will end up not contributing as much as others, or may end up not feeling as though they are a valuable member of the team. If the job is shared into sections and every person is given a task, everyone participates, the job is done faster and everyone feels valued.
Great Communication
Communication is important. You can’t achieve results without communicating with one another. With communication, ideas are shared freely and it is therefore, easy to keep track of ongoing activities. Communication should, however, be done in a respectful manner.
Lack of communication can lead to conflict, resentment and tension, and assumptions being made.
A Great Deal of Support
For a team to be successful, team members have to support one another. If one member of the team is having a hard time, it will undoubtedly affect the work done. Therefore, there is a need to offer assistance whenever possible.
Unity
This might be the most important rule in being a successful team. No matter how skilful team members are, regardless of the resources available for the work at hand, if the individuals in a team are not unified, achieving a successful result will be extremely difficult.
Unity is therefore paramount in a team. Everyone has to be on board and share the same goals and objectives.
Sense of Belonging
Naturally, people tend to be more productive in an environment where they feel appreciated and recognised. No one should be ignored or pushed to the back. Everyone has a role to play and regardless of how minor it is, respect should be accorded them.
Training
This could be in-house training, external education or seminars from an outside speaker. Whatever it is and wherever it may be, it is important that team members are trained both individually and collectively.
Good Incentives and Rewards
Incentives motivate, and when an achievement is recognised and rewarded, there’s is a better chance of a repeat performance.
Therefore, leaders of teams should be willing to acknowledge the efforts put in by team members and give reward to exceptional efforts by the team.
Team Trust
The only way a team can be effective is if members trust one another enough to share views and ideas. If members hoard ideas or feel afraid to speak up, you are ultimately missing potential opportunities for success, and building resentment.
Therefore, the team spirit should be high and an environment should be conducive enough for members to freely divulge thoughts and ideas to one another.
Fun
This might seem not all that important, but fun is definitely a key ingredient in the most successful of teams! Sharing fun times bonds people and contributes to them enjoying their work environment. So make sure you factor in the fun and organise opportunities for workers to meet socially in shared activities.
In summary, a powerful team can lead to the growth and success of a company or business. When flipped, a bad team can bring nothing but trouble, hence the need for every team to cultivate group ethics.
Whilst every team is made of individuals who all bring their own qualities to be nurtured and appreciated, the above points have shown 12 basic characteristics that every successful team should have. Nobody wants to be in a workplace that’s not functioning right, so if your team is struggling, go through the checklist and find out what needs to change.