101: How to build an effective team
The foundation of any successful company is having a strong and effective team. The ideal team has talented individuals who can function separately but are even better together. Recognizing individual strengths, outlining shared goals, and establishing clear parameters are all elements of a successful team.
Recognize individual strengths. Everyone has unique strengths and weaknesses, which can either make or break a team. Allowing employees to do what they are naturally best at and are passionate about creates success. “This will lead to not only superior work production and ethics but also happier employees with longer retention,” Lydia Vargo of Forbes says about the benefits of focusing on individuals’ strengths.
Outline shared goals. It is key to unite different personalities and work approaches under the same goal so team members know what they are working toward. Clear goals give teams organization as they work together to hit their target. MIT’s Human Resource Department provides training on establishing S-M-A-R-T goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Through S-M-A-R-T, teams have an actionable goal uniting them and giving them direction.
Establish clear parameters. While the goal is to create a peaceful and productive team, parameters need to be set for when the team cannot reach a consensus or arguments arise. In these moments, having a clear set of ground rules will help mitigate team tension and allow productivity to resume. The University of California, Berkeley recommends having general guidelines in place such as setting time limits for meetings, encouraging respectful debate, and allowing team members to share their real thoughts and feelings about a proposed idea.
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