Build an Effective Team: 7 Steps to Success

by Sep 16, 2013

A Japanese proverb goes, “A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.” In order to build an effective team, the team leader should establish his or her leadership with each team member. A team built on loyalty and trust will go much further than a team built on fear and power.

How to Build an Effective Team

1. Value everyone’s ideas. There are no such things as stupid ideas. Learn to respect your employees’ ideas and encourage them to share their ideas.

2. Emphasize the importance of sharing information. Each team member needs to know how important it is to communicate with each other. Demonstrate how their jobs operate together in order to move the entire team closer to the goals.

3. Clearly define what you need to accomplish. Setting clear time frames and the responsibilities of each individual will give the enter team a sense of direction. Know what your standards for success will be.

4. Encourage active listening. As a supervisor, your priority should be to stimulate a discussion. Most employees are fearful to disagree with one another, but this fear can lead to the team making mediocre decisions.

5. Be the harmonizing mediator. Do your best to resolve minor disputes while pointing your team to higher goals of the company.

6. Remember to be tactful. Set an example to other team members by showing that you can be open and sensitive to the employees’ moods and feelings.

7. Establish a sense of commitment. Do your team members want to participate in a team? Do team members want to be acknowledged for their contributions? These questions will help you know where each employee stands and what you can do to bring the team closer together.

Make it an effort and spend time on each of these seven steps to ensure your team can effectively contribute to the company’s success. Your team members will see you as trustworthy and respectful. Your business will soar. Most importantly, they will love where they work.

Incivility, bullying, and harassment occur because the culture allows them to. Before starting inclusivity initiatives, you’ve got to stop bad behavior. Take this assessment to determine if your workplace fosters a positive culture.

 

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is President of consulting and training firm, Civility Partners, and has been successfully providing programs in workplace bullying and building positive workplaces since 2007. Her clients include Fortune 500’s, the military, several universities and hospitals, government agencies, small businesses and nonprofits. She has published in a variety of trade magazines and has appeared several times on NPR, FOX, NBC, and ABC as an expert, as well as in USA Today, Inc Magazine, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and more. Catherine is Past-President of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), San Diego Chapter and teaches at National University. In his book foreword, Ken Blanchard called her book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” She recently released a second book entitled, SEEKING CIVILITY: How Leaders, Managers and HR Can Create a Workplace Free of Bullying.

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