The 7 Traits of Highly Effective Teams

As individuals, we can achieve many commendable goals. However, significant, large accomplishments that have a major impact in a company, a community, or the entire world, can only be achieved with a group of people. This article will explore success from a broader perspective, beyond the individual. We will discuss the 7 traits of highly effective, successful teams. 1. Strong Leadership Every team has a leader or a group of leaders. Leaders are fundamental to highly effective teams because they set the vision and they bring the team together. The most effective leaders are the ones that are sought after by the team. They are in the leadership position not just because of some artificial authority, but because the team recognizes that without their leadership, the team would not be the same, and might not even exist. The way the leader deals with each individual team member is paramount to the effectiveness of the team. Recognition and praises are given publicly to each and every individual that is performing. Team members that are not performing are coached or reprimanded privately. Reprimanding usually only happens in the early stages of team formation. A team member that is constantly being reprimanded will not make the rigorous selection process that a strong leader puts in place when forming a highly effective team. Once a highly effective team is formed, each team member will know where he stands and self-correction will usually happen without the need for reprimanding. (For the sake of simplicity and easier writing, I will use the masculine form to refer to both genders as leaders and as team members.) A strong leader is demanding, and yet personable. Controlling and yet flexible. A strong leader understands that his strength is in his team and not in his individual abilities. Therefore, a strong leader is never afraid of having team members whose skills and abilities are stronger than his own. A strong leader does not play favoritism and does not have a hidden agenda. Communication is open and direct. All team members know exactly what is expected of them. In a highly effective team, formal performance reviews are simply a formality. The team members know how well they are doing long before a performance review is conducted. There are no surprises. Strong leaders protect their teams. They provide high level coverage when needed, and never, ever, allow anything under their control happen to the demise of a team member. Strong leaders reward their team members abundantly and allow them to grow as far as their abilities will take them, even if it means that eventually the

team member will leave. In reality, the team member will always be part of the family, even after choosing to follow other paths that will allow him to grow. This is analogous to a child leaving the parents home. Parents may be sad to see their children leave, but they know they need to move on in order to grow. The success of a team member is of utmost importance to the leader, even when attention is taken away from the leader. Jealousy and envy is never part of the equation. In a highly effective team, the leader is proud of each team members accomplishments, just like a parent would be. 2. Trust Highly effective teams are built on trust. Trust exists among team members and with the leader. There should never be a reason to doubt the motives of a team member. Highly effective teams understand that at times some members of the team will be in the spotlight, but eventually everyone gets their chance to shine. When a team operates at optimum effectiveness, there is little or no politics involved. No one criticizes anyone behind their backs. Criticisms are good natured, constructive and open. Many times they take the form of light, well intended jokes. Each team member understands his strengths and weaknesses and is not bothered by a good natured comment from a colleague about a weak spot. Team members support each other and never let outside forces break the trust that exists within the team. Outsiders that try to break up the team get frustrated because they cant get through the trust shield that isolates the team members from destructive forces. 3. Respect In a highly effective team, team members respect each other and their leader. The respect is based on the team members ability to contribute. Each team member knows and values the others capabilities, and as long as they keep on contributing, the respect stays strong. Respect comes naturally because each team member was carefully selected by the leader and they had to prove themselves to be on par with other team members. If you are not respected, you will not survive in a highly effective team. A natural selection process occurs here. 4. Unity Highly effective teams are unbreakable. Companies come and go. Projects come and go. Victories and defeats are shared. Through it all the team stays together. In a highly effective team there is a sense of family, a sense of connectedness, a sense of belonging.

The teams unity will be challenged. Outsiders will try to break it. Unexpected events will put it to the test. A few team members may leave. Some leave temporarily, but eventually come back. Others leave permanently due to circumstances beyond anyones control. But the greater team sticks together through the ups and downs of life. One of the characteristics of highly effective teams is loyalty. Team members are loyal to themselves and to their leader. This loyalty transcends the boundaries of projects, companies or other organizational forms. 5. Complementary Skills In a highly effective team, skills are complementary. Everyone brings something to the table that makes the whole bigger than the sum of the parts. Bursts of synergistic energy abound. When you are in a meeting with a highly effective team, you can feel the energy. In a brainstorming session, a persons comment sparks an idea, which feeds someone elses idea, which turns into more comments and yet more ideas. Its like a feeding frenzy of thoughts and creative outbursts. In a problem solving session, a solution is suggested by one member, refined by another, challenged by a third, until the perfect solution is crafted in a challenging and yet respectful session of solution refinements. Team members are not afraid of admitting what they dont know. They dont need to prove anything to anyone. They know exactly how they contribute, and they are respected for it. They are not afraid of making mistakes. No one is expected to be perfect. When one team member drops the ball, another picks it up without a moments hesitation and the whole team performs in unison. 6. Open Communication Highly effective teams communicate openly and often. Communication is direct. Words do not need to be carefully chosen. People are not afraid to speak their minds. There is no need to worry about someone being overly sensitive to how things are said and getting offended. Even when someone goes a bit over the top, he is forgiven and the team just moves on. No one holds a grudge for long. Everyone understands what everyone elses roles and capabilities are. Mutual respect and trust allow the team to communicate openly and bring their best ideas forth. This does not mean that everyone is always in agreement. In fact, disagreement and respectful debates are a healthy part of a teams communication. But these discussions tend not to be tense. They are good natured, relaxed, and with lots of laughs. If tension builds up inadvertently, someone intervenes and brings the discussion back to a healthy state.

In highly effective teams, some team members can communicate without saying a word. A look, a nod, or a smile can say as much as a carefully crafted sentence. Sometimes they can predict what the others are going to say, as if they could read each others minds. It is not uncommon to have one team member deliver a message that the other was just about to say. 7. Lack of Selfishness Last, but not least, in highly effective teams there is no selfishness. The clich that there is no i in team is absolutely applicable to these teams. Team members are not out seeking credit. They know that credit will be given where credit is due. Members of highly effective teams do not need to outdo each other in order to be noticed and praised by their leader. In fact, they will gladly step out of the spotlight and let others shine and take credit. The leader plays a big role in this behavior. If the leader creates an unhealthy competitive environment, where he is always asking what have you done for me lately? team members will always seek the spotlight. They will always want to get the credit. But if they know that even when they are not in the spotlight they are still highly regarded as a valuable member of the team, they will gladly step back when appropriate.

Highly effective teams are hard to find. If you have never been part of one, you may think this article is idealistic, and that such teams do not exist. If you are one of the lucky few that have experienced being part of a highly effective team, this article will resonate with you. If you are currently part of a highly effective team, cherish it. Highly effective teams are treasures that should be guarded for life. Once you become part of one, you will never want to let go of it.

Strategies for Developing an Effective Team

What is it?
A team is made up of a group of people working together to achieve a common goal. An effective team has certain characteristics that allow the team members to function more efficiently and productively. An effective team develops ways to share leadership roles and ways to share accountability for their work products, shifting the emphasis from the individual to several individuals within the team. A team also develops a specific team purpose and concrete work products that the members produce together.

How does it work?

Effective teams will have open-ended meetings and develop active problem-solving strategies that go beyond discussing, deciding, and delegating what to do; they do real work together. When necessary, individuals in a team will set aside their own work to assist other members of the team. In a well-functioning team, performance is based not on an individual member's ability to influence other members, but rather is assessed directly by measuring the work products of the whole team. Rewards based on the whole team's effort help underscore the importance of team responsibility.

How to use it:

There are several ways in which a supervisor can help clinic managers and staff become a strong team: 1. Establish objectives together: Define performance objectives with the team and make sure that all team members understand the objectives and what actions will need to be taken to achieve them. 2. Develop a participatory style: Encourage staff to suggest ways to improve services. Listen to their ideas and acknowledge their points of view. Encourage team members to discuss issues and to find solutions together. 3. Focus on contributions: Define objectives for having all team members actively contribute to the meeting. Introduce team members to the ways in which they can participate. 4. Organize meetings: Hold meetings with the whole team during supervisory visits. Discuss supervisory and clinic objectives and encourage the team to discuss their concerns. 5. Organize the team: Define roles and responsibilities together. If everyone has a clear role, individuals will be less likely to become frustrated and will be more willing to work together. Agree on who will assume leadership roles for different team activities. 6. Explain the rules: Discuss all norms and standards that have been established for this clinic by the Ministry or the organization. Explain the rationale for these rules and discuss their implications in day-to-day practice.

7. Promote team responsibility: Encourage members of the clinic team to take responsibility for completing specific tasks and to solve problems as a team. Introduce rewards only if the entire team meets objectives. 8. Establish time commitments: Schedule when and how each team member will devote time to team work. Determine if team work will require other staff to take on extra work, and, if so, discuss this with all staff and obtain their commitment. Monitor actual vs. planned time carefully and clarify all adjustments in schedule. Seven Characteristics of an Effective Team 1. Team members share leadership roles 2. Team develops own scope of work 3. Team schedules work to be done and commits to taking time allotted to do work 4. Team develops tangible work products 5. Team members are mutually accountable for work products 6. Performance is based on achieving team products 7. Problems are discussed and resolved by the tea