10 Tips For Building Better Teams In Small-medium Business
Introduction
Let me start by "nailing my colours to the mast". I believe that effective teamwork is important in all business. In small-medium business it's essential by any standard. The fewer the number of people you have working for you, the more essential and valuable it is that they work together: teamwork. Here's how to develop your workgroups.
1. It's About Team Effectiveness Not Friendship
I've worked in team development for years. My first book about it was published back in 1984. Since then I've become more certain than ever that building effective teams at work is not about "getting on well". It's about working well together to achieve business goals. And when people do this, they'll learn to like each other. At the very least they'll learn to accommodate each other's personal foibles.
2. The Team Is The Basic Human Unit At Work
For decades, it's been fashionable to laud personal accomplishment in the workplace. Truth is, nobody achieves much at work without a lot of help from others. Effective teamwork cannot occur as long as we focus on individual accomplishmnet. We extol Jane's or Jack's virtues in rising from backroom researcher to Director of Advanced Technology in less than five years. It's easy to forget that lots of other employees co-operated to help Jane or Jack advance.
3. Goal Clarity
The team requires absolutely clear, measurable goals. And each member must agree and accept these goals. We call this goal clarity. If your teams lack goal clarity, you won't be able to measure whether they're successful. The team will misdirect its efforts and that leads to the next tip.
4. Role Clarity
Firstly, you and the team must decide what the team exists to achieve. Then each member accepts their role in achieving team goals. And each member accepts each other member's role. This is called role clarity.
5. Goal Interdependence
When you achieve sound Role and Goal Clarity you're well on the way to achieving good interdependence. This is not just jargon. It means that every team member accepts that he or she and every other member is dependent on each other to enable team goals to be reached. Each member accepts that if he or she doesn't "pull their weight", the team is less effective and every member is limited. That's the reality.
6. Identify And Reinforce Team Dependencies
Once you see the team as the basic human unit in the workplace, it'll help you clarify and improve relationships between teams. One of my client companies seeks what they call a "seamless" customer service experience for any client, new or old. "Seamless" means that from the time a client contacts the company each team member and team commits to making their company contact smooth, continuous and unfailingly satisfying. Each team accepts that they have an obligation, not only to the customer, but also to other teams to ensure that the "seamless" experience is a reality.
7. Introduce Systems That Enhance Relationships Within And Between Teams
Your systems must support activity within and between teams. It's pointless to have outstanding systems within one team unless they support that team's interaction with others. An excellent service delivery system for instance, must facilitate invoicing and prompt payment and vice versa.
8. Revisit And Revise Performance Standards
Once youve clarified roles, goals, dependencies and systems, you can revisit performance standards. Ensure that your performance standards, both individual and team, support the team approach you're seeking to engender. You'll need to constantly review these to guarantee the outcomes you require.
9. Reward Outstanding Team Performance
Your team development activities must be supported by effective reward systems. And the reward systems must include recognition of team success. Talking about team values while only rewarding individual performance will diminish your team development message.
10. Clear, Specific And Precise Corporate Goals
Clear corporate goals are essential for effective teamwork in small-medium business. Your corporate goals reflect the purpose of your overall team: the company or corporation. Emphasise your corporate goals to your employees. Explain the role of each of your teams in achieving them. Use the corporate goals to clarify the importance of co-operation between teams. When you emphasise the importance of corporate goals you'll give impetus to the success of the company: the largest team: the company.
Conclusion
Team building isn't really necessary because teams exist in the workplace. Team development is essential so that the teams and the members of those that already exist, are effective contributors to the continuation of your business.
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