The value of an effective team can only be measured by exponential factors, simple multiplication will not adequately measure the power generated by a solid, committed team. Developing a team that effectively works together begins with:

• an achievable goal
• distinct objectives
• and clearly communicated roles for each team member.

In virtually every case of failed leadership and poor team performance you will find the goal was either poorly articulated or the team lost its focus and its energies were diffused.  To build effective teams consider the following keys:

1.  The vision and purpose must be shared with everyone in the decision making process

2.  Team members must willingly subordinate their feelings and ego to the team’s success.

A productive team knows the goal, is clear about the objectives, is adequately equipped, properly trained and prefers the team’s success to personal praise. 

The Value of an Effective Team

Ancient wisdom instructs us that, “Two People can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they can get a better return for their labor.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.  A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer.  Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord in not easily broken.” 

When the team is performing at its optimal level, its productivity will grow exponentially and continued focus will create an affinity or camaraderie that glues the team together.  Lose of focus on the goal and the team will fragment and disintegrate into chaos resulting in a flat-line of productivity. Success is the result of surrounding yourself with quality team players.

Build Team By Adding Strength to Strength. 

Weaknesses are inherent to every relationship and at every level in the relationship. 

Forging a team is like creating a metal alloy. The combining metals have different properties, which make the combination necessary. By mixing the metals each becomes significantly different than they were individually.  The inherent weaknesses of the individual metals are compensated for, and are virtually erased by the creation of the alloy.

A major shortcoming of most teams is the failure to acknowledge that weaknesses are inherent to every team.  A team is created for the purpose of adding strength to strength.   Therefore, assessing the strengths of each member is an important step in determining what’s needed for the team’s growth and success.

A team must work from its strength, not its weakness.

Knowing your players, their strengths and the areas where their skills need further development is critical to the team’s continued success and growth.  As a leader forming a team you ought to focus your resources on staffing your and the team’s weaknesses to the extent that you can.  Train your staff to minimize the impact of any weaknesses that remain. 

Set Your Team Loose To Succeed

Finally, communicate with the team and create opportunities for the team to communicate with you.  Remove chains of command and create a web structure where complementary team members can communicate with others without lags or pinch-points in the channel.  Then, turn your team loose to do their work.  Praise them when appropriate, correct them when necessary and maintain the mantra of focus on the objectives means measurable progress toward the goal. 

When you are effective at this you can join the ranks of leaders about whom Lao Tzu said the following.  “A leader is best when people barely know that he/she exists. When the work is done, the aim fulfilled; they will say, ‘We did it ourselves.’”  Lao-Tzu