There’s this Helen Keller quote that goes “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Teamwork is usually borne out of the necessity of needing other people to help you achieve a shared objective. No one goes through life without needing help from someone else. Hey, even Batman had to team up with the Justice League!
Maybe you need specialized skills, more ideas, motivation, or even manpower. Jobs get done more quickly with a top notch team to back you up. Now if we were all to believe that, a team of high potential superstars at your disposal will almost always get the job done. The challenge is how to pick them and make sure they will perform. Here are some pointers on how to build a top performing team:
Leadership and Direction:
It is integral that a team has leadership and direction. Without it, a team crumbles. Maybe because of power struggles, lack of direction, communication problems, or a host of other complications. There has to be a visionary who will show the way. Assign someone who will provide guidance, boost morale, encourage creativity, and provide recognition – someone to let the others know that they are part of a whole and that their work impacts others.
Skills:
Anyone who has ever played NBA2k, Fantasy Football, or World of Warcraft would know the complicated dynamics of having to create the best team you can based on skills while having limited resources. We don’t match people to jobs based on availability, we match them because of proficiency and how well we think they can execute a task.
If we had unlimited funds, we’d all get the experts in the field. However, resources mean time and money, and since those have constraints, we learn to work with what we have. And what we have to do is to make sure we pick people who have the proficiency to get the job done while remaining flexible enough to welcome suggestions and ideas.
Shared Goals and Aligned Values:
A team is defined as a group of people who work towards a common goal. These goals need to be clear and defined before embarking on any task. The team that is most successful in achieving its goals is one wherein its members are clear on what they want to achieve and have a set of values that complement each others. That builds a feeling of camaraderie. It makes individuals feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves and will happily work with each other towards creating something they can be proud of.
The most valued team members are those who have the ability to see things from a different perspective, who are able to adjust their approach, and who will help re-align theirs and their teammates goals towards their ultimate target.
Motivation and Recognition:
If you ask volunteers why they’re volunteering, you’ll find that they are volunteering because they want something in return. Not in a selfish kind of way but in a reciprocal kind of way. It may be satisfaction, a free meal, recognition, a promotion, experience, or a simple thank you. Scrap Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we all want appreciation for a job well done – and chocolate, don’t forget chocolate.
We all have expectations on what we think a top performing team should be. Expect too much and your superstars will leave, expect too little and never see them rise to the challenge. The trick is to strike a balance and find the sweet spot between those expectations and reality.