DEPARTMENT/TEAM CREATION

Advisor Owen Katongo Kabanda, are there certain things to look out for when creating a team/unit/section/department?

Team Work Is Good

For a long time, it has been well-known that when people work in teams, many times they are able to achieve so much.

When people put together their efforts, the task ahead of them is made much easier and they can do things in a better way. Of course, individual abilities are also important and those should add to the success of the team.

The following are some of the things you may want to consider when you are assembling a team of people to work with you.

#1. Know Where You Want to Go

Simply waking up and saying this and that one will be part of my team/department does not lead to anything much but a bunch of people who by circumstances find themselves together.

If you are going to get the best out the people you are going to work with or have in a team, you need to look at what goals you want to achieve.

Knowing the goal or the target helps you to choose who really needs to be with you.

#2. Know Yourself as a Leader

It is very easy to pick people that you say are going to work with but if you do not know yourself well, sometimes there are personality crushes and in the end the team gets to be negatively affected.

Knowing yourself means also that you become more emotionally intelligent, have good leadership skills, and have a vision of where you want to take the team.

#3. Know the Fundamentals of a Team

When two or more people are together, conflicts are bound to happen.

Sometimes there is creation of teams within teams, and just creation of an acrimonious environment where people fail to work together as a team. Know how to handle such challenges that come with teams.

Knowing what brings and keeps the team together is extremely important for you to get the best out of a team. In this way, you can start regulating those things that are not so good while at the same time amplifying the good ones.

There are so many factors that affect the team including but not limited to (i) the leadership practices, (ii) the working conditions and environment that you provide, as well as the (iii) conditions of service they can enjoy.

You can have individual awards for outstanding contribution to the team but also find ways and means of awarding the team for everybody to enjoy who had worked with others to achieve the set targets.

As is required for the team to stay focused, you need to urgently deal with negative behaviours and performance while recognising or rewarding positive behaviour and performance.

#4. Recruit the Best Fit

There are certain people who are great in what they do but might not be so good for your team. There are also some high flyers who if you were to bring them to your team, everything changes for the better.

So, as a leader, you have to look at who and who that you really need to bring to your team so as to get the best out of a motivated team.

#5. Know The Team Members

You can not run a successful team or department of unit by just saying this one will be doing this and this other one will be doing that. Just like in soccer/football, you need to look at what your people are really good.

By knowing your team members, it gives you an idea of assigning the different people you have in your team to roles with the team/department that they are best suited for and they can enjoy doing so that you get more out of their work.

#6. Work Hard Have Fun

No matter how good or bad the team can be, ensure that they all understand the concept of working hard on their assigned role.

Let everyone know that they have to be pulling in the same direction for the purpose of the whole team to achieve its targets.

Celebrate your victories no matter how little they may look. Even when you do not succeed at something, let the team know that you are proud of them and they should be happy and proud of you having done something as a team.

Closing Remarks

While everybody gets excited at the prospect of creating a team, hiring new employees for the department and so on, it is important that the leader focuses on getting the best out of the team.

Should you require assistance on creating teams, training on teamwork, and related activities, do not hesitate to contact your trusted Advisors right away.

---<End>---

The author Owen Katongo Kabanda is a Business and Human Resources Advisor | Neuropsychologist.

Get in touch via Email: [email protected]; LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/owenkkabanda; Facebook: @OwenKatongoKabanda; Twitter: @OwenKabanda; and Skype: Owen K. Kabanda.