Transforming an Inherited Team to a Value-Creating Team

Inheriting a team is a significant responsibility that comes with unique challenges and opportunities. As a leader, your task is to transform the existing group into a high-performing, value-creating team. This process requires a strategic approach with the team’s vision in view, focusing on understanding the team dynamics, establishing trust and pschological safety, setting clear goals and measures of success, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

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Understanding the Team Dynamics

Do you understand the current team dynamics? This involves getting to know each team member, their strengths, weaknesses, motivators and working styles. Conduct one-on-one meetings to learn about their roles, experiences, and perspectives. Listen actively and show genuine interest in their insights and concerns. This will help you identify existing issues, such as conflicts or skill gaps, and opportunities for development.

Additionally, observe how the team interacts during meetings and collaborative projects. Understanding these dynamics will provide you with a clear picture of the team’s current state and help you determine the best approach for moving forward.

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Establishing Trust

Trust is the foundation of any high-performing team. As a new leader, you must earn the trust of your team members. Be transparent about your vision and expectations, and communicate openly and honestly. Demonstrate reliability by following through on your commitments and showing consistency in your actions.

This is a unique opportunity to create a team alliance based on pschological safety. How does the team want to work and create value together?

Each member of the team must know you value their well-being by being approachable and understanding. Building trust takes time, but it is essential for fostering a collaborative and motivated team environment.

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Setting Clear Goals and Expectations

High-performing teams have a strong sense of purpose and direction. Collaborate with your team to define a shared vision and set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

Ensure that each team member understands their role in achieving these goals and how their work contributes to the team’s success. Establish clear expectations regarding performance, communication, and collaboration. Regularly review progress and provide constructive feedback to keep the team aligned and motivated.

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Fostering a Culture of Continuous Learning and Improvement

A high-performing team is always looking for ways to improve. Institute periods of reflection, review and insights of accomplishments and failures and ensure these translates into actions to propel the team forward. Make your environment one where feedback is shared and valued and used constructively to drive progress.

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Encouraging Collaboration and Communication

Foster collaborative environment by promoting teamwork and encouraging cross-functional collaboration. Regularise team meetings as avenues to discuss progress, share updates, and address any issues. Rotate the team members to chair these meetings which must be productive and inclusive.

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Recognizing and Rewarding Contributions

Acknowledge individual and team achievements, and celebrate milestones and successes. Individual and team interactions are opportunities for constructive feedback and appreciation, not just during performance reviews. The converse is also true. Flag and address under-performance.

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People development requires time, attention and consistent effort, challenging and rewarding . As a leader, your commitment to these principles will pave the way for sustained success and growth, both for your team and the organization.

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Adeyanju Olomola