What is Needed to Make a Great Team?

For years, we have coached and guided many teams through difficult times. Some need more help than others. We commonly get asked, “What it takes to have a great team?” It is a great question. If you have been in business for any length of time, you most likely have been a part of a dysfunctional team. There is a good chance team members don’t communicate well or at all with each other on this dysfunctional team. The lack of communication leads to a lack of trust. The lack of trust leads to negative assumptions where one team member automatically assumes that another team member does not like them, is out to undermine his success, or one team member wants to take all the credit for the team’s success. The last characteristic will clinch the deal if this is not enough to ensure a dysfunctional team. On dysfunctional teams, more often than not, the team members have a strong opinion and ego that they are right and the other team members are wrong. All these team characteristics lead to one team member blaming another team member for all the things that go wrong on the team.

So what leads to this high level of dysfunction? Our research with teams tells us the following factors help promote team dysfunction and, thankfully, keep us in business.

Strong Individual Contributors: Individually, team players are technically competent and can produce the results they need without much reliance on other members of the team.

Individual Rewards: Individuals are rewarded for their own results, and there is no reason to work as a team if you not only keep your job but receive your full bonus. Sometimes, we see individual team players who are rewarded for not collaborating with other team members (the last team member who complained about the highly competent contributor was fired).

Values: If individual results are recognized and rewarded, and there is no value placed on teamwork, communication, and collaboration, then it will be difficult to see any improvement in the areas of teamwork.

Leadership: Managers who do not like conflict, tend to deal with a lack of teamwork one-on-one, rather than bringing the people who do not work well together and discuss the problem and the need to fix it collaboratively. These same managers fail to take a stand and hold people accountable. When there are no consequences on the people who either treat people disrespectfully or fail to collaborate or work well as a team, it is difficult to permanently change the culture to one that is focused on working as a team.

Although a team was dysfunctional yesterday, there is hope that tomorrow can bring better teamwork, communication, and collaboration. The following seven tips, if practiced by everyone on the team, will help build a stronger and more cohesive team.

Common Vision and Goals: There must be a reason or purpose for a group of people to work together. That reason or purpose may be that when everyone works well as a team, each individual and the team can produce an even higher result than if they worked on their goals alone. Or team members can be more efficient. Or, when we work as a team, there is less stress and there is a chance we might even have fun. A great question to consider is, “If no one else on the team supported you or communicated with you, could you still be successful in getting your job accomplished?” And, if no one else is hindered from accomplishing their goals by your lack of teamwork and communication, you probably do not need to be a part of a team.

Common Values: If you ask a leader in an organization, “How much can you steal before you are fired from this organization?” Most will tell you something like this, “You steal, you will be fired.” This is an example of the value of honesty and integrity. If you violate a value, you will be disciplined or thrown off the bus. Few organizations value teamwork to the point that if you do not communicate, collaborate and work well with other team members, you will be fired. If teamwork is not valuable, you are better off not having it on your walls telling team members it is important.

Focus on Team Results: With common vision, values, and goals, the end result should be greater than any individual can achieve.

Positive Assumption: Believe that other team members want to do the right thing for the company and the team. If you are looking for reasons of why team members exhibit behaviors that undermine the team or other team members, you will find them. Either way, you will prove yourself right.

Self-Confidence and Respect: If a team member leaves you out of important communications or treats you disrespectfully, call them on it. If they are in the same geographic location, push your chair back and go talk to them. Look them right in the eye and tell them what their concerns are and why they choose not to include you. Ask what they/you can do differently so this does not happen again, and you can continue to build strong communication and collaboration on the team. You ask, doesn’t everyone do this? No, people with low self-confidence and respect send a 10-page email to their boss, complaining about and blaming the other members of the team.

Value Diversity: A team that has people who are different (communication style; behavioral style; leadership style) will outperform a team where everyone is alike over time. Why? Because diverse teams see things differently and do things differently and, usually, because of diversity, they are able to figure out better ways to win. It helps to be a team member who truly believes you can be even better because of the other team members who surround you. To expect others to do things the same way you would do them will only breed conflict and leave you highly disappointed.

Be a Leader: Whether the manager of the team takes the lead in building teamwork, or they do not, you still can do the right thing and take the necessary actions that improve communication, collaboration, and teamwork.