How can you build a better team? Team leaders often wonder why some teams work better than others. What is the secret to getting the best results from your team? Read on to learn five ways to build a better team.
Understand your team’s purpose
Balance Careers suggests that an important part of team building is understanding the purpose of the team. First, determine how the team needs to function. Is this team for one department, or an interdepartmental team? Is it an executive team, or the entire company? Then, determine the purpose of the team. What goals does this team need to accomplish? Understanding the purpose of your team gives you a better idea of how you need to build the team as a whole.
Determine the roles on the team
Your team can’t function cohesively without well-defined roles. Teams that lack a leader won’t get anything accomplished in a meaningful way. Entrepreneur suggests determining the necessary roles on a team prior to building the team, so that you can be sure all of the team roles are filled. Start by choosing a leader for your team, and then assessing what other roles may be important to your particular goals.
Encourage diversity
Having a diverse team improves your team outcomes, according to Forbes. With multiple experiences and opinions, having a diverse team work on a problem will open up multiple, varied solutions. See how diverse the cognition is on your team using our Team Room. With our Team Room, you can see at a glance how diverse your team is, and where you may encounter challenges and biases within your team. We provide comprehensive, customized advice to help your team collaborate while encouraging diverse thinking.
Build team cognition
Team cognition is a term to explain how your team thinks as a unit. Individuals working and thinking together to create solutions within a team is an example of team cognition. When you encourage your team to think as a unit, your team bonds and becomes more cohesive over time. You can build team cognition by having your team complete team building activities as a group. You can also utilize our assessment to learn how your team thinks as a unit, so that you can divide tasks between individuals to achieve the best results.
Focus on culture
The culture of your company must be reflected in your team. Be clear in your company culture and demonstrate the values important to your company to your team. If your company culture values honesty and independence, be sure to relay those values to your team. Encourage your team to discuss company culture so that they have a deep understanding of the culture that permeates both the company and the team.
Utilize these five ways to build a better team so that your team is cooperative, cohesive and communicative. The most successful teams have an excellent foundation before the team is even formed.
