Successful Team Building Strategies

Things don't always go well. Team members don't magically share the same vision and work for the same goals.

Building a high performing team is very rewarding but it requires a lot of planning and maintenance.

Here are some team building strategies that work:

Encourage participation.

Create an organizational structure that enables all team members to participate at all levels of decision making, planning, setting indicators to measure quality and performing.

When team members feel that they have ownership upon processes and that they are equal players instead of followers,they are more committed to accomplish.

Facilitate sessions that encourage group work, participatory decisions and analysis. Click here for more details on participatory exercises and group analysis

Become a facilitator.

Your working group becomes a team when you truly believe that their collective efforts, their skills and abilities are special and productive.

If you want your team to overdeliver, drop your hat as a "boss", and become a facilitator. Create a climate for your team members to analyze their own situations, provide solutions to problems and make their own decisions.

You can make this possible by:

- Ensuring that your team members are well informed on the company's mission, vision and goals.

- Your team has a well defined purpose of existing and functioning, has developed clear objectives, with specific individual roles and expectations and performance standards.

Make each person count.

Every member of your team is unique. Each of them has special abilities, different strengths and weaknesses that contribute to the dynamics and the functioning of the team.

Take the time to know all your team members as individuals with their spectrum of unique abilities and what they have to offer to the team and the organization as a whole.

Meet with them informally, show genuine concern and interest in their goals, careers and hobbies.

Encourage them to share their strengths, create possibilities to develop their challenging areas.

Build on their ideas and suggestions and support their efforts.

Communicate

Team Communication is the key to molding a successful working group, building positive spirit and showing consideration and respect.

Facilitate an information system that eliminates delays. Unclog channels and cut extra layers that may compromise your messages.

Your team should be able to receive first-hand, fresh and relevant information.

Keep them aware on what is happening in the organization and their surroundings,how they are doing on their jobs and how their performance relates to organizational goals.

Your information must be a quick update on a project or a policy, a follow-up to a meeting or a session, an invitation to a discussion. Your team members must feel safe and secure that the information shared is to benefit them, to continue to keep them partners and not to surprise them, threat them or discourage them. Communication is a two-way street.

You need to listen actively and show your team members that their opinions are not only heard but valued and appreciated. Click here on how to become a better listener.

Provide all the tools needed for success.

Provide opportunities for your team members to grow. Revise their positions based on their special skills and allow them to achieve their personal career goals.

Return from Team Building Strategies to Team Building Skills