Building A Lasting Impact
The standout of a thriving organization lies in its foundation for long-term success and growth—a foundation built upon effective teams. Investing in team effectiveness not only helps in achieving business objectives but also builds a foundation for long-term success.
Three Essential Steps to Foster Effective Teams
Teams are more than just a group of people working together on shared tasks. To drive success, team members should look to commit to a common vision, come together to solve problems, and agree to hold one another accountable.
Effective teams are the backbone of a thriving organization, making their development a priority. If you can create the type of team environment where employees feel engaged, trust one another, and commit to common goals, business objectives are more readily achieved.
At a high-level, building an effective and well-functioning team requires three essential steps:
1. Building Trust and Open Communication
When team members genuinely trust each other, it creates an invisible bond that encourages risk-taking, open sharing of ideas, and unwavering support. This trust means knowing everyone has each other’s backs, fostering a united front. Such unity and security not only make achieving goals more seamless but also make the entire process more enjoyable.
Communication between leaders and their team is also essential. Leaders can leverage their strong communication skills to ensure their team is clear on expectations and goals for the organization. Honest communication can also drastically alter the dynamic of the team, creating an open environment where employees can feel comfortable being candid and sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns.
2. Setting Clear Goals
It is key that leaders within the team set clear standards to ensure consistency among all managers, such as setting goals by specific dates. This alignment helps each team member see how their contributions fit into the big picture, driving collective effort and success.
Teams and leaders can find themselves overwhelmed with the mass of (often underdeveloped) goals and objectives, especially teams that are not yet cohesive or teams that have new or transitional leadership. One of the most full-proof methods to organizing, communicating, and refining objectives and goals are through the use of SMART or REAL criteria, which promote effective goal management, enhance productivity, and provide a structured approach to goal setting and execution.
3. Providing Continuous Support and Development
Teams are composed of humans who need consistent support and fulfillment in their everyday lives, especially in the workplace. Effective organizations leverage teams by providing support that cascades through the organization, whether that be through workshops, teambuilding activities, coaching, or team development.
Looking for programs that have proven to help strengthen teams? Explore:
- The Four Stages of Psychological Safety™: Grounded in research-based behaviors, this program teaches leaders how to operate at peak performance by getting every team member to feel engaged, trust one another, commit to common goals, and achieve business objectives.
- The Five Behaviors®: The programs focus on crafting healthy, well-functioning teams, teaching both established teams and individual contributors how to develop good habits, contribute to a culture of teamwork and collaboration, and understand their ownership in establishing effective teams.
- Everything DiSC®: An online assessment that describes your behavioral style, allowing you to understand your communication preferences and those of others to improve working relationships. More effective working relationships allow your teams to focus on business success.
Elevate leadership effectiveness with FlashPoint's tailored development programs. Partner with us to enhance leadership capabilities, refine your team, and build tomorrow’s leaders today. Follow the link to explore how FlashPoint can help:
