What Makes a Successful Team?

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We no longer live in a world where a team works in the same room and under the same roof. Today’s teams are dispersed, diverse, online and with frequently changing personnel. Therefore, building a successful work team can be tough and challenging. Despite all these, a team with strong fundamentals articulated elaborately below, can be prosperous

1. What I can’t, We Can: I’d like to begin by quoting one of my favorite sports personality- Michael Jordan. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win you championships.” It is when we all work towards one goal in unison selflessly that we achieve results beyond limitations of self. We cannot emphasize more that, to build a professional and successful team, teamwork is a must. None of us is as able as, all of us. All the members must work together for the betterment of the organization. As in a choir, singers singing in harmony produces glorious melody else a cacophony, so in a team synergy brings great results else catastrophe.Together Everyone Achieves More (T.E.A.M) is so true an abbreviation.
2. Job Role Clarity: It is imperative that each member of the team knows what is expected of him. Wherever there is clarity, there is simplicity, focus and direction. Lack of clarity is often the root cause of chaos and frustration among the team members. The one who is led by blind impulse shall be a vagabond. Job clarity provides role responsibility and accountability and reduces expending energy into unnecessary politics and blame game. It also promotes career progression which in turn aides in employee retention and building a successful team.
3. Many members-one body: Let’s just take a human body as an illustration. Though there are many members (parts) and systems (renal, circulatory, nervous etc) in the human body, they are all ONE. All the members seem independent yet are interdependent in more ways than one. Each member goes about doing its work without disturbing the work of others, in fact coordinating, contributing and complimenting one another. Every part has its own place, purpose and priority without schism. When there is unity of purpose, cohesiveness and unity in the team like within a body, there is bound to be a consistent growth and development. In a body some parts are seen, some unseen, some small, some big, yet each part is indispensable and the absence of any is a handicap. So in a team, every member must feel indispensable and recognized for his/her unique contribution to the team. In a team where there is no breach, there shall be no going into captivity and there shall certainly be shouts of joy and triumph within.
4. Communication: Good communication is a bridge between confusion and clarity and is the “Sine qua non” for any organization to deliver results. Open communication in a team leads to understanding, valuing each other and is symbiotic i.e. benefitting all parties involved. Effective communication reduces the chances of conflicts and enhances togetherness within the team. Communication is often misunderstood to be eloquence in speech. In actuality, communication involves willingness to listen and body language (approachability). We have two ears and one mouth, to keep the same ratio in usage too, is wisdom. One noteworthy point in keeping the team spirit building is not talking about a person in their absence. All gossip must be discouraged, for back biting only brings in conflict and breaks the trust, which consequently hampers the team spirit. It’s not always the task that deters the team’s productivity and progress, but its strained relationships and communication gaps.
5. Leading from the front: Great team is built and is not available in the market readymade. A good leader is one who gets best out of each member of the team. He/she is someone who is close enough to relate and far enough to motivate. Many a great revolutions started, great teams built, dreams realized with one charismatic visionary, who set high standards for himself and was willing to sacrifice to reach the Promised Land. Such people inspire others and get to themselves followers by virtue of their disposition rather than their position. I believe every team needs such leaders who are willing to take the blame and share the laurels in the process of becoming a successful team.
6. Equip: To set even the most valiant man at the fore front of the battle without a sword is idiocy to say the least. The team must be given training, tools, resources and guidance needed to pull it off (whatever the objective is). There must be great investment of both time and money to build a team that’s able to produce consistent results. Open the doors of opportunity and on the other hand equip the team to walk through these doors. Henry Ford once said, “The only thing worse than training employees and having them leave is not training them and have them stay.
7. Democracy in Decision Making: In multitude of counselors there is safety. Every member is diverse and brings to the table a different point of view. Different perspectives compared together enable us to judge better. What one may miss upon, another may hit upon and if they agree it may be more depended upon. What one may or two may not see, the other may be able to discern. Democracy reigns over despotism on any given day and in any given circumstance. It’s realizing the limitedness in one and limitlessness collectively. In a team, everyone must be encouraged to express his/her view and must be taken into account while making a decision.