American entrepreneur and legendary General Electric CEO Jack Welch once said that the moment a person becomes a leader, other people become the main factors in his work. And his task is to walk next to them, holding a glass of water in one hand and a bag of fertilizers in the other. The team needs to be treated like seeds that can break through and become a blooming garden. A leader's job is to manage the development of team members.
If you run a business or manage people, then you are the leader of the team, and your people play a huge role in how successful your company will be and how long it will stay afloat. And to achieve success, you must follow the only correct formula - to improve the quality of your team. It can be increased only by being guided by the effective rules of team building.
What is team building?
To begin with, we note that a team is a group of people who are united by common tasks and goals that correspond to the tasks and goals of an organization or company. The team is created under the direction of a leader who leads its work, educates its members and creates connections between them.Thus, the essence of a team is its leader, who is also a mentor and a professional rolled into one. For the same reason , the leadership style that the leader is guided by is of particular importance . But let's continue ...
The best specialists in the field of management have been working on the issue of creating the most successful team for decades, and all managers and businessmen dream of creating such a team.
In general, there are a lot of methods of team building, but, like almost everything in our world, a number of fundamental principles can be applied to this process, which we will talk about later.
How to build a successful team?
So, the basic rules for creating a successful team are the following:- It is necessary to build a single communication system and a single language that will allow you to track and understand everything that happens. This can only be facilitated by building honest and open relationships, for which it is necessary to use the exchange of truthful data. And this, in turn, will become the basis for trusting relationships in the team, as well as the basis for creating and developing an emotional connection. It is always necessary to act on the basis of the principles of honesty and a friendly attitude. There should always be confidence that you are doing the right thing, so that the whole team has faith in success. An honest exchange of information is essential for mutual understanding and a positive attitude.
- Employee training should be encouraged and promoted in every possible way. It is very important that employees always develop both on a personal and professional level. When there is no sense of growth, then the team stands still and may be on the verge of extinction. You should always remember that the potential and capabilities of each individual team member are not maximized, and you must help him to reveal himself. Training and development will always foster the emergence of new ideas and the attitude to seek and introduce innovations.
- It is necessary to create a positive microclimate and cultivate a team spirit. Warm and friendly relations should always reign in the team, because the team is practically a family. And this, in turn, suggests that the team also includes family values, such as mutual assistance and a willingness to do a lot of other things. In addition, it is necessary not only to work together, but also to have a rest - this is an indicator of quality relations, and not just the relations of people within the team.
- It is necessary to stimulate the involvement of team members in the work process and perseverance in achieving team and individual goals. If the involvement and tenacity of one is combined with the involvement and tenacity of the other, a synergistic effect will be achieved, which is the best energy for achieving maximum results.
But we must not forget about another essential element that distinguishes an effective team from a mediocre one - this is loyalty.
Loyalty in brief
Such a quality as loyalty is not innate, and there are usually no more than 10% of truly loyal people in society. And this serves as an indicator that loyalty must be created, which requires the team leader to be proficient in any management methods.Loyalty itself can be defined in different ways, but most accurately, in relation to the issue of team building, it can be characterized as follows: loyalty is a willingness on a voluntary basis and without any coercion to act in accordance with the official and unofficial principles of the team. And this includes not only diligence, but also the desire to voluntarily do something for the good of the team. It is for this reason that we can conclude that if there is no loyalty in the team, then there is no team itself either.
And here is the time to talk about what should not be done in order to destroy the team.
What can destroy a team?
A team can be destroyed mainly by three factors:- An oppressive atmosphere, leading to the indifference of team players about the work and the overall result. When tension reigns in the team, absolutely everything is "infected" with it, which leads to disastrous consequences
- False communications, which should be understood as the lack of attention of team members to each other and a general rejection of ideas. When everyone starts to bend their own line, the whole team game is at risk.
- Suppression of initiative, when the feelings of team members are suppressed and not discussed. It is important to understand here that it is not shameful to expose your feelings to the public, and everyone in the team should talk about their mistakes and problems in work.
And finally, we would like to cite a few features of team management in some countries.
Team management in different countries
In team management, in general, a lot is based on the traditions that have developed in this or that country, in this or that region. And team management systems can be roughly divided into:- "Eastern"
- "Asian"
- "Russian"
- "European-American"
"Eastern" system
The main feature here is the presence of high internal obligations of the team members to the company. People in oriental teams are very hardworking and strive to improve the efficiency of the work process. Responsibility for the result lies with the team. It is also interesting that in the companies of the countries of the East such an incentive system is used, which is focused on group responsibility."Asian" system
In this system, the difference is that the implementation of company rules and directives of management is unquestioning and is under a kind of protection. Any, even the most insignificant, attempt by the employee to act willful is strictly, quickly and exponentially suppressed. The overwhelming majority of Asian-style teams are closed, the initiative of the team members is minimal, and all issues are resolved very slowly."Russian" system
Coercion is inherent in this control system. Company employees must do as they are told. It is not customary here to openly show your aspirations for a better life and outstanding achievements, as well as to make sharp career take-offs. In most cases, there is a lack of discipline or an extremely low level of discipline, and employees are capable of breaking any rules. For these reasons, the leadership is rigid."European-American" system
This system is also characterized by a high level of coercion, however, often in disguise. Behind the leader's smile, his polite voice and a desire to listen, most often there is a toughness and the ability to quickly put everything in its place. If an employee shows discretion or laziness, he can be on the street in the blink of an eye.These are, in the most general form, the peculiarities of team management in different countries.
We advise you not to focus on any of the above systems, but to take into account only the basic rules of team building, because this is the only way you can create a truly successful team.
YOU ARE IN A TEAM: Are you a team player? Do you know what role you need to play in a team in order to feel as comfortable as possible and contribute the most to the common cause? If you cannot answer these questions without difficulty, we recommend that you take our self-discovery course, which, in addition to your place in the team, will point you to many other characteristics of your personality that will help you both in team play and in working on achievement of individual results. Follow this link and start knowing yourself (note that the course will be useful not only for those who are interested in team building issues, but also for any other person).
We wish you good luck and a good team!
