The difference between a strong and supportive team over your average team lies in the subtleties. The defining characteristic is not the team’s performance. How well a team performs is a side effect of a strong sense of camaraderie and trust. Those who have worked in poorly managed teams understand how it feels to walk on eggshells in the workplace. They may try to keep their heads down to avoid being thrown under the bus to save someone else. A strong team, on the other hand, will unite together against challenges and work to find ways to solve problems, rather than turning a blind eye.
Recent research and studies have evaluated high-performance teams through in-depth questioning and analysis. Over 66000 people participated in the study. Through questioning, the researchers identified 15 leadership behaviours that motivated team members to participate and go the extra mile.
These 15 behaviours were then factor analysed and 5 key elements were identified which can help leaders to build a strong team;
1. Apply Inspiration
High performing team leaders apply less emphasis on driving the team and more emphasis on inspiring the team. Creating hype and excitement within the ranks is more constructive than laying out goals and KPIs. What kind of reward lies at the end of a goal for your teams? We all know that the hardest working individual of all time is the one trying to earn a promotion – why? Because there’s a tangible incentive. Incentives don’t have to be financial or status. It can be recognition, a sense of belonging, or the knowledge that your team is a step ahead of its competitors.
2. Innovate Your Own Conflict Resolution
Each company has its own dynamic. Each team is different. Each business has a unique set of goals. You can’t fall back on a generic conflict resolution plan. One of the most clearly defining characteristics of a high performing team is the team members’ perception that someone has their back. When there is conflict (which there inevitably always will be) it is imperative that leaders step in to mediate and help to resolve the issue so that both parties walk away feeling heard and respected. Management can not leave the team members to battle it out quietly. As much as we like to believe mature people can do this, we have to give our team members the right to be human and wrong in some instances.
3. Get The Team Results-Hungry
In this research into high performing teams, it came to light that employees who pride themselves on being part of a team that’s different, were more willing to work late, put in more effort, and their overall participation was greater. It’s not all about being results-hungry, exactly. It’s about being part of something that makes a difference. Or being part of a team who dies things differently. People want to belong to a group with a defining element.
4. Communicate With Repetition
The company’s goals remain the same. Each new project and each new change within the company affirms the same values which aim to achieve the company’s goals. Repeat the goals with each instruction in order to affirm them. Not only does it give employees a destination to aim for rather than a (figurative) road to travel, it invites their own innovative ideas to come forward. You never know when someone may find an easier way to achieve the same goal. Keep communicating setback, wins, changes and new goals keeping the greater aim in the dialogue. Team members want to feel trusted and they want to take ownership of the journey.
5. Be An Ally – Earn Your Team’s Trust
Trust remains the ultimate cornerstone to successful team management. Not only do you want to aim to inspire trust between your team members, but they must look to management as an ally who will support them. This should be true for mistakes too. A sense of trust will lay the foundations for conflict resolution, for sharing new ideas and innovations, and stepping out of comfort zones to move the company’s goals forward. Inspire trust by making sound decisions and never losing your temper. When team members make mistakes, tackle ways to address the issues together and allow accountability to be the side effect.
The Findings of the Study
The findings of the study revealed that poor leadership resulted in around 13% of the team members remaining fully committed to the company’s goals. In contrast, well-managed teams averaged around 71% of their team members being highly committed. The key researcher went on to state that 30% of the well-managed teams actually scored 100% but when that was averaged out over a large number of participants, it dropped to a mean 71 – which is still impressive. For your average leader, this research and these 5 steps hold the key to improving your team’s commitment by around 60%, if not more. It all starts with a positive mindset and constructive self-leadership from within.
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