Five Ways To... Build Great Teams At Work

You may be an excellent solo worker in your organisation, but the real challenge lies in being a superb team mate. The value of effective teamwork cannot be overstated and that’s why organisations world over crave for good team builders. Mahima Puri lists some ways to build great teams at the workplace.

Know Thy People A good team builder is the one who knows about his people and is always on the look out for their well-being.. “All players in a team may not be equal just like the fingers of our hands but each and every team player has a specialty. It is essential to understand this fact and respect every person for his or her individuality and skills,” says Alok Jain, EVP & COO at ASPIRE Human Capital Management. Agrees Talent Advisory Services founder Gita Dang, “Every one is different and should be handled differently. It’s important to accept others’ perspective and act accordingly.”

Instill Responsibility 

One should work towards developing good traits in team members. This will help them in carrying out their professional responsibilities. Overall, one should work towards making his teammates proficient in their work. Gaurang Kamath (name changed), who works with a BPO in Bangalore, learnt that delegating work made people more responsible towards their work. “If you give them alittle flexibility and power, they will be more enthusiastic towards work and the team as a whole,” Kamath adds. 

Communicate Effectively
Communication skills play a pivotal role in creating good teams. One should know how to communicate with not only seniors but also with subordinates along with other key stakeholders. “Always encourage your team to share their views and new ideas,” says Mr Jain. “Hearing out your teammates gives them a positive feedback that they are being valued. This motivates them to put in their 100% in any project,” he adds. “Share knowledge and use your learnings but don’t forget to customise it keeping the current working environment in mind,“ Ms Dang adds.

Be The Role Model
A good mentor is one who sets an example and inculcates a sense of responsibility in his teammates by inspiring them through his personal demeanour. However, Ms Dang points that there could be some set backs while doing this as well. “Always expect and accept a little bit of resentment and animosity from team members and learn to pave your way through it, especially if you are leading an established team.”

Make Sound Decisions
By making use of proper planning tools and problem-solving aptitude a team leader can direct team members in times of crisis. “While making a decision it is always a good idea to take into confidence your teammates. When based on the rationale of ‘common good’ the decisions will bring out desired results and help in the successful completion of the task,” Mr Jain says.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 28-06-2011)

Five Ways To Shift Attention From Me To We

For Vikram Tandon, HR head, HSBC India and his team, it was another day at work. They sat together with the CEO to review the performance of the team for past six months, discussed plans for the year ahead and issues that need to be taken up with each individual and ideas for the coming months. To cultivate the success of others, managers need to shift the focus from ‘me’ to ‘we’. Shreya Biswas points out important aspects of teamwork. 

Communicate Openly
Managers should keep the channels of communication open between their team members and their bosses. There should be constant flow of information and the manager should try to facilitate such process rather than hinder the same. The leaders will know who is doing what and whether the team is aligned to organisational goals. Team members, on the other hand, will have confidence about their efforts being in line with company’s growth and their individual growth.

Be Transparent
Amanager needs to prioritise actions of fellow members towards a common goal. Share the status of a project at regular intervals, do reviews on what’s done and what needs to be done to achieve the target on time. Identify what skill sets are suited best for which employee and assign work accordingly to people. “Recognise people for the good work they do. This will bring a sense of belonging amongst them and they will always do bit extra to help the project,” says a Delhibased IT company manager .

Build Credibility
Amanager should first act and then preach the same to his team mates. It doesn’t help anyobe when a manager just issues orders without following himself. Build credibility by way of ideation, giving right direction to projects and leading by example when it’s needed. When people see you taking the lead in everything, they will listen to what you say and there will be no need to pressurize them to get the work done. They will know if the leader is putting extra effort for the team’s good,” says Uday Chawla, managing partner, Transearch International, India.

Celebrate Success
If a project is successful and appreciated by the top leadership, don’t forget to convey to them that it was a collective effort . People will tread the same path. There will be a feeling of harmony and they will be motivated to perform as a team. “It will do a world of good to not only company’s performance but team and individual growth as well. Managers should remember everybody has to work towards a common goal to achieve success,” says Mr Chawla.

Seek Feedback

If there are troubled teams and managers are struggling to keep up the performance, there will be a constant churn of people in the team and a high rate of absenteeism. Some basic issues plaguing many teams are managers taking credit for the team members’ work and providing one sided feedback on employee performance to hide one’s incompetence. Seek a 360 degree feedback to ascertain the right reasons for such cases. “If they have done well as individuals and are failing as leaders, provide them with coaches to come out of the crisis. The team performance might improve or else change the manager for a role he is suited” explains Mr Tandon.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 24-06-2011)

Five Ways To Develop A Team That Performs

No corporate can be successful till its people work together as a team and make it happen. To get everyone to work in sync may not be easy but what is important for every leader is to create a team that performs well. Teams that make a difference to the company’s success not only win accolades but also get rewarded. Here’s how to develop a performing team and be recognised, says Mahima Puri.

Set a Common Goal
According to Anil Sethi, corporate counsellor, trainer and motivator, a ‘common goal’ is the key to uniting any team. There has to be clarity on what the team has to achieve in the context of the larger corporate objective. If every team realises its job and does it well, the organisation as a whole grows. “A leader has to maintain transparency to develop this common goal,” he says.

‘ We’, Instead of ‘I
The leader should ensure every individual puts the team’s interest first, not himself. “Till all the team members share a good emotional bond and respect each other, they can never unite,” says Sethi. It is also important to work towards a common goal. Samik Basu, VP-HR & CPO, PepsiCo India says team members should know each other well, including what each one brings to the table.

Man the Team Well
A team is after all a set of individuals. Hence, it is important to understand the capabilities and competencies that one wants in each of the individuals on the team. “You have to man the team accordingly,” says Basu. It is also important to avoid misfits in order to maintain the productivity of a team.

Appreciate People
It is crucial to make sure to equip the team with the adequate quality and quantity of manpower, and it is just as important to recognise and appreciate your team. “Where you hear pride in people’s voices when they talk about their team’s work and recognise their contribution, you are creating a better performing team,” says Sethi. Let your senior management know about you team’s accomplishments, their hard work and potential. When team members realise you are taking a stand for them, they will not only have a sense of belonging but also strive to work harder and perform better.

Celebrate Together
Just like a family that eats together, stays together, a team that parties together too stays together. Basu says it is essential to reward, recognise and celebrate achievements together as a team. While people may not connect so well with each other in a formal environment, sometimes they engage better with each other in an informal one. That’s why bosses take teams out for lunch, companies have off sites and regular celebrations take place.

Source: 01-04-2011, Mumbai, Economic Times