Five Ways To Identify The Strengths of Your Team

A SUCCESSFUL leader needs to put together a team that can deliver on contracted assignments and think creatively. But it’s equally important to identify the team’s strengths and put them to best use. Rica Bhattacharyya shows how. 

1 Get the Right Mix Strategic and execution excellence should be one of the crucial attributes of a strong team, says Shaily Gupta, group head-human resources, Edelweiss Group. “Good leaders ensure their teams get this blend right,” she says. However, equally important is the ability to handle the unknown, to take care of ambiguity and fluidity, says Sandeep Banerjee, chief executive officer and managing director, EdenRed India. 

2 Induce Collaboration The sense of ownership in team members and ability to work cohesively are important to strengthen the performance of a team, says Banerjee. Adds Gupta: “Great teams are those that foster individual creativity but at the same time encourage interdependence which is productive and collaborative”. 

3 Go Beyond the Brief “Great teams have the ability to go beyond the brief and bring new perspectives to the contracted assignment,” Gupta says. Such teams will inevitably push themselves and sometimes even their managements into thinking out of the box, she adds. 

4 Interact Informally While formal feedback can help identify strengths and weaknesses of a team, informal interactions also help in knowing teams better. “I always look out for personal experiences with my team members and colleagues in both formal and informal settings to get to know them better and to appreciate their (and each other’s) strengths and advantages,” says Banerjee. 

5 Aim at Larger Picture A team that rests on past laurels can never achieve greatness. To succeed and be a great team you need to have an achievement orientation, says Gupta. Execution skill is critical to enhance a team’s performance and a leader needs to ensure that the team has the ability to look at the larger picture and have a purpose behind their actions, adds Banerjee.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 11-09-20120