One of the most over-, and mis-, used words in leadership today is the word TEAM. The fact that a group of people are put together by function in an organizational structure does not automatically anoint them as a Team. This structure is better referred to as a Work Group, where each individual member has their own responsibilities to fulfill, usually comprising a piece of the overall goals of the organization. When each member of the group accomplishes their particular piece of the puzzle, the full
objective can be accomplished. It’s important to note that Work Groups primarily contribute independently toward a bigger picture. Conversely, Teams work interdependently toward accomplishing a joint goal that they collectively have bought into as an objective.

For the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on Teams, and break that category down into Teams (capital T) and teams (small t). We will define ‘teams’ as groups who are working together toward a common goal, with Teams being those who have created a culture that enables them to work more efficiently and effectively together toward that goal.

1. Shared Vision

Shared vision is a critical component of a Team’s work. Having each member of the Team focused with the same end-in-mind sets the basis for collaboration. Recognizing that the proverbial sum of the parts is greater than the whole, Teams capitalize on the interdependency of each other’s roles, which enhances strategic thinking and creativity, while bringing members closer together in the process.

Teams work best when the shared vision is truly shared. Having a team leader hand down their vision and expecting everyone to fully commit is wishful thinking. To better guarantee full buy in, the Team should jointly create and align on the vision they will be working toward.

2. Trust

Trust in team building and team coaching is essential and the foundation of building a Team. There are different levels of trust that can and should developed as a Team evolves on its quest to become a powerful team.

To begin with, a few ingredients are a must to build trust in a business Team; first the members need to have a desire to want to be on the Team and truly be a part of it. The Team leader may have to take bold action to replace a member if they determine the member cannot put the Team’s interests ahead of their own personal interest.

One of the things we say at the start of Team coaching sessions is – ‘check your job titles at the door’. On a powerful Team, each member, including the leader, has an equal voice when it comes to conversations, discussions and ultimately decisions, and the Team trusts that all varying points of view have been surfaced. Once the Team decides on a course of action – each member will support and champion the decision even if they initially had a different opinion.

Trust is also built by having common goals. Business goals are just part of the equation. Most teams are lucky to have a common business goal or goals. What we drive for in Team coaching is for the Team to also have its own ‘Team goal’. This is a non-business goal that is about how the team operates as a Team. It is about behaviors, mindset and other interpersonal objectives that the Team needs to accomplish together.

3. Relationship Building

Another aspect of Team performance is ensuring the Team members know each other as people. This is helped by frequent meetings and informal in-between meeting chats, texting, drop-ins or quick calls. The real needle mover though, is having each Team member let their guard down to be vulnerable. Letting other members know about even seemingly simple things like favorite candy, preference for coffee or tea, are they a pet lover, and of course many other things, can work wonders. Going even a little deeper also brings greater connection – do you have kids, where did you grow up, hobbies or sports loved, etc. Then, the even more advanced opportunity to build deep connections with each Team member is sharing things that most other people may not know about them. This is where appropriate vulnerability comes in – not revealing fatal flaws or anything they do not feel comfortable sharing, but still sharing more than surface level insights about themselves.

Once trust and getting to know each other are well under way, one team activity we add is a structured ‘ask’/‘tell’ exercise that has Team members asking for one thing they need from and one thing they can offer to their fellow members. This can be accomplished in a meeting in ‘round robin’ style (all with all) or by separate 1:1 scheduled interactions. This is one of our favorite coaching activities as we see the personal walls come down and a newfound conduct of collaboration emerges.

4. Common Language

In any organization, a common language is important for effective communication. A great example is the tech industry which has acronyms and buzzwords that represent the work they do. Those in the field understand that jargon, while it is much less meaningful to those outside. Teams operate in a similar fashion. Having all team members complete an assessment and share the results with the team allows them all to look at their behaviors and personality styles on the same plane, in the same language. They can identify when these qualities are present, and point out their impact, both in positive and constructive ways to optimize team behaviors. For example, after discussing and assessing Emotional Intelligence it is common to hear Team members comment on aspects of each other’s Self Awareness.

5. Playing By the Rules

Rules govern the way we live…whether it’s how fast we travel on an interstate highway or how we play defense in basketball. Teams need to have their own Rules of the Road to create a framework for their interactions. By jointly creating the norms or values that the team elects to live by, the members now have a common language to hold each other to those standards. These rules can cover a wide range of topics from how to brainstorm and make decisions to how to have healthy debate among team members. Similar to the highway patrol or the basketball referee, team members need to call out infractions to the rules and hold members accountable to them.

As you can see, Teams don’t just happen. Developing a Powerful Team takes intention, energy and focus on the Team itself, not just the function the Team performs, to create the necessary momentum. Looking at your organization…do you work on a team…. or a Team?