Author: Matthew

Does having a unified team actually translate into improved performance? If implemented correctly, research shows team cohesion can improve morale, motivation, and loyalty. And having high marks in these areas is certainly an indicator for performance.

What we’re talking about isn’t just getting your employees to meet up at the bar after work a couple times a week, although that wouldn’t hurt. You might even join them occasionally. As a manager, you want to create cohesion around common goals, successes, and pride to be a part of your team.

How do you create a culture where this kind of team-centered unity can thrive? There are many systems out there designed to improve organizational behavior and team cohesion. Before you spend a lot of money and time trying to implement one of these, just take a look at a few basic principles.

1. Make employees aware of organizational values
As a team performance specialist, I’m always shocked how often I hear from employees that they have no idea what the values of their company are. “To make money”, is a common response. Of course making money is important, but there is more to a company than the profit at the end of the year. Every business owner and manager has an idea how she wants her team to run, but she may not understand the power of sharing these ideals with their employees. If you have a clear mission statement and vision statement and expect your employees to know and follow them, there’s a good chance they’ll buy into that mission and vision. For help developing these documents, click here.

2. Create opportunities to build trust
It’s hard to trust someone you haven’t seen in the heat of battle, so to speak. That’s why many organizations use team building retreats and workshops or field softball teams. The point is to let employees get to know each other’s strengths and count on each other in a situation where their job isn’t on the line. It also helps build a team spirit that can translate into better job performance.

3. Encourage employees to wear your team colors
This may sound silly, but there’s a reason militaries and sports teams wear uniforms. They create a sense of belonging and pride. I’m not suggesting implementing a ridiculous dress code in your office, but buying your employees jackets, T-shirts, or customized silicone bracelets with your company logo and slogan could go a long way to instilling a sense of identity as a member of your organization. You might be surprised how cost effective it can be to outfit your employees this way. Here’s a good source to get started.

4. Empower employees to improve their own systems
One of the surest drains on employee morale I’ve seen is keeping your people working with outdated conventions and systems that create inefficiency and diminish their ability to shine. Giving employees input in how to improve work processes lets you take advantage of their experience, improves adherence to policies, and builds a sense of ownership for the results of work. Let your employees know how they can suggest ideas for improving processes, automated tools, and customer relations conventions. Maybe there could be a specified time in a monthly meeting to offer and discuss suggestions. Even if you ultimately choose not to make the change, your employees will appreciate being listened to.

5. Provide ways to resolve conflicts productively
There are always conflicts when you have people working together. But depending on the culture of your organization, people may not feel free to address issues either with co-workers or management. The result is often gossip, cliques, decrease in productivity, high employee turnover. There needs to be a space where people can voice what they’re feeling without worrying that their jobs may be a risk. One of the worse things for a manager to learn is that these conflicts have been occurring under his nose and he had no idea. An employee may not feel comfortable speaking directly to her boss about an issue she has with his management style. So you may want to have a way employees can anonymously register complaints even if you have a relatively small work force.

Creating a culture that encourages team cohesion takes intelligent policies, consistent devotion to the goal from leadership, and time. If your organization has an every-man-for-himself culture, you may have to show a lot of sustained good faith effort before you see any fruit. Don’t expect your people to start brandishing their company wristbands tomorrow, but company unity will come when you’ve shown your employees that you’re serious about making changes.

Learning how to build great project teams is a skill like any other business tool. The catch phrase: “great leaders are born, not made” really isn’t all that accurate in today’s business environment. Creating good, effective, high performing teams takes practice.

What is a high performing team?

In today’s business world, it’s not good enough for one person to excel at his or her job. The most valuable employees are those who are able to create teams that get the job done right, quickly and with a minimum of drama. The era of the “lone warrior” in business is over. Today’s successful companies nurture leaders who create high performing teams that know how to get results. A high performing team can deliver a product, report or client solution on time, under budget and anticipating the client’s and the boss’ needs.

Building high performance teams

How do you create these highly-functional, yet positive work groups? It’s as simple (or as complex) as being the best you can be, choosing the right team members and empowering your team members.

1. Create a high-performing you.

As a team leader, you have to first focus on you. In fact, Josh Bersin of Forbes found that the best performing organizations link leadership strategy to business strategy. To be a great leader, you don’t necessarily need to be the tallest or the loudest person in the room, you just need to be the most confident. More than once I’ve seen a five-foot-tall woman hold a room full of grown men at rapt attention because of her confidence and her positive energy.
In many ways a team leader is like a parent. The members of your team will look to you for guidance, to set the tone and to be an example for the group members. If you’re tense and stressed, chances are your team will be stressed and tense also. Conversely, if you start the day with a smile on your face and a calm attitude, your team will follow suit. As team leader, you not only need to be confident, you need to be consistent, trustworthy and fair. Make sure you’re up to the challenge before you start selecting individual team members.

2. Get the right people for the team.

Choosing the right people to work on your team is something of an art and a science. Before you approach the first person, sit down and envision what you’d like the team to look like. It might even be helpful to write down your vision. You’ll want team members whose abilities and personalities all complement one another.

Looking After Your Prized Staff

Of course, team members need to have at least the minimum skills required for the job, but that shouldn’t be the only consideration you look for in choosing your team. Good team members know how to work well together and bring a positive energy to the group. Sometimes, the most qualified person isn’t the best choice for your team, especially if that person thinks he knows everything because of his seniority and isn’t willing to listen to the rest of the group. In an article called, “The New Science of Building Great Teams” by Alex Pentland communication is the key factor in high performing teams.

“… we’ve found patterns of communication to be the most important predictor of a team’s success. Not only that, but they are as significant as all the other factors—individual intelligence, personality, skill, and the substance of discussions—combined.” Harvard Business Review, 2012

Also remember that ego has no place in a good team. Look at professional sports teams. In general, the most successful teams are those without the one or two stellar players. Rather, they are the teams who have a group of players who know how to work together well.

Of course, once you’ve chosen your team, it’s essential that you communicate the team’s goals, client contacts, time line and other critical information with the team members.

3. Empower the team.

A good team isn’t a group of robots. You need to give your project team the authority to make decisions. As team leader, you don’t want every member having to come to you with every little day-to-day decision. Sometimes, you’ll be working with remote teams, where members will have to decide issues without you, because of time differences or other logistic barriers. You may not –and probably won’t–agree with every decision your team makes. However, without empowering the group, you stifle creativity and initiative. What’s more: any decision is better than having time make the decision for your group.

A true high-performing team knows what you’re thinking as team leader and what the group as a whole is thinking. Ideally, individual team members should make decisions based on those parameters, not their own opinions. As team leader, you’re responsible for creating the environment where team members feel comfortable making decisions. It may take some getting used to, but by delegating some of your authority, you’ll have more time to realize your own goals.

Creating great, high power project teams isn’t complicated, but it does take planning and care. To be effective in your team collaboration, make sure that you first create a high-power persona for yourself, one that you’re comfortable with and that will inspire confidence in your team. Next, choose the right team members and lastly, empower those team members to give them the room they need to make fast, accurate decisions.

About the Author

Taylor is a writer and manages a web development team at Project Manager, an online project planning tool. He has experience working in small businesses and assisting larger businesses with ERP software and project delivery.

All managers and organizations have their philosophies about how to motivate employees and manage their teams. Some seek to create cooperation and loyalty. Others rely more on the competitive spirit to get things done. And the truth is different approaches can work, but it’s important to understand what kind of work environment you’re creating with your approach. So the question is: Are you more Maslow or Machiavelli.

Are You More Maslow or Machiavelli?
These two paradigms are familiar to many in the business world, but they represent very different ways of managing people.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs tells us that people have certain requirements that have to be met before they can be truly fulfilled. In the workplace, this theory demands attending to the needs of each employee. Making enough money to live, job security, belonging to a team, excelling at a job, and doing meaningful work are all motivating factors. The idea is that if employees are happy at work, they’ll be more creative and produce more.

The Machiavellian style is very different. It states that it is better to be feared than loved. Rules are strict and punishments are harsh. Employees are motivated by fear of losing their jobs, but also by the yen to beat the competition. It produces a program of survival of the fittest that attracts people who can think on their feet and get the job done regardless of circumstances. And it’s an efficient way of shedding dead weight.

Which Model is Better for Business?
We all know of instances where both styles are used. Most lists of the best places to work are full of companies that take a more Maslow-oriented approach. Google is often at the top of these lists with a huge sports complex, subsidized massages, free food, and a company mission statement that everyone seems to be able to get behind. And who can argue with Google’s success?

But we’ve all seen glimpses into the white collar marketing and financial worlds where productivity means survival. You’re either rising or falling and every coworker is vying for the same promotion you are. These companies have impressive balance sheets of their own and it’s obvious why the best and brightest would embrace a chance to shoot for the stars.

Maslow’s approach is great for building team unity, loyalty, and stability. But it’s susceptible to employee complacency and cliché, in-the-box thinking. A Machiavellian regime can be very effective to push employees to great heights of creativity and production at an individual level. But know they’re only on board as long as your goals are aligned with theirs.

So which way is better? That depends on your goals. Maslow’s approach is much better at promoting strong teams. This is important if your business relies on a great deal of cooperation. It also gives you a chance to groom future leaders who you expect to stick around for the long haul. The Machiavellian way is effective where individual performance is key. Employees may not work cooperatively but they can learn by seeing how others succeed … or fail.

Can There Be Balance?
The truth is, most managers recognize the need for a balanced approach. We use a combination of policies designed to build employees up and light a fire under them when they need it. If we do this well, unity and security can coexist with vigilance and audacious creativity. The key is to find a way to strike this balance without becoming wildly inconsistent. It takes wisdom to know when to give and when to take away — especially as markets and technologies, and therefore work policies, change.

So can a manager consistently be output oriented without forgetting the value of human assets? … Balance tenure with performance? … Promote teamwork and individual excellence at the same time? One thing is certain — it’s easier said than done.

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Matthew Goyette, MBA
www.steton.com
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