BUILDING THE FOUNDATION
The temptation is to rush right into the project or projects at hand.  However, it is essential to take a step back and build the foundation for working together.  Start by creating a collective purpose of what the team is hoping to accomplish by gathering input from all team members.  Assist the team in defining outcomes to ensure that everyone agrees on what success will be.  Develop and be clear about the process or processes that the team will follow in working together.

A FIRST STEP: If you are just convening a team, you can begin your initial meeting by asking everyone to share what they hope to accomplish in the team.  Even if you have an already established team, you can use an upcoming meeting to ask team members to share their views on how the team is doing thus far.

COMMUNICATING OPENLY AND DIRECTLY
Communication is a key element of leadership.  In order to make your team as effective as possible, foster open and direct communication by inviting differing and conflicting viewpoints.  Being purposeful and thoughtful about the language we use will result in a common understanding.  Practicing active listening will ensure that team members are heard and feel that they have made valuable contributions.  Encouraging team members to ask questions will clarify what people have said and draw out additional information.

A FIRST STEP: Do some work prior to the next team meeting by talking individually to team members, in person, or by phone if the team member works off-site (avoid email as it lends itself to greater communication misunderstandings).  Ask each team member what questions are lingering about the work for him or her.  Rather than answering these questions right then and there, collect them – see what patterns emerge in all of the questions – and use the next team meeting to address them.

ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS
Encourage team members to build relationships with one another.  Understand the agendas and perspectives of others by recognizing the competing priorities that each team member faces.  Manage disagreements by bringing conflicts into the open in order to resolve them collaboratively.  Know your team members’ capacity to handle change and how to deal with resistance that may surface.

A FIRST STEP: An easy way to establish working relationships among team members is to build in time  at the beginning and the conclusion of meetings for people to air what’s on their mind – both work-related and personally (i.e. I had a nice weekend camping with the family).  Also, take breaks in your daily work routine to informally check in with team members about how they are doing and what they are thinking.

DEVELOPING TEAM MEMBERS
To get the best out of the people you are working with, take the time to assess the strengths and development needs of the team members.  Encourage team members to give direct feedback in a timely manner – balancing what people are doing well with areas for improvement.  Value the diversity of experiences and approaches that people bring to the work and use it to strengthen the team’s capacity.  Encourage people to step out of their usual roles and to take risks by approaching problems in new and innovative ways.

A FIRST STEP: Early on in the team’s formation have members submit to each other one area of expertise or strength that they are hoping to provide the team and one area of development or learning that they are hoping to take out of working with one another.  By having a record of these, people can keep track of whether they are delivering on their strengths and working on their area of development.  They can also get support from other team members and be valued for what they are bringing to the team.

Our fast-paced and results-oriented culture often does not allow space for creating and maintaining a way to work together in a team environment.  If you keep your concentration on the four areas detailed above, you will be on your way to creating an effective team.  Remember, investing time in people will result in better projects.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could get helpful articles like this sent to your inbox once a month. Sign up for our newsletter.