Best Practices_ Managing People_ Secrets to Leading for New Managers - Barry Silverstein [14]
It makes for a whole company of teams focused on excellence.
SOURCE: “Whole Foods Is All Teams” by Charles Fishman, Fast Company (April/May 1996).
As team leader, you need to learn which is which, to determine the strengths and talents of each person, and to make appropriate assignments. If you have the option, choose employees with complementary skills. Some employees may be better suited to certain tasks than others. Some may show initiative; others need more support.
Dos & Dont’s
RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUALITY
When managing a team, start by viewing each team member as unique.
Do match team members’ roles to their individual capabilities.
Don’t force people into roles for which they’re ill-suited.
Do make organized, detail-oriented individuals your administrators and project managers.
Do assign your creative people the job of generating ideas. They are the ones who will spark the team to think inventively.
Do try to find someone with subject-matter expertise.
Do designate a social, outgoing team member as your team builder.
Do make sure everyone understands everyone else’s role.
Training may be required for some to reach the standards set for the group—or the team as a whole may need instruction.
Foster Cooperation
Teams succeed only when their members cooperate closely and work collaboratively. However, not everyone is capable of that. While it’s necessary to respect different personalities, as a team leader you cannot let personality differences impede your progress. You need to reinforce mutual respect, cooperation, and teamwork. Praise team members for collaborating. Encourage the open sharing of information.
“I’ve always found that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team.”
—Lee Iacocca,
former CEO of Chrysler
At times, you may have to mediate differences between team members. Even as you encourage independent thinking, be sure that the end result makes a contribution to the team’s goals.
Build Team Spirit
The work of a team can be intense at times. In the best teams, the shared experience of working towards a goal—with all the advances and setbacks that entails—creates a strong sense of camaraderie.
However, this team spirit takes time to develop. At the beginning, you can help moderate the mood by having team members share something personal at your meetings. Occasionally use team-building exercises. Get the team together socially—out to dinner, to a sporting event, or on a hike. In other words, have some fun.
Dos & Dont’s
HOW TO BUILD STRONG TEAMS
An effective team can accomplish more than any single individual. The better you are at managing teams, the better your results will be.
Do define what you want accomplished before you start building your team.
Do explain the team’s purpose—don’t assume members understand it.
Do explain how success will be measured.
Do consider members’ unique strengths and weaknesses when assigning roles to team members.
Do provide appropriate training—for individuals or for the group as a whole.
Do foster collaboration and cooperation.
Don’t let personality differences and conflicts impede team progress.
Do nurture and promote team spirit.
Do set a high standard for team performance.
Do monitor team progress.
Don’t abdicate responsibility for the results.
Then, when you create team T-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball hats, pens, or coffee mugs, the team slogan or icon members display will become powerful reminders of the team’s shared experiences, both achievements and setbacks, and your common goal. These logo items will become one more way of reminding the group that they are part of something important.
Insist on Accountability
A team is not a place for employees to avoid responsibility. Set high performance standards, and expect each team member to make an effort to contribute. Empower team members to be self-sufficient, but always be available to guide them. Even if you promote consensus decision-making, you