7 Tips To Build & Manage A Good Team

A manager’s role has become extremely challenging since organizations have expanded their scope across various demographics. Today’s managers are faced with team members that may be from multiple locations, from different cultures and have different backgrounds than their own.

Team building in this context is a prized skill that managers are willing to invest in. It has become critical to find “team players” when selecting people for a job or business project. An organization’s potential will end where the imagination of a sharp team does. There is a lot more involved than simple complimentary skills when building an elite team. Here are seven practices at the heart of building a first-rate team.

1- Get the best on board
Why this is important: The productivity gap between the top and average performers is considerable. If you are working against a tight deadline and are also cautious about quality, be prepared to pay for the best. The best in class may be expensive to hire but they will bring the maximum value to the table and get the job done. The old dictum, “If you pay peanuts, you would only get monkeys,” holds true here.

How this is done: Focus on hiring employees that have biographical data similar to your company’s star employees (i.e. they have a background in finance, have changed fewer than two jobs in the last five years, are well networked in the business community, and are enthusiastic and vocal). Role-playing could also be used to ensure that candidates possess soft skills (people skills, personality and motivation) and the mental ability required for problem-solving, analysis and an eye for detail.

Your relationship with time may force you to rush the hiring process, which should never be done. If you are looking for five-star dining, would you consider fast food? Avoid the indigestion that the “fast-food” selection tests can cause (low performance, high turnover and poor morale). Invest in your people and get the best on board.

2- Align tasks to skills & motivation
Why this is important: Managers don’t motivate employees: People can only motivate themselves. Combining the right skill sets with motivation is paramount in ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently. If you allow your team members to progress into the areas where they excel and are interested in, you will effectively keep them engaged and free yourself from the risk of having disgruntled and frustrated team members.

How this is done: The manager’s behavior can help employees discover their inner motivation. Consistency can be driven by using coaching as a people management tool or leadership style. Observed personality traits can manifest in successful team players. A public relations candidate functioning in the background may be self-effacing and less self-conscience while they help project the team into the limelight. Candidates who are action-oriented and like to see immediate results may make excellent sales professionals.

3- Strike the right balance
Why this is important: Most projects require a mix of activities. A team needs to have a balanced set of skills, especially if the majority of the members are specialists in their field (consultants, analysts, IT experts). All skills will come into play while the team carries out its task, and any lack can result in the hampering of the project. Most managers make the common mistake of mixing skill sets with complete disregard to mixing personality types. Unbalanced teams may result in personal politics and ”turf wars,” and may lead to increased divisions in the team.

How this is done: A balance in terms of personality and temperament also needs to be achieved, which will promote better relationships between members of the team. Closely watch the interpersonal dynamics within the team. The manager may be asking for trouble if he teams the extroverted and high-energy marketing consultant with the reserved and calm product manager to design the product positioning strategy. Choose team members who have the skill sets along with the adaptability and flexibility to work with different people.

4- Manage the team mix
Why this is important: It is difficult to predict whether the team mix is correct and if it facilitates success; therefore, constant monitoring is indispensable. Allowing someone to remain on the team when they are a mismatch can prove counter productive. Other members may become resentful when no action is taken and they are obligated to cover for a non-productive member.

How this is done: The team’s perception of itself is crucial. There may be a “social animal” on the team and their major contribution is to hold the team together. While a manager may perceive him to be unproductive, the team might value his jokes for their morale boosting. Some diligence is required in this situation to ensure that fact is separated from opinion before any conclusions are made. Consider regular discussions with team members on an individual basis in order to gauge the pulse of the team.

5- Give the credit and take the blame
Why this is important: Do not indulge in fault-finding or blame games. Pigeonholing a particular member of the team may spread negative vibes within the team and cost you time and quality. Celebrating every small success and appreciating team members will build a sense of camaraderie between team members.

How this is done: Be a coach rather than the star player and let people make mistakes -- that’s the only way they will learn. Put sustainable processes in place and ensure clarity of role and accountabilities so team members become empowered and don’t drop the ball. A manager must have the smarts to balance the good of the individual with the good of the team. Appreciate and acknowledge the positive behaviors so that they turn into consistent practices.

6- Be hard on tasks and soft on people
Why this is important: The focus should be on getting the job done. Giving space to every member of the team would allow them to develop their true potential as leaders. A good player always passes the ball. Even superstars need to work as a team player. Individual accomplishments mean little if they don’t enable the team to succeed.

How this is done: People like to be liked. A manager needs to ensure that his likeability quotient amongst his team is high. Encourage team members to take calculated risks and allow them to save face when they fail. Put people first and consider every mistake as an investment that would provide valuable learning to the organization.

7- Communicate constantly and review performance
Why this is important: The importance of transparent communication within the team is paramount to success. When the team experiences its ups and downs, ambiguities or changes, keeping everyone objective and focused on the larger picture is very important. It should be remembered that a “fish always rots from the top.”

How this is done: The team needs to be informed of any developments or changes that could impact their performance or completion of tasks. Ensure that all the team members have a similar understanding of what needs to be accomplished and there are no disconnects. The manager also needs to provide regular performance-based feedback. The team should be given a reality check and the momentum should be adjusted to achieve optimum results

ties that bind
Building a good team is extremely challenging and rewarding at the same time. It calls for some astute planning. The three most important lessons are: be true to the team’s vision, give people space to operate and develop as leaders and remain intellectually sharp as a team. The first will give the team purpose and direction, the second will give them the ability to deliver and the last will keep the team young and jumping out of their beds on Mondays.

Regards,
Sunder