Team building exercises are a time tested and statistically proven way to increase the performance of your employees, and thus get the most out of your team. However, the key to having a successful team lies in the building process itself. Just as only the best materials and planning will enable a person to construct a solid and functional building, so too, only the right people and vision will enable the construction of a solid and functioning team. Improved communication, established trust and the like are all critical to success, but they will all be wasted if the team itself is not constructed correctly from the start. That said, there are a few tips on how to ensure that you build the most effective team possible.
Learn the Dynamics of Already Great Teams
The first tip on how to build a successful team is to look at the best teams already in existence. All you have to do is look at a winning sports team to see the dynamics of a great team at work. While many different sports will offer their own lessons, baseball is perhaps one of the most commonly used analogies for building a great team. One of the first things you understand when looking at a baseball team is the diversity of the positions. Each position requires a unique skill set that sets it apart from the others. The most successful teams are those that have the best players in each position. You don’t look for players who can adequately play more than one position. Rather, you look for players who can excel at their chosen position. This is one critical factor in building a successful team. Choose people who are the best at one specific job.
Get Team Members to Cover Each Other
Another lesson you can learn from baseball is how the team works together. The truth is that while each member of the team has an individual job to do, the best teams seem to blend these jobs together seamlessly. You can see this dynamic in action when you see players covering for each other whenever they get pulled out of position. This is particularly true in the case of covering bases to ensure the maximum chance of tagging opponent players out while trying to advance. If the player on second base runs to field a hit ball, then the short stop or pitcher will cover second base for them, allowing them to do their job without jeopardizing their natural position. This unity of purpose goes a long way to ensuring a team’s success. Therefore, when building the right team, you need to look for people who are not the only expert at what they do, but who are also willing to work together with others in order to achieve the overall goal.
Join the Right Training Program
Finally, there is the matter of training. The top sports teams in the world are those with the best training. Therefore, once you get in the people who are best at their jobs, and who are eager to work as a team, you need to ensure that they are well and properly trained. The more time and effort you spend improving an employee’s job knowledge, and job skills are the better their performance will be. This will ensure that you get the best results from your team, both as individuals and as a collective unit.
