The Six Key Indicators of Highly Functioning Teams
Build Leaders and Teams That Get Results
Imagine pulling your top performing employees together and locking them in the boardroom to take on an important task. How will they
perform? Is your first thought, these individuals are incredible on their own. Together, they’ll be even better and get the results we need. Of course, that’s what you’re thinking. It’s why you put them together in the first place. But, creating effective teams is much harder than you think.
Improving a team’s ability to communicate, provide feedback, regulate emotions, offer direction, structure meetings, and employ accountability strategies will improve productivity and results. Yet none of these skills are adequate if employed in a vacuum. All team members must apply these strategies in order to work better together and avoid the productivity traps that plague so many companies.
Communication
Effective communication is the lifeblood of a team. Teams that communicate effectively reduce misunderstandings and costly errors, minimize work delays, and enhance overall productivity.
Interactive Feedback
A feedback-oriented workplace culture provides essential information for decision-making and performance improvement by reflecting on the past and anticipating future results. It helps to ensure everyone is clear on goals and expectations, promoting team alignment while simultaneously decreasing personal and company blind spots.
Accountability
Holding one another accountable drives innovation, trust, and productivity. Set your team up for success by encouraging a culture of accountability tailored to your organization’s specific structure and goals. This will support company goals, ultimately creating a sustainable system in which team members help and support one another.
Structures
Unifying and streamlining work processes and related behavioral norms builds the foundation for efficient and successful teams. This may include developing expectations and processes for meetings, email norms, and decision-making best practices. Efficient techniques that address common problems within the structures of a team set everyone up for success.
Emotional Intelligence
Awareness and management of one’s emotions while navigating the emotions of others reduces assumptions and increases psychological safety and connection. Management of workplace behaviors is a critical skill, yet rarely discussed. Effectively conveying ideas and demonstrating empathy for the behaviors of others while remaining respectful, productive, and engaged is key.
Cohesion
Team cohesion is directly tied to project outcomes, client satisfaction, team engagement, and collaboration. The key elements of a cohesive team are trust, the level of support one gets from their team, and openness to different opinions. Effectively and efficiently inspiring, guiding, and maintaining momentum allows team members to collectively reach their full potential.
“The Vivo Team program has provided our leaders with tools that will hone their soft skills and help them become more effective managers”
Glen Pullishy Regional Director
