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Do you see yourself as a great leader, capable of creating the perfect team? A key ability you’ll have to develop if you want to become the best leader is being able to build the perfect team: efficient, motivated, able to understand one another… We know, it’s no cakewalk! If every person is their own individual, each professional is a universe itself! But if you want your company to stand out for both its results and its company culture, knowing how to build an efficient team should become your primary goal!
Do not worry! One of our new year’s resolutions is to make you the best version of yourself so you choose us as your next workspace. Like calls to like! 😉 Enjoy today’s Lexington Magazine post, let’s go!
Steps on how to build effective and successful teams
As you’ll find in every recipe of your cookbook, how to build effective teams comes also with special ingredients and steps to follow so that the final result is excellent (and yummy!). We’ll share them with you today!
LOOK BEYOND THE CV
Even though we believe you are the best when it comes to attract and retain talent in your company, the perfect team is so much more than that! You will want to focus on employees’ soft skills when creating a new team for a specific project, and those aspects of their personalities are not usually reflected on their CVs.
When we think of a team, we think of a group of professionals that perfectly understand one another, that encourage one another to be bolder and braver and that share their point of view to enrich the project. If you put two opposite souls together, two people that will clearly be at odds all the time, they will break the team from within. That’s why our piece of advice is to analyse those soft skills of every candidate.
DEFINE GOALS
Whether this new team is for a n emerging project or for an existent department you want to organize better, establishing the team’s mail goals, its foundation and structure is a step we cannot skip! If you want to know how to build an efficient team, you’ll have to plan it all out first! Real purposes for each member and for the team as a group, tasks, timelines and deadlines…
COMMUNICATION IS KEY!
It is essential that each member of the team knows exactly what it is expected from them. That’s why defining communication channels within the group, each manager’s responsibilities and to what degree collaboration is encouraged is so important.
KNOW ITS PROGRESS…
You’ll have to stay updated on your team’s (and every individual’s) results and achievements, it’s a must! If you decided to work on learning about human resources and team management, you’ll have to walk the path with them once you’ve created your perfect team… is it working? Where can we improve? Have we learnt something from this situation?
… AND REWARD THEIR SUCCESS!
There’s always a reason to celebrate, isn’t it? It doesn’t have to be a raise (although studies have stated that money is the most effective motivation for employees, but still), but public recognition on a meeting or with an email cc-ing their manager, a round of applause or a simple “thank you for your hard work” can really make a difference. A strong workforce needs an even stronger leader who is able to sail with them through the currents! And, of course, a leader who toasts with them when it comes to that! Make sure your employees are taken care of and stay inspired.
Tips on how to build efficient teams
Very well, but what’s the secret behind you team’s triumphs? Unfortunately, there is no instructions manual out there yet, sorry! But, after years and years taking care of many companies’ workforce (and our own), we’ve gathered these 3 tips you have never heard of before:
- Encourage good vibes! Personal relationships and companionship among your team are key to find the perfect balance. How? Organize informal meetings just for the sake of being together, host team-building events and push them towards really getting to know each other, there is so many things they could have in common!
- Stop avoiding confrontation and make the most of it! It is inevitable that, every now and then, you’ll find disagreement or tension within a group of professionals. So… why not taking advantage of it? Every time you spot a conflict, turn it around and host a brainstorming session where everybody can participate to find the solution. What seemed like a problem could easily become an opportunity to make your team stronger.
- Thinking about adding some new talent to the team? Make them part of the process! We have already gone over the importance of your team getting along so, if you are running a selection process, make them part of it and rely on the team before giving out the final ‘yes’ to a candidate. This way they would feel committed to the new team player, to make them comfortable and to create the perfect working environment!
How to measure team performance?
To double-check on your creation after you’ve implemented these steps and extra tips on how to build an efficient team, you’ll need to measure their performance as a group and as individuals. But, how? Not every metric works for every team. Sometimes, numbers or sales do not really reflect a specific team’s performance so you’ll have to go beyond the basics to really measure their efforts and results.
We want to make it even easier for you so here you have some questions that could give you the answers you need.
Have my team found a balance but still come up with fresh ideas? You have to be careful with monotony because, if a team falls into constant agreement or they end up assigning a “superstar” whose job is to make every decision the group has to face, your team’s efficiency will break, for sure! Encourage initiative, that’s the key!
Are deadlines and goals met? Teamwork and soft skills such as organization and task priority are key metrics to measure their efficiency.
Are my team members independent and responsible or do they need a manager after them all the time? Autonomy and commitment are essential factors for teamwork. If the group adopts a passive role or starts avoiding difficult situations where they have to work harder… some things will have to change!
Is there among their goals to grow and learn a bit more every day? In order to find out if the talent you attracted is really committed and giving their best this question should be answered with the biggest yes! Both active collaboration and critical thinking translate into the best results.
TEAM’S EFFICIENCY AND THE WORKPLACE
And last, but not least… is the work environment somewhere safe and comfortable for the team? If your team already understands one another, wants to work together and the feeling of belonging in the company is strong, the hardest part is done! Actually, a key element to have in mind when taking care of the work environment is itself the workplace! A personalised office, with a customised layout that works for the team and not against it, is the best way to promote that great energy we were talking about. Feeling like coming over and visit our offices in Barcelona or our flexible workspaces in Madrid?
We hope this post helped you clearing your mind on how to build an efficient team. See you around the office!
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
Henry Ford