Extracting the best from a Team

All individuals with a similar attitude and interest come together on a common platform to form a team. It is not always that an individual alone is capable of doing a task; sometimes he needs the guidance and suggestions of others as well. You need a team to accomplish a complicated task where every team member can perform something or the other as per his capability and contribute equally for the maximum output.

To extract the best out of a team requires not only hard work but also intelligence. Do not impose things on your team members; let them accept responsibilities on their own.

• Motivation is the key to a team’s success. Demotivated individuals find it very difficult to concentrate on their work and eventually lose interest in the organization. Reward them suitably. Performance linked incentives and perks also motivate the individuals to perform better.

• The goal must be clearly set and circulated among the team members. Every team member should be well aware of his roles and responsibilities in the team. There should be no confusions among the team members. Workload should be equally shared among the team members and one should not interfere in each other’s work.

  It is the responsibility of the team leader to delegate responsibilities as per the team member’s interest and specializations. Understand your team members well and assign them work they can best perform. Never be partial to any of your team members. Do not support anyone just because he is a friend.

• Don’t criticize any of your team members. Never shout or scold any of your team members in front of everyone. Always do it in private. He might feel insulted if you criticize him in front of others. Call him separately and correct him if you feel he is wrong somewhere. Appreciate him whenever he has done something extraordinary.

• Prefer communication through emails among your team members. Encourage your team members to exchange information through emails as it is more transparent and gives a clear picture. Everyone knows what is happening in their team and doesn’t feel neglected or left out. One should not attend any meeting or conference without a notepad to note down the important points. One should always come well prepared before attending any meeting.

• A team leader alone should not take any decisions. Suggestions should be invited from one and all. The team members feel important for the organization this way and strive hard to perform better. Strategies, policies must be made on an open forum and everyone must give their inputs. A team member should never feel unimportant for the team at any point of time.

• Take them out for lunches or dinners once in a while. If not outside, try to have your lunch together with your team members at the workplace only. Discuss issues other than work at the lunch time. Enquire about his family members, friends, relatives, parents and so on. Give your team members sometime to discuss things freely among themselves.

  It is okay if your team members leave for the day a little early as compared to other days. Don’t be too harsh on your team members. Allow them to take leaves in case of genuine reasons. Don’t adopt a “Hitler” approach at work. Be a little more understanding.

• Set a target for your team members and ask them to achieve the targets within a stipulated time frame. Let your team members work as per their convenience. Don’t be after their life. Give them space and liberty to work on their own and submit it as per the deadlines. The team members must use planners and diaries to jot down important work against the set deadline to avoid forgetting important issues.

• Send your team members motivational emails or smses to boost their morale. Paste a poster on motivational thoughts or great quotes on the soft board right at their workstations for them to read daily and get inspired. Make sure there is enough light on everybody’s workstation and the place is not dark. Individuals feel sleepy and dull if the place is not well lit. Light instrumental music should be played for a positive ambience.

• Performance reviews and appraisals are a must. Do monitor your team’s and team member’s performance. Sit with them once in a week and discuss issues, if they have and find out whether they are satisfied with their profiles or not. Timely appraisals are important for growth of the team members and to motivate them.

• Avoid conflicts within your team. Don’t provoke any colleague to fight with his fellow team members. Intervene immediately in case of conflicts and try to resolve it as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety. Do not spread rumours about anyone and avoid blaming and cribbing. Discuss issues face to face and learn to own your mistakes.

• Be a little cooperative with your team. Make them feel that you are just one of them and always there to support them. One needs to be intelligent and patient enough to not only handle a team but also extract the best out of team members.