Building effective teams starts at the top of any organization. Every organization, large and small has a culture that can be moved and changed, albeit often very slowly. Culture is the framework for effective teamwork. Organizations are obviously made up of people. When people are introduced into any process, the likelihood of problems arising increases dramatically. Corporate cultures that invite open, honest communication and encourage close interaction among employees to solve problems generally stand the best chance of having strong teamwork among their work force. Also, non-threatening environments put employees at ease and reduce stress that can lead to conflict and tension among staff.

Cultures geared to high levels of teamwork and cooperation lead to strong morale. It is essential that businesses hire people that match the culture of the organization. When hiring new employees it is critical that fit with the culture be measured through interviews and pre-employment assessments. Personality plays an important role in building teams. Since cooperation and willingness to listen are important traits in people who are expected to participate in effective team environments, it is vitally important that these traits be sought in candidates.



Exercise
1. Describe the culture that exists within your organization and explain how it either helps or hurts building effective teams.



2. How can your hiring process be enhanced to screen for employees that will fit well in a team-oriented culture?





Building an effective team requires constant nurturing and management. Several factors negatively impact building an effective team. They include:

-Bad hiring decisions

-Ineffective management

-Lack of vision and strategic plan

-Failure to deal with problem employees quickly and effectively

-An inordinate focus on saving/making money where employee morale is sacrificed

-Ineffective communication

-Lack of accountability

Effective teams are built in the following manner:

-Develop a vision and strategic plan with well constructed goals that can be easily understood by all employees. The goals must be attainable. Allow employees to be a part of the strategic planning process. It is critical that members of the team buy into the plan.

-Once the plan is developed, remain focused on the goals and instill a discipline about being focused on those goals. When the team starts to stray from its mission and from focusing on the goals, remind them to work toward achieving the goals.

-Develop a reward system that incents the team to achieve their goals. Employees should feel that they play an important role in goal achievement. Recognition for achieving their goals helps send the message that they are important to the process. Rewards can be monetary or non-monetary.

-Examine closely your own management style and ability to manage. Strong teams are led by strong managers and leaders. If you are lacking in these areas, seek training to bolster your management and leadership skills. Recognize your weaknesses and work hard to minimize them. Ask the tough question; "am I the right person to lead this group?".

-Establish clear expectations for your employees. There should be team and individual expectations established. Hold all members of the team accountable for meeting expectations. Don't allow different standards for different people unless the requirements of the positions are different.

-Invite and encourage open and honest communication among employees and to/from you.
-Have an open door policy and make employees feel comfortable talking with you.

-Employees should not feel threatened by management.

-Manage by walking around. Get out and see employees in action. Interact with them. Take an interest in what they are doing and in their ideas. Be consistent in getting out of your office to interact with employees.

-Evaluate each member of the team relative to their job effectiveness and their ability to function effectively as a member of the team. Assess the degree to which each team member "fits" their job. It's a fact that there are a number of people in this world that are miscast for the jobs they hold. Leaving people in jobs they can't perform effectively in hurts the employee, the team and the company.

-Deal with problem employees immediately. If you think they can be "salvaged", work with them to help improve performance, attitude and/or work ethic issues. If they simply cannot perform, you will need to make the decision to move them to an open position that they can potentially perform in or terminate them. Leaving problem employees in place has a significant negative influence on the team.

-Resolve employee conflicts effectively. Remember that win-win is your goal in these situations whenever possible. Try hard to avoid making one employee look bad. Each employee must feel that they can and will be heard in these situations.

-Hold regular team meetings that are substantive in nature. While it is acceptable to deal with some "housekeeping" issues, the meat of the meetings should be focused on critical issues and on gathering input from team members on those issues. Also, revisit the goals of the work unit/organization so that employees stay focused on them. When discussion wanders away from that focus, bring it back by reminding the group of the goal(s).

-Maintain a work-oriented, but light atmosphere. Allow employees to have some fun on the job and to enjoy their work. But expect them to work hard. Taking yourself too seriously and expecting employees to do the same can lead to a stiff environment that is not conducive to quality interaction among team members.

-Focus on maintaining high levels of morale. Remember that employees need to be recognized for a job well done. Get creative in how you improve morale. Make sure your wage levels are competitive. High morale is most often associated with hiring good employees and sound management practices.

-Don't criticize employees in front of other employees. This creates a defensive posture and embarrasses the employee. Also, be very careful what you say about one employee to other employees. Encourage positive comments from employees about other employees. When they have a problem they need to discuss with you regarding another employee, do it in a private setting.


Exercise
1. In what areas does your business struggle to create a team-oriented environment?



2. List some ways that you can immediately begin to improve the effectiveness of your team.