How to Build Better Teams

Every year, team building gurus who are nothing more than snake oil shysters rake in millions of dollars writing books, giving seminars and hosting one on one counseling with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies looking for the magical password that will inspire their workforce to never before seen levels of productivity and happiness. Of course, the key to good team building is far simpler than any of these gurus will admit. The truth is that good team building is common sense. Let's take a quick look at just a few things every boss can do to foster better team building.

Respect

Every team has a team leader, and it is the job of that team leader to help make every member feel proud of the team they are on. The problem that many team leaders face is that they stop caring about the team and start caring only about their own glory or their own advancement. It is up to the team leader to ensure that everyone in the group feels respected, feels appreciated and feels like their opinions are being listened to. A good team leader won't be afraid to say, "I don't know," and he or she won't be afraid to take advice from someone newer or someone who makes less money then they do. No one said that being a team leader is easy, it most certainly isn't, but it also isn't rocket science. Treat others as you wish to be treated, and your team is already off to a great start.

Handle setbacks

If your team is competing against other teams in your workplace, someone is going to win and someone is going to lose. It is the ultimate test of any team to handle losing gracefully. A good team leader should make sure that blame isn't heaped on one person and that a lesson is learned from every defeat, no matter how big or how small. A true team leader will take defeat and use it as a learning tool and ensure that the team members don't dwell on it, but instead use it as motivation for the future. If you have a team that can do that, you have a team that is going to be successful.

Find and utilize strengths

A strong team is one that manages to utilize the strengths of each member. Some teams don't get the choice of who they include, so it can be a tough job for any team leader to have a member that has the skills necessary to tackle every problem they will face. The team leader needs to discover what the strengths and weaknesses of each member are so that they can meet as many demands as possible. Nothing can destroy the moral and effectiveness of a team faster than having members performing the wrong tasks for their skill sets. A smart team leader will simply ask team members how they feel they can contribute most effectively to the job at hand. Egos should be checked at the door. The result will be a healthy and motivated team.

Mark Warner is a Legal Research Analyst for RealDealDocs.

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