Think back to the best team you’ve ever been a part of. It could be a work team, sports team, or volunteer group. What were some of the characteristics of that team?
Honesty, transparency, dedication, hard work, and fun likely made your list. Great teams have common characteristics (like these) that lead to success. Just like dysfunctional teams have traits in common that lead to poor performance and low engagement.
Whether you lead a team of frontline workers or seasoned executives, focusing on building impactful team dynamics greatly benefits you, your people, and your business.
Let’s dive into the four key areas to focus on as a leader, the biggest issues that derail teams, and give you what you need to assess and build an impactful team.
The Four Key Areas To Focus On As A Leader
Look at the NBA All-Star games of the last 20 years. High-performing teams aren’t just a combination of good-hearted, talented people. They are made up by people who are unified and passionate about achieving a common goal.
It is one thing to know what makes for an impactful team, but how can you ensure that your teams and organizations are achieving their best?
Drawing on the research of Google’s Project Aristotle, Cory Scheer (author of Closing the Trust Gap), and others – as well as our experience training, developing, and personally leading teams of all shapes and sizes from small businesses, to nonprofits, and Fortune 50 companies – we have identified four key areas that are vital for team and organizational performance: Purpose, Alignment, Communication, and Trust.
These areas serve as foundational pillars for building an impactful team that is passionate about the work they do, committed to each other, and focused on delivering exceptional results.
Let’s break down each of these four areas.
Purpose
Purpose is the foundation of any successful team. It answers the fundamental question: Why does this team exist?
A clear and compelling purpose provides direction and motivation, aligning the efforts of all team members toward a common goal. Organizations with a clearly defined purpose experience significantly more engagement and loyalty of their employees. These team members are more likely to stay focused, driven, and resilient during challenging times.
Alignment
Alignment means that all team members are on the same page regarding the team’s goals and the strategies to achieve them. An aligned team knows what work needs to be done and in what order, and who is responsible for what. It has well-understood norms of behavior and culture.
Having alignment in your team involves setting clear priorities, ensuring that everyone understands their roles, and making sure that all efforts are coordinated effectively. Without alignment, teams can become fragmented, with different members pulling in different directions, leading to confusion and inefficiency.
Communication
Effective communication is the lifeline of a team. We know that working with other humans can be complicated, messy, and confusing. We spend a lot of our waking hours in communication with others. In fact, research shows that 42% of our time at work is spent engaged with others.
Communication isn’t just the exchange of information, but also the creation of an open and inclusive environment where all team members feel heard and valued. Good communication helps in resolving conflicts, making informed decisions, and creating a sense of community and collaboration within the team.
Trust
Trust is the glue that holds a team together. It is built through consistent actions, honesty, and integrity. When team members trust each other and their leader, they are more likely to take risks, share ideas, and work collaboratively. Trust fosters a positive team culture where team members feel safe to express themselves and are committed to the team’s success.
“Trust lies at the heart of a cohesive, functioning team. Without it, teamwork is all but impossible…Trust is the confidence among team members that their peers’ intentions are good, and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the group.”
- Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Five Issues That Derail Team Unity and Impact
No Shared Purpose
When there is no rallying cry work is just… work. There is no inspiration to go the extra mile and do what it takes to win. And when my reason to work is only about me (or you) and not something greater than me (or you) there is no need to sacrifice, to collaborate, or to share in the responsibility and the successes. A shared purpose gives work meaning and is the glue that unites people together to do something you couldn’t do alone.
Poor Communication
Communication is often viewed as the most critical skill for a leader, and it’s not without reason. Effective communication is the foundation of effective leadership. It allows leaders to articulate their vision, build strong relationships, and inspire action among their teams.
When there’s poor communication in the workplace, misunderstandings happen, information gets lost, and people don’t know what they need to do. Poor communication leads to mistakes and frustration. Good communication helps everyone stay on the same page and work together smoothly. It ensures that everyone knows their roles and what is expected of them.
Your leadership effectiveness is directly linked to your ability to communicate empathetically and authentically.
Unresolved Issues
When problems are not addressed, they grow bigger. Small issues can turn into big conflicts. This creates tension and stress within the team. It is important to solve problems quickly and fairly. Addressing issues right away helps keep the team focused and united, and it also shows that everyone’s concerns are important and valued.
Allowing Toxic Behaviors
When negative behaviors are allowed, they poison the environment. Think back to a workplace environment where gossip, bullying, and negativity were consistently present. How did it harm morale and productivity?
It’s important to set clear standards for behavior and address toxic actions immediately. It’s also important to create a rhythm of routinely asking your team, “How’s it going?”, so that you know if there are items lurky below the surface that needed to be addressed. By creating a positive and respectful work culture, your team members will feel safe, valued, and motivated to do mission-driven work.
Sanctioned Incompetence
When poor performance is tolerated, it impacts the whole team. Allowing someone to work below accepted standards can create resentment and lower morale. Every team member should be held accountable for their work.
As a leader, it’s your responsibility to provide support and training to improve skills when issues arise. By ensuring that each team member performs their best, you strengthen team culture and work ethic, making the team more effective and cohesive.
Assessing Your Team’s Performance
Now that you know the four key areas and understand what will derail and create dysfunctional teams, let’s assess where your team is at today. It’s important to know where you are now, so you know what you need to do.
This checklist will provide you with a solid foundation to begin building an impactful team. It will help you identify your strengths and pinpoint areas where you need to grow.
Creating and leading an impactful team requires attention to purpose, alignment, communication, and trust. These elements are essential for building a cohesive, high-performing team. If you recognize gaps in any of these areas within your team, now is the time to take action.
Schedule a call with our leadership coaches today to help you work through this list and start transforming your team into a high-performing unit.
