Team Management

How do you Promote Teamwork?

What are the fundamental team performance management factors that will promote good teamwork?

There are three components to teamwork:

  1. The goal
  2. The barriers
  3. The recognition

The Goal

A team is a group of people working together towards the accomplishment of a specific goal. The goal might be:

  • The achievement of a particular sales target
  • The attainment of a certain production result
  • The completion of a complex administrative process within a designated time period.

In team performance management the goal is important, so the first thing you had better do is make sure that each member of the team understands what that goal is.

This assumes, of course, that you, as the team leader, know what it is…

…and if you don’t, well, there is a “step zero”, specifically for you, and that’s clarifying exactly what it is that your team is supposed to be accomplishing. What results are you being relied upon to produce with your team? Apply Performance Measurement to yourself.

Having clarified this, make sure that your people understand what they are all shooting for.

So, now that the team knows where it is going. The next thing is to break down their portions of the effort into manageable pieces.

  • Each member of the team must know what results they are supposed to be producing in order to contribute to the overall results of the team.
  • And, get this; you need to be able to define these contributions in terms or measurable results. It’s the number of “somethings” produced, perhaps within a specified time period. Whatever it is, just make sure you can measure it.

If a team member knows exactly what results are expected of them and they know how to produce those results, this makes for a very smoothly running team.

If you are dealing with an experienced group, then you don’t have to worry too much about their ability to operate.

If, however, you have some raw talent, take into account the obvious fact that you may need to train some of them on how it is all done. It’s all very well knowing what it is you are supposed to produce, but if you don’t really know how, you’re stumped.

The Barriers

The next thing to consider in team performance management, when creating optimum teamwork, is barriers.

There is nothing more frustrating for a team member than knowing what they are supposed to achieve and how to achieve it, but being blocked by some external “insanity” in the organisation. Watch out for this.

An excellent producer can be stymied by unnecessary or unreasonable requirements being thrown at them by external entities. Protect your team with a vehemence that will be feared.

The Recognition

Finally, and most importantly, recognise the production that your team members generate. This is vital in team performance management.

  • When one of your people does something really well, or finishes a tough assignment ahead of time, tell them how well they did. And, if possible, do this in front of the other members of the team.
  • This will not only boost that person’s self esteem, it will also show the others that you will also reward them when they produce results.

Recognition, by the way, does not have to be a physical reward or a bonus. Words of appreciation and acknowledgement of their good work is often more effective in building team spirit.

When people are producing results, they feel good. When you recognise this, they feel even better.