Are you looking for the magic touch in building high performing teams? Look no further. Here are the five hidden secrets that make great teams really stand out.
Copyright (c) 2008 Jennifer Selby Long
Have you ever noticed how some teams have the magic touch? You see their work, and the way they work together and all you can think is, "Oh, I wish I were on that team instead of this one." It's hard to put your finger on what exactly makes them tick, isn't it?
Well, satisfy your curiosity right here and right now. I have the answer.
The reason you can't see the magic is that it's invisible. It's not written down in their mission statement and it's not repeated in the footers of their documents. From outside the team, you can't see it at all.
Here are the five hidden secrets that separate the great teams from all the rest:
1. Trust. The team has developed a high level of trust. This means not only personal trust ("I trust that you are fundamentally a good person who won't stab me in the back") but also competency trust ("I trust that you have the knowledge and abilities to come through for me"). This level of trust takes time and while it may appear to be there from the start, it's not.
2. Conflict. Team members are willing to deal with conflict in a direct, honest, and thoughtful way: not holding things in, not lashing out, and never using conflict for personal gain.
3. Feedback. Team members are willing to call each other on unhelpful, unproductive, or destructive behaviors. They don't chicken out when it comes to giving and receiving feedback at the peer level.
4. Commitment. Most team members are committed to success, even when going through difficult times. They will walk the talk, as the saying goes, no matter how challenging the situation.
5. Values. The team has a clear sense of their shared values. They do not necessarily share all of the same values, but they do share several core values, which guide their decision-making and behavior.
How does your team stack up? If you're not close to a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 in all five areas, fix it. If it's beyond repair and the leader is unwilling to face this, think about finding yourself another team. Life is too short to be miserable at work. Low performing teams are miserable teams. High performing teams are happy teams. How would you rather feel all day?
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