#4 Teamwork: Are your teams thriving?

Teamwork and collaboration have become ubiquitous in the workplace over the past few decades with most employees now regularly collaborating with colleagues on projects large and small. ​​

Whilst this brings many benefits, there are also some potential pitfalls that can lead to teams that fail or perform poorly. The events of the recent pandemic have added an extra layer of complexity and challenged our thinking on how successful teams should operate.
 
There are many important factors to consider when seeking to create the right conditions for a team to succeed and thrive. Psychological safety, trust, clear methods of communication, team member engagement, shared accountability, role clarity, healthy conflict – the list goes on. With so many moving parts, where should leaders start? 

​While it can be tempting to focus on HOW the team should function, a more effective starting point might
​be to explore WHY the team exists in the first place. ​

Donald Miller suggests that the first step in successful team leadership is to invite the team members into a story in order to create a compelling mission that they can be a part of. People are naturally drawn to be part of a team with a serious and important mission and the best leaders are those who share a story or a vision that excites and energises their team. When team members understand and embrace their mission, there is no limit to what they can achieve. 
 
Have you thought about your team’s mission and have you invited your people to play their part in the story?