Research shows there are often key factors present in winning teams. And it’s not about recruiting the smartest people and then assembling them. It takes more than that if your team is to function well, get things done and work together for the success of your business.
Great Teams Communicate Frequently
The more a team communicates, the more successful the team is likely to be. A lower rate of communication leads to a decline in performance. This has implications for office layout and design, as well as the tone of your meetings. For virtual teams, there should be a way for team members to easily share information with their colleagues.
Great Teams Talk And Listen
Lower performing teams have dominant members who do most of the talking. Usually they’re not so good at listening either. Open two-way communication is important for superior performance. It helps to encourage less dominant, introverted team members to have their say. Listening to them will help build a high trust, high performing team.
Great Teams Also Have Frequent Informal Communication
The best teams spend a lot of time discussing ideas outside of formal meetings. It’s important to create as many opportunities as possible for these chats. The more this informal communication occurs, the better the team performs.
Great Teams Seek Outside Information
The tendency for “group think” (where everyone thinks the same) is a trap to avoid. The best teams connect with many different outside sources, bringing what they learn back to the team for debate.
In Summary:
- More communication is better
- We need to ask everyone’s opinion and learn to listen better
- Create more opportunities for informal discussions. (When was the last time you took your team out for lunch?)
- Get out of the office more to expose ourselves to new ideas.