If you’re a leader then you will have a team that you work with. Teams that work well together can achieve so much more than what each individual alone could achieve. This is because great teams have a synergy about them that leads to greater productivity.
But what do you do if your team is struggling. it may be the stage they are at. Are they a new team, getting to know each other, work out their roles or the team norms. Sometimes their is jostling for power within teams. It’s good to know what stage your team is at as it helps you understand what might be going on within the team. I will be addressing this is a future newsletter.
Some questions to reflect on
The first step is to establish what your team looks like now. To take your team to the next level you need to know what the situation is now.
Where is my team at now? How is it functioning? What are the key issues?
Think about vision, mission and purpose within your team. What is your vision for the team (not the project or organisation’s purpose and vision but the vision for how your team will work to achieve the organisation’s purpose)?
What would you like your team to look like?
How would you like it to function? What does your dream team do that it is not doing now?
To move your team forward, what needs to happen within the team. Ask: what can we do, or what do we need to do to get the team from where they are now to where they need to be so that it can achieve the team’s vision, mission and purpose?
What learning could help your team?
What skills does the team already have? What skills does it still need? Is there a gap? If there is then there is an opportunity for learning for the team and the individuals within the team. There are a number of ways to do a skills audit and find out the skills and strengths of individuals.
What obstacles might the team face along the way? There are a number of challenges that teams face and may need to work through if they want to be a dream team. This is normal and an important aspect for building team unity.
As the team leader how will you go about solving the issues that arise? Remember that you are leading the team and that knowing where you want to lead the team is important. But teams are made up of people and including them in helping to solve challenges can be a great way to build inclusiveness and cohesiveness.
Ask: How will I involve my team in the problem solving process? Brainstorming solutions to obstacles can be useful but is not the only approach to overcoming challenges. How might you go about a brain storming process? What else can you do to build team unity and cohesiveness.
Want to know More?
Jill
Journalling Exercise
What transformation would you like to create in your team?
As you reflect on what is important, here’s some questions to ask yourself.
What stands out for you? This could be people, times or places.
Jot down Key words or use a mind map and highlight key words
What changes would you like to make now that will help you see transformation in your team and improve how you navigate the present stage and season?
How can you stay accountable and who will you include?