28 the north magazine

Great teams, rather like good wine,take time to mature. Instant

teamwork might sound like every leader’sdream, but part of the point of creatinga good team is the journey it takes toget there.

There are, however, some vitalingredients you need in a team. Leavethese ingredients out and you’ll have abland, uninteresting recipe.

Here are some key things to consider ifyou want a team which performs at itspeak time after time.

Great leadership:

Every team needs a good leader. This isnot necessarily the person with thegreatest skills, the biggest personality orthe loudest voice! A leader is alwayssomeone who has followers, is able toimpart vision in an inclusive rather anexclusive way and brings out the verybest in people.

Be clear about your goals:

A team needs to know where it’s going.The goal needs to be clearly statedand easily understood. It also needs to besomething everyone believes in.And it needs to be a goal you can easilymeasure as this helps bring clarity, focusand a sense of achievement.

Strengths in differences:

Some of the most effective teams aremade up of the most unlikely mix ofpersonalities and characters. There isstrength in diversity and it’s howthose different strengths are utilisedwhich can create a team with realimpact.

Another important factor is fostering aspirit of collaboration and discovering theconditions that allow winning teamworkto emerge. This takes time which is whymaking space for conversations in avariety of contexts is so important.

Feedback:

Reaching goals is rather like going on ajourney. You know the destinationand you’ve a good idea of the route butsometimes you may need to adapt orchange things a little in order to get towhere you want to go. That’s wherefeedback comes in. Every team needs thetime and space to step back, look atwhat progress has been made towardsthe goal and what may need to bedifferent in the light of changingcircumstances.

Enjoy the moment:

Always value success and take time toappreciate the people who have madethe journey to that point possible. Savourthat moment as a team becausesooner or later some fresh goals willcome along with some differentchallenges and the journey will begin allover again. �

WORDS DONALD MACNAUGHTON

business

For more details contact Donald atTel: 01463 795888 or email:donald@zonedinperformance.com

HOW TOBUILD AGREATTEAM