Delivering Results Through Teamwork
In today’s workplace, most initiatives, programs and projects succeed or fail based on how teams deliver on the work involved. Each member plays an important role on the team, and team leaders have the unique responsibility to ensure that the team delivers on the expected results.
Leaders who consistently succeed do so through a commitment to teamwork and by trust building while still holding team members accountable for results. While leaders need to have many skills to be successful, I’ve observed that these seven attributes differentiate how amazing team leaders operate to deliver results:
- Recruit the right team members and have them work in their areas of strength. It’s not just about recruiting subject matter experts, it’s about getting people who demonstrate the ability to work with others in a team environment while meeting commitments.
- Invest in the team. The best leaders understand the concept that teams who perform go through the process of forming, storming and norming. Investing up front in team facilitation or coaching that allows team members to get to know each other and to understand and respect differences is a best practice that is valued by these team leaders. This investment serves to build understanding and trust; it leads to shared agreements, including how the team operates.
- Manage expectations. Budget constraints, expected revenue requirements, schedule milestones, employee turnover and missed deadlines all come into play. Great leaders manage expectations up while listening, communicating and offering encouragement to their teams.
- Provide ongoing recognition. Too many leaders want to reward success only at the finish line. Amazing leaders acknowledge key contributions in the moment and at status meetings when positive results or key milestones are achieved. This helps boost individual and team morale as status meetings allow for the broader team to see positive momentum build as well as to understand critical interdependencies and key deliverables.
- Fix the problem, not the blame. Amazing leaders focus on the solution, not just the problem. They know that assigning blame can be demoralizing and prevent team members from voicing potential problems when necessary. They also recognize the importance of getting team involvement to explore how best to deal with unexpected problems and seek innovative ideas to provide solutions and overcome issues.
- Understand it’s results and relationships. Outstanding leaders understand what’s working and what’s not in the team as well as with individual members. Leadership and coaching skills are vital for leading teams when it comes to building trust, leading through change and getting people to work together and take the actions necessary to achieve success.
- Maintain positivity and composure. Amazing leaders keep their composure during critical phases with team members and key stakeholders. They convey and maintain a positive perspective during disruptive events, encourage innovation and challenge the status quo to overcome the challenges encountered.
Teams want to excel and deliver positive results but can easily fall into dysfunction without the right team leader or resources assigned. In his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni outlines key reasons for team failure: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results.
Executive coaches are being engaged to work with more teams and team leaders on critical projects and programs to improve the opportunities for success or to help get things back on track when teams derail.
How can executive coaching help your organization have more successful team results?
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Lance Hazzard, CPCC, ACC, is a certified Intelligent Leadership Executive Coach helping people and organizations successfully achieve what’s next. He is Executive Coach and President at Oppnå® Executive & Achievement Coaching. Find out more about Lance and Oppnå® Coaching at oppnacoaching.com