From Good to Great: Enhancing Team Effectiveness Through Active Engagement
Previously, in Part 1, we looked at Building a Gold Medal Team, Disagreement without Dissention, Shared Leadership, and Constructive Atmosphere, I’d like to share three more characteristics that help teams develop quantitatively and qualitatively.
Active Participation
On an effective team, everyone contributes. Each member commits to offering his or her unique perspective and gifts, and all welcome that contribution, which inspires greater participation. Though voicing opinions and casting votes are two different matters, team players know that they have an impact in the eventual outcome of the team’s efforts. As management author Thomas Quick states in Successful Team Building:
“What is likely is that everyone has the privilege of trying to influence the decision-making process when the decision affects him or her. At the very least, employees in a participatory environment are confident that management does not knowingly and arbitrarily make decisions that are contrary to the welfare of employees.”
Commitment
Commitment level often distinguishes a team from a mere collection of individuals. Team members dedicate their time, energy, and gifts to the partnership and the cause. They have clarity concerning their roles and a passion for accomplishing the assigned task. Both passion and commitment are necessary. Without both, it is focus without fuel and heart without a spine.
Committed teammates do not stop working when their part has ended. On the contrary, they look for ways to help one another, making others’ loads lighter. Teammates can be counted on to meet deadlines and to reach goals. They are trustworthy and predictable, helping to relieve some pains encountered in a struggle. No organization can operate for very long if people do not do what they say they will do. In reality, all management systems are based on promise keeping. At its center, team commitment consists of the promises made to team members and the accountability to keep those promises. Following through on one’s word preserves and extends the trust upon which any team is built.
Honest Appraisals
One more powerful characteristic of an effective team is found in its willingness to evaluate itself honestly and regularly. A high standard of honesty causes team members to examine themselves by answering three questions: Have I done my part to move us closer to our shared purpose? Have I allowed my energy to be channeled into unhelpful or unproductive endeavors? Am I continuing to give my best?
An effective team assesses itself on a frequent basis. In weekly meetings, members discuss gains and setbacks if they have experienced any. Regular analysis of the team’s efforts can help a team avoid stagnation. Consistent and honest evaluations of the team strengthen each team member—and the whole team—as they collaborate toward their common purpose.
Organizational growth flows out of effective leadership! You as a leader reinforce your values based on with whom you discuss it, the drive with which you discuss it, and how often you do so. Teams can sense when leadership values them as individuals, as well as their input. Become familiar with how to make teams successful by implementing these characteristics…then watch your team thrive in meaning, camaraderie, and productivity.