Developing a healthy and productive team is the goal of every leader that approaches organizational effectiveness through the vehicle of teamwork. With that in mind, we are focused presently on exploring three core attributes that we have found to be essential ingredients for developing (and maintaining) an effective team culture.
Last week we reviewed the importance of everyone on the team viewing themselves and their teammates as mission partners. Next week we will explore the characteristic of becoming committed colleagues. This week, we address the crucial function of viewing one’s teammates as fellow workers.
Here are several tips regarding developing a team culture as fellow workers:
Differences in Roles Do Exist: You would think this is obvious. But it is not. People tend to compare themselves with others. It is therefore important to lead in clarifying for every team member that there are distinct roles for each member of the team. Every other team-member is “my fellow-worker:” Every person has an essential task - and as fellow-workers the mission of the enterprise is being advanced - together.
Clarify Function vs. Value: On every team there must be distinct roles that focus on specific tasks. This delineates the function of each team member. A team with strong leadership will seek to constantly clarify that while such distinctions are an essential ingredient of teamwork, a person’s function does not define their value. Rather, wise leaders will make it clear that every person is essential to the proper operation of the organization: Every-one is valuable.
Demonstrate Respect: It is important that leadership establish a climate of respect and honor between people who work at different task assignments. Becoming the fellow-worker of others on a team where each role is respected is essential to team health. Leadership must model this. And leadership must be vigilant to remove contrarian and disrespectful behavior from the team.
Promote Understanding: There are many techniques that will help to foster an understanding of the roles and tasks fulfilled by various members of the team. Tools such as temporary job-swapping; cross-training between functional skills, and various other strategies can promote mutual understanding between team participants. Doing so can enhance cooperation and encourage a climate that inspires high regard for one another as fellow-workers.
As mentioned last week, it is important to keep in mind that all three of the ingredients for strong teams – mission partner, fellow worker, and committed colleague - must be kept in balance. Wise leaders will constantly be on the alert to assess which of the three is in a deficit position so that the appropriate emphasis can be brought to bear to establish equilibrium once again.
Next week we will look at the final ingredient to successful teams: becoming committed colleagues. You input and comments are welcome.