Authored by Karrie Chen, Graduate Consultant at ADAPTOVATE Australia.
As a business student, I often participate in university case competitions. These competitions are simulations of the work I do at ADAPTOVATE, working within a team to develop solutions to client’s business problems. Most recently in an Intervarsity case competition my team placed 2nd in the finals. However, this ‘win’ was certainly not achieved without having learnt from multiple unsuccessful attempts at case competitions prior.
Here’s what my personal experience has taught me about creating a winning team:
- Align on overall objectives to ensure success
Success needs alignment. Before you start a task, you need to know what your objectives are and agree on what you have set out to achieve. Begin by discussing your individual aims and amalgamate these to define a collective team goal.
- Set expectations to establish accountability
Now you have set your goal, agree on how you can get there. Set out team norms and expectations to create accountability for tasks. Not everyone has the same working style, preferred communication and feedback, or even best hours of productivity. By highlighting these differences early on, not only can you avoid team disputes and confusion, this also builds better camaraderie and respect for one another. Team norms should be established in the initial team meeting alongside objective alignment. Teams should brainstorm and commit to behaviours they will and will not exhibit through a discussion process.
- Use open communication to drive trust
“A team is not a group of people that work together. A team is a group of people that trust each other”- Simon Sinek
Open communication is the most important trait of a winning team. It fosters better relations and trust in one another. Where trust exists, teams perform better, achieve productivity and deliver greater results. Not every team will have the luxury of knowing everyone beforehand so it’s important to consistently engage in team building activities.
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There are many facets to creating a great team and consequently a winning one. Here I have stated 3 principles, whilst John C. Maxwell highlights 17 in his book ‘The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork.’ Above all, it is important to identify what works best for your organisation, culture and team to motivate and achieve the desired results.
At ADAPTOVATE we aim to assist our clients to identify and achieve their business goals and objectives. With a specialisation in agile ways of working, we maintain an iterative test & learn approach to tailor our business solutions to your unique company problems.
