Almost all the challenges that you are going to face in your life, you are going to have to face as a team. Working well as a team, understanding their dynamics well and knowing how to convert a group of people into a team, and later convert a team into a high-performance team, will be fundamental in your future, both personally and professionally. Because as Lyndon Johnson (former President of the United States) said, “There is no problem that we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.”
Now, what makes a team become a great team? What are the characteristics of a high-performance team? Gallup, the American consulting firm, has spent decades researching great teams. Their latest research has allowed us to identify 5 characteristics of these great teams. These characteristics are:
- Conflicts do not destroy them, because the results are more important. They understand that conflicts are inevitable. But that instead of being power struggles, they are ideological conflicts. Productive conflicts that must serve to empower the group and continue working to achieve the best results.
- Teams prioritize what they consider best for the organization and then move forward. The great teams always understand that the collective is above the individual. They are clear about their priorities and those of their organization. And they do not allow anyone to distract them from continuing to work towards the stated objectives.
- Team members are as committed to their personal lives as they are to their work. One of the main differences between a mediocre team and a great team is the level of commitment of its members. It is practically impossible to achieve great results at the team level if your members are not fully involved and committed. In this sense, it is essential to have a great leader. Without great leadership, there will hardly be great teamwork.
- Great teams take advantage of diversity. Historically, there has been a clear tendency to think that the teams that work best are the ones with the most similar members. That homogeneity is an important value. However, it has been discovered that diversity is not only not negative but can be very positive. Great teams consider diversity as a wealth. Different points of view, experiences, knowledge, talents, cultures … will clearly facilitate the achievement of the objectives. In this sense, one of the main challenges is to have diverse talents, that complement each other and that enhance the team’s performance. Having teams with heterogeneous profiles is an advantage that, well managed, offers great returns.
- Great teams attract talent. If you really want to discover if your team is a great team, you should check if you are capable of attracting talent. Review how many people have asked to join your team. Great teams are admired and motivate other professionals to want to join them. In this sense, the figure of the team leader is of great importance. And one of the leader’s main challenges is to form an attractive team that is capable of attracting talent.
In short, five characteristics that define great teams. Having great teams is essential for both your professional and personal life. I end this post with an anonymous quote that I love and perfectly summarizes the essence of teamwork: “Teamwork divides work and multiplies results”.
