Team Leaders: Five Key
Questions about Your Team
Susan Rochester: Balance at Work
Do you have your ‘dream
team’ working happily and productively in
your business or your department? Perhaps
you feel there’s still room for improvement.
Below are five questions to help you
identify the gaps in your team’s
effectiveness, with ‘best practice tips’ for
your consideration.
- Do we know what we’re trying to
achieve?
Does everyone on your team understand
the strategic plan and how the team’s
successes (and failures) impact the
achievement of the organisation’s goals? How
involved were they in setting the goals of
your team? Could they explain the goals to
others?
Best practice tip: Include the team
in planning and clearly communicate how the
team’s performance will contribute to the
organisational goals.
- Is every team member committed to our
joint goals?
You will know the answer to this
question through observation and
questioning. Having a common goal is not
enough in itself to ensure success,
commitment is also required. Sometimes lack
of commitment can be due to a clash between
the goal and the individual’s expectations.
Best practice tip: Check in with your
team members that the goals are consistent
with their personal values and aspirations.
- How likely are we to achieve our
goals?
Do you have the best combination of
competencies for what you’re trying to
achieve? If not, how will you add these
resources – through training, outsourcing or
hiring? Have you set clear expectations for
both work performance and behaviour within
the team?
Best practice tip: Build teams for
future as well as current needs.
- Do we understand and value our
individual strengths?
Do you know in detail the experience,
skills and talents of each team member? Are
they respected for their specialist
knowledge? Do they get an opportunity to use
their strengths?
Best practice tip: Delegate tasks and
responsibilities to individuals in their
field of expertise to give them a chance to
shine.
- Do we communicate well?
Does the team leader effectively and
appropriately share relevant information in
a timely manner. Does every team member get
to express their opinion in an environment
of respect and openness?
Best practice tip: Introduce
practices, such as meeting agendas, that
allow all members of the team to contribute
without feeling threatened.
- Are we all willing to lend a helping
hand?
Is there a spirit of cooperation, with
team members going out of their way (and
outside their designated roles) to get the
work done to achieve your team objectives?
Are team members happy to collaborate and
share information and resources?
Best practice tip: As with
communication, a good team leader will model
the behaviour that is expected from the rest
of the team.
- Are we having fun?
Work is work and it can’t always be a
party, but if people genuinely enjoy the
work they do and the company of their team,
you will achieve a lot more.
Best practice tip: Celebrate your
successes and when things go wrong, avoid
blaming others.
Reflecting on these questions may have
prompted some thoughts about how to improve
your team. Don’t let them be lost!
Your next step is to decide on what actions
you can take and plan how you will implement
those actions. Write it down, share your
ideas and ask for help from both inside and
outside your team.
Source:
Balance At Work
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