I was thinking this week about what distinguishes a successful team. This can be a team assembled for a bid for 6 months, a department or indeed an entire firm. Looking back over my time in private practice and in house as a lawyer there is one clear indicator of a coordinated, successful, functioning team. That is that there is an energy, a buzz of excitement and anticipation when the team works together.
It does not matter how challenging or stressful the task is, the individuals understand each other, work well together – and have a sort of collective chemistry that makes light work of difficulties. When you are part of such a group you can feel this vitality and drive. You can also definitely feel the absence of this sort of energy when a team feels flat and goes about its task in a perfunctory and indeed professional manner, but without that edge of excitement which makes it high performing.
I am not sure I know exactly what creates this difference but here are some ideas. See first his Forbes article 7 Ways To Re-Energize Your Team which comments You can feel energy in rooms. It radiates. When teams are energized, they feel like they can achieve almost anything. It suggests “calibrating” the energy levels at different times of the day and Personally model the enthusiasm—even when it’s hard. The author worked at eBay and says I learned from Meg Whitman’s [the American business executive who was CEO of Hewlett Packard] leadership. She made me laugh every day and that helped me get through the chaos.
Also see this blog 10 Ways Leaders Can Re-Energize Their Teams which comments it is important for team leaders and managers to know how to re-energize their staff when neededand suggests encouraging continuous creativity, feedback and learning from team members.
I also like this article How to keep your Employees energised which says Top organisations around the world are starting to manage employee energy like a highly important strategic asset. They know that the ever-increasing pace of advancements requires more and more human energy. Any entrepreneur will tell you that it takes a tonne of energy to grow and build a business. It also like several of the other commentaries on this subject recommends “celebrating wins” – which can be big, like signing a contract, or just completing a crucial task one day or one week.
It seems clear that having the right sort of leader who encourages this interaction, and frankly having fun as well as being really committed, is essential. A team leader who, for example, just wants to hear their own views and talks over team members will not succeed in creating high energy levels. The team just won’t bother and will do what they have to, retreating into their shells.
See this New York Times article How to Build a Successful Team which contains useful guidance including creating a clear map Leaders owe their teams an answer to the same question that young children often ask their parents before setting out on a long drive: “Where are we going and how are we going to get there?” In other words, what is the goal and how are we going to measure progress along the way?It also discusses the importance of respect and the dangers of a “bad boss” citing John Duffy, chief executive of the mobile-technology company 3Cinteractive "We make everyone understand that the reason the culture works is that we have that respect. There is a comfort level and a feeling of safety inside our business.”
It also of course matters who the team members are and that they are suited to the team and to their designated roles. As Jim Collins, the author of the best-selling management books “Good to Great” and “Built to Last” says you must Get the right people in the right seats on the bus.
Henry Ford said Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
While as Pat Summit, the American women's college basketball head coach, sagely observed Teamwork requires that everyone’s efforts flow in a single direction. Feelings of significance happen when a team’s energy takes on a life of its own.
Because as Abraham Lincoln commented If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.
It does not matter how challenging or stressful the task is, the individuals understand each other, work well together – and have a sort of collective chemistry that makes light work of difficulties. When you are part of such a group you can feel this vitality and drive. You can also definitely feel the absence of this sort of energy when a team feels flat and goes about its task in a perfunctory and indeed professional manner, but without that edge of excitement which makes it high performing.
I am not sure I know exactly what creates this difference but here are some ideas. See first his Forbes article 7 Ways To Re-Energize Your Team which comments You can feel energy in rooms. It radiates. When teams are energized, they feel like they can achieve almost anything. It suggests “calibrating” the energy levels at different times of the day and Personally model the enthusiasm—even when it’s hard. The author worked at eBay and says I learned from Meg Whitman’s [the American business executive who was CEO of Hewlett Packard] leadership. She made me laugh every day and that helped me get through the chaos.
Also see this blog 10 Ways Leaders Can Re-Energize Their Teams which comments it is important for team leaders and managers to know how to re-energize their staff when neededand suggests encouraging continuous creativity, feedback and learning from team members.
I also like this article How to keep your Employees energised which says Top organisations around the world are starting to manage employee energy like a highly important strategic asset. They know that the ever-increasing pace of advancements requires more and more human energy. Any entrepreneur will tell you that it takes a tonne of energy to grow and build a business. It also like several of the other commentaries on this subject recommends “celebrating wins” – which can be big, like signing a contract, or just completing a crucial task one day or one week.
It seems clear that having the right sort of leader who encourages this interaction, and frankly having fun as well as being really committed, is essential. A team leader who, for example, just wants to hear their own views and talks over team members will not succeed in creating high energy levels. The team just won’t bother and will do what they have to, retreating into their shells.
See this New York Times article How to Build a Successful Team which contains useful guidance including creating a clear map Leaders owe their teams an answer to the same question that young children often ask their parents before setting out on a long drive: “Where are we going and how are we going to get there?” In other words, what is the goal and how are we going to measure progress along the way?It also discusses the importance of respect and the dangers of a “bad boss” citing John Duffy, chief executive of the mobile-technology company 3Cinteractive "We make everyone understand that the reason the culture works is that we have that respect. There is a comfort level and a feeling of safety inside our business.”
It also of course matters who the team members are and that they are suited to the team and to their designated roles. As Jim Collins, the author of the best-selling management books “Good to Great” and “Built to Last” says you must Get the right people in the right seats on the bus.
Henry Ford said Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
While as Pat Summit, the American women's college basketball head coach, sagely observed Teamwork requires that everyone’s efforts flow in a single direction. Feelings of significance happen when a team’s energy takes on a life of its own.
Because as Abraham Lincoln commented If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.
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