Cohesive Teams: A Recipe for High Performance
No individual has ever single-handedly run a successful organisation. There will always be the need to build a team to achieve a worthwhile goal. Successful organisations who have stood the test of time are characterised by high performing people who execute a well thought out strategy. Effective teams present an area of competitive advantage for companies that stand the test of time.
Katzenbach & Smith (2006) opined that successful teams have the following characteristics:
· An understanding of, and commitment to the purpose of the team
· An appreciation and loyalty to each member of the team
· Project-specific and complementary skills to each other
· An ambitious group of individual high performers
· Mutual accountability and a clear understanding of members’ responsibilities to the team
· Interdependence and trust between members (Cohesiveness)
The link between cohesive teams and high performance lies in each team member’s commitment to the team and the delivery of set goals. Decisions are made faster as a result of the bond and mutual understanding that exits within the team. Members of a cohesive team are willing to individually put in the work required and are interested in the success of their projects.
To make the transition from being a group (people who are working together to achieve a goal) to a cohesive team (a close group of people who interact, influence each other, and are mutually accountable for achieving common goals), you must be intentional. From our experience at pcl. working with clients to deepen the cohesiveness of their team, some deliberate actions we recommend are:
1. Hire Right: In building a team, hire individuals with diverse skills that are complementary to each other. This will aid the robustness and collaboration opportunities within the team and should be done bearing in mind both task and culture.
2. Set Clear Goals: Teams function more effectively when expectations are clear. This eliminates confusion and keeps the focus on collaborating to achieve the set goal.
3. Celebrate Small Wins: Building a culture of appreciation among team members is crucial to achieving cohesion.
Successful organisations who have been able to build employee loyalty while achieving high levels of success are those who understand and value the importance of individual contribution and team effort in achieving set goals. It is essential to show the organisation’s commitment to the development of high performing cohesive teams through deliberate actions.
How can you tell who will be a good team player or otherwise? This question has different answers. In the course of our work, we have discovered personality tests to be a near-perfect tool to spot an individual’s teamwork propensity. At pcl., we deploy one of the best personality tests available globally. To learn more about this service, please send a mail to info@phillipsconsulting.net.
Never forget, it takes teamwork to make any dream come alive.
Reference
Katzenbach & Smith, (2006) the wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. Assessed via: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/developingandsustaininghigh-performanceworkteams.aspx (Online)
Nur & Binti (2013) Organisational Behaviour (Teams). Assessed via: https://www.slideshare.net/NurFatihah2/organizational-behavior-team (Online)
- Nimi Adeyemi & Charlotte Adeyemi
