It's about collaboration, not competition. Right?

Think back to high school and think about those wonderful group projects that teachers loved to assign and think about those members who were in the group. Stop me if I am wrong, but I recall the mix-up of group members to resemble this...

(1) The smart one! The one in the group who was the straight A student and somehow knew everything about anything.

(2) The cool one! This was the individual that you wanted to be around, and just having them in the group got you a new level of "coolness." Typically, they would speak because... well... they were cool.

(3) The average one! This individual was low-key- under the radar but also would be somewhat helpful. You wouldn't expect much effort, but you could count on some effort.

(4) The "ugh" one! These individuals speak for themselves... "ugh," they won't be much help, if at all, and someone will probably pick up the slack.

This was the winning formula for A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM!

Wonder which one will do most of the work?

Let's get real. Real Quick.

Working in a team is difficult, and often the mix-up of team members makes it more difficult. Mostly because teams are individuals who are grouped together, and with that comes different personalities. Everyone has a different beginning and journey as to how they arrived when someone said, "You are now part of this team." From there the future of the organization depends on the ability of these individuals to work in a cohesive manner.

Some teams can get it done or go beast mode, as the phrase is… and some struggle to get to the starting line to begin the race. But why is there a difference between the two examples? Both are made up of humans, and both groups have different humans, as there has never been one team of identical people.

There must be something more?

Well, there is more. There is a lot more, but for the respect of time and, more importantly, your time we will cover just a few of the top aspects of those differences. The goal for you reading this is to step back and begin to analyze your team, and your involvement in the team. Even if it is just, you and one peer. You are a team and there is a certain level of success on the line.

I want to begin this with a quote that I have come to love and adore, and this quote is often said in recovering groups…

“You can go at it alone, but you can’t do it alone.”

Going back to earlier, where I stated that some teams can get it done, this quote is where we see that play out the most in the team’s ability to win (succeed). Winning teams understand at an individual level that they are one component of the overall group. They can grasp that they need to be in tune and locked in to help the overall group be successful. So, while they may go at the part of the project “alone” they understand that their contribution and the contribution of others can’t be done “alone” as something will be missed. It is a contributing force of understanding each one’s place that makes up the success.

Now, the opposite is seen when those individuals think only at an individual level inside of a group think program. Teams who struggle to achieve the overall common goal will often point back to a selfish pivot, or an encounter where the “group” thought process came off the rails due to one or many individual thoughts. Meaning, that if all five members agree, except for one, and the one will not budge nor contribute due to not agreeing then the time that lapse is contributing to the rising percentage of failure the group will face.

So, what were those aspects of a good team? Don’t worry, I didn’t forget.

(1)   The ability to communicate- I will let you pick yourself up, as I know you just fell out of your chair… I know I did.

a.       The ability to communicate is NOT just the single attribute of “speak” and “listen” as it is much deeper rooted in smaller micro attributes that equate to the macro attribute of the concept “communication.”

b.      The first micro attribute is individuals being self-aware in how they speak- they understand their tone, body language, the sharpness of questions, or the impact of statements and how they can be perceived. While there may and probably will be conflict- the progression toward success is not halted due to this point, but rather the individuals know how to overcome those micro stops.

c.       The second micro attribute is the ability to pivot without ego. EGO is not always bad, but it can become a hindrance. Teams who are successful can set their ego on a rollercoaster, knowing when to ramp up their intensity and when to let it come down. Pivot involves the individuals of the group to realize that even though they may feel passionate about their perspective and want to fight for it, there may be one idea/comment/perspective that allows for a greater chance of success. 

d.      The third and final attribute I’ll share is that of real time change adaptation. This means that the group of individuals understands that in order to achieve the overall arching goal/objective/sales plan/marketing campaign/project whatever it is called in your industry, that real-time change HAS to be readily available and accepted. The team knows that when a smaller detour sign comes about in the plan, it is a detour sign, not a stop sign. Teams who fail often deny the acceptance of real-time change adaptation, and often when a detour sign appears, they turn it into a stop sign… and sit.

 To provide a recapped synopsis, successful teams are individuals willing to allow the positive traction of the micro attribute above to lead to the macro success of the group. Unsuccessful teams do the opposite... simple.  

So, shift the gears to those who lead teams and those who may be seated at the helm for the success or failure of the teams inside the organization.

How do you lead a successful team? This can be a book on its own, but let’s dive into a few key highlights that might be helpful.

We will start with questions that I used to ask myself during my decade-long career of leading teams…

(1)   Do I give all the directions?

(2)   Do I allow my team to work through problems?

(3)   Do I feel I know more than my team?

(4)   Do I allow my team to know I am vulnerable?

There were personal questions I would ponder during conversations and when my team was working on projects, especially if the project didn’t go to plan.

I have come to realize that most leaders will say, “Well, this didn’t go as expected” after the team already knows that it didn’t go as expected… To use a younger phrase… shake my head. Stating the obvious to what a team already knows will take away your credibility. Instead, ask yourself the questions above…

If the project didn’t go well… Maybe I gave too many directions, and those directions made the job more difficult instead of helpful or productive. Did I problem-solve too much so my team stopped thinking for themselves? Did I feel like I knew more than my team, so therefore no one spoke up?

These questions will help you as a leader begin to navigate how to move forward, and don’t worry, these questions also work when your team WINs! These questions will lead to an even better performance on the next project to elevate the success.  

Another point is that leaders of teams understand that authority is shifted to where the knowledge is… give your team the ability to make development decisions. Leadership is influencing, not authority. Demonstrate your influence by giving the team authority.

A leader who encourages the individuals of the team to make decisions often elevates themselves to new personal levels of growth. The opposite occurs when they must go to their leader for every decision.

I use this phrase often during talks and even with my executive coaching clients. It stings, but it points to a truth.

“If you are the only one making decisions, then more than likely, your employees are not the problem. You are.”

A true servant leader understands that teamwork is messy, fun, confusing, and liberating all at the same time, but the ability to encourage and empower during those times is where the number one word that all successful teams have is built… TRUST.

My final note is that teams who can TRUST each other will win often.

The team that loses at first often sacrifices trust first instead of learning, overcoming, and pivoting to build trust through the next project.

If individuals do not trust the process of building trust, trust will never be built. Teams who are successful understand this more than anything. Building trust in a team takes time, and time takes effort. Encourage your teams to give the effort of time to continue connecting with their peers and overcoming those setbacks together.

So, understand that great teams adopt the concept of collaboration, not competition.