04 Aug 15 characteristics of extraordinary teams (and relationships)!
I often say that life is not a solo-sport.
Life, rather, is a team sport…meaning that happiness and success depend partly on what we do but also on who we do it with and who we surround ourselves with.
Relationships are one of the (if not the) most important contributors to health and happiness and wellbeing and longevity.
Team work, within organisations, has been found to be crucial to performance and productivity and ultimately, to success.
The following article focuses mostly on team work within a business context but I think most (if not all) of the points made are just as relevant in other areas of our life…
via Geoffrey James and Inc.com
A couple of days ago, I posted some unexpected scientific research about teams. By coincidence, I also received an infographic about teamwork from the UK-based insurance firm Unum. Here it is (with my comments following):
Anyway, you’ve probably heard most of these “teamwork” maxims in the past and, while there is no doubt some truth in them, real-life experience says that teams don’t always work that smoothly.
With that in mind, here are the main points of the infographic (which is really quite good), along with my “reality-based” translations:
1. Vision
“Individuals need a vision in order for a business to thrive, and a good team needs to have a collective vision or outcome they are working towards. It is said that if the members of the team can’t see how the vision will impact them then either the vision isn’t appropriate or the individual isn’t the right fit for the team.”
Translation: Drink the Kool-Aid or you’re off the team.
2. Support
“A team that is supportive of one another makes a business run more smoothly. Team members offering help to others can reduce stress and help to clear up the bottleneck of tasks that have built up.”
Translation: If you are competent, everyone who isn’t will dump their work on you.
3. Mutual Respect
“Members of a great business team know they must be aware of others and their feelings. Being considerate and respectful of other people is essential.”
Translation: Act as if your team members have earned your respect, even if they’re complete doofuses.
4. Communication
“A great team communicates effectively, sharing knowledge with and seeking it from others. Good communication allows individuals to understand what is happening with the business or project and fosters an environment of openness.”
Translation: Plan on spending at least one day a week in mind-bendingly boring status meetings.
5. Positivity
“A positive yet realistic outlook helps a team remain aware of what is possible and find ways to face and overcome obstacles. A good team doesn’t let one failure keep them down. Instead they’re already finding workarounds and focusing on positive changes.”
Translation: Try not to think about The Charge of the Light Brigade…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE