There are basically five qualities of highly productive work groups
that you need to foster throughout the stages of team development.
The first quality of highly productive groups is the existence of
shared values.
You can foster this quality by asking the question, �What are our
values?� or, �What do we stand for?� Examples of shared values would
be: integrity, excellence, quality, caring about people,
profitability, and harmony.
The second quality is shared objectives.
It is essential that everyone take the time to discuss the actual
reason for forming the team, and the chief results that are expected
of them. The more thorough the discussion on goals and objectives,
the more effective the team will be when it begins working.
The third quality is shared activities.
Each person knows what they are supposed to contribute to the
achievement of the overall goals and objectives of the team.
The fourth quality is that the head of the team leads the action.
As the leader, you become the role model for all of the others,
accepting complete responsibility for the achievement of the overall
goal.
The fifth quality is that individually, and as a group, team members
continually evaluate their progress toward their goals and values.
They are always asking themselves, �How are we doing, and how can we
do better?� Whenever there are problems, misunderstandings, or
difficulties within the team, they are more concerned with what�s
right than with who�s right. All members know that their ability to
work together in harmony and cooperation is the key to the success
of every one of them.
The wonderful thing about becoming a leader in your work and
personal life is that you can practice the skills of influencing and
persuading others toward a common objective. And you can improve
yourself by continually evaluating your performance against your
standards.
One of the marks of excellent people is that they never compare
themselves with others. They only compare themselves with
themselves, with their past accomplishments and their future
potential.
The
more proficient you become at getting results, the more
opportunities you will have. And your ability to lead others to high
performance will enable you to fulfill your goals faster than ever
before.