Workplace psychologists OPP today reveal the seven keys of workplace team fitness to help leaders engender ‘fit’ teams.
Nearly half of people in the UK (47%) feel that poor leadership is the biggest threat to creating successful teams in the workplace. So what signs should leaders look for to ensure their team is fit for purpose?
Jenny Kidby, Managing Consultant at OPP said: “Team working is a fundamental part of almost every job – yet leaders fail to properly step back from day-to-day activity and ask how their teams are performing. Like a man failing to stop and sharpen his blunt saw for fear that it takes too much time to sharpen, leaders need to step back and understand how to recognise high performance behaviours.
“If you analyse the key factors – and find your team doesn’t meet all the criteria, it may well be time to spend some time rethinking how that team is working together. There are robust and tested means of helping teams develop so that they work better together, more productively and in the way best suits them.”
1. TRUST
Are team members happy to share ideas and views among the group?
2. COMMUNICATION
Do team members speak openly and with candour, to the benefit of the team?
3. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Is everyone capable in dealing with conflict, so that if a problem arises, it has limited impact on work or productivity?
4. PROCESS
Does the team have processes in place to allow everyone to work effectively, with no one being held back?
5. INNOVATION
Do team members constantly and freely generate new ideas or explore ways of improving?
6. TEAM ORIENTATION
Does the team have a sense of purpose and camaraderie?
7. ALIGNMENT
Do team members share a clear and common vision as to the team’s objective – and know what they need to do to reach it?
These key questions, based on research, can give great insight for a team leader or manager on how their team is currently faring. Jenny goes on to comment “Some of these questions can be things the team has never before had conversations about – and opening up honest conversations – with skilful facilitation from a business psychologist – can be part of the solution of creating a high performing team.”
