It does not matter how good a CEO or a leader of any organization is if their team is ineffective. Leaders of businesses have numerous responsibilities that require them to be mostly away from their offices. For instance, they must talk to investors or manage multiple other teams in different cities or locations. This limits the time they are in contact with their employees. Therefore, it is paramount to have a powerful team that works effectively, even in the absence of its most senior members. Each team member in any business plays an important role; they are a part of the whole (Leonard & Trusty, 2015). Hiring the best people in the team is the first and most crucial step, and giving people more autonomy through delegating is a good motivation. However, teams will become divided and lose focus on the actual goal if the leader is not actively involved in their activities.
Work teams benefit not only the business owners but also the lowest-ranked employees. Team members get companionship and a source of belonging among each other, hence meeting their social needs within their workplace (Leonard & Trusty, 2015). Also, they can solve personal and professional problems more innovatively and faster in a group. This includes protecting each other from external pressures placed on them by supervisors (Leonard & Trusty, 2015). Within these teams, people keep each other accountable and offer guidelines for behaviors accepted within the workplace.
Great teams do not happen by coincidence; all parties involved have to work together and share common goals and visions of where the business is headed. All team members need to have the same depth of knowledge and willingly share it with the rest for them to achieve what they aim for. Team leaders must encourage diverse thoughts and points of view as long as they align with the company’s vision. It is important to allow the different team members to speak their minds, argue constructively, and make a common decision. Correcting wrong ideas or making a good one better is easier when different brains are involved. Therefore, this encourages the growth of individuals, teams, and, eventually, the business.
Several magazines and journals have written comprehensive articles about building and managing effective teams. The writers agree on the specific things entrepreneurs could do to ensure they build and retain functional teams. For instance, Bryant (2021), in his New York Times Magazine article, states that leaders have to create a clear map from the beginning. The team leader should communicate to the team members their priorities as a team and how success will be measured. Similarly, Masterclass (2021) emphasizes the need for leaders to make their expectations known in terms of sales and the working environment. The article ranks this as one of most businesses’ biggest problems, even though most people downplay its effects.
Another way to build a successful team is through building trust and respecting each one of the team members as an individual. People follow trust and integrity, and not a person (DePiano et al., 2020). Building a culture of trust allows the team members to remain together even in difficult circumstances. Likewise, leaders should build a culture of respect for each other regardless of the positions held within the team (MasterClass, 2021). It is important to view an individual from the viewpoint of their value and not just another person performing a particular task. When people are respected for who they are, they feel appreciated and, in return, become more productive, benefiting the business even more. When team members are respectful towards each other, they can solve any arising issues together without compromising the productivity and success of the business. The two articles agree that team members’ trust and respect could make a business out of very difficult situations.
These articles also relate directly to the concept of effective teams by giving insight into the importance of establishing effective teams. For instance, Land (2019) refers to a study by Dr. Patrick Laughlin to conclude that more heads put together for the purpose will outperform the best individuals working alone. This fact is attributed to how easier it is for more people working together to come up with correct responses, reject erroneous ones and appropriately process the received information. This study also states that the most innovative ideas occur when people from different cultures and industries come together. When people are exposed to diversity, their thought processes change.
In conclusion, building and managing an effective team is essential for the success of any business. Leaders are required to not only recruit the best individuals in their teams but also communicate their expectations early, as well as respect and create a culture of trust within the workplace. These key concepts have been retrieved from reliable business magazines such as the New York Times, MasterClass, and journals. This is important and useful information for anyone looking to start a business or is already running one. Growth is constant, regardless of what stage one is at in business.
References
Bryant, A. (2019). How to build a successful team. Business Guides – the New York Times. Web.
DePiano, S., Frieman, A., Bender, K., & Gualtieri-Reed, T. (2020). Practical strategies for building and growing an effective, high-functioning interdisciplinary team (P12). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 59(2), 397–398. Web.
Land, S. K. (2019). The importance of deliberate team building: A project-focused competence-based approach. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 47(2), 18–22. Web.
Leonard, E. C., & Trusty, K. A. (2015). Supervision: Concepts and practices of management (Paperback). Cengage Learning.
MasterClass. (2021). 9 steps to building a strong and efficient team: How to build a strong team. MasterClass. Web.