The most common business unit for high performance are teams. Sometimes the word “team” gets used loosely and not always appropriately, but it’s true teams that present the most promising performance opportunities – and fulfilling experiences – in the workplace.

What Defines a Team?

Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith (The Wisdom of Teams, Teams at the Top) provide the clearest definition of teams, “A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.” So what kinds of behaviors separate a group of people from a true team?

What Do Successful Team Have in Common?

True teamwork represents a set of values that promote individual and collective performance. Effective teams value these practices:

1. Listening
2. Communicating
3. Sharing work responsibilities
4. Providing support
5. Making work more enjoyable for each other and themselves

The best teams invest considerable effort in exploring, shaping, and agreeing on a purpose that belongs to them both individually and collectively.

Team Building
How can a group of colleagues be developed into a team? Studies show that Experiential Training and Development (ETD) is one of the most effective tools for facilitating personal and organizational transformation.

A leadership training expert can be instrumental in this team-building process. They can assist you in clearly defining your team’s direction and enhancing common commitment, which is the essence of a team.

For example, I use a combination of time-tested methods and cutting-edge content to spark tangible and meaningful transfers between engaging learning experiences and lasting organizational change.