Team Effectiveness

Team Effectiveness

                Team Effectiveness is the core of who and what we are. It defines us in every part of our lives, and it allows the good to become great. Team Effectiveness can be achieved by doing many things, but I in particular would like to focus on just three important points. First, one must define specific roles and responsibilities by setting goals. Second, there is no “I” in team, but there is “me,” meaning that my teams’ success depends on me and what I do. Third, celebrate success. Business management guru Tom Peters said it best when he stated “Celebrate what you want to see more of.”

                Setting goals is a concept that we probably all have been introduced to in some point in our life. When we set a specific goal as a team, we create a sudden mental vision of what we want to achieve, allowing us to work towards a certain cause in unity. Gary Mack a world renowned sports psychologist worked with pro athletes for many years and came to the conclusion that it is a masterful skill for personal growth and peak performance that we all set goals. Where will you go in life without goals? (Mack, 2001) If you don’t have goals, you are going to end up somewhere you don’t want to be because you failed to plan and therefore you planned to fail.

                Team is defined by Webster Dictionary as: a number of persons associated together in work or activity (team, 2014). We as individuals make up a team, and therefore, success relies on what the individuals bring and use together as a group. As an avid sports individual, I have been involved in many team sports throughout my life. One reoccurring theme that has been echoed by almost all of my coaches is the phrase “We are only as good as our weakest player,” which meant that to become successful as a team, first I must be successful at being me, because I am part of my team, and where there is failure among one there is failure among all.

                Forbes Magazine published a recent article about the importance of celebrating success, declaring that success, no matter how big or small, should never be over looked and should be celebrated constantly so as a team you can see what allowed you to achieve this success. (Llopis, 2012) These factors that allowed you to achieve success will define you as a team and reinforce the power and the potential your team has. As you continue to celebrate success, it will instill confidence in yourself and your team by giving everyone the swagger of knowing that “YEAH!! WE CAN DO THIS!!! And nothing is going to stop me”.

                As you venture out and begin to become great and build an effective team remember to first set goals so you have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. Second, my teams’ success depends on me and what I do. Third, celebrate success to instill confidence within me and my team. These simple steps will open new doors for you to explore and they will allow you to move from good to great.

               

References

                Mack, G. (2001). Mind gym. New York,NY: Mcgraw-Hill.

                team. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 6, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/team

                Llopis, G. (2012, October 01). 6 ways successful teams are built to last. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2012/10/01/6-ways-successful-teams-are-built-to-last/2/