Building a Successful Team
Teamwork is undoubtedly an important factor in the success of a business, but building a cohesive team is not always easy. In an article published by the Harvard Business Review, J. Richard Hackman lays out a basic guideline for building a successful team. He does this by first examining what he considers to be common misperceptions about teamwork, and then providing solutions to each obstacle. He believes that a strong team allows for innovative solutions through the exchange and incorporation of different ideas. Innovation is what enables companies to ultimately surpass competition, and innovation should start within a team so that multiple players can optimize success.
The members of the team, and how they interact with each other, determine the strength of the team as a whole. Hackman points out that often smaller teams with people who are comfortable working with each other tend to be more successful than larger teams or teams that are constantly receiving new members. The ideal size of a team does, in a big part, depend on what the team is doing. There is not one ideal size group for every situation, but it is much easier for people in big groups of people to be unmotivated to pull their own weight. That being said, big teams do present some advantages. Naturally, larger teams contain a larger variety of opinions, and a larger group has a higher likelihood of creating unique, innovative solutions across multiple levels of the organization.
Teams where all the members have the same opinions and work without conflict are expedient and may seem preferable, but they don’t necessarily produce the optimal results. These teams without conflict are often stagnant and lack improvement, two factors which inhibit the strength of a business as a whole. If everyone agrees with each other, no new ideas will be suggested. It is also lucrative for everyone to feel comfortable sharing suggestions within the group-a point that Hackman stresses in his article. Sometimes a leader emerges; these leaders can be remarkably helpful to the team–and business—as a whole, but they should not become dictatorial figures within the group. Instead, these leaders should be open to opinions other than their own to contribute to the success of the group and ultimately fulfill the goals of the team.
Face-to-face interaction is another factor that helps strengthen a team. The author concedes that while we do live in a time when instant messaging, emailing, and video-chatting are all prevalent, easily accessible, and helpful; these tools should not completely replace in-person interactions. If the members of the team do work separately from each other, such as from home, they should all come together at certain points to discuss in person what they have accomplished separately. These meetings are especially important and should not be overlooked, not just because they allow the different team members to become familiar and comfortable with each other, but they allow for a more personal environment to bounce ideas off each other and strengthen those ideas in the process.
Successful teamwork allows for companies to set themselves apart from the pack, to market their brand as something unique. Innovation can be prompted by one individual, but the best ideas usually come out of a team environment where different parties across all levels come together to synthesize opinions and accomplish goals.
