Top 10 Skills for Building Winning Teams

Harvard psychologist Richard Hackman, a preeminent scholar of team effectiveness believes that a team’s design is the most vital factor in building winning teams. “Get the design right, the theory says, and the performance will take care of itself.”^[i] To have a good design, you need “clear goals, well-designed tasks that are conducive to teamwork, team members with the right skills and experiences for the task, adequate resources, and access to coaching and support.”^[i]

The results of getting an efficient team together are better performance, high morale and professional development of all. For an employee, “working effectively as part of a team is incredibly important for output quality, morale, and retention.”^[ii] To become a highly valuable part of a team, take a look at these top 10 skills for creating team synergy:

Build a Team

Select the team type and build teams using the steps of forming, storming, norming and performing

Create Team Synergy

Develop collaboration and cooperation in a team

Team Communication

Establish team norms, build trust and put communication channels in place

Leadership

Identify your style, communicate with confidence and inspire others to act

Listen Actively

Learn focused listening and asking questions to control and manage conversations

Resolve Conflicts

Know how to find mutual requirements, identify needs and reach the best solution

Manage Meetings

Learn how to plan and prepare for meetings to get productive outcomes

Deal with Difficult People

Prevent issues from escalating, manage difficult situations and use the 3-step resolution process

Deliver Criticism

Use the feedback sandwich method to offer criticism constructively

Manage Diversity in Teams

Understand stereotypes, create an inclusive environment and put a system in place for diversity complaints

Sources

[i] https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/the-importance-of-teaming

[ii] https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/01/23/why-and-where-is-teamwork-important/#6e6d6c2a287a