5 Ground Rules For Optimum Teamwork

It’s natural, as an entrepreneur, to want to give the majority of your attention to what’s new and exciting. But it’s just as important that this doesn’t take away from the things that will get you to those new and exciting opportunities—such as effective teamwork.

Establishing principles and values is crucial to achieving tight-knit, effective teamwork. At Strategic Coach, we’ve come up with five strategies that not only contribute to strong teamwork, but help us get the results we want faster.

1. Know thyself.
   Creating high-level teamwork starts with understanding who you are, how you operate, how your personality plays in, how you strive and problem-solve, and what your value system is. If you’re unaware of these things, it’s incredibly challenging to find and appreciate them in others.

   We use a variety of different profiles, including Kolbe, StrengthsFinder®, and DISC, to share a common language and have conversations about the best ways to work with one another. This also gives our team members the advantage of being aware of the areas where they require more support, so if necessary, they can call on others to help get the job done faster.

2. Be in constant conversation.
   Being in constant conversation means you’re listening, talking, and reflecting with your team from the moment you start a project all the way through to the end.

   This is a sure-fire way to keep people on track and in the loop about what’s working and what’s not working. This transparency allows you, as a team, to move forward together in the right direction.

3. Give context.
   Your team needs context. Make it a habit to communicate the “why” behind any project or business decision so that those working with you can fill in the gaps appropriately.

   By providing the bigger picture and letting your team know exactly what it is you want to accomplish, you encourage much more productive conversations. It also gives team members a huge amount of clarity and guidance on their overall approach and strategy.

4. Be real.
   The people who are most enjoyable to work with are real—they’re authentic, genuine, honest, and have integrity. This doesn’t mean you always have to be cheerful or in a great mood, but it does mean that you’re comfortable being honest when you’re not. Everyone has bad days, and that’s okay.

   There’s enormous freedom in realizing that you don’t need to be anything other than yourself. Embracing this means people will count on you to be genuine.

5. Be open.
   Being open means you’re amenable to growth, change, different points of views, and different ways of doing things. It also means being coachable. There’s so much to be gained when you’re receptive to and inclusive of other people’s experiences.

   People who are rigid and not willing to listen to others’ perspectives end up isolating themselves, which prevents teamwork. Team members are much more likely to give 110 percent when they know there’s room for collaboration.

These five tips make up the recipe for developing a teamwork community that’s successful and for creating a positive and progressive place to work. Your team will commit to producing high-quality results if they know they’re appreciated and that teamwork is a top priority.