Dear community, over the years most of us have worked in different teams in different companies on a wide range of topics.
Sometimes things go really well (I’d love to do more work in this team), sometimes things just plod along (please let the workday go quickly) and sometimes things are really bad (I don’t want to be here).
A team doesn’t necessarily have to have many members. For me, the definition of a team starts with two people. However, for me the team must have certain characteristics in order to be able to call itself a real and, in particular, capable team. Only the ability to act lays the foundation for success. Success doesn’t happen automatically either. It’s hard work.
I have compiled the characteristics below based on my experience. This way you can compare the situation in the teams you are currently working in.
For companies, the list is interesting in order to question what you should perhaps enable or allow your own teams to do.
The success factors
In my opinion, a team should…
- have common goals that it can and wants to achieve
- have a similar understanding of values
- know, respect and trust each other
- exchange information regularly
- use coordinated communication channels and tools
- have creative freedom with a lot of self-determination
- receive feedback very quickly on decisions that it cannot make itself
- work on shared data
- have time
- have a budget that corresponds to the tasks
- know when individual members need to concentrate on individual work for a short time due to their expertise so that they can then continue working as a team
- be able to deal with successes and failures
- use suitable hardware and software
…so that it can be successful.
So much for my thoughts on the subject
Michael