Behind every able man, there are always other able men,<b> Chinese Proverb</b>.   

 

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. - <b>Proverbs 27:17</b>. 

 

No is no question about it,  <b>the team is greater than the sum of its parts</b>. It is the successful leaders responsibility to  assure proper teamwork in group settings. This can be completed in three steps.

 

1.<b>Teamwork Envirnoment</b>

 

K I S S- Keep it simple stupid. Small teams don't need lots of hierarchy.  Extended process impedes teamwork.

 

Cooperation- Encourage team goals, not individual competition.

 

Provide necessary support- be a servant, provide information, extra staffing etc.

 

Authority- Allow teams to act on their given consensus.

 

Feedback- Give positive feedback to the team when warranted.

 

Disclosure- Give the team full information on needed requirements.

 

2.<b>Coaching others on Team Skills</b>

 

Mission Statement- Help the team define its mission/mission statement

 

Stewardship- Help the team define its roles and responsibilities.

 

Feedback- Ask the team to evaluate its own effectiveness.

 

Leadership- Discourage We vs They discussions and thinking.

 

Action- Encourage the team to involve others in the process.

 

Accomplishments- Praise the team often when it is effective.

 

Self Evaluation- Encourage the team to once again evaluate its effectiveness.

 

3.<b>Problem Solving Skills</b>

 

Investigation-  Define the problem, ask ask and ask again,  sometimes the problem on the surface is only a symptom of the actual problem.

 

Influence- seek input from others before making any decision.  Some of this could be group discussions or one on one.

 

There are literally thousands of books written on Teamwork.  I would encourage you to read "The Skilled Facilitator" by Roger Schwarz.

 

Remember Leaders are Made not Born.  Keep reading and learning. Attend Automobile University to sharpen your skills.  Dont know what Automobile University is?  Check this link  <a href="http://managementleadershiptoolkit.blogspot.com/2011/08/automobile-university.html">Automobile University</a>