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7 Core Principles of Successful Teams

Great teams are not just thrown together; they take work and patience to get the right mix. However, there are some principles that will help you along the way. Our team building events provide opportunities to strengthen each of these pillars.
Building a highly productive and effective team does not happen overnight – it takes time and effort to get everyone on board and “singing from the same hymn sheet”. Thankfully, there are a few key things that can help to transform a group of individuals into a powerful team.
As with so many things in life, these tips will only work if you are fastidious in your approach to implementing them. These are not one-time fixes; think of them more as habits and you’ll be on the right track. In fact, it is the best selling book by Stephen R. Covey, entitled ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, that influenced this list.
So, without further ado, let’s jump straight in and find out what these seven habits are that will help you to transform your team into winners!

1. Be Proactive

Waiting for things to happen is one of the worst traits a team can have. Grab the bull by the horns and seize any opportunities that may come your way. Should things go the wrong way for you or your team, hold your hands up and take responsibility for your decision and the consequences of that choice. Always be sure to focus your full attention on things that you can influence directly.

2. Start With The Finish In Mind

Set out what you and your team want to achieve before you begin. Make long-term goals for the team and them work backwards towards your starting point. Breaking down your task into more manageable chunks will make the end goal easier to accomplish.

3. Put First Things First

Now that you know the direction you need to take, do the very first thing that will start a chain of events leading to the finish line. Try to concentrate your time on things that matter and complete one task at a time wherever possible.

4. Winning Teams Think Win-Win

Whenever you approach a new task, always try and get the point across to your team that the best result is a win for everybody. Operating in this manner will breed respect and give you a far better chance of building long-term relationships than simply going all out for personal gain whatever the cost.

5. Understand First, Be Understood Second

Being able to listen effectively is one of the key habits to instil into your team if you want them to be successful. Being empathetic with a customer’s demands or issues is the only way to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Once the point has been properly heard, it is equally important to make yourself understood too. Good communication is, after all, a two-way street.

6. Great Teams Have Clearly Defined Roles

Letting every member of your team know exactly what his or her role is is crucial to the group’s success. While it is important to work together, it is also important to build a team around individual qualities to create a more dynamic whole. Re-evaluate team members’ core strengths frequently to develop team cohesion.

7. Collaborate

Positive teamwork is all about working out each other’s strengths and implementing together to form a whole. This way the group carries the full weight of the task and no one is left with too much to bear. Equally, with effective collaboration between team members, all outcomes are shared, further enforcing the bond between the people within the group.