If you’ve worked in a team then you’ll know how the the importance of having a good tight team. When they’re working well, everyone is buzzing together, good ideas flow and heaps gets done quickly and everyones having a good time together. I call these sticky teams!

The Team is a massive component of the business

We’re looking for a new designer and a new developer at the moment, and it’s interesting to note how many people don’t bring up the importance of the team. I want to know peoples experience and direction in major way, but it’s a good sign when people ask about and checkout how the team works. To me this shows that they recognise that as long as the team is geling, you can pretty much get through anything, which is very true. You can’t enjoy your work, or your business if you don’t enjoy your team, they’re one in the same.

If it breaks Fix it quick as

You can have the same fantastic people, but they can fluctuate between working really well together to average, and this can happen over the course of a week, month or longer. I’ve been part of the most motivated and excited teams and as well as some average periods where the spark is lost. Heres a few things I’ve noted on helping get things back in mint form.

1. Be straight-up - Acknowledge openly it’s not quite right

People know when things aren’t quite right, we feel it, so the worst thing you can do is not acknowledge it, you’ve got to be straight, don’t leave team members having to wonder for themselves when someones going to get things back on track. I’ve seen morale drop and leadership not acknowledge it, and it’s a clear sign to the team that they now have to just look after themselves, as no-ones looking after the team.

2. Eliminate any Fault or Blame

Team breakdowns most often have nothing to do with any individual, and this thinking has to be eliminated very quickly as it’s a dead end road, it’s best to just drop the words from your vocabulary.

3. Get Individuals working well together

When there’s breakdowns between individuals in a team, you need to help them re-connect. I’ve managed teams of between 3 to 15, and the most important thing you have to keep an eye on is where cool individuals are clashing with each other or facing issues, and work with them individually and together to help them get back in synch with each other and the team. People might clash, and there may be things that have happened that cause all sorts of potentially negative feelings, but people almost always want to get past this and get back to loving the team, don’t gloss things over and expect people to just sort it out, focus on it and help out.

4. Keep Direction sorted

Teams are united by common goals, values and direction. In business this is building an organisation, creating a product, getting it to market, making a difference and making some money. One of the best traits of good leaders is the ability to get teams together and pumping. Being Passionate and having clear vision that’s going somewhere everyone’s into AND bringing it down to right here right now, we’re doing this next is key.

Whenever I lose focus and can’t provide clear direction, I know it makes things hard for the team and productivity and happiness drops. I remember when I was driving the product development and trying to raise capital at the same time for Energy Intellect. The problem was, while I was flying around the US figuring out how to help secure the money, the development team was missing out on time and direction the product deserved and needed. Fortunately when we secured the money, I could get back to the then most important thing, getting the product development team pumping again.