Team Building Disciplines: To Inspire Motivated and Results Oriented Teams

Team Building Disciplines: To Inspire Motivated and Results Oriented Teams
As a team leader, are you inspiring, motivated and results
oriented? Maybe you are because you love what you are doing
because you are doing what you want to be doing - Team
Building.

Somewhere along the way you made a decision, you took
control of the things under your control, got to know
yourself, your dreams and desires and you paid the price to
make your dream a reality by mastering self-discipline and
personal leadership. That is what a leader needs to build
effective team. Are you a team builder?

This isn't always the case with most team leaders - they
don't know how to build teams, because they themselves have
not yet built themselves. Many team leaders are not in
control of themselves, they are not motivated, inspiring or
results-oriented.

Team leaders may not be aware of the fact that to lead,
inspire or to motivate others they must first lead inspire
and motivate themselves. How can you give something to
somebody else if you first don't have it yourself to give?
Effective team building is from the inside - out.

You need to take an inside-out approach and take inventory.
You need to go to work on yourself for yourself before you
can get into team building.

You are the # 1 person in the world. If you can't do it for
yourself, how can you do it for anyone else? These
disciplines must first be mastered before you could master
anything else, and only then can you demonstrate it in team
building.

Before you create and build a team you must know why you
are creating one and the expected outcomes. But, are you
the team leader? If you are, you best understand the job
description, roles and behaviors of being a leader and how
to increase leadership effectiveness.

A leader no longer directs people but develops
self-motivated individuals. They don't manage on a
one-on-one basis but build teams that manage more of their
own work.

A leader also performs many tasks - from being an
administrator to being a psychologist, not to mention being
the guardian of the bottom-line. A leader is an enthusiast,
a team builder, a good listener and gives credit to others
through recognition and praise, while maintaining and
demonstrating an outcome orientation.

To build an effective team requires many characteristics. A
team must have a purpose. A team's purpose is defined by
its mission. The team mission is something that the team
intends to do. It is the object for which the team exists
as determined by the team leaders and team members.

It is a clearly stated purpose that serves to direct and
motivate the team in pursuit of its goals. This is a team
building discipline needed in order to inspire a motivated
and results oriented team.

The team's mission is driven by the organization's vision.
The organization's vision provides a "big picture"
perspective that serves to align people, ideas, and
attitudes. It must, however, be communicated to team
members in such a way that they are inspired to be part of
it. To be successful, the team must align its purpose or
mission to the organization's vision.

Each member must have a clear understanding of the team
goals and what is expected of them. A team goal is an end
that the team strives to reach; it directly supports both
the mission of the team and the organization's vision.
Teams that agree on their agendas can direct their energies
towards task accomplishment.

All team members determine effective team goals. When
everyone takes part in establishing the overall goals of
the team, individuals on the team have a clear
understanding of what is expected and can develop a
commitment to working with one another in pursuit of team
goals. This is a team building discipline needed in order
to inspire a motivated and results oriented team.

Within the team you must establish a high degree of
communications, trust, support and cohesiveness between
members. The team needs to operate under flexible
procedures using effective problem solving and
decision-making methods. Use of authority in decision
making by a team leader in no longer effective.

Using a consultative or still better, a consensus approach
where everyone has say, to decision making allows for a
greater freedom for team members. This is a team building
discipline needed in order to inspire a motivated and
results oriented team.

But, there has to be more than just freedom. There has to
be an element of fun. Fun is part of the team culture and
can be created in many ways. One way could be for the team
to create a team name and identity that is reflective of
the team's mission and/or it's members. This is a team
building discipline needed in order to inspire a motivated
and results oriented team.

Team members must know how to run effective meetings
through the use of an agenda, ground rules, objective
setting procedures, roles and responsibilities. Effective
methods for action planning, monitoring, communications,
evaluations and follow up should also be reviewed and
established.

Each member should also demonstrate appropriate personal,
interpersonal and group task behaviors. These are a team
building disciplines needed in order to inspire a motivated
and results oriented team.

Team members need to be empowered and trusted that they
will do the job to the best of their ability. If they are,
they are more action-oriented and committed to the
implementation of the plan. Be there to coach them, not
to direct them. Allow for failures and lessons learned.

The Bottom Line: Demonstrate the appropriate behaviors for
team building and the team will follow, but also give them
all a chance to participate and to lead.

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Bob Urichuck is an International Speaker, Trainer and
Best-Selling Author. Learn personally from Bob in the areas
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