Beef Tips

October 2015 Management Minute

“Creating Team”

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist

Few experiences in the workplace are more rewarding than the feeling of accomplishing something extraordinary as a part of a highly effective team, knowing that the project outcome is unique in your field and that your part of the project was critical for completion of the whole.

In the workplace we often pine for more team work or a more robust team ethos, but what have we done as managers to ensure that the team comes first, ahead of the individual? There are three elements to keep in mind with respect to building an effective team-oriented organization.

  1. Team begins at the hire. Some people are amazing individual performers but simply are not wired to subjugate their personal accomplishments for the better of the team. In truth, some sales organizations thrive with a group of self-centric individuals. If the goals of the organization really don’t benefit from a collective effort, then selfishness is sufficient. However, if the only way to accomplish the team goals is through team work and collaboration, then avoid hiring people who clearly are not team players.
  2. Team can be taught. Some individuals who may in the past have demonstrated outstanding individual work ethic but self-centric motivations can be often be re-directed toward the collective goal and can, in fact, become key elements to both team accomplishments and can become valuable team leaders. Highly effective people are most often capable of grasping and internalizing the team vision if given clear direction and team goals and individual duties are clearly outlined.
  3. Team can be motivated. As stated previously, selfishness works for some organizations. If a collection of independent individual goals is what is needed to move the organization forward, then individual performers must be hired and incentivized to accomplish their goals independent of what others accomplish. Some people simply work better this way and can be highly effective. However, if organizational growth is predicated on collaboration, collective effort, and interdependency, then: (a) team-focused individuals should be recruited, hired, and retained; (b) these individuals should be given the right type of mentoring that teaches a team-first philosophy and a willingness and eagerness to subjugate any individual efforts which may be detrimental to esprit de corps and which may subtract from the team effort; and (c) financial incentives (and non-financial as well) must be put in place which are parallel and aligned with the team goals (i.e., the individual is rewarded when the team wins).

Team doesn’t happen on accident. Team takes effort, intentionality, focus, and constant communication and reinforcement. If Team matters to you, you have it in your power to create an effective team.

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