Having a healthy team is the foundation for business success, according to Patrick Lencioni, president and co-founder of The Table Group. As the author of the national best-seller The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and a major advocate for the organizational health movement, his work focuses on helping teams enhance their leadership, teamwork, and overall organizational well-being. In this article, we’ll reflect on his insights into how to build a healthy team in four key steps.
Speaking at The Art Of Leadership, he shared his insights on building effective teams, highlighting two requirements for success:
- Be Smart – Develop a clear strategy, use structured and accurate marketing and financial plans, and use the right technology.
- Be Healthy – Minimize politics and confusion, foster high morale and low employee turnover, and maintain a high level of productivity.
He commented that although many companies have worked hard to be ‘smart’, the key way to diversify your business is to build a healthy team. There are four disciplines involved in building this type of team:
1. Build a Cohesive Team
Trust
A great team is one that trusts each other. This trust can only be earned when all cards have been put on the table. Each member should share their strengths and weaknesses and know that their areas of weakness won’t be used against them.
Conflict
It’s important to understand that conflict isn’t a bad word. A team will never agree on everything. The important thing is to discuss those disagreements instead of letting them fester in the background. Remember, without first establishing trust, conflict becomes politics.
Accountability
Being open, trusting, and unafraid of conflict allows team members to hold each other accountable for their actions and behaviours. This allows teams to commit to decisions and move forward together, as a unit.
2. Create Clarity
In business, many disruptions are created when team members aren’t clear about who the company is, where it wants to be, and who’s responsible for getting it there. This confusion can be minimized by clarifying the following questions:
- Why do you exist?
- How should you behave as a brand?
- What are your goals?
- How will you achieve these goals?
- Who is responsible for what?
3. Communicate Clarity Consistently
Creating clarity by asking the above questions should also be communicated to the rest of your employees. Make your messages simple and repeat them often. This repetition demonstrates that there’s still a commitment to that same goal. Don’t fall into the trap where leaders communicate a ‘plan’ but don’t support it or ensure it’s completed.
Communication doesn’t just have to be verbal, there are many different mediums you can use. Whether it’s posters in the lunchroom or mentions in team meetings, the messaging can be applied to anything – it just needs to remain consistent.
4. Reinforce Messaging
That messaging can also be reinforced by applying it to business processes. For example, how you hire new employees, evaluate your team, recognize the employees who do a good job, and how you dismiss those who don’t. These processes must be designed in a way that intentionally supports and emphasizes your business’ uniqueness.
The biggest reason that people avoid organizational health is because it requires courage. A sort of bravery is needed to take a step back and realize that we all have weaknesses, that all businesses are somewhat dysfunctional, and that not everyone is truthful. By recognizing this and committing to address issues and uncomfortable situations, you will achieve a healthy team and get closer to realizing your true potential.
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