A great team works together to achieve their mission. They place the team goal above their own goal. This week, take a look at your team. Is everyone fully committed to achieve the mission? Strengthen your role as a team player and strengthen your team’s ability to be successful with these challenges.
1. Make the mission everyone’s goal. Sometimes the mission is not clear. It must be repeated constantly. Every team action needs to be linked to achieving the goal. Make sure every member contributes, and find supporting tasks that keep people from standing on the sidelines.
2. Eliminate distractions that get in the way of the objective. Distractions can be caused by gossip, conflicting messages, negative attitudes, and competing goals. You can help a team by eliminating distractions as soon as they appear. Squash gossip by calling all affected people to openly discuss issues. Eliminate negative attitudes by bringing your positive attitude to the forefront, and by providing recognition and praise to team members when earned. Any conflicting messages or conflicting goals should be addressed immediately. Align the team actions and the mission.
3. Make the team goal the main goal. Don’t let the team get sidetracked by obstacles. Some obstacles can get in the way and create an opportunity for people to forget about the big picture, the main mission. Don’t let an individual’s objective outweigh the team objectives. Reward and recognize team accomplishments above individual accomplishments until the mission is achieved.
4. Contribute your best. You can set the example for those around you. Give 100% and never less. Stay focused on the objective. Help your team members be successful. Help everyone achieve together. Assist those that are falling behind. The team is only as strong as its weakest player. Use your energy to make the team stronger.
“All winning teams are goal-oriented. Teams like these win consistently because everyone connected with them concentrates on specific objectives. They go about their business with blinders on; nothing will distract them from achieving their aims. “ – Lou Holtz